August 8, 2018

   
ASPA Website | PA TIMES.org


In This Issue:

Using Transit to Increase Social Mobility: A Special Report

Several new reports have been issued in the past few weeks, many of them looking at equity issues through fresh lenses. Of particular note is a report from Transit Center that ties together three very important public administration challenges: social equity, finance and infrastructure.

Their report, "Inclusive Transit: Advancing Equity through Improved Access and Opportunity," is an in-depth look at how inclusive transit can increase social mobility, advance equity and allow people to escape poverty. While acknowledging the obvious environmental and economic benefits, the report also makes the blunt point: "...public transportation can be a powerful tool to advance racial equity and social justice in American cities."

At the same time, transit can also be a tool to divide cities and populations, further separate the "haves" from the "have nots" and become no more than a checkbox toward fulfilling Title VI requirements, rather than truly enabling a citizenry on the move.

According to the Transit Center's website, the report advances a number of recommendations to move public transit back to the equitable tool it is meant to be:

  • Investment in transit service and capacity should directly address inequities in access to transportation
  • Transit access practices such as fare policies should target high-need communities
  • Dialogue between transit leadership and communities can build clearer understanding of needs and reduce resistance to transit projects or changes
  • Transit planning should account for housing affordability, and improve access to and from affordable housing
  • Transit operations and capital projects should support employment in low-income communities and communities of color
  • Transit agencies should decriminalize fare evasion

At 55 pages long, the report is not a fast read, but the information conveyed is timely and appropriate both for practitioners looking at these issues every day and scholars studying issues of equity, transportation, urban economics and more.

Find more information and download the report for free online here.

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2019 Annual Conference Call for Proposals Open

In case you missed it, the 2019 Annual Conference Call for Proposals was launched last month and ASPA is accepting panel, workshop and paper proposals for next March's event. The 2019 conference will be held in Washington, DC, March 8-12, centered around the theme, "A Call for Action: Advancing Public Service," and will host more than 160 sessions across five days of presentations.

Public Finance. Infrastructure. Social Equity. Public Service. Among public administration's most significant 21st century challenges, these four issues transcend geographic boundaries, sectors and levels of government. They impact citizens' lives every minute of every day. They are researched, discussed and applied by our members in our public, private and nonprofit institutions.

ASPA's 2019 Annual Conference is a Call to Action on these issues, as well as global public administration. We who are dedicated to the public good must answer the call—those who deliver services amid distrust in government institutions and dwindling resources; academics and scholars who connect theory to practice; non- and for-profit organizations that operate in a world that blurs the distinction between "public" and "private"; and a new generation of professionals who define public service much differently from their predecessors.

Advancing public service—effectively, efficiently and equitably, with a focus on the citizen—requires an unprecedented level of understanding and cooperation. Through the lenses of public finance, infrastructure, social equity, public service and global public administration, the 2019 Annual Conference will highlight innovative scholarship and tested on-the-ground practices that definitively advance public service in the United States and beyond.

The 2019 Annual Conference will provide a focused approach to showcase exemplary scholarship and practice in the field. Many of the topics featured in prior ASPA conferences—including human resources, public management, ethics and integrity, public safety, emergency management, public administration theory, the environment and technology—are as important to this dialogue as ever. They are incorporated in this year's five tracks.

Find the full Call for Proposals on our website here and find presenters guidelines here. The conference website will be launching shortly, as will registration. Start preparing your proposal now and make sure to submit it by Sept. 14, 2018 for consideration.

We look forward to welcoming everyone to Washington, DC next March and look forward to your important contributions to the most critical issues our discipline faces today.

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KeepingCurrent, BookTalks and Student Series on the Horizon

ASPA's webinars are ongoing throughout the year. Averaging 75 attendees per event and free to participate, these e-learning opportunities provide you with valuable insights and information at your fingertips. Visit our website to stay informed about all upcoming webinars including KeepingCurrent, BookTalks and the Student and New Professionals Series.


BookTalk: What She Said: How Jane Addams Informs Public Administration
Aug. 30 | 1 p.m.
Presenters:
Patricia Shields, Texas State University
Mary Guy, Moderator, University of Colorado Denver

This BookTalk introduces the remarkable Jane Addams as a pioneer of public administration and so much more. It uses Addams's story to make the case that public administration should re-imagine its past by incorporating more diverse voices and ideas. Pat Shields's Jane Addams: Progressive Pioneer of Peace, Philosophy, Sociology, Social Work and Public Administration demonstrates how the life and works of Jane Addams was lost and is being recovered in a variety of interrelated fields.




Student and New Professionals Series: Resumes!
Sept. 6 | 1 p.m.
Presenter:
Bill Shields, ASPA

There are different perspectives and views on resumes—what should be on them, what should not, how long they should be, what they should cover, to name a few. The answers you get to these very important questions depend on whom you ask. Join us for this detailed discussion and gain some valuable tips from our expert to help you land your next job!




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Focus on Membership: Welcoming New MPA Students... to ASPA!

Whether you teach full-time or as an adjunct, are a tenured professor or a graduate assistant, the fall semester is upon us, when many in ASPA membership will start engaging with this year's class of new MPA students. They come from all walks of life, all backgrounds and with a variety of career goals—including advancing their current goals, shifting to new interests, part-time study and long-term scholarship. What do they all have in common? They do not know about ASPA!

In the coming weeks, we will be reaching out to our members who are actively teaching at universities to provide you with some tools to help talk with your new students about ASPA and the benefits membership provides to public administrators of all types and interest areas. Start planning now to promote ASPA membership in your classrooms, use our benefits as part of your syllabus and help us in our mission to advance excellence in public service with those newly exposed to the discipline.

Ready for more information now? Contact ASPA membership manager Phillip Carlisle to get started. He even can provide you with information about our discounted group memberships if you are interested!

Now is the perfect time to help your new MPA students start their public administration careers properly with the connections only ASPA membership can provide. We look forward to your help in spreading the word!


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Final Days to Nominate a Peer for ASPA National Leadership

ASPA relies heavily on our members and committed volunteers to advance our Society, grow our membership and promote our mission in the field—especially those who serve on the National Council.

Now is your chance to nominate individuals who are passionate about strengthening our organization and have a track record of effective leadership to serve on ASPA's National Council. We are looking for individuals who are committed to public service; informed about budgeting processes; and knowledgeable about the most critical issues impacting the field. But time is running out. All nominations must be submitted by Friday, Aug. 10.

ASPA leaders promote programming, build support and cultivate ASPA's image in front of a variety of audiences. A list of Council member responsibilities and other details is on our website.

Take these final days to nominate yourself or a colleague to serve as either District Representative (represents one of ASPA's five districts) or Student Representative (represents the leaders of the future) and further demonstrate your commitment to public service.

Remember, all nominations are due Aug. 10. Visit our online form to submit a nomination.

Nominations will be accepted from any individual who has been a member for at least 12 months; those from Chapter and Section officers are especially encouraged. Contact ASPA strategic relations manager Garret Bonosky for more information.


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Book Discounts, Brought to You by Routledge!

ASPA and Routledge recently have begun a partnership to provide ASPA members with discounted pricing on the ASPA book series (focused on public administration topics) as well as additional applicable new and recent titles on their lists.

The ASPA Series in Public Administration and Public Policy, edited by David Rosenbloom of American University, publishes engaging books that examine practical or cutting edge topics of interest to practitioners, policymakers and those concerned with bringing scholarship to the practice of public administration.

Just a few of the most recent titles include:

  • Making Collaboratives Work
  • Transforming Disaster Response
  • City Planning for the Public Manager
  • The Fracking Debate
  • Advances in E-Governance

These are just a few titles available. Visit the ASPA page on Routledge's website to see the entire book series and other applicable titles.

Even more, Routledge is making free book chapters available for review. The current chapter is from Managing Digital Governance: Issues, Challenges and Solutions. You can access this through the ASPA page on the Routledge site, as well.

Make the most of these members-only benefits today!


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IBM Center Releases IT Modernization Report

The IBM Center for the Business of Government has released a new report, "A Roadmap for IT Modernization in Government," by Gregory Dawson of Arizona State University.

Looking critically at impediments to modernization and risks for agencies that do not modernize (including cybersecurity weaknesses), the report develops eight key lessons for government leaders and sets out a roadmap for implementation.

As IT modernization, cybersecurity and advancing use of technology in government continues to make headlines and increase in importance, this report is a useful resource for practitioners and researchers alike to gain a better understanding of the challenges that exist at the federal and state level, while also providing a starting point to overcoming them.

This and other related resources can be found on The IBM Center's website.

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Also in the News

Several headlines caught our eyes in recent weeks, shedding an interesting light on some of the most pressing issues in public administration. Happy reading!


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

 

2018 International Conference on Public Administration Call for Papers

Co-hosted by ASPA, Syracuse University's Maxwell School and University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, this year's International Conference on Public Administration will take please in Chengdu, China, Nov. 30 - Dec. 2. The theme for the event will be, "Improving Agility of Government Organizations." Themes and sub-topics will include "smart government" and lessons learned; promising practices in detecting and responding to changing risks and opportunities; balancing costs vs. benefits of improved agility; agility in upgrading delivery of public services; where agility works best; agile acquisition of IT systems; and public private partnerships: do they make government more or less agile? The conference committees will select and recommend the best papers for publication in one of the industry's premier journals including Public Administration Review, Chinese Public Administration and Chinese Public Administration Review. All abstracts are due for consideration by Aug. 15, 2018. Click here for more information.

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Professional Development through the Andrew Young School's Center for State and Local Finance

The Andrew Young School's Center for State and Local Finance invites you to register for executive education courses, continuing throughout the fall. Class participants typically include chief financial officers, finance directors, budget and procurement staff, county administrators and others looking to hone their skills and advance their careers. The course schedule proceeds as follows:

  • Debt Management: Sept. 12-14, 2018 (Deadline Aug. 28)
  • Treasury and Investment Management: Nov. 7-9, 2018 (Deadline Oct. 24)
  • Forecasting (Special Session): Jan. 24-25, 2019 (Deadline Jan. 9, 2019)
  • Operating and Capital Budgeting: March 13-15, 2019 (Deadline Feb. 27, 2019)
  • Cost Analysis (Special Session): April 16-17, 2019 (Deadline April 2, 2019)
  • Retirement, Risk Management and Procurement: May 15-17, 2019 (Deadline May 1, 2019)

Fees for the two-days courses are $350; three-day courses are $500; four-day courses are $700. Click here to learn more about the executive education program and to register.

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JHHSA Announces New Editors

The Journal of Health and Human Services Administration (JHHSA) is proud to announce Alexander Henderson of Long Island University and Hillary Knepper of Pace University as the new co-editors-in-chief of JHHSA, starting Jan. 1, 2019. Knepper and Henderson will work closely with Mary Ann Feldheim, the current editor, during the transition period. Henderson and Knepper are excited to build on JHHSA's existing strengths, while extending the scope and coverage of the journal. A number of new sections are in development that will focus on creating substantive connections among researchers, practitioners and students of health care administration and human services.

JHHSA is a quarterly publication of conceptual and empirical research on administrative and managerial topics in the health care and human services sectors. Now in its 41st year, JHHSA is affiliated with ASPA's Section on Health and Human Services Administration.

You can find JHHSA online at https://jhhsa.spaef.org and https://jhhsa.spaef.org/submission, and on Twitter at @Journal_HHSA.

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50th Anniversary of the Kerner Commission Report National Conference

University of Minnesota's Humphrey School of Public Affairs invites you to attend its 50th Anniversary conference in honor of the Kerner Commission Report, Sept. 5-7 in Minneapolis. Hosted by the Roy Wilkins Center for Human Relations and Social Justice, the national conference will feature keynote speeches from former U.S. Senator Fred Harris of Oklahoma, the only surviving member of the Kerner Commission, and former Governor L. Douglas Wilder of Virginia, the nation's first elected African American governor. This will be a substantial colloquium on race relations in America, featuring urban leaders, highly accomplished scholars, thought leaders and historical eyewitnesses. Panelists will examine the meaning of Kerner—the landmark 1968 report that declared the United States was moving toward two societies, "one black, one white; separate and unequal"—through a timely and provocative analysis of persistent gaps in education, employment, housing, welfare and police-community relations. Registration is free and open to the public. Click here for more information.

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2018 Teaching Public Administration Conference

As national governments around the world continue their efforts to ameliorate the impacts of global shifts in migration; inequalities between rich and poor countries; collapse of global financial markets; and an ongoing lack of trust in politicians, they are also making decisions on how to organize and structure representative democratic institutions fit for the 21st century. The complexity of "wicked issues" not only is demanding greater levels of public spending in an era of financial constraints, but also are forcing public servants and politicians to situate innovation and enterprise as core governmental activities. This year's Teaching Public Administration Conference (TPAC) joins the UK Public Administration Committee of the Joint University Council Annual Conference at Northumbria University, Sept. 10-12, to discuss these significant topics. Click here for more information.

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2018 SECoPA This September

The Alabama Chapter will be hosting the 2018 Southeastern Conference for Public Administration, Sept. 20-23 in Birmingham, Ala. The conference offers attendees the opportunity to engage in scholarly discourse, discover the latest innovations in the field, share ideas from practitioners in the field and network with other public service administrators across the region. This year's event will be centered around the theme, "Reimagining Public Service in the Age of Innovation" and will take place at the Birmingham Sheraton Downtown. Click here for more information.

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World Conference on Remedies to Racial and Economic Inequality Takes Place This September

Scheduled for Sept. 26-29 in Brazil, this conference will encompass disparities in public health, education, civic engagement, socioeconomic standing and representation. Subtopics include: longer term consequences of persistent poverty and inequality in access to quality health care among low income, racial and ethnic minority group members; comparative analysis of the effectiveness of alternative policy interventions designed to reduce racial and ethnic economic inequality; problems of political corruption and uneven development; causes and consequences of inequalities in access to health care and alternative health care delivery systems; racial identity and the evolution of policies in higher education, public employment and government contracting and procurement; and innovative policies designed to remedy racial and ethnic economic inequality: baby bonds, universal employment, guaranteed minimum income plans. Click here for more information.

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Biden Challenge Program Announced

This Sept. 27-28, the University of Delaware is hosting The Biden Challenge: How to Revitalize the Middle Class. Based on a challenge Vice President Biden issued last fall—What policy solutions do you propose to ensure America has a growing and thriving middle class, and that they continue to be relevant?—this event is built for scholars and practitioners to provide policy solutions for the problems facing the middle class, which Vice President Biden may be able to put into action. A full program has been released, featuring Vice President Biden as the opening keynote speaker, a lunch speaker from the Washington Center for Equitable Growth, several plenary panels and plenty of discussion time. Full details are available online. Click here for more information.

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2018 ABFM Research Conference This October

The Association for Budgeting and Financial Management's annual research conference will be held Oct. 4-6 in Denver. Click here for more information.

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11th Annual Public Performance Conference This October

Taking place Oct. 18-19, this year's Public Performance Conference is co-hosted by ASPA and Suffolk University, in partnership with ASPA's Section on Public Performance and Management. The conference will look at using data to improve the efficiency and efficacy of public services around the theme, "Turning Data into Action: What Every Public and Nonprofit Manager Needs to Know About Data-Driven Change." Expected tracks include innovative practices in public and nonprofit organizations; creating a culture of performance; open data and technology; local and county performance; state and federal performance; and engaging citizens. Click here for more information.

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2018 NECOPA This November

The 2018 NECOPA will take place Nov. 2-4 at the University of Baltimore. Its theme will be, "Blind Spots in Public Administration: Looking Inward to Improve Responses to Changing Landscapes." We all have intellectual blind spots: those issues or topics where our view is obstructed from seeing clearly. In these spaces, we are literally blind to what is happening and, as a result, unable to gather information to change our point of view. What intellectual blind spots exist for public administration and our broader system of governance? On what topics is our view obstructed? Where are voices hushed or silenced and whose voices are they? This conference aims to consider these questions in an attempt to uncover, explore and address these blinds spots. Click here for more information.

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AAPAM 39th Roundtable Conference Scheduled for November

The African Association for Public Administration and Management (AAPAM) has announced its 39th Annual Roundtable Conference will take place in Gabarone, Botswana, Nov. 6-9. This year's theme will be, "Resourcefulness, Integration and Inclusivity; Fundamentals for the Transformation of Governance and Public Administration in Africa to achieve the Agenda 2063 and Sustainable Development Goals." If Africa aims to achieve the transformational goals stipulated in the Agenda 2063 and SDGs 2030, it is essential to tap into the vast resourcefulness of its people by deepening economic and political integration and embracing the imperative of inclusivity to ensure all African people are included in the transformation agenda. Emphasis on key areas such as innovation, resourcefulness, integration and inclusive growth will move Africa from its current marginalized state to a dynamic member of the international community. Click here for more information.

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2018 International Conference and Workshops on Participatory/Gender Responsive Budgeting

Taking place Nov. 14-16 around the theme, "Bridging the Gap Between Gender Responsive Budgeting and Participatory Budgeting," this year's International Conference and Workshops on Participatory/Gender Responsive Budgeting Nexus: African Context and Perspectives will take place in Eastern Cape, South Africa. Looking at seven sub-themes including public budgeting and gender nexus; sustainable development goals and gender budgeting; sustainable development goals and participatory budgeting; gender budgeting and taxation; gender budgeting and government expenditures; participatory budgeting outcomes; and gender responsive budgeting outcomes, this conference will focus on those who have historically been excluded from the budget process, especially women and the indigent. Click here for more information.

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Section on Democracy and Social Justice Call for Nominations

ASPA's Section on Democracy and Social Justice has opened its 2019 Best Book Award call for nominations, to be presented at ASPA's 2019 Annual Conference. Author(s) of the selected article will be honored during the Gloria Hobson Nordin Social Equity Award Luncheon. All nominations are due by Nov. 16, 2018. Click here for more information.

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PAR Update

PAR was recently named the #1 ranked journal in public administration; we would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has made it possible. We owe special thanks to our exceptional authors and dedicated reviewers for keeping us at the top. If you haven’t done so already, please follow PAR on social media to keep on top of the latest developments: @PAReview on Twitter, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/PAReview and on LinkedIn. This week, PAR surpassed 5,000 page likes on Facebook—thanks for being part of our community.

The following are new articles on Early View.

Defining E‐leadership as Competence in ICT‐Mediated Communications: An Exploratory Assessment
Alexandru V. Roman, Montgomery Van Wart, XiaoHu Wang, Cheol Liu, Soonhee Kim and Alma McCarthy

Managing Racial Diversity: Matching Internal Strategies with Environmental Needs
Anna A. Amirkhanyan, Stephen B. Holt, Austin M. McCrea and Kenneth J. Meier

Taking a Closer Look at the Empowerment‐Performance Relationship: Evidence from Law Enforcement Organizations
Shahidul Hassan, Jongsoo Park and Jos C. N. Raadschelders

Exploring the Role of Nonprofits in Public Service Provision: Moving from Coproduction to Cogovernance
Yuan (Daniel) Cheng

Framing Effects under Different Uses of Performance Information: An Experimental Study on Public Managers
Paolo Belardinelli, Nicola Bellé, Mariafrancesca Sicilia and Ileana Steccolini

VIEWPOINT ARTICLES
Public Administration Challenges in the World of AI and Bots
P. K. Agarwal

Often Wrong, Never Uncertain: Lessons from 40 Years of State Revenue Forecasting
John L. Mikesell


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Public Integrity Update



For the latest news on Public Integrity's articles and topics getting international attention, join the Journal's Twitter page: https://twitter.com/PubIntegrity, or our other active sites at:

Websites:
Public Integrity
ASPA
LinkedIn
Facebook

Public Integrity welcomes your manuscripts on a variety of topics that match our mission.

Public Integrity is a double-blind, peer-reviewed academic journal that publishes original content manuscripts addressing ethical issues affecting society. The scope of ethical issues includes governments, NGOs, nonprofits, businesses, corruption, law, social equity, criminal justice, environment and human rights. It is the premier journal on ethical issues affecting the public, aiming to expand knowledge and the understanding of ethical issues globally.

Public Integrity is abstracted/indexed in SCOPUS, Thomson Reuters' Emerging Sources, ESCI, IBSS, OCLC, ArticleFirst, Ovid, Proquest, CSA Sociological Abstracts, Academic OneFile, EBSCOHost Online Databases International Political Science Abstracts Database, CSA Worldwide Political Science Abstracts, ASSIA: Applied Social Sciences Index & Abstracts, Current Contents: Social and Behavioral Sciences, IBZ: International Bibliography of Periodical Literature, Gale Cengage, A Matter of Fact, OCLC Electronic Collections Online, History and Life (ABC-Clio), CommunityWISE, Contemporary Women's Issues and PAIS International.

Submission criteria and contact information can be found at our website: http://www.tandfonline.com/MPIN.

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New on PA TIMES Online


Every Monday and Friday, ASPA publishes a curated collection of original content that covers public service, management and international affairs.

This quarter, we welcome submissions that focus on public administration education. Send your contributions to us at any time; the deadline is rolling. Contact us for more information.

Check out our recent articles and columns:

The Deeper Meaning of Authentic Dialogue
By Alex Pattakos

Money—Does it Drive Engagement?
By Bob Lavigna

What Does Harley-Davidson Teach Us About Our Government?
By David Hamilton


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PublicServiceCareers.org


Find your next career opportunity at publicservicecareers.org. This online job board is the perfect resource for making a career change or landing your first job in the public service. It lists dozens of positions in academia, government and the nonprofit sector. Below are just a few current listings.

Policy Analyst – Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission, Richmond, VA

Assistant Professor, Family Economic Well-being and Financial Health, Department of Family and Consumer Studies – Department of Family and Consumer Studies, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT

Senior Research Scholar, Energy and National Security – Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs – New York, NY


American Society for Public Administration
1730 Rhode Island Ave., NW, Suite 500, Washington, DC 20036
     

Please send inquiries to Managing Editor Karen E. T. Garrett.