Cultural Competency for Public Administrators

With a focus on a broad spectrum of topics--race, ethnicity, gender, disability, and sexual orientation at the federal, tribal, state, and local levels--this book equips readers to better understand the complex, real-world challenges public administrators confront in serving an increasingly diverse society. The book's main themes include: What is cultural competency and why is it important? Building culturally competent public agencies. Culturally competent public policy. Building culturally competent public servants. How do agencies assess their cultural competency and what is enough? PA scholars will appreciate the attention given to the role of cultural competency in program accreditation, and to educational approaches to deliver essential instruction on this important topic. Practitioners will value the array of examples that reflect many of the common tradeoffs public administrators face when trying to deliver comprehensive programs and services within a context of fiscal realities.

Kristen A. Norman-Major is an associate professor and chair of the Department of Public Administration in the School of Business at Hamline University. Her areas of research include social policy, especially as related to children and families, policy process and policy implementation. In the last several years she has expanded her research to include issues of diversity, social equity and cultural competency as related to public policy and administration. Norman-Major has consulted with state agencies and nonprofit organizations on policy development and implementation and has worked for the Minnesota Department of Education on policy evaluation, development, and implementation. Susan T. Gooden is a professor and director of graduate programs in the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs at Virginia Commonwealth University. She has published numerous scholarly articles and book chapters in the areas of social equity, welfare policy, and post-secondary education. Gooden serves as an associate member of the Standing Panel on Social Equity in Governance of the National Academy of Public Administration and is a member of the Academic Advisory Council for the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation.