Conceptualizing – Explaining – Implementing Good Administration
24–26 February 2027 | Ludwigsburg, Germany | Conference language: English
The Good Administration Congress 2027 brings together researchers, research-oriented practitioners and early-career scholars to explore one of the central question of contemporary public administration: What constitutes good administration – and how can it be conceptualized, explained and implemented? Public administrations face increasing and often competing expectations, including legality, transparency, efficiency, innovation and resilience. The congress provides an international and interdisciplinary forum to discuss these challenges from the perspectives of law, public administration, public management and the social sciences.
Three Perspectives on Good Administration
The congress combines conceptual, empirical and practice-oriented perspectives on good administration. The three conference days are organised around a common narrative:
- Explaining Public Administration – Where We Stand
How are public administrations evolving? What drives administrative behaviour, and why do reforms succeed or fail? This perspective focuses on administrative decision-making, organisational performance, reform dynamics and governance under changing conditions. - Conceptualizing Good Administration – What We Want to Achieve
Which legal, normative and societal standards define good administration? Discussions address the rule of law, procedural justice, public values, legitimacy and the expectations of citizens and other stakeholders. - Implementing Good Administration – How We Get There
How can the principles of good administration be translated into practice? Topics include administrative reform, digital transformation and artificial intelligence, organisational change, innovation and the resilience of public institutions.
Programme and Keynotes
The congress combines keynote lectures, parallel paper sessions, panel discussions, poster presentations and networking opportunities, creating a platform for exchange between academia and public sector practice.
Confirmed Keynote Speakers are:
- Prof. Dr. Sabine Kuhlmann University of Potsdam
- Prof. Dr. Felix Uhlmann University of Zurich
- Dr. Elke Löffler University of Birmingham und Director, Governance International
Call for Contributions
The Call for Contributions is now open. We welcome empirical, theoretical, conceptual, comparative and practice-oriented contributions from a broad range of disciplines. Contributions may be submitted as either oral presentations or poster presentations. We particularly encourage interdisciplinary and cross-cutting submissions.
Submission deadline: 30 September 2026
👉 Call for Contributions and Submission
Participation and Practical Information
- Conference fee: The conference fee is expected to range between €100 and €150. Final information will be published when registration opens.
- Conference dinner: Participation in the conference dinner is optional. The expected cost is approximately 50–60 €.
- Accommodation: Rooms have been reserved in selected hotels in Ludwigsburg for conference participants. Detailed booking information will be published shortly.
- Registration: Registration will open after the review process has been completed.
Venue and Organisation
The congress will take place at the Hochschule für öffentliche Verwaltung und Finanzen Ludwigsburg (University of Applied Sciences for Public Administration and Finance Ludwigsburg), Germany. The congress is organised by Prof. Dr. Arne Pautsch, Prof. Dr. Michael Schorn and Prof. Dr. Anna Steidle (HVF Ludwigsburg), together with Prof. Dr. Bernhard Boockmann (University of Tübingen).