It's Time to Vote!

Voting in ASPA's 2021-2022 election is open. Now through midnight on Sunday, December 12, you may cast your ballot and vote for the individuals you most want to serve in ASPA's leadership positions.

This year, the following positions are open for election:

• District Representative (for Districts I, II, III, IV and V) who will serve a three-year term representing their electoral District within the United States.
• Candidates for Student Representative who will serve a one-year term representing Student and New Professional members of ASPA.

Click here to learn more about the candidates running for office.

You will need your ASPA login information to vote. Please contact ASPA's membership department at [email protected] or (202) 585-4308 for assistance. (Need a paper ballot mailed to you? Please let us know!)

This is your opportunity to engage in ASPA's democratic process and choose who will represent your needs and concerns on the National Council and beyond. Vote by Sunday, December 12!

ASPA Annual Awards Program Closes December 3!

ASPA’s Annual Awards Program is your once-a-year opportunity to nominate someone to be recognized as one of public administration's dedicated public servants.

• Do you know a current or former city official who has dedicated themselves to the public good?
• Do you know an unsung scholar who produces excellent research?
• Do you know a public official who has stood up for equity and integrity in government?
• Do you know someone who has bridged the academic/practitioner divide and encouraged best practices because of it?
• Do you know someone who is all-around excellent?

• National Public Service Award
• Nesta M. Gallas Award
• Gloria Hobson Nordin Social Equity Award
• Public Integrity Award
• Elmer B. Staats Lifetime Achievement Award
• Paul P. Van Riper Award
• Donald C. Stone Service to ASPA Award

• Oveta Culp Hobby Training Award
• Patricia Yearwood Chapter/Section Newsletter Award
• Walter W. Mode Scholarship
• Wallace O. Keene ASPA Conference Scholarships

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. Members, visit our webinar archives to catch up on what you have missed!


Students and New Professionals Series: Crafting a Compelling Resume
November 30 | 1 p.m. EST
Presenters:
Kayla Schwoerer, Doctoral Student, Rutgers University—Newark and ASPA Student Representative
Bill Shields, Executive Director, ASPA and Adjunct Professor, American University

There are different perspectives on resumes—what should be on them, what should not, how long they should be, what they should cover. The advice you get depends on whom you ask. What cannot be disputed is the importance of your resume: It is your first opportunity to stand out and let employers know that you are the person for the job. In this Students and New Professionals Series webinar, ASPA Executive Director Bill Shields will draw on his 20 years of experience helping students craft effective resumes and guide you through the process of creating a compelling one—a resume that will introduce you to a potential employer, sell your skills to that employer and get you to the next step of the hiring process. The webinar will cover the dos and don’ts of crafting your professional resume and ways to leverage it to advance your career—and allow for plenty of audience Q&A time.




BookTalk: RIGOs and Beyond: A New Generation of Research on Regions
Sponsored by University of Pittsburgh, Graduate School of Public & International Affairs
December 2 | 1 p.m. EST
Presenters:
George W. Dougherty, Jr., Assistant Professor, University of Pittsburgh, Graduate School of Public & International Affairs
Suzanne Leland, Professor, University of North Carolina Charlotte
Jay Rickabaugh, Assistant Professor of Public Administration, Appalachian State University
Michael Siciliano, Associate Professor of Public Administration, University of Illinois Chicago
Carissa Schively Slotterback, Moderator, Dean and Professor, University of Pittsburgh, Graduate School of Public & International Affairs

Discovering American Regionalism brought renewed energy to the study of regions. The book focuses on the 470 or so 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. These organizations serve broad territories covering one or more Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). Join us as GSPIA Dean Carissa Slotterback facilitates a discussion of the latest research on RIGO succession planning, their role in regional networks and improved methods in studying and comparing regions.



KeepingCurrent: A Grand Challenge: Developing Solutions and Institutions to Ensure Equitable and Sustainable Water Access in the Face of a Changing Climate
Sponsored by the University of New Mexico
December 9 | 1 p.m. EST
Presenters:
Patria de Lancer Julnes, Rosenthal Endowed Professor and Director, School of Public Administration, University of New Mexico and ASPA President-Elect
Bob Perciasepe, Senior Advisor, Center for Climate and Energy Solutions
Alex Webster, Research Assistant Professor, University of New Mexico

In this fireside chat, we will explore critical considerations in balancing the need for water to support communities' agricultural, social, cultural and economic vitality, given the ongoing drought and evolving impacts from climate change. The role of institutions, governance and technology also will be explored. There are potential impacts on states' economies from agriculture to industry. The implications are more profound as access to clean water is a central environmental justice and social equity issue. For traditional communities, especially Native American and traditional Hispano, the cultural role of flows through communities has broad cultural and food and health implications. Significant action is currently underway in the U.S. Congress for infrastructure investments to help address these issues. The potential for funding itself will raise important governance/administration questions about how funds will be allocated effectively and spent. Another consideration to be explored is the adaptation of water allocation and management institutions created under 19th- and 20th-century assumptions of a static climate to the challenges of a changing climate in a world in which water can no longer be reliably managed based on assumptions from the past. What are the new assumptions, and what will be needed for rural and indigenous communities, vulnerable to climate change impacts, to retain their cohesion and well-being?

ASPA Founders' Fellows Call for Nominations Closes November 30!

ASPA's Founders' Fellows program Call for Nominations will close on November 30. Have you submitted your packet for consideration?

Geared toward accelerating careers of new public administrators, students and researchers, this is ASPA's most competitive Fellowship program and provides results that could last throughout your career. Whether you intend to apply or are encouraging a student to do so, there are only a few days left to submit your materials for one of our 20 available spots.

The Founders' Fellows program recognizes the exceptional accomplishments and future potential of the next generation of public servants—in the academic and/or practitioner communities. The 2022 class will demonstrate exceptional academic achievement and professional promise. Benefits include a presentation at the 2022 Annual Conference, a specially paired mentor relationship for the duration of the fellowship year and professional development opportunities.

All applications are due to ASPA by November 30, 2021. Visit our website for more details, click here to access the application or contact ASPA's Phillip Carlisle with additional questions.

"Leading Through DEI" at the Price School

Throughout October, the University of Southern California Price Executive Education kicked off a major initiative to support public service executives and senior administrators within the diversity, equity and inclusion space. "Leading Through DEI" was an intensive nine-session program aimed to provide skills at the individual, team and organizational levels and allow time to pause and reflect.

The program was designed to be action-focused with presenters including public service executives and leading scholars and consultants in the field and across the United States. Participants were from four different states and included a chief of staff, legislative staff, county and city senior administrators, and nonprofit and behavioral health leaders.

“Structural racism has a detrimental effect on what we in the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office hold most sacred: public safety,” District Attorney George Gascón said. “It’s paramount that all working groups, particularly those in public service, develop and hone their leadership values with the goal of building stronger pipelines to racial and social diversity. USC Price’s 'Leading Through Diversity, Equity and Inclusion' program has helped move my office forward in furthering these crucial efforts.”

About this program specifically, LaVonna Blair Lewis, associate dean for diversity, equity and inclusion, shared, “We miss the very best of the people we get to work with and for when we don’t give them a chance to be really seen and heard. We must focus our attention on DEI work if we ever hope to close the gaps that we all feel to some degree.”

"Leading Through DEI" takes many layers. The October 2021 program focused on why DEI matters in public service, doing the work: a mindful approach to DEI, cultural humility, social equity and ethics, empathy in professional settings, leading with courage and appreciative communication. Future offerings will include alternative topics and an expanded presentation team to reflect the breadth and depth of the field.

“There is no more important work than public service. We are proud to offer this program to support those who model, inspire and lead the way every day,” said Paul Danczyk, director of executive education.

Click here for more information about the presenters from October's event, or for more information about this February's program including registration details.

2022 Transatlantic Dialogue Call for Papers

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.

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

Public Integrity: Special Issue on Qualitative Methods as Liberatory Tools

Public administration in academia remains mired in quests for legitimacy, often confused by ontological, epistemological and methodological suppositions rooted in different ways of knowing. Many of these debates remain at the “philosophy of science” level, leaving a gap in our knowledge about not just “doing methods” well but also how methodology and methods link to broader theoretical and practical discussions in the field. Contemporarily, numerous scholars are calling for a return to the field’s heart and soul: the citizen-state encounter, the power of tacit knowledge and the ability of stories and narratives to shape knowledge.

Yet a focus on the human dimensions of public administration requires centering the uniqueness of people’s experiences. Interactions with any public service entity are woven with differing conceptions and applications of ethics, accountability, equity, justice, legality and constitutionality, legitimacy, responsiveness, transparency and more. The methods we use must be up to the task of studying and sorting through these complex dimensions, especially through providing in-depth, detail-rich description and explanation of not only what phenomena are but also how and why they work the way that they do. Qualitative methods are essential for these goals.

This special issue seeks to foster a renewed focus on qualitative methods in public administration. Specifically, we seek to unpack and understand how qualitative methods can lead to a liberatory perspective of public administration, policy and management.

Find the full call for papers online; proposals for papers should be submitted by January 9, 2022. An invitation to submit a full paper does not guarantee publication. All papers will be subject to Public Integrity’s standard double-blind peer review process. Please address any questions to special issue editors Staci Zavattaro, Sean McCandless, Ashley Nickels and Esteban Santis.

Tips and Resources

Information Disorder Is Biggest Social Danger, Commission Warns
The Aspen Institute’s Commission on Information Disorder made multiple structural recommendations for the information ecosystem.

Team Links Sitting During COVID to Depression Symptoms
A lot of people suddenly became more sedentary during the onset of the pandemic.

Coronavirus in the News
While you can find our usual assortment of news headlines from the past several weeks below, here are stories specific to the coronavirus that are noteworthy.

Infrastructure

• White House Plans Major Expansion of COVID Vaccine Production
• Vanderbilt Revives PPE Tracking Project Sidelined by the Trump Administration

• GSA Says Vast Majority of Contractors Agree to Implement Vaccine Mandate

• Federal Court Declines to Lift Stay on Vaccine Mandate
• White House Clarifies Contractor Vaccination Deadline
• Despite Calls for Delay, White House Says Feds' Vaccination Deadline Isn't Changing

• Poor Countries Won’t Get Boosters Anytime Soon, as Rich Countries Surge Ahead, Covax Architect Says

(Otherwise) 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

• Biden Signs Infrastructure Bill, Promoting Benefits for Americans
• Labor Department Blocks $12 Billion for California’s Transit
• Infrastructure Bill Would Affect Programs of Numerous Agencies
• White House Highlights Cybersecurity Benefit in Infrastructure Package
• Biden Names Mitch Landrieu to Oversee Infrastructure Spending
• Why the Biden Administration Is Reopening Oil and Gas Leasing in the Gulf of Mexico
• Biden Is Breaking a Promise to Block Drilling on Public Lands

• The Latest Data on the Economy Say It's Totally Recovered, but It Still Feels Like a Struggle for the Working Poor, Experts Say
• Congressional Leaders Concede Another Stopgap Spending Bill "Likely" as Negotiations Remain at Standstill
• Agencies Must Address Billions Lost through Erroneous Payments
• GSA Names 14 Projects Supported by $150 Million from COVID Stimulus

• Time for the "Great Resignation?" Not for the Federal Government, CHCOs Say
• Peace Corps Volunteers Fall through the Cracks of a Student Loan Fix
• OPM Encourages Agencies to Expand Telework, Remote Work Permanently in New Guidance
• First Wave of Public Servants Awarded Student Loan Forgiveness through Temporary Program

• The Federal Poverty Line Struggles to Capture the Economic Hardship That Half of Americans Face
• DHS Researching Public Perception of Facial Recognition and AI Use
• Thousands of Military Families Struggle with Food Insecurity
• Latinos with Darker Skin Face More Discrimination Than Those with Lighter Skin
• OPM Will Allow Same-Sex Spouses of Deceased Federal Employees a Chance to Apply for Survivor Benefits

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.

Mary Guy Named as CU Distinguished Professor
The University of Colorado recently added 11 new members to its roster of distinguished professors, a title signifying the highest honor awarded to faculty across the CU system’s four campuses. Long-time ASPA member Mary Guy was one of these distinguished individuals.

CU Distinguished Professors are tenured faculty members who demonstrate exemplary performance in research or creative work; a record of excellence in promoting learning and student attainment of knowledge and skills; and outstanding service to the profession, the university and its affiliates.

Join us in congratulating Dr. Guy in this remarkable achievement.

The Government Job Application Drop-off Is "Snowballing"
By Katherine Barrett and Richard Greene

Schools and the Five Inflection Points of Race in America
By Don Kettl

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:

• 2021 IPAA National Conference
  Brisbane, Australia and live-streamed | November 29-30
  Registration is open
  
  
• 5th African Forum of Territorial Managers and Training Institutes
  Marrakech | December 5-11
  Registration is open
  
  
• SASPA Mini-Symposium on Capacity Building in South Asia
  Online | February 19-20
  
  
• COMPA 2022 Annual Conference
  Online | March 2-5, 2022
  View the Call for Proposals here
  
  
• ASPA 2022 Annual Conference
  Jacksonville, FL | March 18-22, 2022
  Registration is open
  
  
• NFBPA Forum 2022
  Grand Rapids, MI | March 30 - April 3, 2022
  Registration is open
  
  
• 16th Transatlantic Dialogue (TAD)
  Roskilde, Denmark | June 9-11, 2022
  The Call for Papers is open; registration is open
  
  
• 2022 Midwest Public Affairs Conference
  University of Illinois Springfield | June 23-24, 2022
  The Call for Papers and registration is open
  
  

• South Florida Chapter Releases New "Public Sector Works!"
  The ASPA South Florida podcast is back with Professor Stephen Rolandi, ASPA member and past board officer for ASPA's New York Metropolitan Chapter He also was deputy commissioner of the New York State Division of Human Rights and director of the New York City Archives Division. He speaks to his initial interest and professional origins (including some time at Brooklyn Law School), as well as his affiliations with Canadian Public Service Administration and experiences. With host Tom Hotz, adjunct professor of business communications at Stephen F. Austin State University, PhD/HRM Candidate at Northcentral University and ASPA South Florida Chapter board member; and co-hosts William Solomon and Ben N. Paley, both ASPA South Florida Chapter board members. Click here to view more information.
  
  
• SICA Announces Annual Awards Call for Nominations
  ASPA's Section on International and Comparative Administration (SICA) is seeking nominations for its 2022 Fred Riggs Award for Lifetime Achievement in International and Comparative Public Administration, David Gould Scholarship and Col Leadership Award. Awards will be announced in January 2022 and offered at the 2022 SICA business meeting during ASPA's 2022 Annual Conference.
  
  The Fred Riggs Award was established by SICA in 1985 to recognize scholars who made significant and widely recognized contributions to the conceptual, theoretical and/or operational progress in the fields of international, comparative and/or development administration. This award is named in honor of Fred W. Riggs, a pioneer in these fields and a leading founder of SICA. The award is made annually at the SICA Business Meeting held in conjunction with the ASPA Annual Conference. All nomination materials should be sent directly to Meghna Sabharwal by December 1, 2021.
  
  The David Gould Scholarship offers talented graduate students in the fields of public administration, public policy or international development some support to facilitate their participation in the ASPA Annual Conference. This Scholarship is named in honor of David Gould, an active SICA member and long-time professor of public administration at the University of Pittsburgh. He was among those killed in the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, December 21, 1988. Each year one or two students receive a nominal stipend to attend the ASPA Annual Conference and SICA’s Riggs Symposium. For the 2022 ASPA annual conference, the stipend will help students defray registration costs. All nomination materials should be sent directly to Charlene M. L. Roach by December 1, 2021.
  
  The 2022 Col Leadership Award was established by SICA in 2016 and recognizes individual members who have made significant contributions to the development of the Section. Send all nominations to Col Leadership Award Chair Aroon Manoharan by December 1, 2021.
  
  
• Public Administration Quarterly Special Issue Call for Papers
  Cannabis policy is changing quickly at the state level. We contend that there are far more interesting questions regarding cannabis policy in the United States and its impact on public administration than have been touched by policy and administration scholars. The aim of this special issue is to foster greater attention to cannabis policy research within public administration. While cannabis lends itself to puns and plays on words about drug culture, we prefer titles and approaches that do not reinforce stereotypes or diminish the seriousness of cannabis policy. It is a significant industry that is reshaping American drug policy and requires rigorous social science research for understanding its implications on citizens and governance. All proposals are due by December 1. Click here to view more information.
  
  
• UCLG Africa's 5th African Forum of Territorial Managers and Training Institutes
  United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLG Africa) invites attendees to its 5th African Forum of Territorial Managers and Training Institutes, under the theme, "Local Africa Goes Digital & Smart: The Time to Act Is Now." Taking place December 6-11 in a hybrid format in Marrakech with some virtual sessions, this gathering will be an opportunity to inform and exchange views and ideas on the dynamics of digital and smart transformation at the level of African local and regional governments, especially in the era of COVID-19 and beyond, with a focus on the commitments made, the progress achieved, the innovations relevant to governance and development at the local and territorial level, the challenges and obstacles faced and the most relevant means to overcome them. Interpretation services will be available in English, French, Arabic and Portuguese. Click here for more information.
  
  
• SPAR Best Book Award Call for Nominations
  The ASPA Section on Public Administration Research (SPAR) invites your nominations for its Best Book Award. The Section welcomes nominations for books on public administration published in 2020 and 2021. All books must significantly contribute to research in public administration; all research methods are welcomed, as are books across any/all public administration research; edited volumes are welcomed; books primarily written as textbook will not be considered; the Section welcomes international publications written in English. This recognition will be awarded at ASPA's Annual Conference in March 2022. A nominating committee comprised of SPAR members will review each of the nominations and choose the award winners. All nominations are due by December 10, 2021. Nominations should list the book title, author and publisher, and include at least a one-page summary outlining the unique contributions of the book. Contact Robin Kempf for more information.
  
  
• COMPA 2022 Annual Conference Call for Papers
  COMPA's 2022 Annual Conference Call for Papers is open, centered on this year's theme, "Shifting Paradigms—Challenging Assumptions." We will address the challenges facing minority public administrators in communities experiencing increasing inequalities; systemic racism; police violence coupled with racialism in legal and justice systems; housing crises and food shortages; medical mistrust; chronic underinvestment; environmental degradation; and white supremacist extremism. All of these problems and many others have been exacerbated by an ongoing global pandemic that has killed more than 1 million people as it intensifies racial/ethnic tensions and economic disparities. Communities across the globe are fighting the brutal consequences of climate change and environmental racism amidst hurricanes, droughts, fires and the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people. To add to the chaos, we have witnessed the widespread promotion of a lack of confidence, both internationally and domestically, in democratic governmental and administrative processes. Public administrators generally and minority public administrators in particular are in the process of adapting to the new realities while reconsidering the long held paradigms by which we live. There is a growing decline in public trust in news and information sources and a greater reliance on social media, a lack of confidence in the findings of scientific institutions, and an ever-increasing lack of faith in elected and appointed governmental leaders. The COVID-19 pandemic has been decisively marked by political divisions in the popular public trust of scientists. These realities have become a permanent element of the contemporary political discourse affecting minority public administrators and the levels of citizens' trust in the administration of public services. The current social, political and economic climate around bureaucracies, national and global, create a deluge of opportunities and challenges for the field of public administration. Minority public administrators are called upon to rethink our role as mitigators working amidst a rising sense of injustice and helplessness, the lack of hope and confidence in the present system, and a desire for radical change. This conference offers opportunities for public administration practitioners, academicians, independent scholars and students to expand the discourse through intellectual forums, research considerations and collaborative partnerships which tackle these challenges and restore public service values and meaningful governance. The conference program committee welcomes proposals to the conference's 15 tracks from academics, practitioners, independent scholars and students. Email your proposals to [email protected]. Proposals should include the title, abstract and presenter(s') name, institutional affiliation, address, email address and contact number. All papers are due by December 15, 2022. Click here for more information.
  
  
• Journal of African Transformation Special Edition Call for Papers
  The journal invites papers and submissions for its special edition on the theme “Challenges and opportunities for curbing illicit financial flows to boost domestic resource mobilization for financing sustainable development in Africa." The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development1 identifies the reduction of illicit financial flows (IFFs) as a priority area to build peaceful societies around the world. Combating IFFs is a crucial component of global efforts to promote peace, justice and strong institutions, as reflected in target 16.4 of the Sustainable Development Goals; “By 2030, significantly reduce illicit financial and arms flows, strengthen the recovery and return of stolen assets and combat all forms of organized crime”. Key research questions for this special edition include: What is the nature of IFFs in different African countries?; How do IFFs impact the state and society in Africa?; What are the main challenges African countries are facing in effectively curbing IFFs?; What kind of reforms can African countries undertake in curbing IFFs?; How can digitalization and technological transformation create opportunities for curbing IFFs?; How can Africa take advantage of developments on the international stage with various initiatives aimed at curbing aspect of IFFs?; How can Africa overcome the challenges it is confronted with in recovering assets lost through IFFs?; and How can global coalition on addressing IFFs be foisted and strengthened in addressing the problem? All manuscripts are due by December 15, 2021. Click here for more information.
  
  
• NFBPA 2022 National Awards
  The National Forum for Black Public Administrators (NFBPA) is accepting nominations for its 2022 National Awards and Recognition Program. Each year, a distinguished few are recognized at NFBPA's FORUM for their outstanding achievements and dedication to NFBPA, the communities they serve and the field of public administration. Now is your opportunity to nominate a worthy candidate for any of their national awards. All nominations are due by December 15, 2021. Click here for more information.
  
  
• SASPA Mini-Symposium on Public Policy, Public and Nonprofit Administration
  The South Asian Section for Public Administration (SASPA) is partnering with the Bengal Institute of Political Studies and the Institute of Social Sciences (New Delhi) to assembly a mini symposium: Capacity Building for Effective Governance and Administration: Perspectives from South Asia. The online event will feature perspectives of South Asia scholars and practitioners on capacity building to revitalize administration, civil society and governance in that region. SASPA invites reflections on how systems of institutions, civil society groups and nonprofits can be revitalized and reconstituted, given new challenges. Papers may address capacity building in the context of institutional development, innovation, human resource management, organizational learning, strategic planning, public finance and budgeting and beyond. Please send a 200-word proposal to [email protected] by January 7, 2022. The symposium will take place via Zoom February 19-20. Click here to view more information.
  
  
• NFBPA Annual Scholarship Program Call for Applicants
  In 2022, the National Forum for Black Public Administrators (NFBPA) will continue its prestigious scholarship program, recognizing African American or other minority students who are currently enrolled full-time at an accredited, traditional four-year college or university, preferably an HBCU, who show outstanding scholarship and leadership, particularly as related to public service. NFBPA provides several scholarships to undergraduate and graduate students through its partnerships with corporate supporters, public sector organizations and individual contributors. The scholarship program is an integral part of NFBPA’s goal of lending support to African American and other minority students interested in leadership roles in public service. All applications are due by January 17, 2022. Click here for more information.
  
  
• Flemming Awards Call for Nominations
  Please consider nominating a deserving federal employee for the 73rd annual Arthur S. Flemming Awards. The Arthur S. Flemming Award recognizes outstanding and meritorious achievement in working for the federal government; encourages the highest standards of performance in the federal service; enhances appreciation of our form of government and the opportunities and responsibilities it presents; and attracts outstanding individuals to a career in federal service. More than 500 people have received the awards to date. Eligibility is restricted to individuals currently engaged in federal government service and who have served 3-15 years. Similar employees of the Library of Congress, Government Accountability Office, Office of the Capitol Architect, Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, Government Printing Office and Botanical Gardens also are eligible. Only years directly on the federal payroll are considered service. Nominations will be accepted through January 31, 2022. Click here for more information.
  
  
• 2022 MPAC Call for Proposals
  The MPAC trustees invite all in the profession to submit a proposal for the 2022 Midwest Public Affairs Conference (MPAC). Individual paper, panel, roundtable and workshop proposals are welcome on all topics in public affairs; MPAC actively encourages submissions from faculty, students and practitioners. This year's theme is "Designing and Running the Innovative Public Service Agency." They invite proposals that explore public sector innovation, with an emphasis on connecting research insights to agency practice. MPAC prides itself on its diversity: In addition to theme-related papers they welcome proposals from a variety of PA-related fields such as urban affairs, public policy, nonprofit management and planning. Reviewers will accept proposals that entail research in progress, though they should have enough content to facilitate substantial participant discussion. The submission period opens immediately; acceptances are sent a rolling basis. All proposals are due by February 15, 2022. Click here for more information.
  
  
• SPCM Best Paper Award
  The Section on Procurement and Contract Management (SPCM) has issued a Best Paper Award for ASPA's 2022 Annual Conference. Do you conduct research in public procurement, government contracting or contract management? Are you submitting a proposal for the conference? If so, submit your paper to SPCM for an award. First place will receive $500; second place will receive $250. Please send your full paper to Sawsan Abutabenjeh by March 1, 2022 for consideration. Click here for more information.
  
  
• 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.
  
  
• Sustainability Opens Topical Collection for Sustainable Public Administration
  The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development with its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) was agreed upon by 193 member states of the United Nations in September 2015. Given the size of the challenge to redirect unsustainable pathways towards sustainable development, state and nonstate actors alike are strongly encouraged by the agreement to contribute. Despite the undisputable importance of nonstate actors for achieving the SDGs, state institutions have a special role to play. On the one hand, policymaking for sustainable development is required at the international, national, and subnational level to shape the political setting in which societal actors can develop and realize more sustainable actions. On the other hand, public administration is challenged to lead by example and develop capabilities to administer transformation processes toward sustainable development professionally. The topical collection "Sustainable Public Administration" of the peer-reviewed online journal Sustainability invites articles on this emerging field of research and practice. 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!)

• Public Administration: The Software of Democracy
  By Lisa Saye
  
  
• Whither Strategic Planning in Public Administration? Part 1: A Brief Look at History and Current Practice
  By Tom R. Hulst
  
  
• Engendering the Public’s Trust in Local Government
  By James Bourey