Discuss the relevance of the establishment of the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA) for the field of public administration.

Answer:

APPROACH AND STRUCTURE

1. Write an introduction.

2. Write some basics about NASPAA.

3. Then write about relevance of NASPAA.

4. Discuss part: still NASPAA was not effective enough.

5. Conclude.

INTRODUCTION: Establishment of NASPAA was considered as an important development for PA to get confidence as independent discipline.

BODY: NASPAA was established in 1970 as school of NASSPA or the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration is the global standard in public service education. NASSPA is a nonprofit association with over 300 institutional member schools at U.S. and non-U.S. universities that award degrees in public administration, public policy, public affairs, nonprofit and related fields. NASSPA is the recognized global body for accreditation of master’s degree programs in these fields.

Background:

PA was facing the crisis of identity since 1940s. After that two schools of thought i.e. PA as political science and PA as management science brought about new paradigms of 3 and 4 respectively.

Trajectory of PA and impact of NASPAA in 1970 on PA:

Relevance of NASPAA :

• Constitution of NASSPA in 1970 was a confidence booster to PA scholars that PA can become an independent subject.
• The challenge posed by political science and management science could be countered by scholars of PA.
• Nicholas Henry termed it as renaissance of PA as a discipline.
• He considers the establishment of NASSPA as marking the beginning of Paradigm V.
• NASPAA paved the way for scholastic achievements to be garnered by PA students.

Discuss part: still NASPAA is concentrated more in the developed world and institutions majorly produce the graduates from western countries whereas the developing world still faces the problem of PA to be recognised as a separate discipline. Even if the discipline got a boost but still it struggles for full-fledged recognition.

CONCLUSION: Nevertheless, NASPAA led the paradigmatic balance to make PA as PA. Thus, the work done by NASPAA can be called as the seminal for PA which still resonates as it has also been active in promotion of an accountable administration by adopting a code of ethics for the public administration.