COVID-19 Letter to the Members

Dear NASCA Members, 

 As staff, we want to thank all of you for your patience as we continue to learn more about COVID-19, its spread, and its impact on our many personal and professional communities. We want to share some critical information with you on our activities now and in the near future.

Shifting Priorities to Focus On COVID-19 

On Monday, March 16, 2020, state chief administrators and departments of administration across the country participated in a briefing facilitated by NASCA. During that call, state leaders shared guidance and leadership as it relates to government operations, specifically how state governments are addressing policy and procedures around state government workforce, facilities, IT, budget, procurement, and risk management. 

Throughout the current CDC guidelines of an eight-week period, NASCA will be prioritizing staff efforts to resources and guidance related to COVID-19 and away from standard committee calls and events to help our members, both state and corporate that aide states, navigate these uncertain times. 

Collecting Resources

We're asking both NASCA state and corporate members to share the resources their organizations are developing in response to COVID-19. This may include enhanced state policies and legislation, press releases, information sheets, FAQs, best practices, community alerts, etc. These resources will be uploaded to the NASCA website for your colleagues to benefit from. Please use the provided form to share your information and we'll upload it for other agencies to replicate and share. Please note that your resources will be available to all NASCA members and non-members on our public website. 

Some sensitive resources may be shared through a member login. These documents will be posted in the CAO Only Collaborate Community, and will also be linked on our public website with password required noted.   

Weekly State Member Calls 

In addition to collecting and distributing resources, for the next eight weeks, NASCA will be hosting weekly standing calls with state members on Mondays between 3:00-4:00 PM ET. The objective of the calls is to highlight state best practices, hear from state and national experts and provide an opportunity for peer-to-peer dialogue. State Chief Administrators, please look for a calendar invite with the zoom call-in information. 

We will be reaching out to state members to lead a national briefing highlighting their efforts and lessons for their peers. 

Coordinating Efforts 

NASCA staff is also in constant communication with our peer operations related state associations and their efforts to provide guidance to states. Like the state-to-state sharing, NASCA is coordinating responses with our sister association partners to deliver consistent, unified messaging. 

Spring Conference 2020 

As you can imagine, the NASCA staff and Executive Committee are working diligently behind the scenes as it relates to the Spring Conference currently planned for May 11-13th in Indianapolis, IN. 

The CDC has recommended that no gatherings of more than 50 people take place for the next eight weeks. Our top concern is the health and safety of our members. 

We are conducting an analysis of several scenarios and are tracking this very closely with our Executive Committee. New information comes in daily and, before sending additional member updates, we want to make sure that we are working in unison.

At this time, we are working through alternative solutions that will provide a valuable and engaging connection for our members. We also know that many of our members, speakers, partners, and sponsors may have limited capacity even after the CDC lifts the travel and gathering recommendations. We hope to provide more concrete and detailed information in the coming days.

Plan B is literally our business

On a side note, like many we could not have a better team in place. NASCA is managed by AMR Management Services, an association management company, and it has been invaluable to be able to lean on 23 other associations and many tenured professionals. Their professionalism and judgement are top-notch, and they represent the very best in association leadership and event management. 

NASCA is truly committed to transforming state government operations through the power of shared thought leadership. Thank you for your leadership and dedication to public service! We sincerely hope your office staff, family and you stay healthy and well during this time.

The NASCA Team, 

Pam, Jamie, Kayla, Kristy, Vanessa, Margaret 

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