Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Demand Versus Supply: Assessing The Capacity Of Mpa Programs To Satisfy The Growing Need For Professional Management In Local Government, Gerald T. Gabris, Trenton J. Davis, Kimberly L. Nelson

Department of Public & Nonprofit Studies Faculty Publications

This article addresses concerns expressed by members of the International City/ County Management Association (ICMA) regarding whether the supply of qualified local government managers will keep pace with the future demand for this occupation. The authors developed several important observations, which are based on decades of experience with a Master of Public Administration (MPA) program focused on local government management, plus strategic planning experience in over 100 local governments. First, it is likely that the impending retirement of the Baby Boom generation of city managers will cause some supply shortages of professional managers in specific geographical regions of the country. …