National Academy of Public Administration Celebrates the First Anniversary of its Center for Intergovernmental Partnerships

Post Date: September 06, 2022

Initiative Has Helped Increase Collaboration Across All Levels of Government

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The National Academy of Public Administration this week celebrates the first anniversary of its Center for Intergovernmental Partnerships (CIP), an initiative launched in September 2021 to strengthen collaboration and cooperation among leaders at all levels of U.S. government.

“The Academy established the Center to identify, develop and share best practices that will help federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial governments work together with their private sector and non-profit partners to more effectively accomplish their missions,” said Terry Gerton, President and CEO of the Academy. "The Center has done an excellent job this past year of bringing practitioners together to foster improved intergovernmental collaboration and supporting the intergovernmental components of the Academy’s 12 Grand Challenges in Public Administration. We are excited to see these intergovernmental partnerships continue to grow and flourish in the years ahead.”

Dr. Nancy Augustine, the Center’s Director, said, “During our first year, the Center focused on conducting research, identifying intergovernmental coordination gaps, forging partnerships to strengthen the intergovernmental network, and creating guidance on intergovernmental topics.” Dr. Augustine noted that, “The support of Academy Fellows was key to our progress. We look forward to building on this important work in the year ahead, increasing our research efforts and outreach through additional events and content.”

Highlights of the Center’s first year include:

• The Center undertook its first grant-funded research project, studying State Regulatory Relief during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The Center hosted, participated in, and supported more than a dozen events with an intergovernmental focus.
• The Center developed and published more than 30 posts on intergovernmental topics on Federalism.us, an online convening place for policy makers, researchers, and citizens interested in analyzing and better understanding issues related to federalism, intergovernmental relations, and multilevel democracy.
• Center staff members conducted outreach to leaders and staff at more than 100 federal agencies, states, localities, nonprofits, and research organizations operating within the intergovernmental arena.

The Academy highlighted the Center’s first anniversary on its latest Management Matters podcast, featuring a conversation on intergovernmental partnerships with Center Director Nancy Augustine, Center Executive Board Member Robert O’Neill and Academy President and CEO Terry Gerton. They discuss the intergovernmental challenges the U.S. faced during the pandemic, the need for local government capacity building, and the Center's actions in this area over the past year.

The Center for Intergovernmental Partnerships is made possible in part by the generous pledges of financial support from the National Association of Counties, the National Conference of State Legislatures, and the Kerr Foundation. The Center’s staff works closely with several associations representing state and local government officials, including the American Public Human Services Association, the Council of State Governments, the National Association of State Budget Officers, and the Government Finance Officers Association.

The Center’s Executive Board members include Academy Fellows:

• Henry Cisneros, former Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and former Mayor of San Antonio, Texas
• Robert O’Neill, former city and county official in Virginia and former President of the International City/County Management Association
• Ray Scheppach, former Deputy Director of the Congressional Budget Office and former Executive Director of the National Governors Association
• Sarah Rosen Wartell, former Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy Director of the National Economic Council, and now President of Urban Institute
• Anthony Williams, former Mayor of the District of Columbia and former Chief Financial Officer of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

To learn more about the Center for Intergovernmental Partnerships, click here.

About the National Academy of Public Administration

Chartered by Congress to provide non-partisan expert advice, the Academy is an independent, nonprofit, and non-partisan organization established in 1967 to assist government leaders in building more effective, efficient, accountable, and transparent organizations. Learn more at www.napawash.org

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