Scaffolded Policy Brief Assignment

Overview

You will analyze one of three current public administration challenges through a 5-week scaffolded project using Google Docs with tracked changes. Each week builds on course concepts and requires specific integration with your Kettl textbook. By the end of Week 5, you will have created a professional policy brief demonstrating your understanding of public administration theory and practice.

Total Project Value: 45% of course grade Research Logs: 10% of course grade (graded separately)

Policy Brief Project Grade Breakdown:

• Week 1: 10% of Policy Brief grade (Problem Statement & Research Foundation)
• Week 2: 15% of Policy Brief grade (Stakeholder Analysis & Context)
• Week 3: 20% of Policy Brief grade (Organizational Theory Application)
• Week 4: 25% of Policy Brief grade (Management Challenges & Solutions)
• Week 5: 30% of Policy Brief grade (Final Recommendations & Polish)

Research Log Grading: Each weekly Research Log is worth 2% of your total course grade (5 weeks × 2% = 10% total). Research Logs are evaluated on evidence of genuine engagement with sources, reflection on learning process, and connection to course concepts.

Topic Options (Choose One)

Option 1: “Who Gets Help?” — Disaster Relief and Administrative Discretion

Prompt:
Analyze how public agencies decide who gets help first after disasters like wildfires, floods, or extreme heat events. Focus on one case (e.g. Maui fires, Hurricane Ian, California wildfires) and examine how values like efficiency, equity, and accountability were balanced (or not).

Key Themes:
- Administrative discretion - Equity in service delivery - Interagency coordination - Public trust and transparency

Kettl Links:
Ch. 1 (Core Values), Ch. 2 (Government Functions), Ch. 7–8 (Implementation & Budgeting), Ch. 10 (Oversight)

Option 2: “Smart Tech, Safe City?” — Surveillance and Public Safety in Local Government

Prompt:
Explore how a local government or law enforcement agency is using surveillance tech (e.g. drones, license plate readers, facial recognition). Analyze the administrative challenges of implementing this tech: who oversees it, how it’s budgeted, and how it affects public trust.

Key Themes:
- Accountability and innovation - Local governance and discretion - Regulation and civil liberties - Performance and budgeting

Kettl Links:
Ch. 3 (Gov’t Functions), Ch. 4–5 (Organizational Theory & Executive Structure), Ch. 9–10 (Regulation & Accountability)

Option 3: “Is This Working?” — Evaluating a Public Program in Your Community

Prompt:
Choose a local public program—something your city or county is doing (e.g. homelessness response, water conservation, youth services). Evaluate how effective it is and what administrative challenges it faces. Use Kettl’s frameworks to diagnose problems and recommend improvements.

Key Themes:
- Program performance and evaluation - Administrative capacity - Budgeting and implementation - Community impact

Kettl Links:
Ch. 2 (What Government Does), Ch. 6 (Human Capital), Ch. 8 (Performance Management), Ch. 10 (Accountability)

Project Structure

Week 1: Problem Statement & Research Foundation

Due: Saturday, Week 1, 11:59 PM
Length: 400-600 words
Aligns with: Modules 1-2 (Introduction & Foundations)

Required Elements

Problem Definition (200-300 words)

• Clear problem statement related to your chosen topic
• Connect to Kettl Chapter 1: Use the three core values framework (accountability, efficiency, equity) to explain why this is a significant PA problem (cite specific pages)
• Scope definition: What specific aspect of the broader issue will you focus on?

Significance & Evidence (200-300 words)

• Administrative relevance: Why does this matter for public administration practice?
• Current evidence: 2-3 statistics, examples, or recent developments (2022-2024 sources)
• Connect to Kettl Chapter 2: Reference “what government does” framework (cite specific sections)

Weekly Research Log

Write 2-3 sentences documenting: “This week I found [specific sources/data] and learned [key insights about the problem].”

Week 2: Stakeholder Analysis & Context

Due: Saturday, Week 2, 11:59 PM
Length: 500-700 words (added to existing doc)
Aligns with: Modules 3-4 (Government Functions & Organizational Theory)

Required Elements

Stakeholder Mapping (250-350 words)

• Primary stakeholders: Government agencies, officials, affected populations
• Secondary stakeholders: Interest groups, contractors, other governments
• Conflicting interests: How do stakeholder goals create administrative challenges?
• Connect to Kettl Chapter 3: Use government functions framework to categorize stakeholder roles (cite specific examples)

Contextual Factors (250-350 words)

• Political environment: How do political pressures affect administrative action?
• Legal/regulatory constraints: What rules shape administrative responses?
• Resource limitations: Budget, staff, or technology constraints
• Connect to Kettl Chapter 5 and 7: Apply organizational theory concepts to explain coordination challenges (minimum 2 concepts with page citations)

Weekly Research Log

Document new sources and insights about stakeholder dynamics.

Week 3: Organizational Theory Application

Due: Saturday, Week 3, 11:59 PM
Length: 500-700 words (added to existing doc)
Aligns with: Modules 5-6 (Executive Branch & Human Capital); Chapter 7 (Organizational Problems)

Required Elements

Structural Analysis (250-350 words)

• Organizational design issues: How does structure contribute to the problem?
• Coordination challenges: Between agencies, levels of government, or departments
• Authority and accountability: Who is responsible and how is performance measured?
• Connect to Kettl Chapter 6: Use executive branch organization concepts to analyze structural problems (cite specific examples)

Human Capital Challenges (250-350 words)

• Personnel issues: Staffing, skills, training, or motivation problems
• Management capacity: Leadership and oversight challenges
• Organizational culture: How do values and norms affect performance?
• Connect to Kettl Chapter 10: Apply human capital management concepts (minimum 3 applications with page numbers)

Weekly Research Log

Document what you learned about organizational and management factors.

Week 4: Management Challenges & Solutions

Due: Saturday, Week 4, 11:59 PM
Length: 600-800 words (added to existing doc)
Aligns with: Modules 7-8 (Decision Making, Budgeting & Performance)

Required Elements

Administrative Challenges (300-400 words)

• Decision-making problems: Information gaps, conflicting priorities, time pressures
• Implementation barriers: What prevents effective policy execution?
• Performance measurement: How do agencies know if they’re succeeding?
• Connect to Kettl Chapters 11 and 13: Use decision-making framework to analyze challenges (cite specific processes)

Preliminary Solutions (300-400 words)

• Process improvements: Better coordination, communication, or planning
• Resource solutions: Funding, staffing, or technology needs
• Structural reforms: Organizational changes or new authorities
• Connect to Kettl Chapters 12: Address budgeting and performance concepts (cite specific tools or approaches)

Weekly Research Log

Note what you discovered about potential solutions and their feasibility.

Week 5: Final Recommendations & Polish

Due: Friday, Week 5, 11:59 PM
Length: 400-600 words recommendations + executive summary revision
Aligns with: Modules 9-10 (Regulation, Courts & Accountability)

Required Elements

Policy Recommendations (400-600 words)

• Three specific recommendations: Actionable steps to address the problem
• Implementation strategy: How would these be carried out in practice?
• Feasibility assessment: Political, financial, and administrative constraints
• Expected outcomes: How would success be measured?
• Connect to Kettl Chapters 13-15: Address accountability and oversight mechanisms (cite specific concepts)

Executive Summary (300-400 words)

• Problem overview: Concise statement of the issue and its significance
• Key findings: Most important insights from your analysis
• Primary recommendations: Your top solutions with brief justification
• Call to action: Why these recommendations should be adopted

Final Document Requirements

• Total length: 2,800-4,200 words
• Professional formatting: Clear headers, consistent style
• APA citations: In-text citations and reference list
• Revision polish: Fix any errors, improve flow and clarity

Final Research Log

Reflect on what you learned about public administration through this project.

Grading Criteria

Each Week Evaluated On

• Content Quality (40%): Depth of analysis, use of evidence
• Kettl Integration (30%): Accurate application of textbook concepts
• Research Quality (20%): Appropriate sources, current information
• Writing & Process (10%): Clarity, tracked changes, research logs

AI-Use Detection

The following will result in automatic zero for that week:

• Sudden appearance of large text blocks without revision history
• Generic analysis not specific to your chosen topic
• Missing or inaccurate Kettl citations
• Inconsistent writing style between weeks
• Research logs that don’t match document development

Tips for Success

Research Strategy

• Start with government reports and official documents
• Use Google Scholar for academic sources
• Check recent news coverage for current developments
• Save sources in a separate document for easy citation

Writing Approach

• Write in small chunks throughout the week
• Focus on specific examples rather than generic statements
• Always connect back to Kettl concepts with page numbers
• Use your research log to track your thinking process

Avoiding AI Detection

• Show your work through revision history
• Be specific to your chosen case rather than generic
• Demonstrate genuine engagement with course materials
• Build incrementally rather than adding complete sections

Getting Help

• Use office hours for topic selection and research guidance
• Post questions in the Discord #320-public-admin channel
• Contact instructor immediately if you have technical issues with Google Docs