Transforming Bureaucratic Cultures 2008: A Successful Inaugural Conference

On behalf of The Public Manager and the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA), we wish to thank the dozens of sponsors, exhibitors and supporters who helped make this event possible. No less important to this success were the hundreds of spirited attendees who contributed their questions and views to what we believe was a highly stimulating and worthwhile event.

 

This inaugural conference set in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor on July 28-29, 2008 was built around a theme exceedingly relevant to those making a career in public service – Transforming Bureaucratic Cultures: Challenges and Solutions for Public Management Practitioners. Attendees heard first-hand from a wide array of experienced practitioners from all levels of government – including senior executives andmanagers, young professionals, applied academics and researchers, consultants and trainers, public non profits and international NGOs. They gained exposure to best practice techniques and networked with a diverse community of practice through highly interactive panels, plenary sessions and workshops.   

 

With six tracks focusing on issues of performance, accountability, human capital, technology, communication and governance, participants explored solutions to such challenges as:

 

Tying budget decisions to agency performance; performance-based acquisition; benchmarking; and fostering an organization-wide performance culture.

 

 

 

 

Managing internal and external risk; outcome-oriented cost management, cost sharing and performance budgeting; and strategic sourcing.

 

 

 

 

Leading and managing change in a multi-sector environment; recruiting and retaining young professionals; measuring and compensating performance; and strategic human capital planning.

 

 

 

Keeping pace with expanding E-expectations; managing knowledge across jurisdictional boundaries; managing virtually in a technology-smart organization; and linking continuity planning and telework.

 

 

 

Making transparency an organization-wide value; engaging citizens; leading and managing change in a global setting; and communicating across networks, not within stovepipes.

 

 

 

 

Building trust in public-private collaborations; finding common purpose in international collaborations; inter-organizational collaboration in the face of catastrophic disasters; and stewardship in an era of outsourcing, right-sizing and performance measurement.

 

 

Next steps include 1) completing an electronic evaluation survey of the more than 300 conference participants – including all sponsor and vendor attendees; 2) publishing a special issue of The Public Manager capturing the most salient insights of the more than 30 sessions and workshops; and 3) setting the date and place for next year’s practitioner conference. Stay tuned at either co-host’s Web site for further information – thepublicmanager.org or aspanet.org.