John W Dickey
What is it? The Public Administration Genome Project (PAGP) is a grandattempt to digitally 'map' and then usefully employ the full set of topics,variables, and interrelationships that comprise and involve all of the 'genes' thatmake up public administration. It is based on the highly regarded and usefulHuman Genome Project.Why do it? Like the world in general, the P. A. world is becoming more diverseand complicated. Hence, few administrators can be expected to know, much lessremember, the many relevant strategies, external forces and related impacts thatmight be part of a particular situation. There thus is a need for a comprehensive, logic-based, readily accessiblesystem (called 'COMPASS') to help in finding and elaborating on such topics, variables, and interrelationships.What is in the book? It starts with a broad overview of the whole PAGP. It then turns to an elaboration of boththe basic and then the more comprehensive analogies with the human genome; the Human Genome Project; andother related concepts (like catalysis and evolution).These are followed by a set of new and seemingly unconnected subjects: (a)norms for citizens and public administrators, and (b) semantic and syntacticanalyses. Then come some interesting and diverse case studies, andcomparisons of such to theories.All these set the scene for development of procedures for contributing to andusing COMPASS, the information and guidance system which is the centralproduct of the PAGP. The whole concept of the PAGP subsequently isrevisited through an example that encompasses all of its major elements andprocesses.The last part of the book focuses on future directions, asking questions like'Is the PAGP (and COMPASS) an impossible dream or a much neededreality?'
