The Academy is using a new tool to maximize the impact of our work and highlight the contributions and skills of our Fellows. In addition to releasing its recent report on the Small Business Administration's Disaster Assistance Program, the Academy is also offering two audio commentaries, or “podcasts,” featuring brief discussions of the report.

Hear Academy Fellow and Project Panel Chair Tom Stanton discussing Hurricane Katrina’s impact on SBA and some recommended steps for improvement.

Hear SBA Administrator Steve Preston explaining how the Academy Panel's recommendations are driving changes at the agency.

Multimedia resources are vital and necessary communications tools for organizations generally, and especially for public administration. The federal government, through its USA.gov website, hosts more than 60 web-based podcasts on various subjects; specific agencies and elected officials offer many more. Diverse audiences, from the general public to policymakers, use podcasts to quickly familiarize themselves with issues. In addition, members of the news media employ podcasts as a way to vet potential interviewees for quotability.

An Academy Panel, chaired by Frank Thompson, has completed an innovative model for improving human resources systems at the University of California, one of the nation's most respected public universities.

The Certified Assessment of Human Resources Systems, or
CAHRS (pronounced “cares”), was developed in partnership with UC to ensure that HR operations match the excellence of the University’s primary mission areas of education, medical care and research. The CAHRS model measures human capital performance against validated HR Standards---developed using an extensive research and validation process---and includes a Readiness Review, Self-Assessment, Peer Review and Certification.

Unlike many other professions, no nationally recognized HR standards currently exist. This new CAHRS model is a significant step toward filling that gap. And while the current CAHRS model was designed for implementation in an academic environment, CAHRS is sufficiently flexible to be transferable to other organizations, both public and private, with relatively minor modification.

Read the report

On September 25, the Academy hosted the inaugural Philip J. Rutledge Seminar on Africa. The annual event is held to honor the memory of Dr.Rutledge, a Senior Fellow of the Academy and a founder of its Africa Working Group and Standing Panel on Social Equity in Governance. The seminar seeks to raise awareness about existing and emerging public administration challenges in African countries, provide a venue to discuss best practices, and explore opportunities for Academy engagement and collaboration.

The theme for this year’s seminar was “Enhancing Transparency and Accountability in Resource-Rich African Countries.” It featured presentations by leading experts, advocates and commentators on governance and public administration in Africa. Renowned leader and governance expert, Daniel Kaufmann, Director of Global Programs at the World Bank Institute, delivered a keynote address on corruption in Africa and the World Bank’s efforts to enhance transparency and accountability.

Following Dr. Kaufmann’s presentation Academy Fellow Ralph Widner moderated an engaging discussion on the "resource curse," a phenomenon describing the paradox that countries with an abundance of natural resources tend to have less economic growth than countries without these natural resources. The Panel discussion also included a conversation on the roles of corrupt politicians, the Legislature and international partners. The distinguished panel included: George Ayittey, Distinguished Economist in Residence, American University; Shari Bryan, Senior Program Officer at the National Democratic Institute, Director of Southern and East Africa Programs; Nathan Fields, Vice President and Chief Executive Officer (Africa Operations) at the African Development Foundation; and Tom Heller, Shelton Professor of International Legal Studies at Stanford Law School and Senior Fellow at the Stanford Institute for International Studies.

The seminar was a tremendous success, with more than 40 Academy Fellows and leaders of Africa-focused organizations in attendance. Detailed notes of the seminar will be made available soon, and an electronic copy will be posted online.

In 2003, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) introduced the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) initiative to trans-form the U.S. air transportation system by 2025.  The initiative stems from estimates that the number of U.S. air passengers will triple in the next two decades.  To meet this demand and achieve its mission, the FAA must transform its current air traffic control system, which is increasingly facing a growing volume of traffic.

NextGen will represent a major redesign of the air transportation system that will include modifications to security, safety and efficiency of passenger, cargo and aircraft operations. Although it has many partners in this endeavor, FAA will be primarily responsible for implementing the policies and systems necessary for NextGen, while continuing to operate the current air traffic system safely and efficiently.  

An Academy Panel, chaired by John Fearnsides, has begun to assist FAA in tackling this significant challenge.  The Academy study has two primary objectives:  (1) identify the skill sets required to integrate and implement NextGen, including, but not limited to technical and contract management skills; and (2) define the strategies to obtain the expertise necessary to manage, integrate and implement the complex activities inherent in the transformation to NextGen.