A Message from ASPA President Allan Rosenbaum

Dear ASPA Colleagues,

At a time when the considerable pain and suffering that too many people in the world have to deal with too much of the time have been greatly enhanced by an unprovoked, illegitimate and particularly brutal war, it is hard to know whether to begin with bad news or good news. However, let's begin with the good: ASPA’s upcoming Annual Conference in Jacksonville, March 18–22.

The first and foremost good news is that COVID infection rates are declining dramatically across the nation, and especially in Florida. This is an extraordinarily welcome development for our national public health situation. It makes me even more excited about the opportunity to reconnect with colleagues and friends who I have not seen for two years.

Second, regardless of the situation, ASPA’s primary concern is always about your health and well-being. Consequently, the decision made by the ASPA National Council to require proof of vaccination to participate and masking at all indoor conference events continues to stand.

Third, and especially pleasing to me, is that we have put together an extraordinarily interesting and relevant and provocative program, given the very sad world events. In many instances, this program reflects significant new initiatives now being undertaken by ASPA that will continue long after the conference ends.

Especially at this moment, questions about the future of democratic government, both here and abroad, are of great concern. Similarly, issues of racial and ethnic discrimination, social inclusion and rising inequality are matters of very real concern throughout the United States and in far too many other places.

As some of you know, for almost 25 years, within the structural framework of ASPA, there has been a Center for Accountability and Performance, which has played a major role in focusing our members’ attention and activities on this topic. In the past year, the National Council has created a second and a third center—one on social equity and inclusion and another on democracy and public service. These new centers will ensure continued, and substantially increased, activity from both practitioner and academic perspectives, in these critical areas of current and future concern.

At the upcoming conference, several sessions will focus not only on current issues, but future plans for the development of these centers and their activities. The sessions will plant seeds that will have significant long term impact on ASPA’s future. Helping us to do that will be individuals who bring a wide array of experiences, including many longtime ASPA members, distinguished figures from government, the UN, foundations and academia and, hopefully, you.

Now, for the less than good news: Unfortunately, we see it every day on our televisions (for a sense of my perspective on Ukraine, please click here to read an op-ed I recently published in The Miami Herald, Florida’s main newspaper; your comments and reactions are much appreciated).

Tragically, there often is a lot of similarly terrible news in many parts of the world that is not so frequently shown on our TVs. One goal for this year’s conference is to get your input and ideas as to how ASPA, and its members, can make an even greater difference in this regard.

Most assuredly, the conference includes many panels on the topics that are traditionally a part of our conference: human resource management, organizational behavior, local government and the like. However, this year we will have a special focus on the broader context and the broader world in which all of us, as both practitioners and teachers of public administration, are a part.

We truly hope that you will be there to join us in these efforts. We need your support as we are trying to find ways in which, as a profession, we can make an even greater difference than we do now. I do look forward to meeting you in Jacksonville.

Allan

Top Five Reasons to be in Jacksonville Next Week!

ASPA's 2022 Annual Conference begins in-person in Jacksonville next week—March 18-22. While there are dozens of reasons to attend, here are our "top five" favorites!

Reason #5: Food!
Everyone likes a reason to eat out! In this case, head to Jacksonville next week and enjoy multiple receptions, the Gloria Hobson Nordin Social Equity Luncheon and SWPA National Awards Breakfast! Saturday night's Welcome Reception will not only provide plenty of sustenance but also include fun games and live music. These (mostly outdoor) events provide plenty of fun reasons to join us for this year's Annual Conference.

Reason #4: Build Your Library!
Two sessions on Friday and Saturday include authors who will sign their books for those interested: Bonnie Stone, author of Gimme Shelter and Tom Nichols, author of The Death of Expertise and Our Own Worst Enemy. Bonnie's career spent working within nonprofits in New York City casts the issue of homelessness in a new light. She'll lead a Presidential Panel discussion on the topic on Friday afternoon and sign books shortly after. Tom is a professor at the U.S. Naval War College and frequent commentator on national security issues on MSNBC, in The Atlantic and other media outlets. He will provide our opening keynote on Saturday morning and sign books, as well. You will want to add both of these authors to your bookshelves!

Reason #3: Plenary Speakers!
Speaking of, Tom will begin our line-up of six keynote speeches and named lectures highlighting the most important topics in public administration today. He will focus his remarks on the subject of his newest release, Our Own Worst Enemy, which argues that responsibility for the spread of illiberal and anti-democratic sentiment throughout our culture rests with citizens themselves. GSPIA Dean Carissa Slotterback will provide our Donald C. Stone lecture; City Manager Aretha Ferrell-Benavides will provide our Elliot Richardson Lecture, Professor Mary Ellen Guy will provide our Nesta M. Gallas Lecture and a panel of renowned experts will hold a discussion related to our conference theme, "Democracy under Threat," to round out this group of important discussions.

Reason #2: A Theme That Cuts Close to Home!
Little did we know when we began planning this conference how real "Democracy under Threat" would become as our theme. Developed within the context of U.S. challenges and the January 6 insurrection, we now have experienced several months of international concerns—including recent weeks' current events—that make this theme not only timely but critical. Be in Jacksonville to join peers and experts from across the public sector as we all discuss our role in light of these challenges.

Reason #1: Nothing Beats Seeing Each Other Again!
There is no better way to catch up with your peers and colleagues than at events like this. ASPA's health and safety policies mean all attendees will be vaccinated and masked, and the host hotel provides plenty of options for social distancing and outside interactions, making this a very safe gathering and the perfect place for you to see your ASPA friends and colleagues again. Bring your business cards, project proposals, resumes and more and make the most of this opportunity to see everyone again!

Pick your own five—or more!—to add to the list when you are there with us, starting next Friday. Registration remains open. Visit our website to register now, provide proof of vaccination and get ready for a wonderful event.



Use the following links to view the 2022 Annual Conference Events Code of Conduct, health and safety policies and liability waiver.

E-Learning at Your Fingertips

ASPA staff work tirelessly to keep your skills up to date and the information flowing all year long through our e-learning program. Visit our website to see more details about upcoming KeepingCurrent, BookTalk and Students and New Professionals series programming.


ASPA's e-learning series is taking a break for the next several weeks as staff focus on the Annual Conference. We'll be back with fresh programming in April. In the meantime, check out our archives to catch up on great conversations from earlier months and years.

From the Archives

BookTalk: RIGOs & Beyond: A New Generation of Research on Regions
In partnership with GSPIA, University of Pittsburgh, this BookTalk from December 2021 looked at regionalism. Discovering American Regionalism brought renewed energy to the study of regions, focusing on the 470+ Regional Intergovernmental Organizations (RIGOs) that serve as forums for coordinating the collective interests of local government jurisdictions, both rural and urban. RIGOs also play an important role in horizontal intergovernmental relations, as they are designated as the official point of contact for state and federal programs in transportation, aging, economic development, air and water quality and emergency management. GSPIA Dean Carissa Slotterback facilitated a discussion of the latest research on RIGO succession planning, their role in regional networks, and improved methods in studying and comparing regions.

ASPA Announces Initiatives to Advance Equity, Democracy, Global Engagement

ASPA is pleased to announce the launch of three new initiatives at its 2022 Annual Conference, taking place in Jacksonville, Fla., March 18-22. These initiatives are a Center for Social Equity, a Center for Democracy and a presidential committee to examine international scholarly engagement.

The Center for Social Equity, to be named after H. George Frederickson, a pioneer of social equity in public administration, will develop an initial package of tools to advance the center’s work; encourage ongoing work to create a repository of current actions within public administration toward social equity; and facilitate relationships with ASPA Chapters and Sections to encourage their participation. The Center’s Advisory Committee is co-chaired by Michael Massiah (retired, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey) and Rosemary O’Leary (professor, University of Kansas), who are joined by a number of distinguished academics and practitioners chosen to scope out and further refine the center’s initiatives.

The Center for Democracy will serve as the home for ASPA’s programming related to national public service and democratic ideals. Its work will include producing advocacy statements related to good governance; generating research on public administration’s role in advancing democracy; identifying practices that enhance and undermine democracy; and taking positions about issues related to democratic values. The Center’s Advisory Committee is co-chaired by Valerie Lemmie (director of exploratory research, Kettering Foundation) and Tina Nabatchi (professor, Syracuse University).

The presidential committee, established to review international scholarly engagement between public service organizations and nondemocratic governments, will analyze current challenges and develop guidelines to assist with future interactions. Goals for the committee include creating forums for conversations about this subject; suggesting a framework for thinking about engagement that identifies the values at stake and ways in which these values may collide in practice; and suggesting ways in which academic organizations can integrate human rights concerns into their decisionmaking processes as they pertain to international engagement. The committee is co-chaired by Mary Lee Rhodes (professor, Trinity University) and Alasdair Roberts (professor, University of Massachusetts—Amherst).

The advisory committees for each of these initiatives will hold open discussions at the Annual Conference, inviting participation from attendees to provide their perspectives for the work as it begins. More details about each of these efforts will be released in the weeks following the conference.

ASPA encourages participation in the relevant sessions:

• The Presidential Committee on International Scholarly Engagement will host its brainstorming session at a Presidential Panel, Saturday, March 19 at 11:00 a.m.: "International Scholarly Engagement: Protecting Core Values."
• Advisory Committee Co-Chair Tina Nabatchi will host a brainstorming session for the Center for Democracy during a Presidential Panel, Sunday, March 20 at 3:30 p.m.: "Defending Democracy."
• Advisory Committee Co-Chairs Michael Massiah and Rosemary O’Leary will host a brainstorming session for the Center for Social Equity during a Presidential Panel, Monday, March 21 at Noon: "The H. George Frederickson Center for Social Equity: A Roundtable Event."

New Leadership Insights Available for Download!

We are pleased to share with you our most recent Leadership Insights piece, provided by the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Pittsburgh. Special thanks to Dean Carissa Slotterback for her efforts to bring her faculty's expertise to the ASPA community on a very important subject: gender equality in public administration.

Slotterback notes, "As we continue to make progress in professionalizing and building capacity in public administration around the world, we also know that this progress continues to be unequal. Context matters and is essential as we aim a comparative lens across the world, but see some persistent challenges in terms of gender equality. A recent report based on evidence from the United Nations Development Programme and the University of Pittsburgh's ground-breaking Gender Equality in Public Administration database shines a bright light on these issues. This research, examining 170 countries, highlights the prevalence of glass ceilings that limit women's advancement to positions with greater power and influence and glass walls that frequently limit their leadership to 'women's issues' such as health and education.

This work also offers inspiration as we reflect on the extraordinary impact women have in agencies and ministries across the world, as well as crucial insights on the interventions that we must pursue as we strive for progress in meeting UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) #5: Gender Equality. Most importantly, it creates an imperative for all of us as we consider the ways that we can support women's empowerment and expanded leadership in public administration. I am grateful to my University of Pittsburgh Gender Inequality Research Lab colleagues, and their UNDP partners, for this much needed data and insight on our path forward."

2022 Transatlantic Dialogue Call for Papers: Deadline Extended!

The 16th Transatlantic Dialogue (TAD16), an annual conference bridging scholarly communities on either side of the Atlantic Ocean, will take place June 9-11, 2022, in Roskilde (Denmark). Co-sponsored by ASPA, the European Group for Public Administration/International Institute of Administrative Sciences and Rutgers University, we are pleased to join with our European counterparts to support this event and the scholarly communities it enhances.

The abstract deadline has been extended to April 1, 2022. Please visit the website for more information about how to submit a proposal.

Under this year's theme, “Strategic Management of Public Sector Transformation in Turbulent Times: Enhancing Collaborative Governance and Co-creation of Public Value," TAD16 will organize a broad range of workshops led by pairs of American and European scholars:

• Building capacities for collaborative governance and co-creation through strategic management
• Enhancing public performance through interagency and cross-sector collaboration
• Public innovation through networks of public and private actors: theory and practice
• Improving the performance of contracts, procurement and public-private partnerships
• Co-creating public value outcomes with citizens and voluntary organizations
• Public leadership and motivation in public value production
• Designing institutional platforms and arenas for collaborative governance and co-creation
• Political leadership and policy entrepreneurship in a turbulent world of collaborative governance
• Democratic legitimacy and accountability in collaborative governance arrangements

American University Summer Diversity Academy Call for Applications

American University's (AU) School of Public Affairs Summer Diversity Academy is seeking applications for its inaugural 2022 class of scholars.

The Summer Diversity Academy provides opportunities for scholars who are under-represented among public affairs faculty to receive quality feedback on research projects and mentoring advice on strategic planning of an academic career. The program will provide a one-week in-residence experience at AU's School of Public Affairs in its department of public administration and policy. The program is open to advanced PhD students and junior faculty and will provide constructive criticism for participants from AU faculty and fellow attendees related to the participants’ research projects. Additional sessions will focus on the publication process, peer reviewing of manuscripts, creating professional networks and the job market in public affairs.

Interested candidates should address a letter of application to Ken Meier by April 1, 2022, with a draft research paper the candidate would like to workshop at the Academy. The application should include the candidate’s career goals and how the candidate’s research interests fit with the expertise of SPA faculty. The Academy will take place June 6-10, 2022. Transportation, lodging and meals will be provided by American University. Click here for more information.

National Civic League Releases Updated Model City Charter

Following a year-long revision process, the National Civic League has released the ninth edition of the Model City Charter. The revision process was led by a steering committee of 22 national representatives and experts. The newly released edition continues the League’s tradition of helping cities implement professional, ethical and representative governance, and also includes a new emphasis on civic engagement and equity. For a limited time, the new edition of the Model City Charter is available for free.

Tips and Resources

How Managers Can Significantly Reduce Employee Turnover
About 52 percent of exiting employees say their manager or organization could have prevented them from leaving, according to a report.

In the News

Today's headlines contain plenty of news coverage of some of our nation's most pressing public administration challenges. ASPA has curated some of the most important stories from recent weeks. If you have not seen these yet, make sure you read them now!

Infrastructure

• The Postal Service Has Rejected Biden's Push for More Electric Vehicles
• CISA Unveils New Catalog of Free Cyber Tools amid Ukraine Crisis
• DOE Gets Fresh Funding for Clean Energy Research
• Workforce Development’s Role in Building the Infrastructure Labor Force
• What Russia’s Aggression Means for U.S. Cybersecurity
• Climate Change Is Harming the Planet Faster Than We Can Adapt, U.N. Warns
• Russian Invasion of Ukraine and Resulting U.S. Sanctions Threaten the Future of the International Space Station
• Why the Concept of Induced Demand Is a Hard Sell
• Key Trends That Will Shape Infrastructure Decisions and Projects

• How the Labor Department Is Combatting Unemployment Fraud
• Making DEI the Cornerstone of the Public Finance Workforce
• Defense Firms Brace for Billions of Dollars in New Taxes, and Hope for Congressional Relief
• White House Moves to Identify "Disadvantaged" Communities in Line for Federal Funding Boost

• What Does Another Continuing Resolution Mean for Federal Contractors?
• U.S. Census Director Says the Bureau Needs to Reduce Chances of Meddling after Trump
• Biden Agency Vacancies to Drag on White House Priorities
• OMB Sees 2022 as "Most Significant Year" for Security Clearance Reform
• The Federal Employee Appeals Board Is Finally Functional Again
• IRS Announces New Office Focusing on Taxpayer Experience

• Study: Higher Minimum Wages Raise Voter Turnout
• Inside the Air Force Chief’s Mission for Racial Equity
• In Twilight of Life, Civil Rights Activists Feel "Urgency to Tell Our History"
• Ketanji Brown Jackson Is the First Black woman Selected for the Nation’s Top Court
• For Low-Income Parents, No Day Care Often Means No Pay

COVID In the News

Here are stories specific to the coronavirus that are noteworthy, in addition to our usual assortment of news headlines above.

Infrastructure

• Nearly Half of Biden’s 500 Million Free COVID Tests Still Unclaimed
• Demand for COVID-19 Testing Is Falling, but Experts Caution It's As Important As Ever
• DOD-Backed Effort Will Use Supercomputing to Predict Therapies for Future COVID-19 Variants
• U.S. Can’t Use Health Rule to Expel Migrant Families Facing Persecution, Court Says

• DOJ Expects to Transition Away from Max Telework in the Coming Months
• Back to the Office for Feds, Biden Says

• Pandemic Led to More Black-Owned Businesses But Exacerbated Their Challenges
• As COVID Subsides, Last-Mile Digital Equity Efforts Emerge

Members in the News

ASPA members are in the news in a variety of ways. If you have been featured, please send a link to the article to us and we will be happy to include it in a future newsletter.

Local Leaders "Cannot Hide from Technology"
By Katherine Barrett and Richard Greene

Putin’s Not the Only One to Blame for Russia’s Murderous War in Ukraine
An op-ed in the Miami Herald by ASPA President Allan Rosenbaum.

Maria Aristigueta Announces Retirement
ASPA Past President Maria Aristigueta will retire as dean of the Biden School of Public Policy and Administration at the University of Delaware after the 2021-2022 academic year.

OPM Announces Janice R. Lachance as FPRAC Chair
ASPA Past President Janice Lachance has been appointed to lead the group tasked with advising the Office of Personnel Management about the Federal Wage System.

Welcome New ASPA Members!
Click here to view the most recent new ASPA members!

Around Public Administration

Here are the most recent updates from across the profession. Did we miss you? Send us your news and we'll include it in the next round!

Upcoming Events:

• ASPA 2022 Annual Conference
  Jacksonville, FL | March 18-22, 2022
  Registration is open
  
  
• 16th Annual UCF Public Administration Research Conference
  Online | March 24-25, 2022
  Registration is open
  
  
• 23rd Annual ASPA Georgia Chapter Academic Conference and Annual Meeting
  Online | March 30-31, 2022
  
  
• NFBPA Forum 2022
  Grand Rapids, MI | March 30 - April 3, 2022
  Registration is open
  
  
• Louisiana Chapter Annual Meeting
  Online | April 8, 2022
  Contact the Chapter for more information.
  
  
• Marc Holzer Public Performance Symposium
  Online | April 22, 2022
  Submit proposals here
  
  
• 30th NISPAcee Annual Conference
  Bucharest, Romania | June 2-4, 2022
  Theme: Crises, Vulnerability and Resilience in Public Administration
  
  
• NAPA's Social Equity Leadership Conference
  Online | June 8-10, 2022
  The Call for Papers is open.
  Contact Chair Richard Greggory Johnson, III for more details.
  
  
• 16th Transatlantic Dialogue (TAD)
  Roskilde, Denmark | June 9-11, 2022
  The Call for Papers is open; registration is open
  
  
• 2022 Korean Association for Public Administration (KAPA) International Conference
  Online | June 22-24
  Theme: Green, Digital, COVID-19: Rethinking Public Administration in an Era of the Great Transformation
  
  
• 2022 Midwest Public Affairs Conference
  University of Illinois Springfield | June 23-24, 2022
  The Call for Papers and registration is open
  
  

• SPOD Member Survey Results Due Next Week
  ASPA's Section on Professional and Organizational Development (SPOD) has created a short survey for its members and friends to better understand ASPA members, the kind of events they would like to see, circulate information about scholarships and potentially get involved with SPOD. Take the survey here. Please complete the survey by March 15, 2022.
  
  
• ASPA South Florida Chapter Podcast Released
  The most recent edition of the South Florida Chapter's podcast, "Public Sector Works," has been released and is available online now! Host Tom Hotz (South Florida Chapter board member) is joined by Board Members Bill Solomon and Ben Paley as they speak with special guest Shavonne Ekeledo, core professor at Northcentral University School of Business and chief business officer of Powerspeak, Inc. She speaks to how private industry best practices transfer to the public sector, as well as academic best practices. Tune in any time!
  
  
• 2022 Annual E-PARCC Teaching Case and Simulation Competition
  The Program for the Advancement of Research on Conflict and Collaboration (PARCC) at the Syracuse University Maxwell School invites submissions for its 16th annual E-PARCC competition to further stimulate the creation of effective and innovative teaching cases and simulations. E-PARCC, a project of the "Collaborative Governance Initiative," provides free online resources for those who teach conflict and collaboration around the world. More than 3,000 visitors per month from more than 40 different countries take advantage of E-PARCC teaching materials. The E-PARCC competition consists of two tracks: (1) collaborative problem solving, collaborative governance, and network governance and analysis, and (2) collaborative methods in international development. All entries are due by March 15, 2022. Click here for more information.
  
  
• 2022 KAPA Conference Call for Proposals
  The Korean Association for Public Administration (KAPA) will host its 2022 conference online, June 22-24. The theme is “Green, Digital, COVID-19: Rethinking Public Administration in an Era of the Great Transformation.” The 2022 conference seeks multi-disciplinary research on organizational, managerial and policy challenges and opportunities that have emerged during the tumultuous times. Tracks include: equity, inclusion and social justice; environment, climate and sustainable governance; managing effective and resilient public service; digital transformation of public service; and good governance in the era of the great transformation. All proposals are due April 17, 2022. Contact KAPA with any questions.
  
  
• Editor in Chief Search: Public Administration and Development
  Public Administration & Development is a long-running journal dedicated to publishing the best research in the field. For more than 50 years, it has been reviewing and assessing the practice of public administration at the local, regional, national and international levels. It gives special attention to investigations of the management of all phases of public policy formulation and implementation which have an interest and importance beyond a particular government and state. The journal is looking for two new editors in chief who will relish the opportunity to develop the journal in line with the discipline, with the changing publishing landscape, and will be able to work together to bring different perspectives to the journal. All applications are due June 1, 2022. Click here for more details.

PA TIMES Online

Here's a selection of current pieces on PA TIMES Online, covering a range of issues within the profession. We accept individual articles on a rolling basis; if you have a piece you think would fit our publication, submit it to [email protected] for consideration. (Please review our submission guidelines in advance!)

• The Ticking Time Bomb in Public Sector Pension Plans—And What Can Be Done to Solve the Problem
  By Stephen R. Rolandi
  
  
• Billable Hours in the Federal Government: A Novel Concept!
  By Willie Lee Patterson, III
  
  
• How Much Do I Care?
  By Christopher H. McKinney, Sr.
  
  

A Message from ASPA President Allan Rosenbaum

Dear ASPA Colleagues,

At a time when the considerable pain and suffering that too many people in the world have to deal with too much of the time have been greatly enhanced by an unprovoked, illegitimate and particularly brutal war, it is hard to know whether to begin with bad news or good news. However, let's begin with the good: ASPA’s upcoming Annual Conference in Jacksonville, March 18–22.

The first and foremost good news is that COVID infection rates are declining dramatically across the nation, and especially in Florida. This is an extraordinarily welcome development for our national public health situation. It makes me even more excited about the opportunity to reconnect with colleagues and friends who I have not seen for two years.

Second, regardless of the situation, ASPA’s primary concern is always about your health and well-being. Consequently, the decision made by the ASPA National Council to require proof of vaccination to participate and masking at all indoor conference events continues to stand.

Third, and especially pleasing to me, is that we have put together an extraordinarily interesting and relevant and provocative program, given the very sad world events. In many instances, this program reflects significant new initiatives now being undertaken by ASPA that will continue long after the conference ends.

Especially at this moment, questions about the future of democratic government, both here and abroad, are of great concern. Similarly, issues of racial and ethnic discrimination, social inclusion and rising inequality are matters of very real concern throughout the United States and in far too many other places.

As some of you know, for almost 25 years, within the structural framework of ASPA, there has been a Center for Accountability and Performance, which has played a major role in focusing our members’ attention and activities on this topic. In the past year, the National Council has created a second and a third center—one on social equity and inclusion and another on democracy and public service. These new centers will ensure continued, and substantially increased, activity from both practitioner and academic perspectives, in these critical areas of current and future concern.

At the upcoming conference, several sessions will focus not only on current issues, but future plans for the development of these centers and their activities. The sessions will plant seeds that will have significant long term impact on ASPA’s future. Helping us to do that will be individuals who bring a wide array of experiences, including many longtime ASPA members, distinguished figures from government, the UN, foundations and academia and, hopefully, you.

Now, for the less than good news: Unfortunately, we see it every day on our televisions (for a sense of my perspective on Ukraine, please click here to read an op-ed I recently published in The Miami Herald, Florida’s main newspaper; your comments and reactions are much appreciated).

Tragically, there often is a lot of similarly terrible news in many parts of the world that is not so frequently shown on our TVs. One goal for this year’s conference is to get your input and ideas as to how ASPA, and its members, can make an even greater difference in this regard.

Most assuredly, the conference includes many panels on the topics that are traditionally a part of our conference: human resource management, organizational behavior, local government and the like. However, this year we will have a special focus on the broader context and the broader world in which all of us, as both practitioners and teachers of public administration, are a part.

We truly hope that you will be there to join us in these efforts. We need your support as we are trying to find ways in which, as a profession, we can make an even greater difference than we do now. I do look forward to meeting you in Jacksonville.

Allan

Top Five Reasons to be in Jacksonville Next Week!

ASPA's 2022 Annual Conference begins in-person in Jacksonville next week—March 18-22. While there are dozens of reasons to attend, here are our "top five" favorites!

Reason #5: Food!
Everyone likes a reason to eat out! In this case, head to Jacksonville next week and enjoy multiple receptions, the Gloria Hobson Nordin Social Equity Luncheon and SWPA National Awards Breakfast! Saturday night's Welcome Reception will not only provide plenty of sustenance but also include fun games and live music. These (mostly outdoor) events provide plenty of fun reasons to join us for this year's Annual Conference.

Reason #4: Build Your Library!
Two sessions on Friday and Saturday include authors who will sign their books for those interested: Bonnie Stone, author of Gimme Shelter and Tom Nichols, author of The Death of Expertise and Our Own Worst Enemy. Bonnie's career spent working within nonprofits in New York City casts the issue of homelessness in a new light. She'll lead a Presidential Panel discussion on the topic on Friday afternoon and sign books shortly after. Tom is a professor at the U.S. Naval War College and frequent commentator on national security issues on MSNBC, in The Atlantic and other media outlets. He will provide our opening keynote on Saturday morning and sign books, as well. You will want to add both of these authors to your bookshelves!

Reason #3: Plenary Speakers!
Speaking of, Tom will begin our line-up of six keynote speeches and named lectures highlighting the most important topics in public administration today. He will focus his remarks on the subject of his newest release, Our Own Worst Enemy, which argues that responsibility for the spread of illiberal and anti-democratic sentiment throughout our culture rests with citizens themselves. GSPIA Dean Carissa Slotterback will provide our Donald C. Stone lecture; City Manager Aretha Ferrell-Benavides will provide our Elliot Richardson Lecture, Professor Mary Ellen Guy will provide our Nesta M. Gallas Lecture and a panel of renowned experts will hold a discussion related to our conference theme, "Democracy under Threat," to round out this group of important discussions.

Reason #2: A Theme That Cuts Close to Home!
Little did we know when we began planning this conference how real "Democracy under Threat" would become as our theme. Developed within the context of U.S. challenges and the January 6 insurrection, we now have experienced several months of international concerns—including recent weeks' current events—that make this theme not only timely but critical. Be in Jacksonville to join peers and experts from across the public sector as we all discuss our role in light of these challenges.

Reason #1: Nothing Beats Seeing Each Other Again!
There is no better way to catch up with your peers and colleagues than at events like this. ASPA's health and safety policies mean all attendees will be vaccinated and masked, and the host hotel provides plenty of options for social distancing and outside interactions, making this a very safe gathering and the perfect place for you to see your ASPA friends and colleagues again. Bring your business cards, project proposals, resumes and more and make the most of this opportunity to see everyone again!

Pick your own five—or more!—to add to the list when you are there with us, starting next Friday. Registration remains open. Visit our website to register now, provide proof of vaccination and get ready for a wonderful event.



Use the following links to view the 2022 Annual Conference Events Code of Conduct, health and safety policies and liability waiver.

E-Learning at Your Fingertips

ASPA staff work tirelessly to keep your skills up to date and the information flowing all year long through our e-learning program. Visit our website to see more details about upcoming KeepingCurrent, BookTalk and Students and New Professionals series programming.


ASPA's e-learning series is taking a break for the next several weeks as staff focus on the Annual Conference. We'll be back with fresh programming in April. In the meantime, check out our archives to catch up on great conversations from earlier months and years.

From the Archives

BookTalk: RIGOs & Beyond: A New Generation of Research on Regions
In partnership with GSPIA, University of Pittsburgh, this BookTalk from December 2021 looked at regionalism. Discovering American Regionalism brought renewed energy to the study of regions, focusing on the 470+ Regional Intergovernmental Organizations (RIGOs) that serve as forums for coordinating the collective interests of local government jurisdictions, both rural and urban. RIGOs also play an important role in horizontal intergovernmental relations, as they are designated as the official point of contact for state and federal programs in transportation, aging, economic development, air and water quality and emergency management. GSPIA Dean Carissa Slotterback facilitated a discussion of the latest research on RIGO succession planning, their role in regional networks, and improved methods in studying and comparing regions.

ASPA Announces Initiatives to Advance Equity, Democracy, Global Engagement

ASPA is pleased to announce the launch of three new initiatives at its 2022 Annual Conference, taking place in Jacksonville, Fla., March 18-22. These initiatives are a Center for Social Equity, a Center for Democracy and a presidential committee to examine international scholarly engagement.

The Center for Social Equity, to be named after H. George Frederickson, a pioneer of social equity in public administration, will develop an initial package of tools to advance the center’s work; encourage ongoing work to create a repository of current actions within public administration toward social equity; and facilitate relationships with ASPA Chapters and Sections to encourage their participation. The Center’s Advisory Committee is co-chaired by Michael Massiah (retired, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey) and Rosemary O’Leary (professor, University of Kansas), who are joined by a number of distinguished academics and practitioners chosen to scope out and further refine the center’s initiatives.

The Center for Democracy will serve as the home for ASPA’s programming related to national public service and democratic ideals. Its work will include producing advocacy statements related to good governance; generating research on public administration’s role in advancing democracy; identifying practices that enhance and undermine democracy; and taking positions about issues related to democratic values. The Center’s Advisory Committee is co-chaired by Valerie Lemmie (director of exploratory research, Kettering Foundation) and Tina Nabatchi (professor, Syracuse University).

The presidential committee, established to review international scholarly engagement between public service organizations and nondemocratic governments, will analyze current challenges and develop guidelines to assist with future interactions. Goals for the committee include creating forums for conversations about this subject; suggesting a framework for thinking about engagement that identifies the values at stake and ways in which these values may collide in practice; and suggesting ways in which academic organizations can integrate human rights concerns into their decisionmaking processes as they pertain to international engagement. The committee is co-chaired by Mary Lee Rhodes (professor, Trinity University) and Alasdair Roberts (professor, University of Massachusetts—Amherst).

The advisory committees for each of these initiatives will hold open discussions at the Annual Conference, inviting participation from attendees to provide their perspectives for the work as it begins. More details about each of these efforts will be released in the weeks following the conference.

ASPA encourages participation in the relevant sessions:

• The Presidential Committee on International Scholarly Engagement will host its brainstorming session at a Presidential Panel, Saturday, March 19 at 11:00 a.m.: "International Scholarly Engagement: Protecting Core Values."
• Advisory Committee Co-Chair Tina Nabatchi will host a brainstorming session for the Center for Democracy during a Presidential Panel, Sunday, March 20 at 3:30 p.m.: "Defending Democracy."
• Advisory Committee Co-Chairs Michael Massiah and Rosemary O’Leary will host a brainstorming session for the Center for Social Equity during a Presidential Panel, Monday, March 21 at Noon: "The H. George Frederickson Center for Social Equity: A Roundtable Event."

New Leadership Insights Available for Download!

We are pleased to share with you our most recent Leadership Insights piece, provided by the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Pittsburgh. Special thanks to Dean Carissa Slotterback for her efforts to bring her faculty's expertise to the ASPA community on a very important subject: gender equality in public administration.

Slotterback notes, "As we continue to make progress in professionalizing and building capacity in public administration around the world, we also know that this progress continues to be unequal. Context matters and is essential as we aim a comparative lens across the world, but see some persistent challenges in terms of gender equality. A recent report based on evidence from the United Nations Development Programme and the University of Pittsburgh's ground-breaking Gender Equality in Public Administration database shines a bright light on these issues. This research, examining 170 countries, highlights the prevalence of glass ceilings that limit women's advancement to positions with greater power and influence and glass walls that frequently limit their leadership to 'women's issues' such as health and education.

This work also offers inspiration as we reflect on the extraordinary impact women have in agencies and ministries across the world, as well as crucial insights on the interventions that we must pursue as we strive for progress in meeting UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) #5: Gender Equality. Most importantly, it creates an imperative for all of us as we consider the ways that we can support women's empowerment and expanded leadership in public administration. I am grateful to my University of Pittsburgh Gender Inequality Research Lab colleagues, and their UNDP partners, for this much needed data and insight on our path forward."

2022 Transatlantic Dialogue Call for Papers: Deadline Extended!

The 16th Transatlantic Dialogue (TAD16), an annual conference bridging scholarly communities on either side of the Atlantic Ocean, will take place June 9-11, 2022, in Roskilde (Denmark). Co-sponsored by ASPA, the European Group for Public Administration/International Institute of Administrative Sciences and Rutgers University, we are pleased to join with our European counterparts to support this event and the scholarly communities it enhances.

The abstract deadline has been extended to April 1, 2022. Please visit the website for more information about how to submit a proposal.

Under this year's theme, “Strategic Management of Public Sector Transformation in Turbulent Times: Enhancing Collaborative Governance and Co-creation of Public Value," TAD16 will organize a broad range of workshops led by pairs of American and European scholars:

• Building capacities for collaborative governance and co-creation through strategic management
• Enhancing public performance through interagency and cross-sector collaboration
• Public innovation through networks of public and private actors: theory and practice
• Improving the performance of contracts, procurement and public-private partnerships
• Co-creating public value outcomes with citizens and voluntary organizations
• Public leadership and motivation in public value production
• Designing institutional platforms and arenas for collaborative governance and co-creation
• Political leadership and policy entrepreneurship in a turbulent world of collaborative governance
• Democratic legitimacy and accountability in collaborative governance arrangements

American University Summer Diversity Academy Call for Applications

American University's (AU) School of Public Affairs Summer Diversity Academy is seeking applications for its inaugural 2022 class of scholars.

The Summer Diversity Academy provides opportunities for scholars who are under-represented among public affairs faculty to receive quality feedback on research projects and mentoring advice on strategic planning of an academic career. The program will provide a one-week in-residence experience at AU's School of Public Affairs in its department of public administration and policy. The program is open to advanced PhD students and junior faculty and will provide constructive criticism for participants from AU faculty and fellow attendees related to the participants’ research projects. Additional sessions will focus on the publication process, peer reviewing of manuscripts, creating professional networks and the job market in public affairs.

Interested candidates should address a letter of application to Ken Meier by April 1, 2022, with a draft research paper the candidate would like to workshop at the Academy. The application should include the candidate’s career goals and how the candidate’s research interests fit with the expertise of SPA faculty. The Academy will take place June 6-10, 2022. Transportation, lodging and meals will be provided by American University. Click here for more information.

National Civic League Releases Updated Model City Charter

Following a year-long revision process, the National Civic League has released the ninth edition of the Model City Charter. The revision process was led by a steering committee of 22 national representatives and experts. The newly released edition continues the League’s tradition of helping cities implement professional, ethical and representative governance, and also includes a new emphasis on civic engagement and equity. For a limited time, the new edition of the Model City Charter is available for free.

Tips and Resources

How Managers Can Significantly Reduce Employee Turnover
About 52 percent of exiting employees say their manager or organization could have prevented them from leaving, according to a report.

In the News

Today's headlines contain plenty of news coverage of some of our nation's most pressing public administration challenges. ASPA has curated some of the most important stories from recent weeks. If you have not seen these yet, make sure you read them now!

Infrastructure

• The Postal Service Has Rejected Biden's Push for More Electric Vehicles
• CISA Unveils New Catalog of Free Cyber Tools amid Ukraine Crisis
• DOE Gets Fresh Funding for Clean Energy Research
• Workforce Development’s Role in Building the Infrastructure Labor Force
• What Russia’s Aggression Means for U.S. Cybersecurity
• Climate Change Is Harming the Planet Faster Than We Can Adapt, U.N. Warns
• Russian Invasion of Ukraine and Resulting U.S. Sanctions Threaten the Future of the International Space Station
• Why the Concept of Induced Demand Is a Hard Sell
• Key Trends That Will Shape Infrastructure Decisions and Projects

• How the Labor Department Is Combatting Unemployment Fraud
• Making DEI the Cornerstone of the Public Finance Workforce
• Defense Firms Brace for Billions of Dollars in New Taxes, and Hope for Congressional Relief
• White House Moves to Identify "Disadvantaged" Communities in Line for Federal Funding Boost

• What Does Another Continuing Resolution Mean for Federal Contractors?
• U.S. Census Director Says the Bureau Needs to Reduce Chances of Meddling after Trump
• Biden Agency Vacancies to Drag on White House Priorities
• OMB Sees 2022 as "Most Significant Year" for Security Clearance Reform
• The Federal Employee Appeals Board Is Finally Functional Again
• IRS Announces New Office Focusing on Taxpayer Experience

• Study: Higher Minimum Wages Raise Voter Turnout
• Inside the Air Force Chief’s Mission for Racial Equity
• In Twilight of Life, Civil Rights Activists Feel "Urgency to Tell Our History"
• Ketanji Brown Jackson Is the First Black woman Selected for the Nation’s Top Court
• For Low-Income Parents, No Day Care Often Means No Pay

COVID In the News

Here are stories specific to the coronavirus that are noteworthy, in addition to our usual assortment of news headlines above.

Infrastructure

• Nearly Half of Biden’s 500 Million Free COVID Tests Still Unclaimed
• Demand for COVID-19 Testing Is Falling, but Experts Caution It's As Important As Ever
• DOD-Backed Effort Will Use Supercomputing to Predict Therapies for Future COVID-19 Variants
• U.S. Can’t Use Health Rule to Expel Migrant Families Facing Persecution, Court Says

• DOJ Expects to Transition Away from Max Telework in the Coming Months
• Back to the Office for Feds, Biden Says

• Pandemic Led to More Black-Owned Businesses But Exacerbated Their Challenges
• As COVID Subsides, Last-Mile Digital Equity Efforts Emerge

Members in the News

ASPA members are in the news in a variety of ways. If you have been featured, please send a link to the article to us and we will be happy to include it in a future newsletter.

Local Leaders "Cannot Hide from Technology"
By Katherine Barrett and Richard Greene

Putin’s Not the Only One to Blame for Russia’s Murderous War in Ukraine
An op-ed in the Miami Herald by ASPA President Allan Rosenbaum.

Maria Aristigueta Announces Retirement
ASPA Past President Maria Aristigueta will retire as dean of the Biden School of Public Policy and Administration at the University of Delaware after the 2021-2022 academic year.

OPM Announces Janice R. Lachance as FPRAC Chair
ASPA Past President Janice Lachance has been appointed to lead the group tasked with advising the Office of Personnel Management about the Federal Wage System.

Welcome New ASPA Members!
Click here to view the most recent new ASPA members!

Around Public Administration

Here are the most recent updates from across the profession. Did we miss you? Send us your news and we'll include it in the next round!

Upcoming Events:

• ASPA 2022 Annual Conference
  Jacksonville, FL | March 18-22, 2022
  Registration is open
  
  
• 16th Annual UCF Public Administration Research Conference
  Online | March 24-25, 2022
  Registration is open
  
  
• 23rd Annual ASPA Georgia Chapter Academic Conference and Annual Meeting
  Online | March 30-31, 2022
  
  
• NFBPA Forum 2022
  Grand Rapids, MI | March 30 - April 3, 2022
  Registration is open
  
  
• Louisiana Chapter Annual Meeting
  Online | April 8, 2022
  Contact the Chapter for more information.
  
  
• Marc Holzer Public Performance Symposium
  Online | April 22, 2022
  Submit proposals here
  
  
• 30th NISPAcee Annual Conference
  Bucharest, Romania | June 2-4, 2022
  Theme: Crises, Vulnerability and Resilience in Public Administration
  
  
• NAPA's Social Equity Leadership Conference
  Online | June 8-10, 2022
  The Call for Papers is open.
  Contact Chair Richard Greggory Johnson, III for more details.
  
  
• 16th Transatlantic Dialogue (TAD)
  Roskilde, Denmark | June 9-11, 2022
  The Call for Papers is open; registration is open
  
  
• 2022 Korean Association for Public Administration (KAPA) International Conference
  Online | June 22-24
  Theme: Green, Digital, COVID-19: Rethinking Public Administration in an Era of the Great Transformation
  
  
• 2022 Midwest Public Affairs Conference
  University of Illinois Springfield | June 23-24, 2022
  The Call for Papers and registration is open
  
  

• SPOD Member Survey Results Due Next Week
  ASPA's Section on Professional and Organizational Development (SPOD) has created a short survey for its members and friends to better understand ASPA members, the kind of events they would like to see, circulate information about scholarships and potentially get involved with SPOD. Take the survey here. Please complete the survey by March 15, 2022.
  
  
• ASPA South Florida Chapter Podcast Released
  The most recent edition of the South Florida Chapter's podcast, "Public Sector Works," has been released and is available online now! Host Tom Hotz (South Florida Chapter board member) is joined by Board Members Bill Solomon and Ben Paley as they speak with special guest Shavonne Ekeledo, core professor at Northcentral University School of Business and chief business officer of Powerspeak, Inc. She speaks to how private industry best practices transfer to the public sector, as well as academic best practices. Tune in any time!
  
  
• 2022 Annual E-PARCC Teaching Case and Simulation Competition
  The Program for the Advancement of Research on Conflict and Collaboration (PARCC) at the Syracuse University Maxwell School invites submissions for its 16th annual E-PARCC competition to further stimulate the creation of effective and innovative teaching cases and simulations. E-PARCC, a project of the "Collaborative Governance Initiative," provides free online resources for those who teach conflict and collaboration around the world. More than 3,000 visitors per month from more than 40 different countries take advantage of E-PARCC teaching materials. The E-PARCC competition consists of two tracks: (1) collaborative problem solving, collaborative governance, and network governance and analysis, and (2) collaborative methods in international development. All entries are due by March 15, 2022. Click here for more information.
  
  
• 2022 KAPA Conference Call for Proposals
  The Korean Association for Public Administration (KAPA) will host its 2022 conference online, June 22-24. The theme is “Green, Digital, COVID-19: Rethinking Public Administration in an Era of the Great Transformation.” The 2022 conference seeks multi-disciplinary research on organizational, managerial and policy challenges and opportunities that have emerged during the tumultuous times. Tracks include: equity, inclusion and social justice; environment, climate and sustainable governance; managing effective and resilient public service; digital transformation of public service; and good governance in the era of the great transformation. All proposals are due April 17, 2022. Contact KAPA with any questions.
  
  
• Editor in Chief Search: Public Administration and Development
  Public Administration & Development is a long-running journal dedicated to publishing the best research in the field. For more than 50 years, it has been reviewing and assessing the practice of public administration at the local, regional, national and international levels. It gives special attention to investigations of the management of all phases of public policy formulation and implementation which have an interest and importance beyond a particular government and state. The journal is looking for two new editors in chief who will relish the opportunity to develop the journal in line with the discipline, with the changing publishing landscape, and will be able to work together to bring different perspectives to the journal. All applications are due June 1, 2022. Click here for more details.

PA TIMES Online

Here's a selection of current pieces on PA TIMES Online, covering a range of issues within the profession. We accept individual articles on a rolling basis; if you have a piece you think would fit our publication, submit it to [email protected] for consideration. (Please review our submission guidelines in advance!)

• The Ticking Time Bomb in Public Sector Pension Plans—And What Can Be Done to Solve the Problem
  By Stephen R. Rolandi
  
  
• Billable Hours in the Federal Government: A Novel Concept!
  By Willie Lee Patterson, III
  
  
• How Much Do I Care?
  By Christopher H. McKinney, Sr.