The 15th Annual CAPPA Conference
THEME: Between Ambitions and Constraints: Reinventing the State’s Capacity for Action
Faced with technological, demographic, social, and institutional transformations, public administrations must adapt their approaches to deliver efficient, equitable services that meet citizens’ needs. However, they must meet this challenge in a context marked by growing budgetary constraints, spending cuts, and increased pressure on resources—even as the needs and expectations placed on the government continue to grow. In this context, mobilizing, defending, and allocating resources have become strategic issues. How can public administrations respond to increasingly complex demands with limited resources? How can political priorities, administrative neutrality, and performance requirements be reconciled? This conference offers a reflection on the strategies, innovations, and partnerships that can strengthen public institutions’ capacity for action while preserving the values of equity, public service, and the public interest upon which they are founded.
This conference will bring together researchers—doctoral candidates and established scholars—who study the various dimensions of this constant search for balance between ambitions and constraints.
Proposed Themes
To guide these discussions, CAPPA proposes to explore the conference theme through the following subtopics:
- Artificial Intelligence, Digital Transformation, and the Pursuit of Efficiency and Performance
- Immigration, demographic dynamics, and public service planning
- Multilevel governance and intergovernmental relations
- Housing, homelessness, and social vulnerabilities
- Government resilience and managing uncertainty
An Open Call
CAPPA will also be happy to receive any proposals for panels or individual presentations that do not directly address the conference theme but remain relevant to the fields of public administration, public management, and public policy.
How to Submit a Proposal
To submit a proposal, visit the following link: https://conference.cappa.ca/
Important Date
📅 Submission deadline: December 4, 2026
📅 Committee responses: December 17, 2026
📅 Submission of a paper or presentation: May 7, 2027
To participate in the conference
Date: May 19-20, 2027
Location: Collège Boréal, 60 Distillery Lane, Toronto, ON M5A 3C4
Registration: To register, simply visit our conference platform at: https://conference.cappa.ca/