About

As the largest
university-based local
government training,
advisory, and research
organization in the United
States, the School of
Government serves more
than 12,000 public officials
each year.

Browse by Role

The School provides
content and resources for a
wide array of local
government and judicial
officials in North Carolina.

Select your role to explore
all related content.

Browse by Topic

The School provides content
and resources on a wide array
of topics in local government
and judicial administration in
North Carolina.

Select a topic to explore all
related content.

Courses

The School of Government
offers up to 200 courses,
workshops, webinars, and
professional conferences
each year.

Publications

The School of Government
publishes essential books,
manuals, reports, articles,
bulletins, and other print and
online content related to state
and local government.

Blogs

Faculty write for a number
of School of Government
blogs providing timely
updates on emerging issues.

Resources

The School of Government
offers information and
services related to a wide
range of topics relevant to
government and judicial
officials—in-person and on a
variety of platforms.

Blog Posts

Timely updates on emerging issues

Centers and Services

Specialized training/research hubs and consulting services

Frequently Asked Questions

Aggregated answers to common questions on a variety of topics

Knapp Library

Print and online materials and research expertise

Legal Summaries

Brief descriptions of legal cases, bills, or legislative activity

Listservs

Information exchanges for peers and faculty experts

Microsites

In-depth or aggregated content for local government and judicial officials

Tools and Apps

Online and mobile tools for employees on-the-go

Master of Public
Administration Program

The UNC MPA program prepares public service leaders. The program is offered in two formats: on-campus and online.

For more information, visit mpa.unc.edu

Giving

The School of Government depends on private and public support for fulfilling its mission. Your gift will make a lasting impact on the quality of government and civic participation in North Carolina.

Knapp Library

The Joseph Palmer Knapp Library houses a large collection of material on state and local government, public administration, and management to support the School's instructional and research programs and the educational mission of the Master of Public Administration program. Reference and research services are available to all residents of North Carolina, and additional assistance is available to state and local government personnel, both elected and appointed.

Essential Responsibilities of Local Governing Boards, Popular Government, Winter 2006, Vaughn Upshaw, This article introduces the Local Government Governing Model (LGGM), which addresses the essential responsibilities of local elected governing boards. The LGGM differs from other governance models in focusing specifically on responsibilities of public-sector governing boards at the local level. It can be used to help board members understand, plan, organize, and review board work.
Achieving Better Group Performance, Popular Government, Summer 2001, John B. Stephens, Instead of trying to find common ground on a controversial issue, what if members of a committee or task force were to "reach for higher ground"? This metaphor describes an approach to group process that the author and some of his colleagues are promoting in their work with groups.
Governing Board Retreats, Popular Government, Winter 1988, Kurt Jenne, Many governing boards use a retreat to overcome the barriers that the regular meeting and its usual environment place in the way of building teamwork and setting directions. This article explains the potential benefits of board retreats and provides strategies to make retreats more effective.
Schwarz, Roger, The Skilled Facilitator: A Comprehensive Resource for Consultants, Facilitators, Managers, Trainers, and Coaches, (Jossey-Bass, 2002)
Roger Schwarz, Anne Davidson, Peg Carlson, Sue McKinney (and contributors). The Skilled Facilitator Fieldbook: Tips, Tools and Tested Methods for Consultants, Facilitators, Managers, Trainers, and Coaches. (Jossey-Bass, Inc., 2005).
One City's Journey toward More Responsive Government: Lauringurg, North Carolina, Popular Government, Winter 1999, Anne S. Davidson and Richard R. McMahon, This article is the story of the journey of the City of Laurinburg as its management team accepted Peter Block's challenge from his 1991 book, The Empowered Manager: "If top management wants to create a vision or set of values for
the organization, let them create it and live it out for themselves first—for two years or more. Then let them worry about how to engage others in the vision. Stop enrolling, start embodying."
Positive Problem Solving: How Appreciative Inquiry Works, ICMA’s InFocus, 2011, Margaret Henderson, Sallie Lee, Gordon Whitaker, and Lydian Altman, The practice and philosophy of Appreciative Inquiry (AI) enables public officials and organizations to recognize and build on their strengths to meet these challenges. This article provides a framework for exploring this approach, describes the experiences of others in public sector settings in using AI practices and philosophies, and outlines how managers can use AI in their own communities.