The Academy provides excellent service and solutions through the unique breadth of expertise and experience contributed by its Fellows and professional staff, who represent the best in existing and emerging leadership in the field of public administration.
Who We Are
The National Academy of Public Administration is an independent, 501(c)(3) nonprofit, non-partisan organization established in 1967 and chartered by Congress in 1984. To carry out this mission, the Academy draws on the knowledge and experience of its nearly 1,000 Fellows—including former cabinet officers, Members of Congress, governors, mayors, and state legislators, as well as prominent scholars, career public administrators, and non-profit and business executives. Supported by a full-time professional staff, our Fellows bring their insights, experience, successes, and lessons learned straight to our clients through independent thought leadership, in-depth studies and analyses, advisory services and technical assistance, congressional testimony, forums and conferences, and stakeholder engagement.
As outlined in its Congressional charter, the Academy seeks to advance government practices through studies and projects held to the highest standards of efficiency and excellence. From its founding, the Academy’s commitment to good governance drives the organization forward and inspires its work.
Our Core Values
Excellence
Independence
The Academy’s work and recommendations are always evidence-driven, unbiased, and
non-partisan.
Integrity
The Academy adheres to the highest standard of ethical conduct, internally and externally.
Innovation
The Academy leverages the expertise of its Fellows and staff with cutting-edge technology, tools, and methods to think creatively about challenges in public administration and to deliver innovative and effective solutions.
Inclusion
The Academy is strongly committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion in its internal operations, its Fellowship, and its client work. In its studies and reports, the Academy supports public administration practices and solutions that recognize and address the needs of all communities
Our Strategic Goals
Goal 1
The Academy commits to addressing equity in governance, incorporating and
modeling social equity practices in all its own work, fostering inclusivity, and
advancing diversity across the Fellowship.
Goal 2
The Academy will maintain an interactive and engaging environment where Fellows
can collaborate on public administration and governance challenges that motivate
their active, substantive, and sustained participation.
Goal 3
The Academy will promote collaborative intergovernmental and multi-sector
partnerships that further governance in action and build administrative capacity by
generating thoughtful, original content recognized for its excellence and reliability.
Goal 4
The Academy will produce solutions-focused research and studies that help address the
nation’s governance and management challenges while advancing public
administration as a field.
Goal 5
The Academy will ensure it has the internal structure, resources, staff, and financial
capacity to promote the field of public administration across all levels of government
and disciplines.
The Congressional Charter
The Charter set forth the following “objects and purposes” for the Academy:
- Evaluating the structure, administration, operation, and program performance of Federal and other governments and government agencies, anticipating, identifying, and analyzing significant problems and suggesting timely corrective action;
- Foreseeing and examining critical emerging issues in governance, formulating practical approaches to their resolution.
- Assessing the effectiveness, structure, administration, and implications for governance of present or proposed public programs, policies, and processes, recommending specific changes;
- Advising on the relationship of Federal, State, regional, and local governments; increasing public officials,’ citizens,’ and scholars’ understanding of requirements and opportunities for sound governance and how these can be effectively met; and
- Demonstrating by the conduct of its affairs a commitment to the highest professional standards of ethics and scholarship.