Search

On September 31, 1968, young men in their 20's and 30's assembled at the Syracuse University Conference Center at Lake Minnowbrook in the Adirondacks to assess the contemporary dimensions of public administration. The participants, representing 27 different universities and agencies across the country, devoted three-and-a-half days to free and essentially unstructured discussion. The papers and some additional readings from the Public Administration Review were mailed in advance. Topics included normative theory, empirical theory, comparative public administration, administrative decision making, organizational theory,, collective negotiations in the public service and higher education for public service. The focus of public administration has been and remains public-administered organizations, but much greater emphasis and analysis should be devoted to the political and public context in which these organizations function. Public organizations must find additional supporters and resources to cope with the multiple revolutions now shaking them.

The article discusses some developments related to public administration. It highlights that the size and complexity of the government of New York City are such that its experience in internal administration deserves special attention. Recent comments on developments in the Office of Administration are especially welcome. These have been prepared by Philip Finkeistein, executive assistant to the deputy mayor and Sigmund G. Ginsburg, special assistant to the deputy mayor and senior management consultant, both of the Office of the Mayor-Office of Administration, New York City. The focus of their comments is upon developments in the Office of Administration, the mayor's primary resource for the coordination and management of the far-ranging activities of the metropolis. Another line of action is a management practice and manpower utilization review of the city government, adapted from the federal approach. The management review program undertook to identify the changes necessary to make the structural reorganization effective.