The National Academy of Public Administration (the Academy) has launched a new research partnership with the Niskanen Center to collect data and best practices about the public personnel system in each of the 50 states across the country. This research project aims to better understand how each state approaches similar questions of public personnel management. The output of this benchmarking study will be a centralized resource for state-level HR information for members of the public, state governments, the federal government, and other researchers to use in better understanding the operations in the states and any practices that might be generalizable across jurisdictions.
Throughout the four-month project timeline, the Academy will collect and organize data on HR systems across all 50 states. The Study Team will review public documents, academic literature, and agency procedures, as well as interview state HR officials and subject matter experts.
The research will focus on topics such as hiring and recruitment, compensation and classification, performance management, merit protection, grievance procedures, and disciplinary procedures.
A final spreadsheet and summary memo will be completed by January 2026.
If you have any questions or comments regarding the study, please contact, Brenna Isman, Director of Academy Studies (BIsman@napawash.org).
Click the button below to view the Project Overview.
Project Overview