Leaders Advising Leaders

Governing in the 21st century has become increasingly complex.  As a nation, we must address a long line of challenges:

• Getting our fiscal house in order;
• Improving the effectiveness and efficiency of public programs;
• Strengthening collaboration across departments/agencies, levels of government, and sectors;
• Recruiting, retaining, and motivating a diverse and high-performing workforce;
• Strengthening the management of information technology; and
• Providing appropriate levels of transparency in government operations.

The Academy provides a full range of advisory services to federal departments and agencies, with particular emphasis on:

• Organizational assessments & strategy development;
• Implementation support & technical assistance;
• Performance management; and
• Stakeholder outreach & collaboration.

The Academy has helped agencies at all levels of government through research, analysis, problem solving, strategic planning, and thought leadership.

The Academy Advantage

Working with the sponsor, the Academy develops a scope of work and draws from its pool of distinguished Fellows to form a Panel or Advisory Group with experience relevant to the sponsors needs.  Typically, a Panel of Fellows guides the project, providing the high-level expertise and broad experience that leaders seek, and oversees the work of the staff and consultants comprising the Academy study teams.  The Academy forms a study team of professional staff with the necessary research and analysis capabilities and subject matter expertise. Academy studies generally culminate in a written report or, in some cases, an oral briefing of the findings and recommendations submitted by the Panel.

In addition to government agency sponsored work, the Academy receives foundation grants from other organizations committed to good government, and charitable gifts to develop reports and convene forums and conferences to tackle some of the nation’s toughest challenges.  Most often, these issues cannot be resolved by a single government agency, a single level of government or even by the government alone, but instead require interdepartmental, intergovernmental, or networked solutions.

The Academy has a unique status as a Congressionally-chartered institution that is largely exempt from the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA). According to FACA, any committee that is created by the National Academy of Public Administration is not considered an advisory committee.  This, in turn, allows the Academy to act as a truly safe place, where leaders in government looking to address management challenges can consult a broad array of stakeholders.

Working with the Academy

Our Charter [Public Law 98-257, Sec. 3] permits Congress to request that the Academy conduct work for federal cabinet departments and agencies. Federal organizations may access the Academy’s services through competitive procurement and, under certain circumstances, may be authorized to contract with us on a sole source basis. The Academy is on the Professional Services Schedule at the General Services Administration.

Utilizing a variety of contracting mechanisms, the Academy is able to meet the needs of government clients in a flexible and timely manner making us uniquely qualified to provide valuable expertise to government leaders in a client-friendly environment.

The Academy is a contractor on the GSA Professional Services Schedule GS-10F-0414R and often partners with subcontractors and qualified small businesses to fulfill subcontracting requirements and meet our client's needs. For more information about working with the Academy contact us at (202) 347-3190.