Strategies for elevating scholar-practitioner collaboration

The proposed paper considers whether public management programs are sufficiently infused with knowledge and experience from an enlightened cadre of practitioners. The literature indicates the potential for developing existing... [ view full abstract ]

The proposed paper considers whether public management programs are sufficiently infused with knowledge and experience from an enlightened cadre of practitioners. The literature indicates the potential for developing existing or new programs collaboratively. New evidence on practitioner scholarship points to systemic impediments in accessing teaching, research, publishing, consulting, and networking opportunities.
The perspectives of those with a leg in each community help inform strategies to capitalize on the budding academic-practitioner relationship. Among others, team teaching, new administrative models, and recognition are strategies worth exploring. Closing the academic-practitioner divide and connecting learning across generations can enrich program outcomes.
Scholar-practitioners (aka ‘pracademics’) are employed by or recently retired from public service and are engaged by post-secondary academic institutions as full or part-time instructors, fellows, executives, and faculty. Prior research highlights the strategic implications for academia and government:
• CRITICAL MASS. The growing pool of accomplished scholar-practitioners is a cost-effective option for Canadian schools of public policy, administration, and management. Top academics and target group members alike are interested in prospective developments.
• MARKET SEGMENTATION. The target group is diverse and their stories are unconventional. It segments into teachers, scholars, and leaders. The challenge is to differentiate strategies that are marketable to public servants, government employers, and universities.
• BUSINESS CASE. Empirical evidence of the cost-benefits for enlisting more pracademics is not enough. Governments remain to be convinced of a compelling case for promoting opportunities for mid-career take-up and succession planning.
This paper builds upon research on the ‘Legacy of the Scholar-Practitioner’ presented in Panel B109 Public Management Education and Training during the 2015 IRSPM Conference. Surveying the target group confirmed that remaining current in the field and mentoring public servants motivate practitioners to engage in scholarly activities. Interviews found that varied and complex cultural, structural, and administrative conditions deter practitioners.