Who is a member?
Our members are the local governments of Massachusetts and their elected and appointed leadership.
A delegation of 10 Massachusetts public administrators and elected officials traveled to Pakistan from June 6 through 16 to participate in a professional conference and exchange.
Funded by the United States Department of State and the U.S. Embassy in Pakistan, the conference was the culmination of a four-year project in which a total of 75 Pakistani public professionals came to the United States to meet and work with Massachusetts local officials. More than 40 Massachusetts municipalities served as hosts for two-week attachments, some multiple times.
During their 10-day visit to Pakistan, the Massachusetts delegation visited government offices and the other workplaces of their counterparts. The conference allowed the Pakistani and American participants to review the outcomes of the partnership program and discuss strategies for improving government efficiency and minimizing bureaucratic entanglements. Special attention was paid to eliminating corruption and sharing best practices.
Participants included Brendan Little, a policy analyst for the City of Boston, Quincy Councillor Doug Gutro, Brewster Town Administrator Charles Sumner, Easton Selectman Colleen Corona, Grafton Selectman Brook Padgett, Charley Oliva, deputy director of veterans’ services in the city of Springfield, Westwood Town Administrator Mike Jaillet, and Catherine Rollins of the MMA staff, who had served as a host during her time as director of policy for the city of New Bedford. Paul Bockelman of the MMA and Mark Protti of the Institute for Training and Development coordinated the program and traveled with the group.
Some of the U.S. travelers to Pakistan detailed their experiences, in words and photographs, in the following blogs: rollinsinpakistan.wordpress.com, Colleencorona.wordpress.com, brookpadgett.wordpress.com and Charlyolivablog.wordpress.com.
The purpose of the U.S./Pakistan Professional Partnership Program for Public Administrators was to deepen the participants’ understanding of each other’s local government systems, culture and civil society. The program was administered by the Institute for Training and Development (itd-amherst.org) and the MMA.
All expenses for the American and Pakistani participants were covered by the grant, including travel, accommodations, meals and materials. The project was funded by the State Department’s Bureau for Educational and Cultural Affairs and was supported by the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad.