Our mission is: “To inspire and promote collaborative working relationships towards the advancement of knowledge in public administration, public management, public policy and leadership development, among practitioners and academicians in various African countries and the diaspora.” CIMPAD provides opportunities to promote public sector leadership through good governance, targets issues for long-term success in benefit of its stakeholders, engages with global partners to explore pathways towards capacity building, serves global communities through service to others, develops public-private partnerships fostering valuable exchanges, promotes human security in African communities, and advocates for collaborative working relationships among academicians and practitioners in African countries and the diaspora. CIMPAD was precipitated by the struggle against apartheid in South Africa. In a strange way, this oppressive system inspired public service professionals in various countries on several continents to work cooperatively to enhance the provision of public goods and services. Prior to the first all-race elections in South Africa, concern was raised that oppressive practices of apartheid might limit the capacity of Africans to manage the emerging affairs of their multi-ethnic nation. To address this concern a series of initiatives were undertaken, including those by the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs (GSPIA) at the University of Pittsburgh and the Kennedy School at Harvard University. The GSPIA initiative involved an official from The Conference of Minority Public Administrators. The Kennedy School initiative involved a collaborative arrangement with Southern University. During the first planning meeting, held at Southern University, the decision was made to convene an international conference in South Africa. Present were US public service institutions and representatives from Nigeria, Ghana, Ethiopia, Mali, Morrocco, and South Africa.