Bringing Scholars & Professionals Together – Workshops at 2014 Annual Conference

The American Society for Public Administration (ASPA) Annual Conference kicks off Friday, March 14 and runs through Tuesday, March 18. It will be held at The Mayflower Renaissance Hotel in Washington, DC. This year also marks ASPA’s 75^th Anniversary.

ASPA’s Annual Conference provides a unique opportunity for interaction between scholars and professionals working in government or the nonprofit sector. The five day conference offers a combination of panels, workshops and mini-summits at which attendees can get updates about the latest research and application in the workplace. Registration for the Annual Conference is now open at www.aspanet.org.

Several of ASPA’s special interest sections will host full-day workshops that cater specifically to professionals working in the niche areas of public management, intergovernmental relations and comparative administration. Below are some program highlights.

DEIL S. WRIGHT SYMPOSIUM                                               

The Wright Symposium will take place Friday, March 14 from 8:30 am – 4:30 pm. The theme is “Understanding Intergovernmental Relations: Reflections and Directions.” The symposium will include an opening speaker and several panels featuring representatives of public interest groups, practitioners and scholars. Among the topics that will be discussed:

• Devolution debate.
• Government under fire.
• The Potomac Pipeline.
• Laboratories of democracy at work.
• Beyond contingent collaboration.

Lunch will be provided by PricewaterhouseCoopers. Refreshment breaks will also be provided.  Registration is $50, in addition to regular conference registration. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Deil S. Wright Scholarship Fund.

The Wright Symposium is sponsored by ASPA’s Section for Intergovernmental Administration and Management (SIAM) and several partners including ASPA’s Section on Professional and Organizational Development (SPOD), the NAPA Standing Panel on the Federal System, American Political Science Association (APSA) Section on Federalism and Intergovernmental Relations, Texas Tech University MPA Program and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill MPA Program.  

SPALR-ROPPA SYMPOSIUM

Every year, ASPA’s Section on Personnel Administration and Labor Relations hosts a one-day workshop on a contemporary personnel issue. This year’s topic is “Looking Forward: The Next 50 Years of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Workplace Discrimination.”

The workshop will feature a discussion of how the Civil Rights Act of 1964 continues to impact workers and the workplace. The panelists will include esteemed professionals and recognized scholars offering perspectives on persistent and emerging challenges related to workplace discrimination and human resource management. 

PUBLIC MANAGEMENT PRACTICE WORKSHOP 

Across the United States, government institutions are seeing their lowest ranking among the public in more than a decade. Starting at 5:00 pm on Friday, March 14, ASPA’s Section on Public Management Practice (SPMP) will host a workshop titled “Governance Reform Around the World: Identifying Successful Efforts to Build Public Trust and Confidence in Local Governance.”

The half-day session of workshops, moderated roundtable discussions and applied presentations will explore management challenges and solutions on critical topics facing government officials in the U.S. and around the world. Presenters will emphasize innovative accountability and performance management tactics that help different levels of government sectors work together to plan manage, measure and communicate results of initiatives for which they have shared responsibility.

This forum will also explore innovative professional development possibilities, including certification programs such as the Certified Public Manager (CPM) Program.

INTERNATIONAL ADMINISTRATION WORKSHOP

The Section on International Comparative Administration (SICA) will also host a one-day workshop on Friday, March 14 from 8:30 am – 4:30 pm. This workshop is for individuals interested in learning more about comparative issues related to public administration internationally.

The workshop will include four panels led by scholars and professionals that will address a variety of issues related to comparative public administration. Among confirmed topics are:

• Practical issues and challenges in comparative public administration.
• Discourse and dilemma in Asia.
• New directions for comparative public administration.

To learn more about the symposium or any of the workshops listed, check under the Workshops tab on the conference website, www.aspanet.org/2014conference.

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