What is ‘public administration’?
Public administration is broadly described as the development and implementation of government policy. It works to improve the community through a well-run, fair, and effective public service. Public administration is carried out by all public servants (employees) who work in public agencies and organisations, at local, state and commonwealth levels of government.

What is the theme for the Conference?
The 2011 IPAA National Conference, Learning to Power Share, encapsulates the theme "Hanging Our Parliaments or Changing Administrative Paradigms – Minority Governments in Practice”.
The Conference will examine the challenges and opportunities that minority governments present for public administrators.  Minority government will be put on trial, with the audience empowered to determine whether this form of government stifles decision-making or provides fertile ground for new approaches to government policy and services.Attracting a diverse range of local, national and international speakers, drawn from politics, academia and the three levels of bureaucracy, the conference will consider key issues such as:

• Lessons from overseas – how minority government has affected traditional bureaucratic approaches to issues such as consultation, scrutiny and transparency;
• The effectiveness of minority government – is it really less stable and less willing to address the big issues, or does it actually perform better?
• Different models of minority government – case studies of ones that have worked, and ones that haven’t; and
• Reconciling competing agendas – how bureaucracies can help the Executive arm of government reconcile competing political imperatives and work with the Parliament and the public.
   

Who is eligible to submit an Abstract?
Practitioners and academics at all levels are invited to submit proposals for papers that focus on the key themes of the conference and the future direction of shared responsibility in Australia. We particularly encourage proposals that adopt a comparative perspective and address the implications of research and practice for public administration.
International Authors are asked to provide a statement they have access to funding to be able to present in Hobart, Tasmania Australia should their paper be successful.

How should I present my Abstract?
Abstracts should be presented in either Microsoft Word format or PDF in Calabri 11 and submitted electronically via www.ipaanationalconference.org.au. Submissions should be no more than 300 words in length. Please check spelling and grammar before submitting.

What information should an author consider when preparing an abstract?
Demonstratewhether your abstract is research, theoretical or case study based. Include what was achieved and how it was achieved.

How do I submit my abstract?
Call for Abstracts are only accepted as online submissions via www.ipaanationalconference.org.au. To submit an abstract please click on the Call for Abstract  button on the home page or navigated tab. At the time of submission, you will be asked to create a speaker account with contact details. At this point you can choose to upload your 150 words biography, abstract and a high resolution photograph for marketing immediately or return to the account at a later time to complete the required details.  An automatic email notification confirming your registration will be issued containing essential account information such as login access and password, so that you can make additions or amendments to your submission prior to the closing date.

How will my abstract be assessed?
Abstracts will be assessed through an online review process. Each submission is reviewed independently by each member of the judging panel.
Each submission is reviewed based on four criteria. Each criteria will be given a rating out of a possible four (4), providing a maximum tally of sixteen (16) per review. On completion of review, an overall weighting per paper will be calculated with a total rating out of 96 points available.
 The judging criteria will be based on:

• Originality
• Relevance of the topic to the Conference Themes/ Sub-themes
• Writing and structure
• Author ability to present with style and confidence (subject to referee check)

Who makes up the judging panel?
Submissions will be assessed by a panel of six (6), comprising of members from the National Conference Steering Committee and the Program Development Committee

Can I submit more than one abstract for consideration?
There are no limits to the number of abstracts authors can submit for consideration.

What is the absolute latest that I can complete my submission online?
Online submissions close midnight, Thursday March 31, 2011 and must be completed in full by this time.

What are the key dates for Submission?
24 February 2011 – Call for Abstracts open
31 March 2011 – Submissions close
1 April to17 April – Review period for judging
17 April to 29 April – Authors advised on submission outcome. Successful authors are invited to submit full papers.
1 July – Submissions close for Full Papers and supporting PowerPoint Presentations.

What are the terms and conditions associated with submitting a Final Paper?
IPAA National regularly reproduces images of people in its publications, promotional and marketing materials and on its website in order to promote IPAA National and its services. 
In submitting a Final Paper, the author hereby gives IPAA National:
I. the right to photograph, audio record, video or take digital images of the individual.
II. permission to post the presentation (PowerPoint slides, full speech notes or transcript of presentation) on the IPAA National Conference website and include in the electronic conference proceedings.
III. permission to translate the presentation into an article in one of IPAA National's publications, Australian Journal of Public Administration (AJPA) or Public Administration  Today (PAT) for distribution to its members as required (subject to editors discretion).
IV. permission to use photographs, audio recordings, videos or digital images of the individual  for the purposes of promotion, information, public relations and education through IPAA National publications, promotional and marketing material, annual report and on its website. 

Authors receive no payment for the use of images in which they feature or appear. IPAA National will not use these images for gain beyond the objectives of our Incorporation or Constitution.

If you do not agree to any of the above conditions, please contact National Conference Manager Natasha Hardy on 07 3228 2821 so that contractual requirements may be amended accordingly.

Please download your copy of how to SUBMIT AN ABSTRACT here.