David Van Slyke

Professor, Public Administration and International Affairs
Louis A. Bantle Chair in Business and Government Policy

Degree

Ph.D., Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy, University at Albany, State University of New York, 1999

Specialties

Public and nonprofit management, government contracting, public-private partnerships, policy implementation, strategic management

Courses

PAI 785 Policy Implementation

PAI 996 DCP EMPA Master''s Project Course

Biography

David M. Van Slyke is Dean of the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University and the Louis A. Bantle Chair in Business-Government Policy. Prior to becoming Dean on July 1, 2016, Van Slyke was Associate Dean and Chair of Maxwell’s department of public administration and international affairs, home to the country’s #1 ranked graduate degree in public affairs. He is a tenured, full professor of the Maxwell School and the College of Arts and Sciences and a two-time recipient of the Birkhead-Burkhead Award and Professorship for Teaching Excellence.

Van Slyke is a leading international expert on public-private partnerships, public sector contracting and contract management, and policy implementation. He is Director and Fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration, a co-editor of the Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory and the Journal of Strategic Contracting and Negotiation. He also sits on the editorial boards of several top-ranked public affairs journals. He has provided expert guidance to the Office of Management and Budget, the Government Accountability Office, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the World Bank. As part of his work and research he has worked extensively with senior leaders in government, nonprofit and business organizations in China, India, Peru, Singapore, Thailand and many other countries through the Maxwell School’s Executive Education program.

Van Slyke’s most recent book, Complex Contracting: Government Purchasing in the Wake of the U.S. Coast Guard''s Deepwater Program (Cambridge University Press, 2013) is the recipient of the American Society for Public Administration Section on Research Best Book Award for 2014 and honorable mention for the Public and Nonprofit Section of the Academy of Management best book award for 2016. He is winner of the 2015 Distinguished Alumnus in Public Administration and Policy award from the Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy and the 2007 Beryl Radin Award for Best Article published in the Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory.

Van Slyke earned a Ph.D. in public administration and policy from the Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy at the University at Albany, State University of New York. Prior to becoming an academic, he worked in the private, public and nonprofit sectors.

Publications

Books

Brown, Trevor, Matthew Potoski, and David M. Van Slyke (2013). Complex Contracting: Government Purchasing in the Wake of the US Coast Guard''s Deepwater Program. London, UK: Cambridge University Press.

* Recipient of the American Society for Public Administration, Section on Public Administration Research, Best Book Award – 2014

* Recipient of the Academy of Management, Public-Nonprofit Division, Honorable Mention, Best Book Award – 2016

O''Leary, Rosemary, David M. Van Slyke, and Soonhee Kim (eds.) (2010). The Future of Public Administration Around the World: The Minnowbrook Perspective. Washington, D.C.: Georgetown University Press.

Articles

Bryson, John M., Lauren Hamilton Edwards, and David M. Van Slyke (2017). “Getting Strategic about Strategic Planning Research.” Public Management Review. Published online, February 15, 1-23.

Brown, Trevor L., Matthew Potoski, and David M. Van Slyke (2016). “Managing Complex Contracts: A Theoretical Approach.” Journal of Public Administration, Research and Theory, 26(2): 294-308.

Boyer, Eric, David M. Van Slyke, and Juan Rogers (2016). “An Empirical Examination of Public Involvement in Public-Private Partnerships: Qualifying the Benefits of Public Involvement in PPPs.” Journal of Public Administration, Research and Theory, 26(1): 45-61.

Brown, Trevor L., Matthew Potoski, and David M. Van Slyke (2015). “The Impact of Transaction Costs on the Use of Mixed Service Delivery by Local Governments.” Journal of Strategic Contracting and Negotiation, 1(4): 239-267.

Book Chapters

Huitnik, Zachary, David M. Van Slyke, and Trevor L. Brown (2015). “Contracting in Pursuit of Public Purposes” In Handbook of Public Administration, Third Edition, Edited by James Perry and Robert Christensen. John Wiley & Sons, N.J.

Reports and Editorials

Van Slyke, David M. (2017). “Trump’s Infrastructure Plan: How ‘private’ will he go?” Politico, June 7. 

Van Slyke, David M., O’Keefe, Sean, and Huitink, Zachary (2016). “The Coast Guard’s Flawed Icebreaker Plan.” Politico, August 19. 

Huitink, Zachary and David M. Van Slyke (2015). "Beyond Business as Usual: Improving Defense Acquisition through Better Buying Power." IBM Center for the Business of Government.

Van Slyke, David M. (2014). "Decentralization of Service Delivery Systems." Report prepared for the World Bank and Russian Ministry of Finance.

Teaching Appointments

Research Projects

Working Papers

Boyer, Eric, Juan Rogers, and David M. Van Slyke. “Examining When and How to Structure Public Involvement in Public-Private Partnerships: Evidence from the Field.” (Under Review).

Boyer, Eric and David M. Van Slyke. “Citizen Attitudes towards Public-Private Partnerships.” (Revise and Resubmit).

Brown, Trevor, Matthew Potoski, and David M. Van Slyke. “The Management Imperatives of Complex Contracting: Challenges and Solutions.” (Under Review).

Brown, Trevor, Matthew Potoski, and David M. Van Slyke. “The Diffusion of Service Delivery Practices within Local Governments.” (Under Review).

Lecy, Jesse D., Mary K. Feeney, and David M. Van Slyke. “Complements or Substitutes: Government Funding and Nonprofit Density.” (Under Review)

Lecy, Jesse D. and David M. Van Slyke. “Profiles of Nonprofit Startups and Nonprofit Entrepreneurs.” (Under Review).

Research Grants and Awards

Grants (Refereed unless otherwise noted)

Co-Principal Investigator , “Developing an Enterprise Approach to Federal Policy Governing U.S. Military Veterans.” IBM Center for the Business of Government. June 2017-June 2018. $20,000. Co-Principal Investigator: Nicholas Armstrong, J. Michael Haynie, Matthew A. Hidek, Zachary Huitink. 

Co-Principal Investigator , “Introduction to American Society, Public Affairs and Policy.” MOU Training Agreement with Ngee Anny Polytechnic, Singapore, 2014 - Present. $85,000/yr. Co-Principal: Dr. William Coplin.

Co-Principal Investigator , “Beyond Business as Usual: Transforming Defense Acquisition through Better Buying Power.” IBM Center for the Business of Government. January 2014-January 2015. $20,000. Co-Principal Investigator: Zach Huitink.

Co-Principal Investigator , “Security Sector Partnerships in Post-Conflict States.” Naval Postgraduate School, Office of the Secretary of Defense and Department of the Navy. September 2012-2013.  $120,000. Co-Principal Investigator: Nicholas Armstrong.

Selected Professional Activities

2014 – 2017, Co-Editor, Journal of Public Administration, Research, and Theory

2014 – 2017, Co-Editor, Journal of Strategic Contracting and Negotiation

Recent Activities

Media Activities (Selected)

National Public Radio Morning Edition, National Public Radio/American Public Media’s MarketPlace, the Washington Times, Government Executive, InsideDefense, Xinhua Global Times in China, in Federal Computer Week,Washington Technology, Defense Industry Daily, Federal News Radio, GovLoop, and by the Project on Government Oversight.

Recent Invited Lectures

Invited Presentations (Selected)

“Rethinking the Government – Business Relationship: Public-Private Partnerships, Complex Contracts, Public Involvement.” Presentation to the Costa Rica Congress – ‘Perspectivas para el future de la Infraestructura del transporte en Costa Rica.’ Asamblea Legislativa de la Republica de Costa Rica, San Jose, April 21, 2016.

“Contracting for Complex Products: Lessons from U.S. Federal Government Procurement.” International Association for Contract and Commercial Management, Las Vegas, NV, October 6, 2015.

“Partnerships for Fulfilling Arctic Responsibilities.” Arctic Circle Shipping Task Force: Summit on the Alaskan Arctic, Anchorage, AK, August 25, 2015.

“Lessons in Complex Contracting” Standing Panel on Public Management and Finance, Procurement Capacity Group, World Bank, Washington, D.C., September 18, 2014.

“Governance in a Performance Management Environment.” Presentation to the Department of Public Administration, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand, August 2, 2013.

“Challenges in Complex Procurement.” Presented at the International Experience in Procurement Reform: Lessons for Russia, World Bank, Moscow, Russia, May 31‐June 4, 2012.

Professional Service

2016 High Table Keynote Speaker, Center for Public Administration and Policy, Virginia Tech

2015 Distinguished Alumnus in Public Administration and Policy, Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy, University at Albany, State University of New York.

Elected to the Board of Directors of the National Academy of Public Administration, 2016-2019.

Inducted as a Fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration, November 18, 2010.

2014-2018 and 2006-2010 Birkhead-Burkhead Professorship of Teaching Excellence, Department of Public Administration, The Maxwell School, Syracuse University.

Recipient of the 2007 Beryl Radin Award for Best Article published in the Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory