National Academy of Public Administration

What National Academy of Public Administration does

The National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA) is a Congressionally-chartered 501(c)(3) nonprofit established in 1967 that operates as an independent, non-partisan advisory body assisting government leaders. Headquartered at 1600 K Street NW in Washington, D.C., the organization provides expert advice to the U.S. Congress, federal agencies, and state, local, tribal, and international government entities on critical public management challenges through in-depth studies, advisory services, technical assistance, congressional testimony, forums, and conferences. Its core product portfolio includes the Agile Government Center (formed in 2019 with the IBM Center for the Business of Government), the Center for Intergovernmental Partnerships, the Extreme Weather Resilience Hub (launched May 2025), Congressional and Agency Studies, the Fellows for Democracy and Public Service Initiative (launched November 2025 with Bridge Alliance), and the year-long 'Celebrating the American Public Servant' campaign tied to America's 250th anniversary. Supporting products include the Management Matters podcast and weekly newsletter, the Virtual Library research repository, the Grand Challenges Initiative, and multiple award programs (Elliot L. Richardson Prize, Arthur S. Flemming Awards, Keeper of the Public Trust Award).

NAPA's core capability is its network of nearly 1,000 elected Fellows — former cabinet officers, Members of Congress, governors, mayors, state legislators, scholars, business executives, and public administrators — supported by a 101-250 person professional staff. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors chaired by Stan Soloway and led by President and CEO James-Christian Blockwood, who was appointed effective September 30, 2024, succeeding Teresa W. Gerton. NAPA generates revenue through four streams: professional services contracts with government clients (federal, state, local, tribal, international), fellowship and membership contributions, charitable donations, and event/conference fees. The go-to-market motion is sales-led and reactive: the Academy responds to requests for assistance from government entities rather than running outbound demand generation, and pricing is negotiated through consultative government contracting arrangements rather than published rate cards.

Name

National Academy of Public Administration

Legal name

National Academy of Public Administration

Website

https://napawash.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1967

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The National Academy of Public Administration is a Congressionally-chartered 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides independent advisory services, research, and technical assistance on public management challenges to Congress, federal agencies, and state, local, tribal, and international government entities, supported by nearly 1,000 elected Fellows.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Administration Consulting

NAICS

Executive, Legislative, and Other General Government Support (921), Public Administration (92)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Intergovernmental Affairs & Federal Grants Administration (BPAIAAAC)

Keywords

• Public administration consulting
• Government advisory services
• Policy research
• Nonpartisan think tank
• Congressional studies

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Advisory Services and Technical Assistance: Provides expert advice and consulting services to government clients including Congress, federal agencies, and state/local government entities on public administration challenges
2. Fellowship and Membership: Elected Fellows participate in Academy activities, research, and provide thought leadership to the organization
3. Donations and Contributions: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, the Academy accepts charitable contributions. The Academy collects contributor information including contact details and contribution amounts for record-keeping and compliance purposes.
4. Events and Conferences: Hosts forums, conferences, and the annual Fall Meeting that bring together public administration professionals. Some events require payment for attendance.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The National Academy of Public Administration provides independent, nonpartisan advisory services and technical assistance to Congress, federal agencies, and state, local, tribal, and international government entities. Its core offerings include in-depth studies and analyses, advisory services, congressional testimony, forums, conferences, and thought leadership delivered through a network of nearly 1,000 elected Fellows and professional research staff. The Academy operates specialized centers focused on agile government, intergovernmental partnerships, climate resilience, and democracy initiatives.

Product overview

The National Academy of Public Administration operates as a Congressionally-chartered nonpartisan nonprofit think tank offering a portfolio of interconnected advisory services, research products, and professional development programs. The core offerings include the Agile Government Center for agile methodology adoption, the Center for Intergovernmental Partnerships for cross-government collaboration, and the Extreme Weather Resilience Hub for climate adaptation. The Academy provides Congressional and Agency Studies in response to government requests, maintains a network of nearly 1,000 Fellows for expert advisory services, and operates initiatives like the Fellows for Democracy and Public Service and Grand Challenges. The portfolio also includes thought leadership through the Management Matters Podcast, Academy Insights commentary, and a Virtual Library of research. The Celebrating the American Public Servant initiative unifies multiple award programs. Annual events include the Fall Meeting and Social Equity Leadership Conference.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Celebrating the American Public Servant: A recognition campaign to reimagine the role of public service in American life
• Fellows for Democracy and Public Service
• Agile Government Center
• Extreme Weather Resilience Hub
• Center for Intergovernmental Partnerships
• Grand Challenges
• Management Matters

Products and services

• Agile Government Center A collaborative hub focused on agile government methodologies, providing resources, case studies, and working groups to help government agencies adopt agile principles and practices for improved performance and responsiveness.
• Center for Intergovernmental Partnerships Facilitates collaboration and partnerships across federal, state, local, and tribal governments, helping government entities coordinate on shared challenges and policy implementation.
• Extreme Weather Resilience Hub Provides climate adaptation solutions, resources, and working groups for local governments to develop resilience strategies around weather-related challenges and constraints.
• Congressional and Agency Studies In-depth research and analysis conducted in response to requests from Congress and federal agencies on critical management challenges and public administration issues.
• Fellows for Democracy and Public Service Initiative A landmark initiative in partnership with Bridge Alliance focused on strengthening American democracy through six core sectors: public service leadership, voting and elections, bridging and dialogue, electoral systems reform, trustworthy information, and pluralism.
• Celebrating the American Public Servant A year-long initiative (2025-2026) celebrating public service in conjunction with America's 250th anniversary, unifying multiple public service award programs under one celebration.
• Management Matters Podcast A podcast series featuring experts discussing public administration challenges, government management issues, and innovative approaches to governance.
• Fellow Elections and Network NAPA's network of nearly 1,000 elected Fellows including former cabinet officers, Members of Congress, governors, mayors, state legislators, scholars, business executives, and public administrators who provide expert advisory services and thought leadership.
• Grand Challenges Initiative Year-long initiative to identify and facilitate solutions to the most critical challenges facing the nation in public administration.

Quantifiable outcome

• More than $1.2 trillion in public savings attributed to work of GAO Comptroller General Gene Dodaro during his tenure, whom the Academy honored with Keeper of the Public Trust Award
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, major, strategic and flagship.

• Bridge AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 November 2025Launched new democracy fellowship program focused on strengthening democratic institutions and public service through the Fellows for Democracy and Public Service Initiative.
• GooglemajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 September 2025Partnership to release 'Bringing AI to Main Street: Maximizing Artificial Intelligence's Positive Impact on Municipal Economies' report examining how municipalities can leverage AI for economic benefit.
• Cherry BekaertstrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 January 2024Strategic partnership to enhance trust in government through research, advisory services, and thought leadership on government management and accountability.
• Bridge AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLandmark initiative to strengthen American democracy and public service. Partnership integrates the Academy's distinguished Fellows with the Bridge Alliance's cross-sector network to build leadership infrastructure for the future of the republic through research, dialogue, and collaboration on six core sectors: Public Service Leadership, Voting and Elections, Bridging & Dialogue, Electoral Systems Reform, Trustworthy Information, and Pluralism.
• Leadership ConnectflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner for Celebrating the American Public Servant initiative, a major yearlong celebration honoring America's 250th anniversary and recognizing public servants at all levels of government.
• Government ExecutiveflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner for Celebrating the American Public Servant initiative, co-presenting awards and events to shine light on the value and importance of public service.
• IBM Center for the Business of GovernmentmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormation of Agile Government Center in 2019, serving as hub of a collaborative network. Released reports including 'The Road to Agile Government - Driving Change to Achieve Success' and ongoing collaboration on agile government principles.
• MITREmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultiple collaborations including call for global space traffic strategy, events highlighting resilient practices during COVID-19, and partnership on government modernization initiatives.
• Project Management InstitutemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerReleased joint report on 'Agile Regulatory Framework' and collaborated on building an agile federal government initiative.
• George Washington UniversityflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual partnership to present Arthur S. Flemming Awards, honoring outstanding federal employees with recognition from the president of the United States.
• University of Connecticut School of Public PolicyStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-host of the Annual Social Equity Leadership Conference, with 23rd conference held June 20-22, 2024.
• LocalGov250majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to announce 250 Champions Honorees recognizing public service champions at the local level.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Brookings Institution: Premier Washington, D.C.-based think tank conducting nonpartisan policy research and convening experts to advise federal, state, and local governments. Direct peer to NAPA in model — nonpartisan, DC-based, government-facing advisory and research — but operates at significantly greater scale and budget.
• RAND Corporation: Nonprofit research institution providing objective analysis on public policy, national security, and government effectiveness to federal, state, and international clients. Directly comparable to NAPA as a nonprofit, government-engaged research and advisory organization, though substantially larger in scale and defense-oriented.
• Government Accountability Office (GAO): Congressional watchdog providing auditing, evaluation, and investigative services to Congress. Directly comparable to NAPA's congressionally-anchored role advising Congress on government management and accountability, and a recurring institutional counterparty (e.g., Dodaro Keeper of the Public Trust Award).
• Partnership for Public Service: Nonprofit, nonpartisan organization focused on building a more effective federal workforce and improving government performance. Closely comparable to NAPA's mission of advancing public service excellence, with overlapping programs (e.g., Service to America Medal) and a shared government-effectiveness thesis.
• IBM Center for the Business of Government: Research arm connecting public management scholars and practitioners with government leaders. Direct peer to NAPA on government management thought leadership — co-founded the Agile Government Center with NAPA in 2019 and publishes comparable reports.
• Volcker Alliance: Nonprofit founded by former Federal Reserve Chair Paul Volcker to promote effective government management and accountability across all levels. Closely comparable to NAPA's mission, with shared focus on intergovernmental coordination, fiscal management, and evidence-based public administration reform.
• Congressional Research Service (CRS): Congress's in-house think tank providing nonpartisan policy analysis to members and committees. Directly comparable to NAPA in role and customer (Congress), with both providing nonpartisan analysis on government operations — though CRS is government-funded and larger.
• MITRE Corporation: Not-for-profit operator of federally funded research and development centers (FFRDCs) serving the U.S. government. Directly comparable to NAPA as a nonprofit working on government modernization, resilience, and management challenges — and an active NAPA partner.
• National Governors Association (NGA): Bipartisan organization of the nation's governors providing policy research, technical assistance, and best-practice sharing across state governments. Comparable to NAPA in serving state-level government leaders with advisory and convening services, with a complementary (not competing) niche in state executive leadership.
• CNA Corporation: Nonprofit research and analysis organization serving public-sector clients on defense, national security, and public policy. Comparable to NAPA as a federally-engaged nonprofit research/advisory institution, with shared focus on rigorous, nonpartisan analysis for government decision-makers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/napawash
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCrBcegZJjqMZmhum2oi8RoQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/napawash
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/35056

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about National Academy of Public Administration