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ASPA 2025 Annual Conference Call for Proposals Open through September 13
ASPA's 2025 Annual Conference, the premier public service gathering of the year, will take place in Washington, DC, March 28 - April 1. The theme guiding the gathering, "Not Robots Yet: Keeping Public Servants in Public Service," speaks to the challenges and changes the public sector is facing right now and how we all can address them.
The Call for Proposals is open; all proposals are due September 13, 2024.
Like all professions and fields, public service operates in an environment where the only constant is change. Technological change has been especially fast paced, heralding the fourth industrial revolution and substantially shifting our field—in delivering public services, building smart cities, forecasting threats to the public good, anticipating emergencies for better preparedness, recruiting and managing the “best and brightest,” conducting high quality research and teaching the next generation of public service professionals.
Each passing day brings new digital tools. Some are introduced without a hitch and increase efficiency and outreach. Others gum up the works and pose new problems for service delivery. Some take humans out of the equation, relegating them to an oversight, behind-the-scenes role to ensure the tools behave as planned. Others still need humans, but perhaps fewer than before. All of them enable new forms of interaction, yet also can alienate some groups systematically. Above all, they require a different mindset for how we approach “serving the public.” ASPA’s 2025 Annual Conference will dive deep into how our profession can embrace today’s tools as enablers without being dominated by them.
The conference will take place at a time of immense challenge for public service. Tools are a critical example and there are others. Elections taking place in the United States and abroad. Recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions. Global shifts in governance and democratic norms. Cross-national cooperation. All are transforming how leaders and policymakers exercise their powers and how public administrators conduct their work. In building an effective and responsive public sector, we must cope with fundamental changes to how we serve the public good. That is why we not only invite proposals related to the conference theme, but also those examining these shifts and their impacts, both known and unknown.
This year’s conference will look at all aspects of these challenges: ethics, accountability, trust, human resources management, equity, diversity, fairness, economic impact, service delivery—plus the technology itself and best practices that are developing and evolving as their use grows. Six tracks will shape these conversations:
- Good Governance and Service Delivery
- Social Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
- Ethics, Trust and Accountability
- The Tools
- Human Resources Management
- Public Service Delivery
ASPA is seeking proposals for sessions, individual papers or topics and workshops that will delve into this theme and its related tracks. These proposals will form the bulk of the sessions presented during the conference and provide attendees with learning objectives throughout the event.
Click here for more details and the link to submit a proposal.
ASPA National Council Call for Nominations Closes September 3
For the past 85 years, ASPA has owed its strength to our dedicated members. Our committed volunteer leadership plays a critical role in charting ASPA’s path: who we are, what we do and where we are headed.
This year's call for nominations will be closing next Tuesday, September 3, 2024 at 11:59 p.m. EDT. Consider yourself or another member for a leadership position.
This year, members will elect a president-elect (serving for two years before becoming ASPA president in 2027-2029), five district representatives and a student representative. All will serve on the National Council, our governing board, which sets ASPA's policy direction, ensures our financial and programmatic position and promotes ASPA in the broader public service community. Click here for more information about the Council's responsibilities.
We seek nominees representative of ASPA's professional and membership composition, balancing academic and practitioner, and including international, nonprofit and all levels of government.
In addition, the National Council has charged the 2024 Nominating Committee with presenting a diverse slate of nominees—in terms of race, gender, ethnicity, disability, veteran status, gender identity, sexual orientation and other important forms of diversity—and committed to participating in ASPA's development and fundraising activities.
ASPA seeks candidates with a wide range of leadership skills, including a strategic understanding of the public service field—spanning practice and scholarship—to position the Society for continued programmatic and financial growth. We also seek individuals with a commitment to building a positive organizational culture and modeling care and loyalty to our Society. Elected leaders are expected to participate in ASPA's development activities; this includes making an annual financial contribution. Click here for more information about the National Council's responsibilities.
Nominations will be accepted until next Tuesday, September 3 at 11:59 p.m. EDT.
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 Student and New Professional series programming.
BookTalk: The Relative, Subjective and Contradictory Nature of Respect
August 29 | 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. EDT
Presenter:
Julie Pham, Founder and CEO, CuriosityBased
Julie Pham will speak about her book, 7 Forms of Respect: A Guide to Transforming Your Communication and Relationships at Work, a #1 Amazon new release and bestseller. In this session, Pham will be interviewed about the seven forms of respect framework, with time left for open Q & A. In this practical guide for any American team member, Pham helps you navigate the ambiguity of what it means to respect others. She offers thought-provoking questions and exercises that will transform your communication and relationships with the people you work with in lasting and surprising ways.
BookTalk: The Overlooked Pillar
September 3 | 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. EDT
Presenter:
Alisa Moldavanova, Associate Professor, University of Delaware
Offering an original perspective on sustainable development by emphasizing the importance of culture and cultural institutions in facilitating societal sustainability goals, The Overlooked Pillar conceptualizes sustainability as an institutional logic that develops in organizations though managers trained to see decisions through that lens. Drawing on more than five years of research conducted on a variety arts and humanities organizations, author Alisa Moldavanova provides a framework for organizational sustainability based on the dynamic interplay of two narratives: institutional resilience and institutional distinctiveness. The broader intellectual implication is that genuine long-term sustainability requires sustainable stewardship today.
KeepingCurrent: Building Capacity for Performance Management: Lessons Learned Over 25 Years with Mid-Atlantic StatNet Leaders
September 5 | 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. EDT
Presenters:
Justin Elszasz, City Data and Innovation Leadership, City of Baltimore
Elizabeth Funsch, ArundelStat Manager, Anne Arundel County Government
Dave Gottesman, Assistant City Manager, City of Rockville
Michael Jacobson, Moderator, Deputy Director, King County Office of Performance, Strategy and Budget
Jaime Lees, Chief Data Officer, Department of Technology Services, Arlington County Government
Greg Useem, City of Alexandria
As performance management systems expand their reach into more jurisdictions, one geographic region has been cultivating a peer learning network to learn from each other and enhance their practices. Mid-Atlantic StatNet has recently turned 10 and this webinar will bring the current leadership team together to share their lessons learned, benefits derived and guidance for other regions considering a regional collaborative. Learn about the scope of the group and how it has changed over time, what a typical session looks like, the impacts and benefits to the jurisdictions, and some success stories.
From the Archives
KeepingCurrent: U.S. Supreme Court Ethics
Recent years have seen a rise in questions about the ethics of the United States Supreme Court. In the past, the high court was considered the most trusted of the three branches of American government. Controversies such as political activism and financial disclosures have raised concerns as to whether this trust is misplaced. This webinar addressed the ethical dilemmas that have plagued the U.S. Supreme Court in recent years and examined what could be done to re-invigorate the high court's ethical image. Listen to this webinar, which was sponsored by ASPA's Section on Ethics and Integrity in Governance, via our online archives now. (Members only)
Students and New Professionals: Careers in Federal Government: Searching for a Job, Succeeding in It
"Shape America’s Future" is the tagline on USAJOBS, the federal government’s online portal to thousands of federal jobs based in Washington, DC and around the country. However, the federal job search process can be daunting for new graduates pursuing a public service career. How do you develop an effective application and get it seen? How do you master the art of the interview and hiring process? And, once hired, how can you make a federal career work for you? (Members only)
ASPA Student and New Professionals Webinar Series Planned for Fall/Winter
ASPA is pleased to announce a series of webinars geared toward our student and new professionals is in the works. Taking place September 2024 through February/March 2025, these events—free to attend!—are planned to help students and recent graduates with career development skills and strategies.
The following webinars will be scheduled shortly; full details will be added to our website as soon as they're available.
ASPA Resources for Students (September)
Study Skills, Time Management and Work/Life Balance (October)
Mental Health and Wellbeing (November)
Financial Literacy (January)
Effective Communication and Conflict Resolution (February)
Future Planning for a Career in Public Service (March)
These events are geared toward students and recent graduates but anyone may attend. As is the case with ASPA's entire webinar program, all events are free for live participation; members automatically receive access to our webinar archive to view the programs after the events have concluded. Keep reading this newsletter (and other ASPA emails!) and register for any of the events that are of interest as links are provided.
We look forward to seeing our student and new professional members online for these webinars!
ASPA Celebrates 85th Anniversary All Year
This year, ASPA celebrates our 85th anniversary—no small feat for any nonprofit association and a real cause for celebration for ours. Our field has faced enormous change and challenge since our founding in 1939. Yet we have remained steadfast in our mission of advancing excellence in public service. Indeed, we have an important story to tell. We are an association on strong financial footing, conducting a robust program of in-person and virtual events that matter. We are home to the top-rated journal in our field. We are redefining membership in a way that attracts a growing number of practitioners. And, we make tangible investments in the development of our student and new professional members.
We do all of this with a small but dedicated staff committed to excellence. As you interact with our staff and volunteer leaders throughout this year, we ask you to think about the resources it takes to provide those connections and invite you to participate in our 85-for-85 campaign.
Please consider making a special donation in some denomination of $85 to honor our history and accomplishments... and position ASPA well for the next 85 years.
Make your donation on our website any time (log in information is required; contact us for your details) and know that not only are you supporting ASPA now, but also that you will be on the front lines ensuring that ASPA will be sending messages like this one to future generations of professionals dedicated to the public good.
Use our website now or contact us for help setting up your donation. Monthly payment plans are available!
Thank you for celebrating our 85th anniversary and supporting the future of public service.
Public Integrity: New Article Collection Available
Public Integrity and publisher Taylor & Francis are pleased to announce that a new special issue, "Qualitative Methods as Liberatory Tools" is available now in front of the paywall to read and download for a limited time!
Guest Editors Staci M. Zavattaro and Ashley E. Nickels bring together papers designed to expand knowledge in public administration and policy and break out of potentially hegemonic strongholds. The authors in the collection explore topics such as power dynamics, social equity, advocacy and activism, and narrative dominance. The articles also can introduce readers to potentially new-to-them methods such as diary design, Afrofuturism and critical discourse analysis.
Public Integrity Seeks New Associate Editors
With rising numbers of article submissions, Public Integrity is looking for additional associate editors to join its team. Primarily, PI’s associate editors work closely with Editor in Chief Sue Neal to manage the review process for journal submissions. Additionally, associate editors have the opportunity to participate in journal strategy and represent the journal at conferences. PI welcomes academics at all levels of their professional journey for consideration as possible associate editors. This is an excellent opportunity to provide service and stay abreast of the latest research in the field of public ethics and integrity.
If you are interested in being considered for this opportunity, please send your CV and write a short email outlining your experience with academic publishing to Sue Neal.
Public Administration Today Highlight
Public Administration Today features white papers, research and blogs from across the profession. If you're interested in more—especially your own curated news feed in your inbox every week—visit the website, create an account and check off your interest areas so you can stay up to date about the latest research being released!
What Is Journey Mapping, and How Is It Used in State and Local Government?
As state and local agencies have digitized government services over the past few years, they have taken steps to make it easier for citizens to access those services. In addition to using artificial intelligence tools to improve customer service and moving more benefit systems to the cloud, many state and local governments have started using a less heralded but no less valuable tool called journey mapping.
Tips, Resources and the Fun Stuff
Retirement Planning Issues for Women
There are five retirement challenges that many women face when planning for their future.
A New Round of Free COVID Tests Is Coming Soon
The Biden administration is bringing back free at-home COVID-19 tests by mail. At the end of September, each household will be able to order up to four rapid tests through COVIDtests.gov.
Slam the Scam, Again
Some tips for avoiding scams and resources for help if you become victim to a scam artist. (Reprinted from an earlier column.)
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
Public Finance
Public Service
Social Equity
Members in the News
Crowdstrike Debacle Underlines Single-Point-of-Failure Risk
By Alan Shark
New ASU Lab Aims to Restore Public Election Confidence, Encourage Careers in Field
Features ASPA member Sharon Portillo and other faculty at Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions.
Focusing on the Pay Gap Undermines the Commitment to Equity
By Howard Risher
Should Vermont’s Child Care Solution Be Every State’s?
By Katherine Barrett and Richard Greene
Tell Me Something Good...
U.S. National Parks Are Receiving Record-High Gift of $100 Million to Protect and Restore Fragile Ecosystems
The official nonprofit organization representing America’s national parks has received notice that it is set to receive the largest philanthropic gift of its history. $100 million has been set aside for the National Parks Foundation from the Lilly Endowment for the purpose of protecting the most fragile ecosystems our parks contain.
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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:
Calls for proposals, calls for nominations and other updates:
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NECoPA Call for Proposals
The 2024 Northeast Conference on Public Administration (NECoPA) will be NECoPA’s 15th year of bringing together scholars and practitioners from the northeast region, the United States and internationally. Taking place in person at Pace University in Manhattan, this year's theme is "Building a Flexible Public Service through Innovation and Collaboration." The concept recognizes the advancements in digital technology as well as the intersectoral and interdisciplinary collaborations in addressing wicked public service problems while advocating for and protecting our democracy. Topic areas include but are not limited to: innovation and technology in public service; financial management and budgeting; diversity, equity, inclusion and justice in public service; public service education; and performance management and program evaluation. Proposals will be reviewed and accepted on a rolling basis. The deadline for proposals has been extended to September 3. Click here for more information.
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Call for Papers—Financial Accountability and Management
Financial Accountability and Management Journal seeks to gather scholarly perspectives from different countries and sectors on key questions related to changing modes of coordination between public sector organizations and their implications for public sector accounting, audit, budgeting and financial management practices and processes. This special issue seeks articles that focus on advancing our theoretical and empirical understanding of these crucial, yet under-researched themes, such as vertical funding allocations to local governments, financial sustainability and resilience implications of the reassignment of public services and tasks in vertical settings, the administrative burden caused by vertical settings in the public sector, and etc. A workshop will be held at Cardiff University, Wales, UK, on July 7-8, 2025, hosted by the Public Sector Accounting, Finance and Taxation Research Group (PACCFINTAX) at Cardiff Business School. Authors wishing to present at the workshop should submit a paper proposal (maximum two pages in length) to Dennis De Widt by January 31, 2025. The deadline for submission of full papers via the journal’s online platform is October 31, 2025. Click here for more information.
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Call for Papers—SDGs: International Journal of Public Administration
International Journal of Public Administration seeks manuscripts that intend to deepen the various dimensions relevant to sustainable development goals (SDGs), strictly linked to sustainability and digital transformation, and the relationship between social, economic and environmental value. In this view, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by the United Nations in 2015, constitutes a global governance plan of action proposing a roadmap for national, regional and local governments, as well as private sector organizations, to navigate the major social, environmental and economic challenges. These are resumed in 17 SDGs, which affect five critical areas, including people, planet, prosperity, peace and partnership. The key principle behind submissions should be a mind-blowing and provoking approach able to stimulate the needed changes in the evolutionary landscape of the public sector widely intended, and about the way(s) through public value can be created in the coming years under the polar star represented by the UN SDGs and relating it to the two main areas of sustainability and digitalization. All proposals are due November 1. Click here for more information.
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Call for Papers—Smart Government: International Journal of Public Administration
International Journal of Public Administration seeks manuscripts that address the pressing need for advancing theoretical frameworks with sound empirical studies that investigate the research gaps in algorithmic bureaucracy across diverse administrative contexts and regimes. The objective is to motivate finer-grained theoretical models and empirical analyses examining bureaucracy and digital reforms in the AI and smart government era. We aim to explore the bidirectional relationship between bureaucracy and AI implementation across various institutional contexts using international and comparative perspectives. This special issue welcomes studies that provide clarity in either direction to contribute to strong theoretical and empirical research on bureaucracy and AI reforms. Proposals are due November 15.
Click here for more information.
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Call for Papers: Public Works Management and Policy
Public Works Management and Policy (PWMP) seeks novel manuscripts that connect core public administration theory (including policy and management) with modern challenges in the realm of public works. This includes relevant research from all subfields of public administration, including budgeting and finance, human resource management, performance management, policy change, policy analysis and so on, provided that it 1) connects to a core body of public administration or policy theory, and 2) is aligned substantively with the public works management focus of the journal. Recent developments in technology and governance lead to a broadening interpretation of public works management that includes traditional, novel and hybrid foci. For example, papers might examine core public management or policy challenges surrounding: transportation infrastructure, including: roads, bridges, ports, airports, rail, intermodal shipping, parks and recreation and others; utilities, including: water, sewer, waste management, telephone, cellular and internet availability and connectivity; economic development, including: industrial parks, urban redevelopment such as tax increment finance districts, or higher education capacity building; capital construction projects such as schools, libraries, prisons and jails, government offices and military installations. Each of these topics is germane to PWMP’s focus, and when addressing core conceptual questions, is welcome to be submitted for consideration. Articles we are especially interested in publishing are those that address salient and timely questions about current and emerging problems, those that examine new and innovative forms of infrastructure and their use, adaptations of existing infrastructure to new uses, and the integration of infrastructure with the softer side of government—how it is used and how it affects governance for the better or for the worse. Click here for more information.
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Call for Book Proposals: Ethics Press
Ethics Press is inviting proposals for scholarly books and edited collections in humanities and social sciences, and broader related fields including life sciences and health sciences. They specialize in books for the academic market. All proposals are independently reviewed. To review a proposal, submit a completed proposal form, a sample of the proposed book and a cv. If you are unsure whether a proposal is likely to be selected for review, send a summary or abstract first. They will consider adapted doctoral theses and edited collections, including adaptations from conferences and symposia.
Click here for more information.
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ABFM Announces Annual Award Honorees
Congratulations to ABFM's 2024 award honorees, who will receive their awards this fall at the Section's 2024 conference. Bob Bland will receive the Aaron Wildavsky Award; Marilyn Rubin will receive the Paul Posner Pracademic Award; Shayne Kavanagh will receive the S. Kenneth Howard Award; Peter Jones will receive the Scholarly Engagement Award; Luis Navarro will receive the Michael Curro Award; and George M. Guess and James D. Savage will receive the Best Book Award.
Click here for more information.
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!)
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