Information Sharing and Public Sector Knowledge Networks

• Date: 01 May 2009
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-6210.2009.01987_1.x
• Published date: 01 May 2009

Theory to Practice 391

Information Sharing and Public Sector Knowledge Networks Theory to

Practice

As pressures to engage in cross-agency and cross-sectoral

partnerships become more widespread, information

sharing becomes an ever more critical and daunting

aspect of public administration. In this edition’s exchange

among scholars and practitioners, Sharon S. Dawes,

Anthony M. Cresswell, and  eresa A. Pardo of the

Center for Technology in Government at the University

at Albany, State University of New York, of‌f er a “baker’s

dozen” of lessons they have culled from research and

their own action research agenda studying the building

of public sector knowledge networks in New York over

the past 15 years. Grounded in a multidisciplinary,

experientially based, and street-level view of the obstacles

to and tactics for building successful public sector

knowledge networks, the authors’ warning to conceive

collaborative information-sharing ef‌f orts as governance

rather than information technology challenges is advice

that practitioners ignore at their peril. Readers will f‌i nd

a more extensive e-version of this article on the PAR Web

site (go to aspanet.org, click on PAR, then on the  eory

to Practice icon).  ey also will f‌i nd expert e-commentary

on the article (plus the authors’ response) from Lisa

Bingham, Indiana University-Bloomington; Sharon

Caudle, Bush School of Government and Public Service,

Texas A&M University; Louise K. Comfort, University

of Pittsburgh; and Costis Toregas, American University.

Robert F. Durant, Editor

William G. Resh, Associate Editor

FINAL CALL …..

The Fifth Transatlantic Dialogue

“The Future of Governance in Europe and the U.S.”

 e 2009 5TAD conference will be held June 11-13 in Washington, D.C.

It will address the emergence of new forms of governance that are key topics in recent public

administration research.  e conference is a joint initiative of EGPA (the European Group of Public

Administration) and ASPA. Six workshops will be of‌f ered, each presenting fourteen scholarly

papers. Topics include public sector legitimacy, f‌i nancing, multidisciplinarity, accountability in

governance, emerging technologies, and collaborative governance. For more information on the

conference and accommodations, please visit:

http://spaa.newark.rutgers.edu/5TAD

PUAR1987 (1).indd 391 9/4/09 4:51:45 PM