Looking Forward: A Response to the ASPA Task Force Report on Educating for Excellence in the MPA

Abstract

The authors of the ASPA report, “Understanding Excellence in Public Administration,” have contributed to a dialogue on the future of the MPA degree. They have raised issues about the distinctiveness of the MPA degree in the context of the many degree programs offered by NASPAA schools and programs, the core values of the MPA, the professional goals of MPA programs, and the nature of the positions MPA graduates will fill in the future. In this response, the ASPA report is analyzed on three levels: concerns about the past role of MPA degrees and what their future role could be, a philosophical discussion of the role and mission of the MPA degree, and a call to action for ASPA. Within the range of MPA, public policy, public affairs, and other degree programs, for three years the NASPAA accreditation standards revision process has been shaping action on many of the issues raised in the ASPA report, and has developed a set of standards to meet the needs of the next decade. The NASPAA Standards 2009 process looks forward by indicating that the distinctiveness of programs in public affairs, public administration, and public policy lie in their missions, governance, and curriculum. The process demonstrably emphasizes public values; reaffirms missionbased accreditation to ensure a wide range of approaches to preparing students for professional public service; defines competencies that students in the field should master, given changes in the public sector environment; and requires programs to measure the achievement of these competencies.