UMass Boston

About

The Edward J. Collins, Jr. Center for Public Management is dedicated to improving efficiency, effectiveness, governance, and accountability at all levels of government, with a particular focus on local and state government. The Center’s aim is to enable public entities to provide high quality services to the people they serve on a sustainable basis.

Our History

Since its establishment by the State Legislature in July 2008, the talented staff of practitioners at the Collins Center have provided a comprehensive set of services to scores of the Commonwealth’s cities, towns, school districts, and state agencies, as well as to a growing number of municipalities in other states.

In this short time, the Center has grown from 20 projects per year in its first few years to nearly 80 projects in Fiscal Year 2018. In doing so, the Center has built a strong reputation in municipal performance management, organizational studies, executive recruitment, and many other services.

The Center is named for Edward J. Collins, Jr. Throughout his long and distinguished career in public service, Collins epitomized integrity, professionalism, and innovation, and he served as an important mentor to hundreds of past and present municipal and state officials.

The Collins Center is one of a dozen core centers and institutes in the John W. McCormack Graduate School of Policy and Global Studies at the University of Massachusetts Boston.

By the Numbers

Since the Center was founded, it has provided support to:

  • over 160 cities and towns;
  • 24 school districts;
  • 26 regional agencies, quasi-governmental agencies, or county governments; and,
  • 8 state secretariats.

Helping Government Work Better

View this brochure which provides a quick tour through some of the work that the Center has done. (PDF)

Edward J. Collins, Jr. Biography

Throughout his long and outstanding public career, Edward J. Collins, Jr. epitomized the spirit and goals of the Center for Public Management that now bears his name.
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Public Sector Management Consulting

The Center’s aim is to enable public entities to provide a variety of high quality consulting services to the people we serve on a sustainable basis.
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