Select from ONE of the following two topics.
YOU MAY SELECT OPTION #1: Public Administrator Interview Analysis. This assignment requires you to interview a public administrator with the goal of connecting some of the theoretical ideas in this course to what a public administrator does in practice. Upon completion of your interview, you will write a 3 page paper analyzing your experience along with how it relates to the course material. You should properly cite the references to the course concepts/theories in your essay. Additionally, you should include your interview questions as an appendix (this should not be calculated in the 3 pages for the essay). See details below:
Your analytical essay will be based on an interview you conduct with a public administrator. The purpose of the interview is to connect theoretical concepts we have covered in this course with what happens in the workplace.
You will need to locate a person who works as a manager or analyst in a public agency who you will be able to interview; the person should have administrative and/or managerial responsibilities (e.g., someone within a hierarchy above a clerical position). Your interview needs to be conducted with someone in a public (government) agency – for example, the interviewee might work in a public university or community college, a public school (such as a principal) or school district office, a local government (e.g. a Parks and Recreation department), a state agency (e.g., Department of Public Safety), federal agency, or tribal government.
The interview can be conducted in person, by phone, and/or via e-mail correspondence.
Because the purpose of the interview is to connect some of the theoretical concepts with what happens in the workplace, it is important that your interview focus on the functions of the administrator. The interviews should NOT focus on the person (e.g., personal attributes or personal opinions). An important reason for this is that all research which involves “human subjects” needs to be approved by NAU’s Institutional Review Board. However, if the interview focuses on the organization (and not personal opinions nor personal characteristics) there is no need to have IRB approval.
Your interview should focus on the topics covered in our course. Notably, you might ask:
Budgeting and finances: How does your agency (or department) allocate its financial resources? What are the main sources of revenue and/or expenditure? How has this changed over the past few years?
Human resource management: How does your agency (or department) provide incentives to its employees? How does your agency (or department) seek to recruit the most qualified individuals? How are promotions handled?
Leadership and management: How are decisions made in your agency (or department), and how are those decisions “transmitted” to everyone in the agency? Does your agency (or department) encourage group decision making, and encourage lower-level employees to contribute?
Administrative Reform and Technology: What is the role of technology in your agency (or department)? How has that role expanded over the past few years, and where do you see it going in the next few years?
Interorganizational Context: Does your agency (or department) work with other levels of government (city, county, state, tribal, national)? Can you give some examples? Does your agency (or department) contract work out to a private sector company or non-profit organization? Have these interorganizational arrangements made the agency more productive?
How does being a public agency impact your operations? How responsive is your agency (or department) to the needs of the public it serves? Can you give some examples?
Although you have been given some sample questions above, you may feel free to add, delete, or alter questions. You will need to use the information gathered in the interview and write up an analysis paper, which explains the implications of these issues.
Your paper should be approximately 3 pages in length (double-spaced, 12-point font, 1” margins) and clearly identify the agency in which the person you interviewed worked and the position they hold (the interviewee can remain anonymous if they or you choose). Your paper should synthesize your experience along with how it relates to the material. You should properly cite your references to the course concepts/theories (include at least 3) in your essay. Additionally, you should include your interview questions as an appendix (this should not be calculated in the 3 pages for the essay). Use APA formatting.
OR YOU MAY SELECT OPTION #2:
Public Meeting Analysis. To complete this assignment, you will need to attend or view (online) a government meeting such as a city council meeting, county supervisors meeting, legislative committee meeting, or school board meeting; a non-profit organization meeting does not satisfy this assignment. If time permits you really will get the most out of attending a live meeting; however, you may also view a public meeting on-line (live or archived) if your schedule makes attending a meeting in person difficult. The goal is to observe the interaction between the public administrators, elected officials, lobbyists, and general citizenry at the meeting. After attending/viewing the meeting you will write a 3-page paper analyzing your experience along with how it relates to the course theories. Be sure to include at least three (3) direct references to the course theories minimally and also to additional research, if applicable, in APA format. As usual, include an APA title page and APA formatting (paper layout, citations, and references).
Your paper for Essay 3 should provide the following:
* Name of the meeting attended
* Date of the meeting and where it was held
* Brief summary (no more than a paragraph) of the meeting agenda (this can sometimes be short – some meetings discuss only one subject; and other times, this can be quite lengthy)
* The role of the administrator(s) at the meeting (e.g., did they present materials, or were they there just to answer questions?).
An example: A City Treasurer is often asked to present a budget, and then they will need to answer questions brought forward by Council members or members of the public regarding various aspects of the budget.
If you attend a Zoning Commission meeting, a City or County Engineer might present and explain proposed plans.
* The role of the public or interest groups at the meeting.
For example, were members of the public allowed to speak at the meeting; what procedures were in place to allow their input (most meetings require individuals to fill out a ‘comment card’)?
* An assessment on the operation of the meeting, as well as the democratic nature of the meeting.
For example, was the meeting well publicized; did it start and end on time; was the meeting well organized or did it seem to drag on?
[Be sure to explain your assessment – e.g., do not just write “The meeting seemed unorganized.” Explain why you had that impression.]
* How did the elected council members and the administrators interact (e.g., was the interaction formal, or did it seem relaxed)? How did the administrators interact with the public (e.g., did they seem to value the public’s input or did they merely seem to tolerate it)?
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