Annual Conference 2027

The 15th Annual CAPPA Conference

Theme: Between Ambitions and Constraints: Reinventing the State’s Capacity for Action

May 19-20, 2027

Co-hosted by College Boreal and the École nationale d’administration publique (ENAP)

Location: Collège Boréal, 60 Distillery Lane, Toronto, ON M5A 3C4

Important Information:

• To submit a proposal: December 4, 2026
  Fill out the online form, available under the Submissions tab.
• The commitee’s response: December 17, 2026
• Submission of a paper or presentation: May 7, 2027
  Use the same online form you use to submit a proposal, under the Submissions tab.
• Conference registration:
  Registration will be available under the Registration tab. All presenters will also be asked to register.
• Conference Program:
  It will be available under the Program tab in spring 2027.

Click here to review the guidelines and requirements for submitting proposals.

Details

Faced with technological, demographic, social, and institutional transformations, public administrations must adapt their approaches to deliver efficient, equitable services that meet citizens’ needs. However, they must meet this challenge in a context marked by growing budgetary constraints, spending cuts, and increased pressure on resources—even as the needs and expectations placed on the government continue to grow.  In this context, mobilizing, defending, and allocating resources have become strategic issues. How can public administrations respond to increasingly complex demands with limited resources? How can political priorities, administrative neutrality, and performance requirements be reconciled?  This conference offers a reflection on the strategies, innovations, and partnerships that can strengthen public institutions’ capacity for action while preserving the values of equity, public service, and the public interest upon which they are founded.

This conference will bring together researchers—doctoral candidates and established scholars—who study the various dimensions of this constant search for balance between ambitions and constraints.

Proposed Themes

To guide these discussions, CAPPA proposes to explore the conference theme through the following subtopics:

• Artificial Intelligence, Digital Transformation, and the Pursuit of Efficiency and Performance
• Immigration, demographic dynamics, and public service planning
• Multilevel governance and intergovernmental relations
• Housing, homelessness, and social vulnerabilities
• Government resilience and managing uncertainty

An Open Call

CAPPA will also be happy to receive any proposals for panels or individual presentations that do not directly address the conference theme but remain relevant to the fields of public administration, public management, and public policy.