Research Mission and Mandate

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An essential feature of a progressive public service is the ability to reflect on its assumptions as much as its operations. The work of researchers in public administration is to ask questions and, to the extent possible, to find answers. IPAC's researchers have brought their ploughs to this rich field of inquiry: they have asked questions of practitioners, academics and citizens and they have generously worked to find answers.

The IPAC mission statement indicates that it wishes to advance excellence in public service by:

Learning through the exchange and expansion of knowledge in public administration using publications, conferences, and technologies for information sharing.

And

Networking and providing opportunities for sharing best practices and knowledge about public administration locally, nationally and internationally.

The Research Committee and the research staff continue to value this vital function of the Institute of Public Administration of Canada. Building on the successes of the past years, it wishes to advance these activities in order to generate more insights and literature and at the same time attract more interest to IPAC, both in terms of membership and revenue.

IPAC's research mission is to promote insightful research in all aspects of public administration and to disseminate the new knowledge as effectively and as cost-effectively as possible. IPAC achieves its Mission by undertaking research to identify the needs and expectations of public managers and by assisting the public sector in identifying innovative solutions that will help to advance excellence in Canadian public administration.

The mandate of Research at IPAC is:
• To help IPAC become a world-class centre of expertise on the best practices available to the public sector;
• To Support and Contribute to the general mission of IPAC and its Membership and International Program Committees;
• To maintain the tradition of scholarship and diffusion of best professional practices and to serve as the outlet of choice for scholars dedicated to research in public management;
• To be the bridge between scholars and public sector managers wishing to systematically exchange ideas, insights and research;
• To promote and undertake research into areas that broaden horizons and that address emerging needs in the public sector;
• To monitor the evolution and development of public services;
• To be a centre for the development of publications, training modules and other management tools required by the public sector to promote its excellence.