The mission of the University of Kansas School of Public Affairs & Administration (SPAA) is to educate exceptional public professionals and generate thought leadership that provides solutions to the most pressing global and community challenges by advancing the public good, democratic values, and ethical public management practices. The School offers academic programs at the undergraduate, masters and doctoral levels across KU campuses and online. The SPAA faculty are recognized for excellence in their teaching and research, and the School is ranked #1 in local government management graduate program by US News and World Report.

As the professional development unit of the School, the Public Management Center (PMC) offers professional education and consulting services focused on skills enhancement for leaders, managers, staff, and teams to support organizational development in public agencies across the Heartland. The PMC earns and utilizes revenue from professional education programs, consulting services, and conferences. The PMC is the home of the Heartland Certified Public Manager(r) Program (CPM), one of the most active CPM programs in the United States and Leading Edge - High Performing Organizations (HPO, a transformative leadership program.

The PMC provides leadership development through the Emerging Leaders Academy (ELA) and Supervisory Leadership Training (SLT), as well as consulting services that support government agencies and public service organizations through assistance with strategic planning, public engagement and facilitation, customized training, and team building. PMC staff are motivated by a deep belief that public service--and skilled public service professionals--are at the heart of a healthy democracy. The PMC offers programs and services across the Midwest, organizes several regional public service conferences and supports event management for SPAA initiatives.