Nicholas J. Swartz

Implementing a Multi-method Competency Model: Experiences of the MPA Program at James Madison University

Abstract The implementation of NASPAA’s 2009 accreditation standards embodied a shift toward outcomes-based assessment. NASPAA-accredited programs must now identify, operationalize, and assess mission-related competencies within five competency domains with the goal of demonstrating that their programs lead to student learning. This move aligns with broader trends in governance as efforts to ascertain impact, value, and return on investment permeate the discussions of public sector actors. Public administration programs, like other services that deal in difficult-to-measure outcomes, have discovered the challenges inherent in such an effort. This paper considers the landscape of competency assessment strategies and then examines the experiences of designing a competency-based model at James Madison University.

Taking the Classroom to Town Hall: Advancing Public Affairs Education through University-Municipal Collaborations

English poet John Donne (1624) wrote, “No man is an island entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main.” These words resonate in today’s complex environment of public administration, where it is imperative to share knowledge, information, skills, and resources in order to govern effectively. Collaboration between colleges and universities and the public sector provide one such mechanism for enhancing the problem solving and service capacity of state and local governments while at the same time expanding learning opportunities for students of public affairs. While university-community partnerships can enhance higher education across the disciplines, collaboration with local governments is particularly important for preparing the next generation of students for public management.