2016 NCPAG Good Governance Research Colloquium and Paper Competitions

NCPAG is now accepting applications for the Young Researchers and Professionals[1] Research competition. Deadline of entries is on July 15, 2016.

Policy and Research Paper Sub-Themes on Good Governance 

The Research Colloquium and Paper Competitions shall focus on the principle of Open Government, but other related sub-themes on Good Governance shall be considered as follows:

  • Theories on Open Government and Good Governance
  • Good Governance Programs and Projects and Public Administration Education Implications
  • Development (Political, Social, Economic) Administration and Policy Implications of Good Governance Projects and Programs
  • Assessing Effectiveness and Efficiency of Accountability Mechanisms
  • Establishing Social Accountability Measures
  • Comparative and International Perspectives of Open Government
  • Freedom of Information and Transparency in Public Administration
  • Local Fiscal Autonomy and Implications on Local Governance
  • Ethics and Philosophy in Public Administration
  • Gender and Development Perspectives in Good Governance
  • Emerging Issues and Conceptual Frameworks in Public Administration and Good Governance
  • Research Innovation in Public Administration and Good Governance

Categories and Awards

Entries should be for completed researches by both Young Researchers and Professionals, each with a separate set of criteria for awarding.

The awards will be:

  1. For Professional Category: P30,000 for first place; P 20,000 for second place; P15,000 for third place.
  2. For Young Researchers Category: P20,000 for first place; P15,000 for second place; and P10,000 for third place
  3. Special Awards

General Eligibility

Research Competitors must either be:

  • Current graduate or undergraduate students of NCPAG
  • NCPAG Alumni
  • Individual or team researchers from the member schools of the Association of Schools of Public Administration in the Philippines (ASPAP)
  • Public Administration practitioners

Entry Requirements

All entries must meet the following criteria:

  • Author Status: Must be an undergraduate or graduate NCPAG student or an alumnus/alumna or a researcher of an ASPAP member school
  • Co-authorship: Papers written by more than one researcher are permitted. Co-authored or multiple-authored winners will share the specified monetary awards.
  • Student Authorship: Papers co-authored with faculty are not eligible. Only student-authored papers are eligible.
  • Single Submission Category: A sole author or co-author may submit only one entry.
  • Originality: Each paper must be an original analysis and must be the author’s own work. Papers previously published are not eligible.
  • Dataset used: Each paper must analyze data from public domain, from NCPAG datasets, or originally generated by the student.
  • Work Product: Papers submitted must either be the product of work from a completed undergraduate or graduate degree, or the product of research work already implemented, or towards NCPAG’s current research agenda[2]
  • Preparation: Paper adheres to preparation requirements (See details below).
  • Entry Form: Should be completed and submitted (See details below).
  • Deadline: All papers and corresponding entry forms must be received on or before July 15, 2016.

Paper Preparation Requirements

The paper must be written in English and shall follow these requirements:

Length

Paper should be no longer than 20 pages for undergraduate entries, and no longer than 30 pages for graduate students’ and alumni entries. Page limits include all charts/graphs, references, and any appendices.

Appearance and Format

  • Font should be Times New Roman – point size 12
  • Margins of 1 inch (2.5 em) all around
  • 1.5 line spaced
  • Papers must be submitted in MSWord (DOC or DOCX) or Adobe Acrobat (PDF) format.

Charts and Citations

  • Charts and graphs should be “stylized”; that is, exhibits should be developed, formatted, and inserted into the document appropriately. Cutting and pasting direct output from statistical software into the document is not satisfactory and acceptable.
  • Datasets, publications, and other documentation must be properly cited. Please follow the American Psychological Association (APA) Format[3].

Title Page and Abstract

  • The title page must include the author’s name, faculty advisor’s or faculty-in-charge’s name, institutional affiliation, expected degree (or recently received degree) and graduation dates (month/year), and email address.
  • An abstract of no more than 150 words must follow the title page. Title and abstract pages are not included in page limits.
  • Page headers and/or footers should contain page numbers and a shortened title of the paper. They are not to include the author’s name or the name of his or her Institution. This ensures anonymous review by the judges.

Entry Forms

Papers must be submitted electronically along with the proper Entry Form/Publication Release Form. The entry must be emailedto:clcdncpag@gmail.com. A complete entry in the email should include the research paper and the complete Entry Form indicating the following:

  • Competition Category: Category 1: Young Researchers
  • Category 2: Professionals
  • Student/Author Name(s): (Full name, Family name first in ALL CAPS, Given name, then Middle Initial, for example: DE GUZMAN, Emily L.)
  • Email Address:
  • Telephone Contact:
  • School Affiliation:
  • Faculty Adviser or Mentor and Email Address:
  • Title of Paper:
  • Good Governance or Open Government Sub-Theme of Paper:
  • Abstract of Paper: (Not more than 150 words)

Ethical Considerations: For all current or graduating NCPAG students submitting entries, they must copy the faculty advisor or mentor listed in the application form and any co-authors listed on page of the application form.

File Name and Email Subject Line: Please complete all information and save the files (entry form and the research paper) using the appropriate file-naming format with the name of the contest category (Young Researchers or Professionals) you are entering and the Last Name of the Primary Author.

Follow this naming format for the Entry and Paper File Names and in the Email Subject Line:

E.g. Young Researchers Competition – DE GUZMAN

Confirmation/ Acknowledgement

Authors will receive a confirmation email upon receipt of their entry. A copy of the confirmation will be sent to the academic advisor/mentor listed on the application form.

Mechanics for Judging

  • Panels: Papers will be judged by panels of at least three judges drawn from the NCPAG Faculty and/or partner institution (ASPAP) on the bases of the submitted paper as well as the oral presentation on the actual dates of presentation.
  • Criteria: Papers will be judged according to scholarly criteria set by the Program Committee including statement of purpose, thesis development, quality of analysis, and supporting documentation. The top three finalists from each of the two categories shall be called to present on August 25-26, 2016 (the actual number of finalists to be invited to be discussed after reviewing budgetary requirements)
  • Anonymity: The judges will not know the entrants’ name or school.

Mechanics for Giving the Awards 

  • Awards will be announced on the final day of the Research Competition.
  • Cash prizes should be awarded for each competition.
  • First-place papers will be published in a special edition of the Philippine Journal of Public Administration (PJPA), and all winning papers will be published on the NCPAG website. Other entries will also have the chance to be considered for review as entries in the PJPA.
  • Each winner will receive a framed certificate in recognition of the award.
  • Letters of achievement will be written to the student, and to the faculty, departments, and deans at the student’s institution, upon request.

Promoting the Competition

NCPAG encourages the early promotion of this competition in your campus community. Please share and/or post this announcement to help student authors be made aware of it.

For more information, please contact Ms. Lydia Angeles or Ms. Lori Odulio of the Center for Leadership, Citizenship, and Democracy (CLCD), UP NCPAG at: clcdncpag@gmail.com

Important Dates

  •  Submission of Entries: May 20 – July 15, 2016
  • Evaluation Period: July 16 – August 10, 2016
  • Conduct of Research Congress and Announcement of Winners: August 25-26, 2016

[1] Young Researchers generally refer to undergraduate students. Professionals generally refer to graduate students and practitioners. Students from the ASPAP member schools and practitioners from the government, business and civil society organizations are welcome.

[2] List to be supplied upon request

[3] Highlights of the APA Citation Style Guide can be accessed at https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/