¶ … Social equity is a key issue of public administration and forms the basic theme of the 2013 "Social Equity Leadership Conference," in June. This white paper discusses the key goals of the conference based on the conference issue for social equity as global engagement and local responsibility. These are the issue facing social equity among domestic and global public leaders in public and private agencies in the education, immigration, transportation, environmental, policing and corrections sectors. A review of theories on public administration identifies that public leadership networking, collaboration, and cooperation with leaders and agencies is necessary. This is associated with public leadership practices like public policy development, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation, social equity, and public advocacy. Introduction

Conference Theme:

Globally Engaged, Locally Responsible: New Challenges for Social Equity

Emerging Issues in Social Equity and Leadership Covered in the Conference:

1. Education

2. Policing and corrections

3. At risk communities, which includes immigrants, the elderly housing and the aging

4. Transportation

5. Environmental protection

1.3 Background of the Social Equity Leadership Conference

The inclusion of social equity into public administration has been an uphill task for public administrators. The challenge many cite is the achievement of productive, effective, and economical governments, with social equity. The social equity conference is a concept of the National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA) held annually. NAPA is an authority in PA and has assisted in defining social equity for public administration. NAPA defines social equity as, "the fair, just, and equitable management of institutions that directly or indirectly serve the public, the fair and equitable distribution of public services, implementation of public policy, and commitment to promotion of justice, fairness, and equity" (National Academy of Public Administration, n.d.). This white paper defines and describes the definition of social equity as it applies to the themes of the conference. This also includes the description and identification of relationships that exist between theories that support the themes of the conference.

1.4 Conference Selection Rationale

Though social equity was introduced into public administration (PA) in the 1960s and recognized as the fourth pillar of PA, it still does not have a place in traditional PA values of efficiency, effectiveness, and economy. The challenge among administrators across all sectors of the nation has been the elevation and the creation of an equal playing field for social equity. The need to address social equity as a theme in the conference is from the vital role it plays in leadership. This is in the form of social equity's ability to create an awareness and concern among administrators, leading them to follow laws, but to question laws and change them. This is a key concept, which the conference seeks to build among public administrators and leaders from key sectors.

To create social equity, previous NAPA commissions have defined social equity, and proposed the evaluation of social equity in PA in four dimensions. These are access, procedural fairness, outcomes, and quality, and the conditions consistent in each dimension. The conference presents an opportune moment for key public administrators, scholars, and leaders to discuss approaches of increasing social equity. This is necessary given the need to sharpen the language public administrator's use. Moreover, the conference is necessary given the need to address failures in providing due process in sectors of the economy including education, law enforcement and corrections, and transportation. In addition, it addresses current issues of fairness in due processes in dealing with persons from at risks communities like immigrants and elderly. There is mounting evidence that leaders in today's society are facing a changing population that calls for the equitable distribution of public resources. The global connection has created a village in which, individuals call for more accountability, equity, and responsibility especially in environmental protection.

1.5 Professional Networking Plan

1.5.1 Networking Goals

The following networking goals are identified as essential in meeting the theme of the conference:

1. Explore and find solutions for diversity and social equity issues like race, disability, ethnicity, and sexual identity, which are affecting the education system, policymaking, and communities.

2. Build an equitable and multicultural curriculum for the current education system to handle a world increasingly diverse.

3. Create global awareness on the importance of creating leadership development, as a tool to build and sustain equity for at risk communities through education and policy change,

4. Create and encourage commitment to social equity, procedural fairness, and justice for all in the society, to allow access to quality global resources like transportation, natural resources, and education.

5. Create a need for administrators to develop...

Create a community of leaders motivated to change current practices, policies, and social ideologies to promote social equity, fairness, and lead communities to living responsibly.
The goals are a motivator for the conference to draw practitioners and experts from major public sectors, to participate in share best practices, social equity issues, and develop strategies. These approaches will bring the knowledge of social justice and disparities to the forefront of policymaking and public administration. This is because the goals will assist in drawing input from professionals from public and private organizations to the field of public administration. In addition, they will lead public and private leaders to develop social equity benchmarks and indicators. These indicators will lead the next generation of public administration in reporting on social equity in every public and private sector (Deniz & Wakin, 2007). This is necessary given that nations are seeking to reinforce social equity in leadership as a pillar of public administration. The goals will also create understanding on public policy matters and increase participation in public administration activities.

Moreover, the conference provides a platform for experts to educate public administrators on key competency areas of social equity and local responsibility. This is because public administrators will come to awareness on the importance of social equity, by the creation of an equal public system that fairly distributes public resources (Deniz & Wakin, 2007). Moreover, it creates knowledge that social equity as a relevant concept to the field of public administration. Therefore, the conference will lead administrators to the realization that justice, equality, and fairness in all areas of the society are a central issue of effective and efficient public administration. This implies that these concepts are applicable to sectors like administration, environment, transportation, and education that are resources utilized by whole communities. The need for addressing fairness and equality in these sectors arises from the fact that communities are increasingly diverse from different knowledge sets, race, ethnicities, sexualities, and religions (Deniz & Wakin, 2007). Therefore, the goals of the conference are a reminder to leaders that public administration is an obligation to addressing social issues of justice, fairness, and equality.

2.0 Theories Supporting Conference Themes

2.1 Analysis of "Globally Engaged, Locally Responsible as Challenges of Social Equity" to Public Administration

The main theme of the conference, "globally engaged, locally responsible: New challenges for social equity," implies current problems leaders face in equitable administration. Evidently, public policy and public administration are bound by state, yet the state is configured by globalization (Stone, 2008). This is in the global private-public partnerships and transnational executive networks, created by liberalization and globalization, and which create new types of authority. These new forms of authority or leadership are manifested in regional and global policy processes, which coexist along national-state policy practices. This situation is presenting challenges to the public administrator that has to make administrative decisions in a setting with global influence (Stone, 2008). The global connectivity implies public administration is changing, as local leaders are accountable for their citizens as well as the global community. This implies today's leader has a global and a local responsibility.

Today's leader is facing administrative challenges emerging from the blurring of the public and commercial domains in the global era. This convergence of domains is not limited to the marketplace, but spans through various sectors including and not limited to education, transportation, environment, health, science, and research (Stone, 2008). Globalization is creating a growing global public space, where the public sphere is dynamic, fluid, and interconnected. This interconnection is in the close association with culture, society, markets, and politics (Stone, 2008). Therefore, the public administrator's decisions and experiences are shaped by the interactions of actors and multiple or plural institutions and publics.

Leaders are no longer faced with the challenge of managing and being responsible at the local and global scene, but are faced with the challenge of incorporating local responsibility in management (Candler & Dumont, 2010). There is a change in governance in public management and administration practice and theory, where renewed effort is driven to democratizing administration (Candler & Dumont, 2010). In this effort, the trend is to find new avenues for citizen engagement directly into administrative agency's work, especially at the local level. Current public administration is facing with the task of reframing democracy, to allow citizens to take a greater part and a direct share of the tasks of governing (Candler & Dumont, 2010). In addition, public administration has the duty of burdening the responsibility of creating and maintaining…