PAD 630 Final Project Guidelines and Rubric

Overview

Understanding the organizational, legal, and cultural differences between managing in the public sector versus the private sector is vital to organizational success. Public managers face unique challenges (both ideological and practical), which is why an understanding of the dynamic interaction of theory and practice is important. In addition, public managers need to understand the enduring issues and evolving tools required in public service.

For the final project, you will write a white paper focusing on an organizational, a legal, or a cultural challenge in the field of public administration. Early in the course, you will select an issue that is of interest to you. Your chosen challenge will act as the lens through which you will examine the impacts of various theories on the practice of public administration. You will also assess the role of the executive, judicial, and legislative branches in developing public policy, and you will evaluate budgeting techniques and communication strategies for their effectiveness.

The project is divided into three milestones, which will be submitted at various points throughout the course to scaffold learning and ensure quality final submissions. These milestones will be submitted in Modules Two, Five, and Eight. The final project will be submitted in Module Ten.

This assessment addresses the following course outcomes:

 Contrast the views of early public administration theorists for determining their impact on the public administration profession

 Assess the impact of professional management on the effectiveness of governmental operations at the federal, state, and local levels

 Analyze essential organizational, cultural, and legal differences between public administration and private sector management for determining their impact on governmental operations

 Differentiate among the roles of the executive, judicial, and legislative branches in establishing and implementing public policy at the federal and state governmental levels

 Evaluate public budgeting techniques for their effect on governmental organizations and stakeholders

 Assess real-world communication strategies employed by governmental institutions for their effectiveness in enhancing public outreach and developing a sense of community

Prompt

Your final project should focus on an organizational, a legal, or a cultural challenge facing public administrators that is of interest to you. Using this challenge as your lens, write a white paper discussing the impact different theories have had on the practice of public administration and examining the unique challenges facing managers in the public sector. Remember that the focus of your paper is the public administration challenge that you selected.

You may select one of these challenges to public administration, or you may choose another, with instructor approval:

 Discuss the emergence of the “governance without government” concept, which focuses on the importance of networks, nontraditional partnerships, and the markets to guide society, rather than traditional bureaucratic institutions. This movement has taken hold in Europe and is gaining momentum in the United States.

 How is the new public administration movement impacting the “accountability versus efficiency” paradigm that has defined the profession since its inception?

 How is the reintroduction of privatization impacting public policy decision making and the targeted social outcomes? For example, imagine a state determines that access to high-speed internet for every home is essential for long-term public health, yet in areas of the state, the market has determined that it is not profitable to provide the service. Should the state form a partnership with a private sector business (i.e., subsidize) to ensure that their social goal is obtained?

 What are effective performance measures to evaluate programs and management in the public sector? Traditionally, the focus has been on measuring inputs and activities. Is this focus still effective?

 How can flexibility and creativity be integrated into the structures of public organizations in a way that allows for nimble, street-level decision making to swiftly adapt to ever-changing environmental conditions while maintaining some level of accountability to the citizens?

Specifically, the following critical elements must be addressed:

I. Introduction Concisely describe your chosen organizational, legal, or cultural challenge in the field of public administration.

II. Theoretical Overview: Ensure that you focus specifically on the organizational, legal, or cultural challenge that you selected. A. Public Administration Advocates: Describe the original advocates for the development of professional public management within the federal

government of the United States. In your description, consider questions such as these: What were their viewpoints? How did they advocate for the development of public administration?

B. Impact on Public Administration: Differentiate between the views of Dwight Waldo and Herbert Simon. How did each impact the development of the public administration profession?

C. Public Administration Dichotomy: Analyze the founding dichotomy of public administration as expressed by Dwight Waldo for its impact on public administration practice.

III. Public Administration in Practice A. Governmental Operations: Ensure that you focus specifically on the organizational, legal, or cultural challenge that you selected.

1. Civil Service Implementation: Assess the impact that the implementation of civil service had on the effectiveness of public service in the federal government.

2. Local Governmental Operations: Illustrate how public administration has manifested itself in local governmental operations. In other words, what impact has professional management had on local governmental operations? For example, you could consider how prevalent the mayor/manager form of government is.

3. Impact of Iron Triangle: Assess the impact of the “iron triangle” on public policy and program administration at the state and federal levels of government. In other words, how does the bureaucracy counterbalance the direct relationship between special interests and the legislature?

B. Differences Between Public Administration and Private Sector Management: Ensure that you focus specifically on the organizational, legal, or cultural challenge that you selected.

1. Organizational Differences: Contrast the impact of political boundaries in governmental operations versus the private sector. For example, you could consider how political boundaries impact program and operational efficiencies. Provide specific examples to support your response.

2. Legal Differences: Analyze mandates, legal and nonlegal, related to the challenge you selected. How do they impact the operations of state and local governments? How do these mandates apply to private sector firms? Provide specific examples to support your response.

3. Cultural Differences: Illustrate the impacts politics can have on administrative appointments in the public and private sectors. In other words, what is the impact of political appointments on the culture of governmental agencies and private businesses? Provide specific examples to support your response.

C. Roles of the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial Branches: Ensure that you focus specifically on the organizational, legal, or cultural challenge that you selected.

1. Executive Branch: Outline the role of the executive branch of government in the development of public policy, specifically related to the challenge you selected.

2. Legislative Branch: Outline the role of the legislative branch of government in the development of public policy, specifically related to the challenge you selected.

3. Judicial Branch: What role does the court system play in arbitrating public policy disputes between the executive and legislative branches of government? Focus specifically on how the judicial branch has impacted the challenge you selected.

D. Public Budgeting Techniques: Ensure that you focus specifically on the organizational, legal, or cultural challenge that you selected. 1. Zero-Based Budgeting: Assess the principle of zero-based budgeting for how it has impacted federal programs and their stakeholders.

What are the pros and cons of this methodology?

2. Performance-Based Budgeting: Assess how performance-based budgeting applies to private sector budgeting practices in a public sector setting. What are the pros and cons of this methodology? Include the impact on public programs and their stakeholders in your response.

3. Emerging Budget Strategies: Describe emerging budget strategies being utilized by public agencies to address the difficult fiscal environment facing local governments. In other words, what contemporary public budgeting techniques are effective?

E. Governmental Communication Strategies: Ensure that you focus specifically on the organizational, legal, or cultural challenge that you selected. 1. Impact of Social Media: Assess the effectiveness of social media on governmental operations at the federal, state, or local

governmental level. Consider questions such as these: What impact has social media had in enhancing public outreach? How has social media been used to develop a sense of community?

2. Impact of Other Media Types: Assess how various other media types can enhance public outreach and impact a citizen’s sense of community.

3. Communication Strategies: How has the proliferation of information outlets impacted the communication strategies utilized by government officials?

Milestones Milestone One: Introduction and Theoretical Overview In Module Two, you will submit a draft of the Introduction and Theoretical Overview sections of the final project (Sections I and II). This milestone will be graded with the Milestone One Rubric.

Milestone Two: Public Administration in Practice In Module Five, you will submit a paper that outlines the Public Administration in Practice section of the final project (Section III). You will also include a list of potential bibliographic references that will be used for the final project. This milestone will be graded with the Milestone Two Rubric.

Milestone Three: Rough Draft In Module Eight, you will submit a rough draft of your final project. This milestone will be graded with the Milestone Three Rubric.

Final Submission: White Paper In Module Ten, you will submit your final project. It should be a complete, polished artifact containing all of the critical elements of the final product. It should reflect the incorporation of feedback gained throughout the course. This submission will be graded with the Final Project Rubric.

Deliverables Milestone Deliverable Module Due Grading

One Introduction and Theoretical Overview (Sections I and II) Two Graded separately; Milestone One Rubric

Two Public Administration in Practice (Section III) Five Graded separately; Milestone Two Rubric

Three Rough Draft Eight Graded separately; Milestone Three Rubric

Final Submission: White Paper Ten Graded separately; Final Project Rubric

Final Project Rubric

Guidelines for Submission: Your white paper should be 15–20 pages in length and should use double spacing, 12-point Times New Roman font, and one-inch margins. You should use APA guidelines for your cover page, in-text citations, and reference list.

Critical Elements Exemplary (100%) Proficient (90%) Needs Improvement (70%) Not Evident (0%) Value

Introduction Meets “Proficient” criteria, and description expertly balances necessary detail with brevity

Concisely describes selected organizational, legal, or cultural challenge in public administration

Describes selected organizational, legal, or cultural challenge in public administration, but description is wordy or vague

Does not describe selected organizational, legal, or cultural challenge in public administration

4.1

Theoretical Overview: Public Administration

Advocates [PAD-630-01]

Meets “Proficient” criteria, and description demonstrates nuanced understanding of early public administration theorists’ contrasting views

Describes original advocates for development of professional public management in federal government of United States

Describes original advocates for development of professional public management in federal government of United States, but with gaps in clarity or detail

Does not describe original advocates for development of professional public management in federal government of United States, or description lacks focus on selected challenge

5.1

Theoretical Overview: Impact on Public Administration [PAD-630-01]

Meets “Proficient” criteria, and response demonstrates keen insight into relationship between contrasting views of early public administration theorists and impact on public administration profession

Differentiates between the views of Dwight Waldo and Herbert Simon for how they impacted the development of the public administration profession

Differentiates between the views of Dwight Waldo and Herbert Simon for how they impacted the development of the public administration profession, but with gaps in accuracy or detail

Does not differentiate between the views of Dwight Waldo and Herbert Simon for how they impacted the development of the public administration profession, or response lacks focus on selected challenge

5.1

Theoretical Overview: Public Administration

Dichotomy [PAD-630-01]

Meets “Proficient” criteria, and analysis demonstrates keen insight into relationship between contrasting views of early public administration theorists and impact on public administration profession

Analyzes founding dichotomy of public administration as expressed by Dwight Waldo for its impact on public administrative practice

Analyzes founding dichotomy of public administration as expressed by Dwight Waldo for its impact on public administrative practice, but with gaps in accuracy or detail

Does not analyze founding dichotomy of public administration as expressed by Dwight Waldo for its impact on public administrative practice, or analysis lacks focus on selected challenge

5.1

Public Administration in Practice: Civil Service

Implementation [PAD-630-02]

Meets “Proficient” criteria, and assessment demonstrates nuanced understanding of impact of professional management on effectiveness of governmental operations

Assesses the impact that the implementation of civil service had on the effectiveness of public service in the federal government

Assesses the impact that the implementation of civil service had on the effectiveness of public service in the federal government, but assessment is cursory or inaccurate

Does not assess the impact that the implementation of civil service had on the effectiveness of public service in the federal government, or assessment lacks focus on selected challenge

5.1

Public Administration in Practice: Local

Governmental Operations

[PAD-630-02]

Meets “Proficient” criteria, and response demonstrates nuanced understanding of impact of professional management on effectiveness of governmental operations

Illustrates how public administration has manifested itself in local governmental operations

Illustrates how public administration has manifested itself in local governmental operations, but with gaps in clarity or detail

Does not illustrate how public administration has manifested itself in local governmental operations, or response lacks focus on selected challenge

5.1

Public Administration in Practice: Impact of

Iron Triangle [PAD-630-02]

Meets “Proficient” criteria, and assessment demonstrates nuanced understanding of impact of professional management on effectiveness of governmental operations

Assesses impact of iron triangle on public policy and program administration at state and federal levels of government

Assesses impact of iron triangle on public policy and program administration at state and federal levels of government, but assessment is cursory or inaccurate

Does not assess impact of iron triangle on public policy and program administration at state and federal levels of government, or response lacks focus on selected challenge

5.1

Public Administration in Practice:

Organizational Differences

[PAD-630-03]

Meets “Proficient” criteria, and response demonstrates keen insight into differences between public and private sector management

Contrasts impact of political boundaries in governmental operations versus the private sector, supporting response with specific examples

Contrasts impact of political boundaries in governmental operations versus the private sector, but with gaps in accuracy, detail, or support

Does not contrast impact of political boundaries in governmental operations versus the private sector, or response lacks focus on selected challenge

5.1

Public Administration in Practice: Legal

Differences [PAD-630-03]

Meets “Proficient” criteria, and response demonstrates keen insight into differences between public and private sector management

Analyzes legal and nonlegal mandates related to selected challenges for how they impact state and local government operations and private sector firms, supporting response with specific examples

Analyzes legal and nonlegal mandates related to selected challenges for how they impact state and local government operations and private sector firms, but with gaps in accuracy, detail, or support

Does not analyze legal and nonlegal mandates related to selected challenges for how they impact state and local government operations and private sector firms, or response lacks focus on selected challenge

5.1

Public Administration in Practice: Cultural

Differences [PAD-630-03]

Meets “Proficient” criteria, and response demonstrates keen insight into differences between public and private sector management

Illustrates impacts of politics on administrative appointments in public and private sectors, supporting response with specific examples

Illustrates impacts of politics on administrative appointments in public and private sectors, but with gaps in clarity, detail, or support

Does not illustrate impacts of politics on administrative appointments in public and private sectors, or response lacks focus on selected challenge

5.1

Public Administration in Practice: Executive

Branch [PAD-630-04]

Meets “Proficient” criteria, and response demonstrates nuanced understanding of role of executive branch in establishing and implementing public policy

Outlines role of executive branch of government in development of public policy, specifically related to selected challenge

Outlines role of executive branch of government in development of public policy, specifically related to selected challenge, but with gaps in accuracy or detail

Does not outline role of executive branch of government in development of public policy, or response lacks focus on selected challenge

5.1

Public Administration in Practice: Legislative

Branch [PAD-630-04]

Meets “Proficient” criteria, and response demonstrates nuanced understanding of role of legislative branch in establishing and implementing public policy

Outlines role of legislative branch of government in development of public policy, specifically related to selected challenge

Outlines role of legislative branch of government in development of public policy, specifically related to selected challenge, but with gaps in accuracy or detail

Does not outline role of legislative branch of government in development of public policy, or response lacks focus on selected challenge

5.1

Public Administration in Practice: Judicial

Branch [PAD-630-04]

Meets “Proficient” criteria, and response demonstrates nuanced understanding of role of judicial branch in establishing and implementing public policy

Analyzes role of court system in arbitrating public policy disputes between executive and legislative branches of government, specifically related to selected challenge

Analyzes role of court system in arbitrating public policy disputes between executive and legislative branches of government, specifically related to selected challenge, but with gaps in accuracy or detail

Does not analyze role of court system in arbitrating public policy disputes between executive and legislative branches of government, or response lacks focus on selected challenge

5.1

Public Administration in Practice: Zero-Based

Budgeting [PAD-630-05]

Meets “Proficient” criteria, and assessment demonstrates keen insight into relationship between public budgeting techniques and governmental organizations and stakeholders

Assesses principle of zero-based budgeting for how it has impacted federal programs and their stakeholders and addresses pros and cons of methodology

Assesses principle of zero-based budgeting for how it has impacted federal programs and their stakeholders and addresses pros and cons of methodology, but response is cursory or inaccurate

Does not assess principle of zero-based budgeting for how it has impacted federal programs and their stakeholders, or response lacks focus on selected challenge

5.1

Public Administration in Practice:

Performance-Based Budgeting

[PAD-630-05]

Meets “Proficient” criteria, and assessment demonstrates keen insight into relationship between public budgeting techniques and governmental organizations and stakeholders

Assesses how performance-based budgeting applies to private sector budgeting practices in public sector setting and addresses pros and cons of methodology and impact on public programs and their stakeholders

Assesses how performance-based budgeting applies to private sector budgeting practices in public sector setting and addresses pros and cons of methodology and impact on public programs and their stakeholders, but response is cursory or inaccurate

Does not assess how performance-based budgeting applies to private sector budgeting practices in public sector setting, or response lacks focus on selected challenge

5.1

Public Administration in Practice: Emerging

Budget Strategies [PAD-630-05]

Meets “Proficient” criteria, and description demonstrates keen insight into relationship between public budgeting techniques and governmental organizations and stakeholders

Describes emerging budget strategies being utilized by public agencies to address the difficult fiscal environment facing local governments

Describes emerging budget strategies being utilized by public agencies to address the difficult fiscal environment facing local governments, but with gaps in clarity or detail

Does not describe emerging budget strategies being utilized by public agencies to address the difficult fiscal environment facing local governments, or response lacks focus on selected challenge

5.1

Public Administration in Practice: Impact of

Social Media [PAD-630-06]

Meets “Proficient” criteria, and response demonstrates keen insight into relationship between communication strategies, public outreach, and sense of community

Assesses the effectiveness of social media on governmental operations at federal, state, or local governmental level

Assesses the effectiveness of social media on governmental operations at federal, state, or local governmental level, but assessment is cursory or inaccurate

Does not assess the effectiveness of social media on governmental operations at federal, state, or local governmental level, or response lacks focus on selected challenge

5.1

Public Administration in Practice: Impact of Other Media Types

[PAD-630-06]

Meets “Proficient” criteria, and response demonstrates keen insight into relationship between communication strategies, public outreach, and sense of community

Assesses how various other media types can enhance public outreach and impact a citizen’s sense of community

Assesses how various other media types can enhance public outreach and impact a citizen’s sense of community, but assessment is cursory or inaccurate

Does not assess how various other media types can enhance public outreach and impact a citizen’s sense of community, or response lacks focus on selected challenge

5.1

Public Administration in Practice:

Communication Strategies

[PAD-630-06]

Meets “Proficient” criteria, and response demonstrates nuanced understanding of communication strategies employed by governmental institutions

Explains how proliferation of information outlets has impacted communication strategies utilized by government officials

Explains how proliferation of information outlets has impacted communication strategies utilized by government officials, but with gaps in clarity or detail

Does not explain how proliferation of information outlets has impacted communication strategies utilized by government officials, or response lacks focus on selected challenge

5.1

Articulation of Response

Submission is free of errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, and organization and is presented in a professional and easy to read format

Submission has no major errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization

Submission has major errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization that negatively impact readability and articulation of main ideas

Submission has critical errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization that prevent understanding of ideas

4.1

Total 100%