Building a Bridge to Renewal and Resilience

Theme and Track Details

Far more than an esoteric concept, “public administration” conveys so much in just two words. This work provides for our communities in big ways and small, no matter the policy choices or political winds swirling around us. From emergency management to public finance to public services to transportation to community support and more, public administration makes “it” happen.

During times like these, as change swarms and dominates, public administration holds steady, providing continuity, showing the pride in public service and ensuring that public needs are met. It takes special skill, motivation and talent to do this work. We are called to it. And we are called to come together to learn from each other—public servants, researchers, scholars, students, professors, nonprofit experts and policymakers—to navigate this environment. We are called to provide hope, trust, connection and purpose for our communities, states, country and world.

The 2026 Annual Conference aims to begin building the bridge we need to take us from today’s environment to what comes next. We can do “it” better. It is up to us to figure out how. It is up to us to share our knowledge, build our networks and be ready to help our communities, our workforce and our teams be more efficient, effective, economical, ethical and equitable. In short: Be resilient. We are living in a time of change and uncertainty; now is the time to plan for our renewal.

Seven tracks will guide our conversations and provide space for both research and practice. They appear below and we look forward to your proposals. Workshops, student learning, full research panels and “promising practices” studies are welcome. These proposals will form the bulk of the sessions presented during the conference and provide attendees with learning objectives throughout the event. Contact [email protected] with any questions. All proposals are due September 19, 2025.

Conference Co-Chairs: Juliet Musso (University of Southern California) and Jessica Sowa (University of Delaware). 

Tracks

Citizen Engagement and Participation
Now more than ever, public administration needs its citizens to be a part of the process. We need to build bridges to connect communities to authentic participation. We need to hear from new voices and know their thoughts and priorities to ensure we serve them well. What are the “promising practices” for increasing engagement? Where does engagement work and where does it not? How can we encourage new voices to join the process? What does the research show, what does practice support and what can nonprofits contribute? Proposals within this track could include:
  • Coproduction, participatory governance and collaborative decision-making
  • Public trust and institutional legitimacy
  • Civic tech and satisfaction
  • Digital engagement
  • Local government innovation
  • Transparency in government
  • Citizen perceptions and feedback mechanisms
  • Community-led initiatives
  • Social movements
  • Nonprofit participation and support
  • Ensuring equitable engagement 

AI and Digital Transformation
The work goes on and technology marches with it. If anything, the rush to employ/deploy new and more generative technology only has increased as all levels of government look to make work as efficient as possible. Yet the public isn’t sold on it and generative AI continues to be error-prone, making the “human in the loop” the most valuable player on the team. Proposals within this track could include:
  • Smart and resilient cities and digital infrastructure
  • Machine learning
  • Ethical considerations for AI and generative technology
  • Digital service delivery/e-government
  • Data privacy, cyber security and risk management
  • Technology adaptation and trust
  • Nonprofit knowledge and training
  • Automation options and limitations
  • Equity and accessibility concerns and challenges 

Public Workforce, HR and Organizational Culture
There’s no getting around it: The public workforce has taken a beating for years and most especially in recent months. But they also are critical to getting “it” done. How are age-old human resource management methods working in today’s environment? What new systems have taken over? Will the merit system survive? What does the research say? Can we build a bridge to a high functioning HR system? Proposals within this track could include:
  • Job satisfaction, motivation and burnout
  • Today’s telework environment
  • Attracting and retaining multiple generations
  • Succession planning and leadership development
  • Workforce modernization and renewal
  • Culture’s place in the conversation
  • Nonprofit options to replace public organizations
  • Volunteer recruitment and retention
  • Sector switching
  • Civility, respect and employee engagement
  • Diversity, equity and inclusion needs
  • Performance management tools and tracking
  • Mental health and dealing with trauma 

Democratic Governance and Public Trust
As unitary executive theory gains prominence across legal spaces and our courts, questions swirl about the role of democracy and what it means for public service. What should the balance be between the executive and legislative branches? Who gets a say in which agencies are needed? What can we learn from other countries? How do we maintain trust and develop a resilient system? How do states handle these issues? In what ways do nonprofit organizations support our democracy and fill voids? These questions as much as any others will push us toward the future of our field. Proposals within this track could include:
  • Election integrity, voting rights and legal challenges
  • Policymaking at the polls
  • Intergovernmental relations and federalism today
  • The role of gerrymandering
  • Democratic backsliding and authoritarianism
  • Disinformation, accountability and public trust
  • Diversity, equity and inclusion challenges
  • Institutional legitimacy
  • Civic resilience and democratic innovation
  • Nonprofit contributions and support
  • Civil disobedience, protest power and policy response
  • The rule of law 

Emergency Management, Environmental Sustainability and Crisis Response
Public administration becomes vitally important when something goes wrong. Wildfires, hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, extreme heat, extreme cold and contagion spread. These are all out-of-the-norm experiences, making it easy to gloss over on the good days. But the gloss loses its shine when your home is destroyed or half of your community is killed. What is public administration’s role? How do we rebuild for a resilient community? How do we make people whole again? Who will build the bridge to the future? How do you share decision-making, funding and human resources when responses are required? Where can nonprofits step in for community support? Proposals within this track could include:
  • Natural disaster governance, recovery and responses
  • Building and maintaining sustainable and resilient infrastructure
  • Disaster resilience, planning and funding
  • Climate resilience and risk mitigation
  • Emergency preparedness and response systems
  • Public communication and crisis governance
  • Public health crises, lessons learned and mandates
  • Maintaining a focus on equity during crises and recoveries
  • Environmental justice challenges
  • Planning for complex emergencies
  • Green infrastructure and clean energy
  • The rural/urban climate policy divide
  • Nonprofit system reliance and collaboration 

Public Finance and Economics
Wealth and income distribution have suddenly become a revived topic for discussion. Taxation, tariffs, budgets and intergovernmental aid are not just for those of us who crunch numbers and have responsibility for a balanced budget. They set the table for policy and economic well-being. More, the questions and answers are different from one level of government to another. We’ll look at current topics and trends and new and promising practices. Proposals within this track could include:
  • Public budgeting and investments
  • Budgeting for infrastructure, services and fiscal health
  • Equity in budgeting and finance
  • Taxes and tariffs
  • Public-private partnerships, privatization and market forces
  • Procurement and fiscal responsibility
  • Finance management in a crisis
  • Government accountability and procurement reform
  • Revenue generation and intergovernmental transfers
  • Nonprofits financial management
  • Philanthropy, grants, and user fees for nonprofits
  • Economic development and regional policy
  • Medicaid, Medicare and health care

Global Governance and Administration
These challenges are not owned by one country or region of the globe. Countries around the world are facing a rise in nationalism, democratic backsliding, autocratic regimes, war, famine and disease. What knowledge and expertise can our field lend across borders and regions to help communities find peace, progress and stability? Proposals within this track could include:
  • Government structure, reform and design
  • Civil society and global governance
  • Nongovernmental organizations and nonprofits around the world
  • DEI challenges around the world
  • Comparative public administration
  • Cross-boundary and network governance
  • Regulatory effectiveness and accountability
  • Street-level bureaucracy and public trust
  • Leadership and capacity
  • Performance measurement
  • Infrastructure
  • Intergovernmental coordination