For distribution to PAC list (via Sandra Odell)
Apologies for cross posting
Dear colleagues,
Since I set it up in August over 150 colleagues have joined the UK-APPAM email list. Those who have joined already seem to be a cross-section of people from the public policy-administration-management field.
My purpose in setting this list up was to try to start a debate about ways and means of increasing collaboration, communication and representation between and of those of us broadly engaged in studying public policy, administration and management. The numbers signing up suggest there is some desire for this, and I have also been asked by the Social Policy Association executive to talk to them which I will be doing in December.
In the meantime, it seems to me there are several issues which need discussion:
1) Is there a need for some sort of umbrella organisation in the UK representing those people studying public policy, administration and management?
2) if the answer to (1) is 'yes', then what form should it take? At one end we could have a fully fledged individual membership organisation in parallel to existing bodies or, at the other, a lose federal-type body which tried to co-ordinate some activities?
3) One form of a collaborative activity would be to co-ordinate the annual conferences of several existing bodies (e.g. PAC, SPA, UKES, PMPA) so they took place at the same venue and time with some shared activities (plenaries, exhibition hall, etc) but retained their own identities?
4) How far should this be an 'academic' initiative and how far should it be broader, involving academics and policy and administration professionals?
On a practical note in terms of forwarding the discussion, would it also be useful to hold some sort of open one day event at which these issues could be discussed further? We would be happy to host such an event at Nottingham, if colleagues thought it would help.
What do colleagues think of such suggestions? I am sure there are lots of other issues and any and all (constructive) contributions would be welcome.
For those of you who have not already joined the UK-APPAM list you can do so by going to www.jiscmail.ac.uk/uk-appam and signing up.
best wishes
Colin
Prof. Colin Talbot
Director
Nottingham Policy Centre
www.nottingham.ac.uk/npc/public-policy
School of Sociology and Social Policy
University of Nottingham
NG7 2RD
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