The University of Southern California



University of Southern California

School of Policy, Planning and Development

USC State Capital Center

1800 I Street

Sacramento, California 95814-3004

Tel: 916.442.6911 for Center Directions

PPD 546 - Professional Practice of Public Administration

Spring 2010 – Class Number – 51406D

CLASS MEETING DATES: January 21-24, 2010

February 18-21, 2010

CLASS MEETING TIMES: 0830-1700 hours with consideration on Sunday afternoons

CLASS MEETING LOCATION: USC’s Capital Center

PROFESSORS: P.K. Agarwal Dan M. Haverty, D.P.A.

7531 Westover Court 4089 Hensley Circle

Fair Oaks, California 95628 El Dorado Hills, California 95762

Office: 916.716.2630 Office: 916-984-2293

Cell: 916.716.2630 Cell: 916.517.6558

pk.agarwal@ dthaverty@

PURPOSE OF THE COURSE

The purpose of PPD 546 is to provide information, ideas, practices, and experiences that will enhance your ability to become skilled and ethical leaders/managers in public, not-for-profit or private organizations.

CONTEXT

Today’s practice of Public Administration is present amongst both significant challenges and great possibilities. There is a remarkable experience of interconnectedness between local, regional, national and global organizations. One can hardly consider a meaningful policy, program or practice and not be compelled to also consider its spectrum of influence and impact on an array of elements, including individuals, society, other organizations and the environment. Not only has the scope of considerations greatly expanded, the rate of change is like no other time in our history. There is a revolution in the making driven by the transition from an industrial society to one where information is the primary economic driver. There is an abundance of opportunities – the glass is half full. There are major crises brewing – the glass is half empty. While we are certain it has been said in prior generations of Public administrators, we believe now is a time of change and excitement in the practice of this field.

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

This seminar will cover the practice of public administration; the use of management skills; strategic thinking and planning; understanding organizations; communication techniques and strategies; management skills and techniques; management in a public setting; and the development and application of ethics in the public and organizational setting. In addition to these core competencies for a skilled public manager, the course will also include presentations, discussion and applied work in the areas of generational challenges in the workforce, public financing, organizational performance, program and project management, managing organizational risk, the transformational potential of IT, government transparency, new concepts in civic engagement and civil service across the globe. Woven through our presentations and discussions will be a purposeful effort to engage the critical theories, practice and useful tool sets of successful public administrators. This inquiry will be set in local, state, national, not for profit and global environments and require the scholar to thoughtfully enter various roles to better understand the implications of government service on downward, upward and outward perspectives. It would be most helpful to bring your laptop to class each day to access available sources.

This seminar will include several case-based “short” experiential learning exercises and a significant group project in an effort to provide students the opportunities to call upon academic and practical experiences, and apply those experiences to identify problems, develop a contextual backdrop of an organization through research, examination, observation and inquiry, and develop and communicate managerial recommendations for action.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

Objectives of the seminar are to help participants develop knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully:

1. Analyze the work and processes of public organizations to discover and implement improvement.

2. Better understand the relationships of public organizations, environment, politics and human interaction.

3. Be able to apply critical thinking strategies to real public administration problems and develop practical solutions.

4. Better understand the value of Information Technology, as well as its application in both today’s and emerging public organizations.

5. Develop an appreciation for the relationship between the town hall and the global marketplace.

6. Enhance leadership, managerial and communication skill sets.

7. Understand elements and approaches of strategic planning work.

8. Develop a greater understanding and appreciation of how ethical behavior relates to professional practice and organizational success.

REQUIRED READINGS:

Course Readings: The books identified below can be found via commercial sites, or perhaps through the USC bookstore or library. Specific Internet purchase information is provided for some.

Newell, Charldean, ed., The Effective Local Government Manager, 3rd ed. Washington, D.C.: ICMA, 2004. This book is useful not only for local government managers, but also state, federal and international managers. It is a practical and well-informed book for management practitioners and is designed by ICMA to serve as a flagship book in the professional practice of public administration. You can also order it directly from ICMA.

William L. Richter and Frances Burke, eds., Combating Corruption, Encouraging Ethics: A Practical Guide to Management Ethics, 2nd ed. New York: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc., 2007. This book is published in cooperation with the American Society for Public Administration and can be purchased at:



Paul, Richard and Elder, Linda, Critical Thinking: Concepts and Tools. The Foundation for Critical Thinking. You can order it from them at: page.cfm?CategoryID=55

This is one of 20 “Thinker’s Guides”. You may find some of their other titles to be of interest as well. They have booklets on How to Study and Learn, How to Read a Paragraph, How to Write a Paragraph, Ethical Reasoning, Asking Essential Questions and others.

The professors encourage you to join American Society for Public Administration today if you have not already done so () .

Additional Material: As we study various topics, you are likely to run into articles in newspapers or journals that are relevant to our work. If you can send me an electronic copy I’ll put it onto Blackboard. Otherwise bring in a hard copy and I’ll get it copied for the class.

Reference Readings:

The following books are recommended as further reading and resources for the serious public administration student, scholar and practitioner’s library.

Bishop, Bill and Cushing, Robert G., The Big Sort: Why the Clustering of Like-Minded America is Tearing Us Apart. Boston: Houghton-Mifflin, 2008

Carr, Nicholas, The Big Switch: Rewiring the World, from Edison to Google. New York: W. W. Norton, 2008

Cohen, Steve and Eimicke, William, The Responsible Contract Manager: Protecting the Public Interest in an Outsourced World. Washington, D.C.: Georgetown University Press, 2008

Friedman, Thomas L. The World is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century. Farrar, Strauss, and Giroux, 2005.

H. George Frederickson, Up the Bureaucracy. This book is also available for on-line reading



Nieman, Susan, Moral Clarity: A Guide for Grown-up Idealists. New York: Harcourt, 2008.

Stone, Bob, Confessions of a Civil Servant. Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield, 2004 ISBN: 0742527654

Tapscott, Don, and Anthony Williams. Wikinomics: How Mass Collaboration Changes Everything. Penguin, 2006.

Thompson, Leigh L., The Mind and Heart of the Negotiator, Fourth Edition, Prentice Hall, 2008 (paperback). Earlier edition is OK and a lot cheaper.

Wilson, James Q., Bureaucracy: What Government Agencies Do and Why They Do It. New York: Basic Books, 1989.

Zakaria, Fareed, The Post-American World. New York: W.W. Norton, 2008

POLICY REGARDING DISABILITY SERVICES AND PROGRAMS:

Any student requesting academic accommodations based on a disability is required to register with Disability Services and Programs (DSP) each semester. A letter of verification for approved accommodations can be obtained from DSP. Please be sure the letter is delivered to me as early in the semester as possible. DSP is located in STU 301 and is open early, at 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. The phone number for DSP is (213) 740-0776.

The instructors post lecture notes, assignments, handouts, and other course materials on Blackboard for students’ access for both in-class and out of class use.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

1. Participation - Due to the intensive format of the class, it is your responsibility to come fully prepared by completing the required readings prior to class meetings. Full participation in discussions, in-class assignments, group work assignments, and presentations will provide you the best opportunity for maximum learning potential. Full participation means actively engaging in discussions and activities, as well as actively listening to your colleague’s ideas, experiences and perspectives.

2. Book review assignment - Each student will prepare a book review. The book should be selected from the list provided in the Reference reading in this syllabus. Your book review should reflect a serious approach to subjects relevant to this class, such as management, organization, policy, change management, or leadership. Reviews will be 3-5 pages in length. Reviews should, at a minimum, include the following:

1. Summary of the main themes of the publication.

2. Critical Analysis

3. Application to solving contemporary management, organizational, or leadership challenges.

4. Implications to Public Administration

This assignment shall be due on the first day of class (Jan. 21). Be prepared to present the findings of your review on day four (Jan. 24). Your presentation should be (5-6) minutes in length.

3. Budget Analysis Paper – Each student will prepare an analysis of one of three budget overviews (NGO, local government, state or federal agency). The analysis should include an assessment of current year’s revenues to expenditures and any implications on organization mission achievement, an assessment of budget trends (no more than three years), the economic environment for that particular organization, and a projection of future year’s budgeting challenges and opportunities. The paper will be 5 - 7 pages in length and is due February 8th.

4. Strategic Plan Review – Each student will prepare a descriptive and analytical paper of one public organization’s strategic plan (NGO, local government, state or federal agency). The paper shall, at a minimum include the following elements:

1. Identify and critique the organization’s mission or purpose, vision and values;

2. Major mission or program areas;

3. Timelines;

4. Organizational structure;

5. Higher authority (i.e., council, board of directors, Legislature, other principal);

6. Strategic planning approach;

7. Your assessment of the plan’s consideration of political, financial, human resources, structural and symbolic elements.

The paper will be 5 - 7 pages in length and is due February 18th.

5. Project Presentation - 20-minute presentation using, at a minimum, PowerPoint slides as a visual medium. You may also use overheads, video, charts and graphs, models or any other audio/visual aid which will enhance your message and provide a more clear understanding of your work. Additional methods are encouraged. Following the presentation, the group will conduct a prepared question and answer forum with class participants. This assignment will be given in class on January 24th and presented on February 21st .

6. Class Project - Seminar projects will require some social science research skills, though the seminar sessions will not cover all the social science research methods that may be required in a specific project. Students may work on individual seminar projects, or work in teams of two or three students who take joint responsibility for the project. This project requires the student(s) to prepare a set of management recommendations for a public or non-profit organization. The recommendations shall be based on an investigation into an organization’s current leadership, management, operational context and /or performance. Students may use the Budget Analysis and/or the Strategic Plan assignment as a foundation for this project. Please see Appendix A for paper guideline. This paper is due on March 30th.

Paper copies of all papers and digital copies of presentation materials shall be provided to both professors at the beginning of each session or on due date.

All papers and presentations should be professional in appearance, clearly written, well edited and reflect the competence and communication skills of a scholar of the University of Southern California. Papers should be typed, double-spaced, 10-12 point font, and follow an approved style.

PERFORMANCE EVALUATION:

Assignment Weight Due

1. Quality of participation in discussions and experiential vignettes 10% All

2. Book or article review assignment 15% Jan. 21

3. Budget Analysis Paper 20% Feb. 8

4. Strategic Plan Review 20% Feb. 18

5. Project “In-Progress” Presentation 20% Feb. 21

6. Class Project 15% Mar. 30

DETAILED COURSE SCHEDULE

Please complete all readings of text and articles for each module prior to the start of each module. The intensive class format is a seminar with extensive class discussion, small group exercises, mini-lectures, analyses of case materials, presentations by seminar participants and opportunities for clarifying questions and feedback to participants. These activities depend on each student’s preparation and willingness to participate. As with any graduate course, course schedule adjustments will be made to satisfy the dynamics of the class.

SESSION ONE – January 21-24

Day 1: AM

1. Introductions (Learn about each other and interests)

2. Course Outline, expectations, assignments, what constitutes success

3. The Role of a Public Administrator

Purpose: To provide a practical perspective on the functions of a public administrator

Agenda: Lecture and Discussion

Assignment: None

Reading:

Newell, Charldean, ed., (2004). The Effective Local Government Manager, 3rd ed Chapter 1

New Imperatives on Public Managers



Day 1: PM

1. Communications and Presentation Skills

Purpose: To build effective communication and presentation skills

Agenda: Lecture and Discussion;

Exercise - One Minute Persuasive Introduction

The Third Side exercises

Reading: Big Dog’s Leadership Page – Presentation Skills





The Third Side readings, Harvard University, (Posted on Blackboard)

2. Context of Public Administration

Purpose: To explore the practice of Public Administration in today’s environment

Agenda: Lecture, Discussion and Exercise

Reading:

Newell, Charldean, ed., (2004). The Effective Local Government Manager, Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4 and 7

Day 2: AM

1. Not-for-Profit Sector Strategic Planning

Purpose: To develop an appreciation of strategic planning, its terminology, and process

Agenda: Lecture and Discussion

Group Exercise: To develop a mission and vision statement

Assignment: Review a Strategic Plan; Assess strengths and weaknesses

Reading:

Richard D. Young, Perspectives on Strategic Planning in the Public Sector



Carter McNamara, Strategic Planning



Day 2: PM

1. Program and Project Management

Purpose: To examine strategies and tactics for getting a program out of the starting blocks, staying on track, evaluating performance and reaching mission accomplishment

Agenda: Lecture and Discussion

Reading:

UK Office of Government Commerce: Programme and Projects



Newell, Charldean, ed., (2004). Effective Local Government Manager, Chapter 6

2. Discussion of Class Project

Day 3: AM

1. Public Finances: Present, Past, and Future

Purpose: To develop effectiveness in management of public finances

Agenda: Lecture and discussion

Watch David Walker’s documentary IOUSA

Assignment: Analysis of Budgets

Reading:

The State Fiscal Situation: The Lost Decade, National Governors Association



Beyond California: States in Fiscal Peril, Pew Center on the States



Economic Stimulus: Review of Federal () and State (recovery.) websites

The 2010-11 Budget: California's Fiscal Outlook, Legislative Analyst Office



Day 3: PM

1. The Transformational Potential of IT

Purpose: To understand the value of IT as the 21st Century economic engine

Agenda: Lecture and discussion

Reading:

Peter Drucker, Beyond the Information Revolution, Atlantic Monthly 1999



Peter Drucker, The Age of Social Transformation, Atlantic Monthly, November 1994



Malcolm Gladwell, Clicks and Mortar, The New Yorker, December 1999



Lynda M. Applegate, Boon-Siong Neo, John King, Singapore TradeNet: Beyond TradeNet to the Intelligent Island



Chun Wei Choo, National Computer Policy Management in Singapore: Planning An Intelligent Island



2008 State New Economy Index, ITIF and Kaufman Foundation



Day 4: AM

1. Critical Thinking

Purpose: To investigate a few sense-making approaches

Agenda: Lecture and Model Making

Reading:

Weick, Karl. (1996). Drop Your Tools: An allegory for organizational studies. Administrative Science Quarterly 41:301-313.

Paul, Richard and Linda Elder. (2006). Critical Thinking: Concepts and Tools.

2. Negotiation Skills

Purpose: To examine an approach and develop skill sets for resolving conflict and negotiation

Agenda: Lecture and Discussion

Reading:

O’Leary, Rosemary and Lisa. (2007) Bingham A Manager’s Guide to Resolving Conflict in Collaborative Networks, IBM Center for the Business of Government, (Posted on Blackboard)

Day 4 PM

1. Presentation of Book/Article Review

2. Project Discussion: Creating Teams; Working session

SESSION TWO – February 18-21

Day 5: AM

1. Project Work Session

2. Draft Project Presentations and Critique

Day 5: PM

2. The Emerging Workforce Challenges

Purpose: To explore the culture, educational attainment, and other issues for the generation coming into the workforce

Agenda: Lecture and discussion

View Video – 2 Million Minutes

Reading:

Partnership for Public Service, Elevating our Federal Workforce



Stuart Greenfield, Public Sector Employment: The Current Situation



Bureau of Labor Statistics, Tomorrow’s Jobs – Occupation Outlook Handbook 2008-09



Abramson, Mark A. 2002. The Six Key Human Capital Questions Facing Government. The Business of Government Spring pp 31-34



3. Governance and Decision Making Across Organizations and Sectors

Purpose: To understand the need to effectively function across functional and jurisdictional boundaries

Agenda: Lecture and Discussion

Readings

ec3, XBI—Cross Boundary Integration: The Key to Successful E-Government



Jeffrey Roy and John Langford, Integrating Service Delivery Across Levels of Government: Case Studies of Canada and Other Countries



Day 6: AM

1. Measuring Organizational Performance

Purpose: To understand the importance of achieving mission accomplishment and being able to show the results

Agenda: Lecture, Discussion and small group exercise

Reading:

Kamensky, John M. (2001) What is "Managing for Results? IBM Center for the Business of Government; (Posted on Blackboard)

Kamensky, John M. (2009) Transparency: The New Frontier of Performance Management. IBM Center for the Business of Government; (Posted on Blackboard)

ICMA. (1999) Why Performance Matters?, (Posted on Blackboard)

Newcomer, Kathryn E. and Mary Ann Scheirer, (2001) Using Evaluation to Support Performance Management: A guide for federal executives. IBM Center for the Business of Government; (Posted on Blackboard)

2. Managing Organizational Risk

Purpose: To examine skills and strategies for successful management of risk in organizations

Agenda: Lecture, Discussion and Exercise

Reading:

Hardy, Karen. (2009) Managing Risk in Government: An introduction to enterprise risk management, IBM Center for the Business of Government; (Posted on Blackboard)

Day 6: PM

1. New Media and Government

Purpose: To Understand the Power of New Media in Shaping the 21st Century Government

Agenda: Lecture and Discussion

Reading:

The White House Blog, Your Government: Open for Business in New Ways and New Places



Paul Greenburg, Power to the People AND the Government: The Value of New Media in Public Service



Colin Delaney, Learning from Obama: Lessons for Online Communicators in 2009 and Beyond



2. New Concepts in Civic Engagement: Electronic Town Halls and More

Purpose: To Explore the Power of the Internet to Re-engage the Citizens

Agenda: Lecture and Discussion

Class Exercise: Use of Google Moderator or Ideascale as a crowdsourcing application

Reading: Browse Websites

Open Government Dialogue Website



Chad Vander Veen, Crowdsourcing Helps Chicago Chamber of Commerce Find More Bus Riders



Number 10: The Official Site of the Prime Minister’s Office, ePetitions



: A Twitter Forum for Sharing & Discussing Ideas to Move California Forward



Dan Bevarly and Jeffery G. Ulma, Citizen Involvement in The Digital Age



Day 7: AM

1. Ethics: What’s your code?

Purpose: To explore the development, practice and implications of ethics in public organizations

Agenda: Lecture, Discussion and Exercises

Reading: Richter, William L. and Frances Burke, Ed. (2007). Combating Corruption, Encouraging Ethics: A Practical Guide to Ethics

2. Public Sector Procurement – How, Why, and the Process

Purpose: To develop a working knowledge of Government Procurement and related issues

Agenda: Lecture and Discussion

Reading:

Patrick D. Kennedy and Maeve E. Cannon, Government Procurement Basics



L. Elaine Halchin, Overview of the Federal Procurement Process and Resources



Howard A. Frank, Ph.D., Beyond the Bid: An Evaluation of State and Local Government Procurement Practices



Day 7: PM

1. Globalization and Governmental Challenge

Purpose: To develop an understanding of the impact of global events on local public administration

Agenda: Lecture and discussion

Reading:

Murray Sabrin, The Impact of the Iraqi War on the U.S. Economy



Fareed Zakaria, The Future of American Power



2. Government Transparency: Building Trust

Purpose: To explore the new political movement of government transparency

Agenda: Lecture and Discussion

Reading:

Federal GSA Newsletter;



Day 8: AM

1. Project Work session

2. Political Environment and the Public Sector

Purpose: To understand the skills needed to get things done in a world of ambiguities and conflicting agendas

Agenda: Lecture and Discussion

Guest Lecturer

Reading:

FSU News



Day 8: PM

1. Leadership: Putting it all Together

Purpose: To become more familiar with your own leadership tools and investigate some other sets of useful leadership skills

Agenda: Lecture, Discussion and Exercise

Reading:

Bohn, Roger. (2000). Stop Fighting Fires. Harvard Business Review, July-August: 83-91.

Boin, Arjen and Paul t’Hart. (2003). Public leadership in times of crisis: Mission impossible. Public Administration Review 63(5): 544-553.

Buchanan, Paul. A Guide To Effective Problem Solving. Leadership Resources, Inc. (undated)

Clayton, Ross. Managerial Craftsmanship: Conceptual skills and public management. USC(not published).

Kurkjian, Mary. (1984). Bromides for Public Managers by Gorden Chase. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University

2. Closing the Loop: Review Class Expectations

WRITING STYLE

For assistance in writing style suitable for this graduate class, one source is the Chicago Manual of Style Online Quick Guide found at:



FACULTY BIOGRAPHIES:

P.K. Agarwal was appointed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger as the Chief Technology Officer for the State of California in 2005. During his tenure, he has successfully consolidated multiple independent IT organizations thus saving taxpayers over $60 million dollars and created an enterprise operation consisting of 800 professionals. He has over 25 years of experience in government technology, spanning both public and private sector. Prior to his current job, he held positions of VP at ACS Inc, CIO and EVP for NIC Inc., and the CIO for the California Franchise Tax Board. He started his professional career as a Management Consultant for EDS.

He has a national reputation as a public sector visionary. He helped pioneer the use of Internet in government and shaped the national and state policy in this area, dating back to Al Gore’s National Information Infrastructure Advisory Council in 1995. He has the unique distinction of having a U.S. national annual award named as the “P.K. Agarwal Award for Leadership in Electronic Government”. He also served as the president of National Association of State CIO’s.

He has outstanding long term relationships with government media, industry, as well as trade associations. He has the unique ability to effectively communicate and advocate complex technology issues to senior executives and policy bodies such as the legislature. He is someone who can be a visionary as well as get the job done. P.K. is a coveted public speaker known for his insightful, visionary, and humorous presentations. He is a fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration and a member of Harvard Kennedy School’s Policy Group.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dr. Dan M. Haverty is a 26 year Fire Service veteran and is the Fire Chief and Deputy Emergency Services Director for the City of Folsom, California. He has held every rank to his current position as well as assignments as Training Officer, Public Information Officer, Director of Community Services, Director of Emergency Medical Services and Director of Economic Planning and Development. Following the attacks of September 11, 2001 Dan served as a loaned executive to the California Governors Office of Homeland Security as the Chief Assistant Deputy Director for Training and Exercise Division. In this role he helped establish a multi-disciplinary team to develop and implement California’s Homeland Security and All-Risk Emergency Preparedness Exercise programs, with Golden Guardian becoming a nationally recognized model for a state exercise series. Dan continues his work in emergency management in the Sacramento region and is known for his facilitation skills and expertise in this area.

Dan is a founding member of the USC Homeland Security Center of Excellence CREATE User Advisor Council. Dan sits on the boards of the Sacramento Regional Fire/EMS Communications Center, Golden State Donor Services, and Sacramento Chapter of the American Society for Public Administration. He is a member of the International Association of Fire Chiefs and current President of the Sacramento County Fire Chiefs’ Association.

His education includes a B.S. in Fire Service Management and M.S. in Public Agency Communication from California State University, Sacramento and an M.P.A. and Doctorate in Public Administration from the University of Southern California.

Appendix A

Project Outline

The Project shall include the following elements:

Section I: The Organization

1. Name of organization

2. Names of senior leadership

3. Brief history of organization

4. Organization’s purpose or mission

5. Illustration and description of organizational structure

Section II: Research Method(s)

1. Description of analytical approach or methods

2. Limitations and strengths

Section III: Findings

1. Description of the environment (, i.e. financial, legal, legislative, political, competitive)

2. Identification and description of challenge or problem

Section IV: Management recommendations

1. Options for improvements

a. Pros and cons for each

b. What defines success

c. Timeline or milestones

d. Implementation challenges and strengths

e. Likely outcome(s)

i. Short-term

ii. Long-term

Section V: Conclusion

................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download