In This Issue:

• Staying Focused
• Upcoming ASPA Elections Include Bylaws Amendment
• Slate of Nominees for Fall Elections
• E-Learning at Your Fingertips
• A Focus on Membership: ASPA Partners with CPS HR to Help Members Build Employee Engagement
• Next Chapter/Section Leadership Call in Two Weeks
• ASPA 2020 Digital Experience Online Through December 31
• The Count Is Over
• A Focus on Public Finance
• Public Integrity Symposium Call for Papers—The New 4 Es
• PAR Seeks to Add One or More Managing Editors
• Tips and Resources
• Coronavirus in the News
• (Otherwise) in the News
• Members in the News
• Around Public Administration
• PA TIMES Online

Staying Focused

If you are looking to stay informed on the most important issues facing public administration right now, look to ASPA's webinar program. Currently producing four to six events each month, our speakers are focusing on some of the most critical topics in the discipline. Upcoming webinars, listed below, will continue this important service. Members can find previously held webinars in our webinar archives, which do not expire.

Some of our recent events are listed below; if your membership has lapsed and you need to rejoin to access this robust catalog, visit our website or contact us for assistance.

• The Post-Pandemic Economic Transition
  Presenters:
  Richard Greene, Moderator, Barrett and Greene, Inc.
  Amy Liu, Brookings Institution
  Don Kettl, University of Texas—Austin
  Michael Pagano, UIC Government Finance Research Center
  Mark Zandi, Moody's Analytics
  
  Though the pandemic is likely to dissipate at some point in the foreseeable future, experts agree the economy will continue to suffer for years thereafter. This session, co-sponsored by the Government Finance Research Center at the University of Illinois Chicago, included an all-star array of panelists who focused on that transitional period between the eradication of the disease and the full rehabilitation of the economy. What challenges will states and localities deal with in that interim period? What solutions can be conjured to those challenges that are anticipated now?
  
  
• Homelessness in Houston Pre- and Post-COVID-19
  Presenters:
  Antoinette Christophe, President, ASPA Greater Houston Chapter
  Lynnette Howe, Moderator, Quality Assurance/Quality Control Manager, City of Houston Public Works and President-Elect, Greater Houston Chapter, ASPA
  Tracey Parker, Executive Account Manager/General Lines P&C LSP and Victim of Homelessness
  Ana Rausch, Vice President, Program Operations, Coalition for the Homeless in Houston and Harris County
  Carl Salazar, Independent Consultant, Nonprofit Industry Founder & Executive Director, Expedition Balance
  
  Homelessness is a rampant problem in many of our nation's cities and has only gotten worse during COVID-19. ASPA's Greater Houston Chapter provided a closer look at this situation and the various public and nonprofit entities at work on behalf of this vulnerable population.
  
  
• How American Elections Work: Preparing the Public to Understand Election Administration in the 2020 Presidential Election
  Presenters:
  Mitchell Brown, Professor of Political Science, Auburn University
  Kathleen Hale, Professor of Political Science, Auburn University
  
  Election officials must work in a difficult intergovernmental environment of constant change and intense partisanship. Voting practices and funding vary from state to state, and multiple government agencies, the judicial system, voting equipment vendors, nonprofit groups and citizen activists also influence practices and limit change. Despite real challenges and pessimistic media assessments, Hale and Brown demonstrate that election officials are largely successful in their work to facilitate, protect and evolve the voting process. Listen to this BookTalk and learn more about this important work.
  
  
• Performance Management in a Changing Environment: COVID-19, Online Teaching and the Rise of Data Science
  Presenters:
  Maria Aristigueta, Moderator, Dean, Biden School of Public Policy and Administration, University of Delaware
  Gregory Dobler, Assistant Professor, Biden School of Public Policy and Administration, Data Science Institute, University of Delaware
  Alfred Tat-Kei Ho, Professor, School of Public Affairs and Administration, University of Kansas
  Gary Vanlandingham, Professor, MPA Director and Reubin O'D. Askew Senior Practitioner in Residence, Florida State University
  
  One important element within public administration is performance management—and COVID-19 is testing our abilities to implement this element of our field. This webinar explored how a pandemic, or similar disruptions, interferes with performance management, data science and the fundamentals of the magic behind public administration. Our panelists dug into examples of how this is playing out across the discipline, within practitioner studies as well as academic research. Learn from our panelists how we can combat these disruptions to ensure our science stays sound. In partnership with the Center for Accountability and Performance.
  
  
• BookTalk: The Divided States of America
  Presenters: Don Kettl, University of Texas—Austin
  Bill Shields, Moderator, Executive Director, ASPA
  
  Federalism was James Madison’s great invention. An innovative system of power sharing that balanced national and state interests, federalism was the pragmatic compromise that brought the colonies together to form the United States. Yet, even beyond the question of slavery, inequality was built into the system because federalism meant that many aspects of an American's life depended on where they lived. Over time, these inequalities have created vast divisions between the states and made federalism fundamentally unstable. In his new book, The Divided States of America, Don Kettl chronicles the history of a political system that once united the nation and now threatens to break it apart. Listen to this insightful discussion and learn more about federalism's impact on inequality in the United States.
  
  

Upcoming ASPA Elections Include Bylaws Amendment

Each fall, ASPA members elect individuals to lead the Society and serve as members of its National Council. This year, members will elect a President-Elect for a two-year term, five District Representatives for a three-year term and a Student Representative for a one-year term. Click here to learn more and scroll down to see this year's slate of nominees.

This year’s election, taking place November 9 to December 4, also will include a proposed amendment to ASPA's bylaws. Approved unanimously by the National Council, the amendment would create a standing Development Committee, responsible for strengthening ASPA's overall financial position and serving as the focal point for ASPA’s fundraising efforts.

Click here to learn more.

Back to Top

Slate of Nominees for Fall Elections

The following individuals have been approved by the Nominating Committee to have their names on this year's election ballot:

• President-Elect
  
  • Patria de Lancer Julnes
  • Richard Greggory Johnson, III
• District I Representative
  
  • Maria J. D'Agostino
  • Malcolm K. Oliver
• District II Representative
  
  • Lauren Azevedo
  • Marlon I. Brown
  • Diane M. Disney
  • Lorenda Naylor
• District III Representative
  
  • Tracey Keyes
  • Miriam Singer
• District IV Representative
  
  • Ana-Maria Dimand
• District V Representative
  
  • Shami Dugal
  • Kenneth Frank Ehrman
  • David Gonzalez
  • Aziza Zemrani
• Student Representative
  
  • Antonia Cherelle Gordon
  • Kayla Schwoerer
  • Saahir Shafi

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!


KeepingCurrent: How the District of Columbia Has Become a National Leader in Asset Management
November 5 | 1 p.m. ET
Presenters:
David Clark, District of Columbia Government
Richard Dietz, District of Columbia Government
Shayne Kavanagh, Research Manager, Government Finance Officers Association
Darryl Street, District of Columbia Government

The District of Columbia municipal government is a recognized leader in asset management and infrastructure renewal planning. In this webinar, learn about its approach through the lens of the Government Finance Officers Association's (GFOA) Financial Foundations for Thriving Communities, which applies Elinor Ostrom's Nobel Prize-winning common pool resource theory to public finance. Our panelists will look at the leadership strategies and institutional designs needed for a strong financial foundation and hopefully make it easier for local governments to not just replicate the technical aspects of what the District has done but also invent approaches to asset management that best fit local conditions.

For more information in advance of this webinar, find GFOA's report, “Capital Planning and the DC Government” online here.




BookTalk: Solved. How Other Countries Cracked the World's Biggest Problems (and we can too)
November 12 | 1 p.m. ET
Presenters:
Bill Shields, Executive Director, ASPA
Andrew Wear, Australian Public Servant

In the years ahead, as we seek to re-build after COVID-19, there will be value in taking inspiration from a range of other countries around the world, many of whom have been achieving outcomes that far surpass ours. Denmark will reach 100 percent renewable electricity by 2030. South Koreans will soon live longer than anyone else on Earth. The United Kingdom has the lowest homicide rate in the OECD. Understanding how other countries around the world are working to crack the big problems helps illuminate the sort of action required to make a difference.




Students and New Professionals: Writing the Perfect Cover Letter
November 19 | 1 p.m. ET
Presenters:
Abdul Samad, Moderator, Doctoral Candidate, Florida International University
Bill Shields, Executive Director, ASPA

This webinar is perfect for those who are on, or preparing for, the job market to learn how to represent themselves well through a cover letter. Cover letters have their own tricks, dos, don'ts and hidden "tells" that will ward off future employers. Writing the perfect letter is an art form and deserves serious attention every time you write it. Our panelists will discuss cover letters for practitioners and academics, talking you through the essentials—what to include, what not to include, length, tone and so much more. From best practices to silent deal-breakers, they will help you grasp how to put together an ideal letter that will represent you well and get people's attention.




Back to Top

A Focus on Membership: ASPA Partners with CPS HR to Help Members Build Employee Engagement

Public sector organizations across the nation are facing enormous challenges, including maintaining performance and services despite COVID-19. To succeed in this difficult environment, government needs talented, committed and engaged employees.

Decades of research, including in the public sector, have shown that a high level of employee engagement drives productivity, organizational performance, strategic goal achievement, employee retention, and customer service and satisfaction. Highly engaged employees believe in their organization’s purpose and find their work meaningful and rewarding. As a result, they are highly motivated to help achieve their organization’s mission. This is especially important now, as public sector organizations experience first-hand the demand to do more with less—and even more with even less.

To meet this challenge, ASPA is partnering with the CPS HR Consulting Institute for Public Sector Employee Engagement to provide ASPA members and public sector organizations across the country with the tools and resources needed to understand, measure and improve employee engagement.

The Institute will survey your employees to enable you to understand the level of engagement in your workforce and what influences your employees’ engagement. CPS HR also will provide recommendations to help you create a more engaged workforce, thereby improving performance and service delivery.

The Institute has helped government organizations across the country measure and improve engagement. According to one government leader, "We selected the CPS HR Institute because of its holistic approach to engagement. Not just conducting the survey but also analyzing the results and helping us decide how to take action to improve engagement."

To learn more about how you can improve performance and service delivery by improving employee engagement, visit the CPC HR website or contact ASPA.

Back to Top

Next Chapter/Section Leadership Call in Two Weeks

Chapter and Section leaders: Looking to connect with each other? Great news: ASPA National can help!

Earlier this month we launched a networking-based conference call program to bring together Chapter and Section leaders to learn from each other, ask questions of ASPA staff and share successes and lessons learned. The first call brought together almost 30 leaders, so we will host a second one on November 12, 2020.

Want to hear from your fellow leaders about tips for connecting with your group during COVID? Interested in partnering with other leaders to host group events? Or maybe you need some tips for transitioning leaders? That is exactly what this call is for! Join us to ask your questions, get helpful feedback from your fellow leaders and listen in on the conversation! (And, of course, we will provide a handful of national office updates for your convenience!)

Register now via the link below and we will look forward to hearing from you on November 12!




Back to Top

ASPA 2020 Digital Experience Online Through December 31

There are only two months left to purchase access to ASPA's 2020 Digital Experience, a virtual library of panels repurposed from the 2020 Annual Conference. Launched in June and featuring 30 panels covering some of the most important subjects in the discipline, the library will be available to those who have purchased access to it well into 2021, but library sales will end on December 31.

The fall means plenty of online conferences as many organizations across the profession launch their 2020 virtual events. Now is the perfect time to add to your education with this exclusive library of panels, focusing on topics that are critical to the public administration profession including public finance, governance, leadership and management, social equity, infrastructure and global public administration—and, of course, COVID-19.

Just a few of the compelling panels within the library include:

• Accountability, Transparency and Performance Management in Public Management and Collaborative Governance Networks: A look at performance management and collaborative governance networks that rely on complex intergovernmental relations and public-private partnership.
• Achieving Diversity in Public Safety Hiring: As the title suggests, panelists approach the topic of how public safety organizations bring on new hires. This is a critical conversation, given our national struggle with police brutality and social justice.
• Emerging Best Practices in Performance Management—Lessons from Leaders: This panel celebrates emerging leaders in local government and some of their work that won them the Emerging Leaders Award from the Center for Accountability and Performance.
• Government Innovations in Technologies, Sustainability and Governance: This panel provides strategies for government innovations in the areas of technology, sustainability and governance, based on rigorous analysis of practice—featuring some of the profession's most renowned scholars.
• Infrastructure Investment—The Importance of Capital Planning, Performance Management Tools and Readiness Criteria: Lest we forget our country's shoddy infrastructure, this panel is here to explore the current status and possibilities for improving the capital planning process at all levels of government, but especially at the state and local levels.

Find more panels listed on our website to give you a preview of what you can expect before you register to gain access to all of them. Take a look and then sign up to join your colleagues in viewing these panels and engaging in more dialogue about these topics.

Remember: New access to this library of panels expires on December 31. Purchase your access today!




Back to Top

The Count Is Over

Since our last edition of Bridge, the Supreme Court has weighed in on the 2020 Census and indicated that enumerators did not have to continue field work, which means the decennial count concluded on October 15, 2020. However, the Census Bureau also has indicated they will not have results to the president by the original deadline of December 31, 2020. No official timeline has been provided; career staff have been tasked with ensuring the work is taken care of appropriately.

Concerns continue regarding the accuracy of the count, given the many obstacles the Census faced throughout this year. Accurate counts are reported state-by-state and there are concerns that, in some states, undercounts within communities of color, specifically, may leave millions of dollars in federal funding on the table.

Still at issue is whether the courts will uphold the Trump administration's plan to exclude undocumented immigrants from the count used to divvy up House of Representatives seats apportioned to each state. The Supreme Court will hear arguments in this case on November 30, 2020.

Back to Top

A Focus on Public Finance

The Peterson Foundation recently has released some helpful information related to COVID-19 and the United States’ economic outlook.

One blog post looks at Congress' fiscal response to COVID-19 and its impact on the economy. While it is still too soon to tell what the full impact will be, some early indicators are starting to develop. Prior to the pandemic, the economy was experiencing its longest expansion in decades but the pandemic has reduced activity, putting millions of Americans out of work and reducing incomes, as well. What is the impact of the $4 trillion in federal spending authorized earlier this year, who is benefiting and how has it impacted growth? Take a look at the below resource to learn more about this topic.



Additionally, according to the Peterson Foundation, "The coronavirus pandemic led to record levels of unemployment and lost income for millions of Americans. In response, policymakers created new safety net programs and expanded existing ones to provide support to those in need. Such programs have been a key component to the U.S. response to the public health crisis—they have not only protected vulnerable populations from poverty, but have also helped mitigate the economic downturn." Look at how these programs have boosted the economy and impacted individuals and families for the past six months.




Back to Top

Public Integrity Symposium Call for Papers—The New 4 Es

Public Integrity has announced a collaboration with ASPA's Section on Democracy and Social Justice to offer a symposium: "The New 4 Es: Fostering Engagement, Empathy, Equity and Ethics in an Era of Uncertainty." Guest editors are Richard Greggory Johnson, III (University of San Francisco), Sean McCandless (University of Illinois—Springfield) and Seth Meyer (Bridgewater State University).

All proposals are due by December 1, 2020. Click here for more information.

Back to Top

Public Administration Review Seeks to Add One or More Managing Editors

Are you interested in taking on a meaningful service to the discipline? Do you want to become more familiar with the black box of academic publishing? Are you a faculty member in a tenured or tenure-track position? Do you have a passion for public administration? This might be the perfect opportunity for you!

What you should bring:

• Energetic approach and solid work ethic—a willingness to perform duties in a thorough and timely fashion.
• Deep scholarly interest in the public administration literature.
• PAR publishes in English; command of the English language, particularly written communication is essential, as are proofreading and copyediting skills.
• Altruistic motivation: a desire to better the discipline for its constituents.
• Attention to detail, self-motivation and enthusiasm for the work.

• Technical review of manuscripts and assignment to the Editor-in-Chief for processing.
• Identify potential reviewers for manuscripts and make recommendations to the Editor-in-Chief.
• Identify, report and send reminders to tardy reviewers.
• Review manuscripts missing reviewers and recommend replacements to the Editor-in-Chief.
• Maintain and update editorial board roster and mailing lists.
• Maintain and update user records in Editorial Manager.
• Proof manuscripts before final publication.

• You will be acknowledged online and on the inside cover of each issue.
• There is no compensation for any member of PAR's editorial team; we are a wholly voluntary organization. Many editorial team members receive support from their institutions in the form of course release or travel funding. It is up to you to negotiate this with your institution if selected.
• Managing Editors report directly to the Editor-in-Chief.
• The efficiency of the Managing Editor is essential to keeping our key performance metrics in line, particularly making decisions in a timely fashion.

Tips and Resources

Here are a range of resources—from lighthearted to immensely useful—posted online recently that you should check out!

How to Tell If Socializing Indoors Is Safe
For months, Americans have been told that if we want to socialize, the safest way to do it is outdoors. But in many parts of the country, this is the last month the weather will allow people to spend more than a few minutes outside comfortably. Researchers and some public health workers have launched their own efforts to help people decide what types of social activities are safe, based on where they live.

The Vaccine News That Really Matters
Soon COVID-19 vaccine makers will release early data from large clinical trials and the results could be ambiguous.

Medicare and Open Season
Once again, the annual open season for the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program is nearly upon us. This year it runs from November 9 to December 14. If you are retired or retiring soon and are eligible or soon to become eligible for Medicare (generally at age 65), this information should help you with some of the biggest decisions you will be making this open season.

The Difference Between Feeling Safe and Being Safe
To understand how humans think about safety, you have to understand how they think about fear. To be safe, people need to be free from the threat of physical or mental harm. But to feel safe, people need to be free from the perception of potential harm, confident that they understand what the likeliest threats are and that they are capable of avoiding them.

How to Use COVID-19 Testing and Quarantining to Safely Travel for the Holidays
Over the approaching holidays, people around the world will want to travel to see friends and family. Getting tested for the coronavirus can make this safer, but testing alone is not a perfect answer.

We released other lists of resources in previous editions of Bridge, dating back to April. Check out our archives and look for the "Tips and Resources" articles to find them!

Back to Top

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

• Federal Government to Offer $10 Million to Research COVID-19 Spread on Public Transportation
• Gates Foundation Gift to Support COVID-19 Testing at Historically Black Colleges
• The Need to Reboot and Rebuild Public Transit
• CDC to Passengers and Workers: Wear A Mask When You Are on A Plane, Train, Bus or Other Public Transit
• VA Piloting AI to Predict Mortality Rates of COVID-19 Patients

• The COVID-Related Housing Crisis Nobody Mentions
• The Fed's $4 Trillion Lifeline Never Materialized. Here's Why.
• Health Agency Halts Coronavirus Ad Campaign, Leaving Santa Claus in the Cold
• Recession's Silver Lining: American Households Are Doing Better Than Expected
• One in Four Adults Say Household Finances Deteriorated from March to September

• HHS Whistleblower Rick Bright Resigns from Government
• Civilian Agency Contract Spending Reaches Record High in Fiscal 2020
• Trump Administration Develops Governmentwide Office Reopening Guidelines, with Contractor Help
• "Toxic": CDC Staffers Say Morale Inside the Public Health Agency Has Plummeted During the Pandemic
• Public Trust in Government Is Waning As the Pandemic Wears on, Survey Shows

• Black Doctors Work to Make Coronavirus Testing More Equitable
• Federal Judge Rejects Work Requirement Changes in Food Stamp Program
• "All You Want Is to be Believed": Sick with COVID-19 and Facing Racial Bias in the ER
• "My Family Needs Me": Latinas Drop Out of Workforce at Alarming Rates

(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

• U.S. and Seven Other Countries Sign NASA's Artemis Accords to Set Rules for Exploring the Moon
• CBP Launches Website to Promote Transparency Around Biometric Travel Program
• Fix America By Undoing Decades of Privatization
• Will Voters Give Public Transit a Thumbs Up or Thumbs Down?
• USPS Launched DeJoy's Changes Without Considering Impact, IG Says
• Report: Green Infrastructure Helps Preserve Access to Transportation
• Tough Fire Season Takes Toll on Firefighters' Mental Health
• Labor Department Curbs Announcements of Company Violations
• How Better Building Codes Can Mitigate Wildfires' Devastation

• Anxious for a Lifeline, the U.S. Economy Is Left to Sink or Swim
• "Staggeringly High": U.S. Jobless Claims Remained Elevated Last Week
• U.S. Budget Deficit Hit $3.1 Trillion Amid Virus Spending Surge
• Trump Immigration Policies Have Negative Impact on Economy
• Retiree Checks to Rise 1.3 Percent in 2021 Amid Coronavirus Fallout
• Federal Government Blows Past Record Spending in Fiscal 2020
• What the Rise of Digital Handouts on Venmo and Cash App Says About Our Fraying Social Safety Net
• Trump's Manufacturing Promises Disappoint as Economy Sours

• Supply of Election Poll Workers Rises As Demand Increases
• Long-Term Telework Seen As Key to Retaining Feds with Disabilities
• A Regulatory Rush By Federal Agencies to Secure Trump's Legacy
• Trump's Public Lands Chief Refuses to Leave His Post Despite Judge's Order
• Governments Struggle to Create a More Engaged Workforce
• OPM Finalizes New Policies Intended to More Quickly Discipline Poor Performers
• Election Officials Prepare for Voter Intimidation Threat
• Reforming Agencies to be Ready for the Future
• Already Facing Grueling Year, National Guard Revs Up for Election and Aftermath
• Viewpoint: The Mismanagement Was Bad Enough. Now They Want to Tear the System Down
• Salary Council: Federal Workers Make 23 Percent Less Than Private Sector Counterparts
• Despite Struggling with Widespread Mail Delays, USPS Is Processing More Ballots on Time

• Why Do Nonwhite Georgia Voters Have to Wait in Line for Hours? Their Numbers Have Soared, and Their Polling Places Have Dwindled.
• Confronting Racism Is Our American Duty
• Don't Cancel Federal Diversity Training, Fix It
• Trump Administration Requests Info on Contractor Diversity Training As Officials Seek to Clarify What's Allowed
• We Could Abolish Child Poverty in the U.S. with Social Security Benefits for Poor Kids
• Pennsylvania's New Vote-by-Mail Law Expands Access for Everyone Except the Poor
• Push to Remove Racist Names Draws Support—And Backlash

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:

• NAPA's 2020 Fall Conference
  Online
  November 5-10
  This year's virtual Fall Meeting, "Grand Challenges in Public Administration," will focus on the role of public administrators in building resilient communities. 2020 has been a uniquely challenging year—we have a presidential election, a pandemic and social and racial unrest. How do we continue to build resiliency in our communities, in our networks and in our nation? This virtual meeting will address those questions through a series of live sessions including plenary sessions, Standing Panel breakout sessions and award sessions. The meeting will also include a curated section of on-demand sessions.
  
  
• 2020 Northeast Conference on Public Administration
  Online
  November 6-7
  Registration is open now.
  
  
• 2020 APPAM Fall Conference
  Online
  November 11-13
  This conference will be entirely virtual; registration is open.
  
  
• 2021 COMPA Conference
  Dallas, Texas
  February 25-28, 2021
  The Call for Papers is online; proposals are due by January 15, 2021. Registration is open; early-bird registration expires January 15, 2021. Click here for more information.
  
  
• 2021 International Conference on Public Administration
  Chengdu, P.R. China
  May 14-16, 2021
  Although public sector organizations may draw strength from their bureaucratic structures, experience increasingly shows the limitations of a hierarchical and top-down approach to the performance of governmental functions. Problems may spill across organizational boundaries so that a hierarchical approach within a single organization may be inadequate to address them. A top-down approach also may deprive decision makers of needed external input about how to fit solutions to the problems they seek to address. And, increasingly in today's world of public access to social media, top-down approaches may lack the legitimacy needed to ensure popular acceptance of governmental decisions.
  
  Collaborative governance can help overcome these and other limitations of a hierarchical structure by adding the benefits of a network management approach to help improve the quality of decision making. The literature defining the precise meaning of the term "collaborative governance" is unsettled. On one end of the conceptual spectrum, collaboration merely means the pursuit of joint goals by two or more government organizations. Governance would be the structure and function of making joint decisions to achieve objectives that further the aims of each organization. A more expansive definition is that collaborative governance is a process where government decisionmakers bring relevant stakeholders—public, private and NGO—into the decisionmaking process. In all cases, collaborative governance takes place under applicable laws and other rules and is shaped by them.
  
  2021 ICPA invites papers from academics and practitioners that highlight successful collaborative governance approaches to improving public sector decisionmaking and performance, and lessons learned. We especially welcome those that use case studies and comparative analyses to illustrate promising practices and significant lessons. Perhaps most important, papers are invited that derive lessons, not merely describe theory or isolated experiences. For the purpose of this Call for Papers, we will accept quality submissions that fall within the range of suitable definitions of "collaborative governance." Given the potential ambiguity of the term, it will be helpful to specify the definition of the term that a submitted paper adopts.
  
  Paper abstracts are due December 15, 2020.
  
  
• 2021 PA Theory Annual Conference
  Portland, Oregon
  June 3-6
  Theme: "Administrative (Dys)function and Dedication: Contradictions in Public Service Values"
  The Call for Proposals is open through November 16, 2020
  
  

• PA Quarterly Special Edition: How COVID-19 Has Affected Social Inequalities
  COVID-19 has brought many severe changes to what we had become used to: economic well-being, relatively good health and job security. For many, the pre-pandemic future offered fulfillment as we engaged with others, enjoyed outings with friends and family and practiced freedom to choose where we would go and what we would do. Prior to now, we may have acknowledged the existence of racial injustice; biases because of age, gender, disability and sexual orientation; and income equalities, but COVID-19 has brought these social and institutional issues to center stage. ASPA's Section on Professional and Organizational Development (SPOD) is requesting papers for a special edition of Public Administration Quarterly that illuminates inequities in institutions since the onset of COVID-19. The deadline has been extended: all manuscripts must be submitted by October 30 to Carol Rusaw. Contact Carol for more information.
  
  
• Asia Pacific Journal of Public Administration (APJPA) Call for Papers: Government Capacity, Quality and Governance Outcomes in the Asia Pacific Region
  In recent years, public administration and political science scholars have "rediscovered" the importance of public bureaucracies for understanding different levels of government performance and broader socioeconomic outcomes. There have been increasing number of studies that address the significance of the output side of the political system (i.e. public administration and policy implementation) rather than the input side (i.e. quality of electoral democracy) for favorable outcomes. While there have been increasing number of studies on government capacity and bureaucratic quality focusing on areas beyond North America and Western Europe, relatively little scholarly attention has been paid to the Asia Pacific area. Reflecting APJPA’s vision and commitment to promote the study of public governance and administration and management in and beyond Asia and the Pacific, we invite research that makes theoretical or empirical contributions to the study of government capacity, quality and broader governance outcomes. All proposals are due by November 1, 2020.
  View the full Call for Papers online here.
  
  
• Administrative Theory & Praxis: Beyond Administrative Sovereignty: Rethinking Directionalities and Objects in Administration and Policy
  This call seeks conceptual or theory-driven empirical scholarship that questions the assumed "administrative sovereignty" of public administration and the object of public service delivery, offers unique transnational perspectives, and, where relevant, engages multiple levels of governance (from local to regional to global). Subjects and questions include Engaging Transnational Administration, Moving Beyond Unidirectionality and Redefining (Global) Citizenship and Public Service. Contact Kim Moloney or Meng-Hsuan Chou for more information. Abstracts are due by November 1, 2020.
  
  
• Natural Hazards Review—Special Edition for COVID-19
  The proposed special collection seeks research that assesses the degree to which technical infrastructure to support interactive communication across multiple scales of decisionmaking increases or decreases social capacity for collective action to reduce the threat of COVID-19 on a global scale. All papers are due by November 1, 2020.
  Find the call for papers online here.
  
  
• International Journal of Public Administration Special Issue Symposium on Leading and Managing Responses to Pandemics
  The International Journal of Public Administration (IJPA) invites article proposals for a Special Issue Symposium on Leading and Managing Responses to Pandemics. Proposals for scholarly papers on a wide range of sub-topics using quantitative and/or qualitative analysis approaches will be considered, including strong theoretical works, single-site case studies and comparative case studies. Scholarly manuscripts must be grounded in theory/literature and empirical evidence, and use sound analytical methods. Findings should be generalizable. Single-site case studies will be subject to different, more practical, review criteria. The Special Issue will be published online in spring 2021; the print volume will be published in summer 2021. All proposals are due November 15, 2020.
  Find the Call for Papers online here.
  
  
• Public Administration Quarterly Call for Papers: Symposium on Special District Management
  Special districts are a profoundly important form of government, having experienced significant growth of the last several decades. Though generally receiving less attention then general local governments, special districts often are charged with providing core public services that impact citizens' day-to-day lives. Special districts are unique in their single functional focus, potentially complex and overlapping geographical boundaries that may not be conterminous with other units of local government, and in the churning that comes through special district creation and dissolution. Despite the growth and prevalence of special districts, our knowledge of these units of government is still relatively limited and additional attention to the management, functions and contexts of special districts will add to the growing body of information on these important service providers. This symposium will provide a venue for conceptual or empirical research that examines issues related to the management of special districts. Proposals are due by November 15.
  Click here to read the full Call for Papers.
  
  
• SPAR Best Book Award Call for Nominations
  The Section on Public Administration Research (SPAR) has issued its Call for Nominations for its annual Best Book Award. The Section welcomes nominations for books on public administration published in 2019 and 2020. The criterion for the award is a book that significantly contributes to research in public administration. All research methods are welcomed, as are books across the wide range of public administration research. Edited volumes are welcomed. Books primarily written as textbooks will not be considered. We welcome international publications written in English. Recognition will be awarded at the ASPA 2021 Annual Conference next spring; the deadline for nominations is December 15, 2020.
  Find the Call for Nominations online here.
  
  
• Journal of Emergency Management Special Issue: Analysis of Pre- and Post-Disaster Response and Recovery Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic
  The Journal of Emergency Management (JEM) Editorial Review Board invites the submission of original research papers, brief communications, case studies, etc. supporting a special issue: “Analysis of Pre and Post Disaster Response and Recovery due to the 2020 COVID-19 Pandemic.” As we transcend this global pandemic, the goal is to bring together a complete and comprehensive accounting of the event and its post mortem. This may include a pre-disaster assessment of the state of preparation as well as any post-disaster response, preparedness, mitigation and recovery. We expect this to be a comprehensive look at what went wrong and just as important, what went right. Manuscripts will be accepted for review immediately and will continue (tentatively) through the first quarter of 2021.
  Find the Call for Proposals online here.
  
  
• Global Public Policy and Governance Call for Papers
  Launched earlier this year, Global Public Policy and Governance (GPPG) promotes multidisciplinary research to reflect on how increasing global interdependence has shaped public policy and governance in its values, structures, dynamics and consequences, and vice versa. The journal welcomes organizational, administrative, managerial and policy-based research that explores public sector reforms and developments in an increasingly globalized world. The journal's scope covers comparative public policy and governance, domestic public policy and governance with global relevance, public policy diffusion across national borders, and regional/global policy and governance. Publications in GPPG are not limited by areas of public policy and preference is given to topics of widespread significance.
  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!)

• Civic Literacy and Effective Public Administration
  By Thomas Poulin
  
  
• Looking for Trouble: The United States Needs Leaders Who Will Seek Out Emerging Threats and Use Science and Collaboration to Create Policy Solutions
  By Nathan Myers
  
  
• Profile in Greatness—Our Letter Carrier
  By Robert Brescia