11th Annual CAPPA Conference June 21*-23, 2023
(*registration and reception on June 21 - no presentations)
Theme: Standing up to the Wave
Hosted by the School of Public Policy and Administration, York University
Conference Agenda: VIEW HERE
Public services across Canada and the globe face critical challenges and unique opportunities to change how public administrations think, shape and deliver many of their core services. Centering public sector values as the animating force, our 2023 conference challenges us to interrogate anew how ethics, accountability and transparency remain critical to public administrations that are facing unique and evolving pressures.
Our 2023 conference theme of ‘Standing up to the Wave’ highlights key issues and opportunities facing the study, teaching, and practice of public administration, with a mix of individual researcher presentations, panels and plenary sessions. This year’s conference will also be anchored by presentations and a workshop that focus directly on opening up new discussions about the future of public sector ethics and accountability in Canada.
We encourage proposals addressing all topics relevant to our theme, including:
- Public service values and accountability in complex, digital and remote work environments;
- The importance of equity, diversity and inclusivity to value-driven public administration and policy;
- Decolonization and reconciliation in public administration and public policy;
- Teaching values in public administration and policy: new tools and diverse ways of knowing;
- The current status and future of scholar-practitioner interactions;
- Insert YOUR ideas here!
The 2023 conference will be held in person at York University in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
If you have any questions, please contact either:
- Dr. Ian Stedman, CAPPA Conference Co-Chair, istedman@yorku.ca
- Dr. Andrea Migone, CAPPA Conference Co-Chair, andrea.migone@ryerson.ca
Conference Attendance:
Dear Future Attendees: We welcome scholars from all stages of their career and are particularly eager to welcome both graduate and undergraduate scholars to our conference. You DO NOT have to be affiliated with a school of public policy and/or administration in order to bring your curiosity and your contributions to our growing community.
Our plan is to host the conference in person.
York University’s School of Public Policy and Administration is committed to providing a safe environment for CAPPA conference attendees. If public health protocols should require a change in approach, then Zoom options will be made available.
Ways to Participate in the Conference
- Panel/Roundtable Proposals
Panel proposals consisting of three or four individual papers/presentations that focus on a common theme. Proposals can offer theoretical or methodological perspectives, or both, and be submitted by one individual on behalf of the full panel. The submission should include a short description, including: 1) the title and overall theme of the panel (150 word maximum); 2) an abstract for each paper/presentation in the panel (250 words maximum); and, 3) the names/ institutional affiliation/ position/ brief bio of the panel members (100 word maximum).
- Presentations
The program committee invites the submission of proposals for individual and group presentations, particularly those that explore innovative and high quality theoretical, qualitative, or quantitative research. Proposals will be evaluated based on the significance and quality of the research question, design, methods, data (where appropriate), and implications. A completed paper is encouraged for sharing, but not necessary to be able to present. Thoughtful works in progress are always welcome. Individual submissions should include: 1) a title and abstract (250 word maximum); and, 2) the names/institutional affiliation/position/brief bio of the researcher(s) (100 word maximum).
Proposals for presentations by graduate students (masters and doctoral) are very welcome. We prefer that any such proposals be accompanied by a nomination from an academic supervisor or graduate program director. Individual submissions should include: 1) an abstract (250 word maximum); 2) the name(s)/institutional affiliation/position/brief bio of the researcher(s) (100 word maximum); and 3) the name/institutional affiliation/position/brief bio of the academic supervisor (100 word maximum).
- Presentations, Plenary and Workshop Focused on Modernizing Public Sector Ethics
The animating theme of this conference is that we need to interrogate anew how public service values, ethics and accountability can and must inform our public administrations. This conference will accordingly be anchored by individual presentations and/or panels, a plenary roundtable discussion and a workshop focused on encouraging us to reimagine the future of public sector values and ethics in Canada. We strongly encourage panel and presentation proposals that offer perspectives challenging the status quo with respect to parliamentary ethics, municipal and/or public service ethics, lobbying, whistleblowing, campaign finance and other elections laws, procurement and public sector accountability for tech capacity, procurement and outsourcing. Importantly, we strongly encourage papers/presentations that offer critical perspectives on the above subjects through the essential lenses of equity, diversity and inclusivity.
The conference’s anchoring workshop will be designed to help us come together as a community to explore whether and how something akin to a National Centre for the Advancement of Public Service Ethics and Values might be worth pursuing (e.g., with a SSHRC partnership grant as a next step and a concerted effort towards pursuing more collaborative work in this space). Our democratic institutions need our ongoing attention. The past few years of challenging public policy and administration decisions (as well as ethics transgressions!) alongside increasingly polarized politics have once again reminded us of the dangers of remaining complacent. We will together consider whether this an opportunity for the academy and our partners to create new opportunities for progressive thinking that can move the needle for our public services and help to chart a new path forward.
Building our Community by Welcoming the Next Generation of Researchers
This community thrives when we welcome others and encourage open and thoughtful engagement. Fresh perspectives help us to push our boundaries and to grow in our depth of engagement with the world around us. If you are interested in participating in this conference but are uncertain about how best to do so, please reach out to the conference Co-Chairs.
Submission Details and Important Dates
Abstract closing date: March 12, 2023 (midnight)
Advised about acceptance: March 25, 2023
Registration due (for presenters and chairs): April 15, 2023
Details on Registration and Conference fees can be found on the CAPPA website by March 10, 2023: https://cappa.ca/en/
More details and a registration link to follow can be found on the CAPPA website and Twitter/LinkedIn.
If you have any questions, please contact either:
- Dr. Ian Stedman, CAPPA Conference Co-Chair, istedman@yorku.ca
- Dr. Andrea Migone, CAPPA Conference Co-Chair, andrea.migone@ryerson.ca
About the Annual Conferences
The annual CAPPA Conference brings together scholars and students sharing an interest in public administration, public policy, and public management to consider new developments affecting teaching, research, and practice. Presenters share work in varying stages with audiences who engage in lively conversation and provide constructive feedback. Plenary sessions highlight key issues of interest to the public administration and policy community. CAPPA hosts its Annual General Meetings during the conference. The Spring conference is hosted by CAPPA member institutions, and the location varies from year to year. Look for Calls for Papers, Panels, and for participation in the Research Exchange in December/January!
Panel proposals
Panel proposals consist of three or four individual papers that focus on theoretical or methodological issues and can be submitted by one individual on behalf of the full panel. Submissions should include a short description comprising: 1) the overall theme of the panel (150 words); 2) an abstract for each paper in the panel (250 words maximum); and, 3) the names/ institutional affiliation/ position/ brief bio of the panel members (100 words).
Individual paper proposals
Individual paper proposals are evaluated based on the significance and quality of the research question, design, methods, data (where appropriate), and implications. They should include: 1) an abstract (maximum 250 words); and, 2) the names/institutional affiliation/position/brief bio of the researcher (maximum 100 words).
Details about submission deadlines, criteria and whom to submit to are usually provided in November, with deadlines in January. This information will be posted on the CAPPA site as soon as it becomes available.
President's Annual Reports
The annual general meeting is held on the second day of the conference. Agendas and minutes will be disseminated prior to the meeting, and minutes published on this site once approved by the Executive and Board.
Past Conferences
2020 Conference - Divides and Paradoxes in Public Administration: Challenges or Opportunities?
This year’s CAPPA conference will be held as part of the Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences, May 31 to June 2, 2020. While opened to all areas of research, we encourage the submission of papers and panels related to Congress’ overall theme, which addresses the broad concept of bridging divides (http://www.congress2020.ca/about#theme).
Information about the CAPPA 2020 Conference, being held at the Congress of the Social Sciences and Humanities in London can be found on the conference webpage: cappa.ca/conference/2020
2019 Conference - Public Administration for the 21st Century: Continuity and Change
The Canadian Association for Programs in Public Administration (CAPPA) is pleased to announce its eighth annual Research Conference in Public Administration, Policy, and Management. It will be held in Montreal, at Concordia University, from May 23-24, 2019.
The context in which public administration takes place is changing rapidly. Austerity politics; seemingly perpetual global economic and political crises; the delegitimization of science and expertise; and the politics of recognition and representation, including their populist variants, all have, in one way or another, recentred debates about the role of bureaucracies and bureaucrats in governing and governance. The conference theme aims to bring together researchers and practitioners seeking to understand the implications of these changes for contemporary public administration.
Full information is available on the conference website here https://sites.events.concordia.ca/sites/concordia/en/cappa2019
2018 Conference - Gathering diversities | mâmawinitotân nanâtohk-ayisiyiniwa
CAPPA's seventh annual Research Conference in Public Administration, Policy, and Management was held May 31 - June 1, 2018 at the University of Regina in Saskatchewan. Building on the theme of Congress 2018, “Gathering diversities | mâmawinitotân nanâtohk-ayisiyiniwa," the conference featured diverse gatherings in Canadian, Indigenous, Provincial and Territorial contexts that have engendered new innovations that enable communities to thrive, particularly in adverse times.