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Case
Memo Assignments
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Directions
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| One of the ways we will examine and apply the
concepts discussed in the readings is by analyzing six cases contained
in Part II of Patton and Sawicki’s Basic Methods
of Policy Analysis and Planning: |
 | Chapter 10: Downtown Development |
| Chapter 12: Solid-Waste Collection Methods |
| Chapter 13: Campus Parking Policies |
| Chapter 14: Emergency Aid for Home Fuel: Developing
an Allocation Formula |
| Chapter 15: A Tax on Diapers |
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| Since case analysis is essentially self-learning through simulated
experience, its success depends on the lively exchange of information,
ideas, and opinions during case discussions.
Students must come prepared to discuss all aspects of the case,
apply the concepts in the readings to the case, and be able to answer the
questions at the end of each case study or those posed on the class web
site or it will adversely affect your class participation grade.
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| Students enrolled in this class should understand that case
analysis executed as a team is a key element of your course responsibility
and you should be available outside of classroom time to meet with your
group members. Your
individual grade on these assignments will be the group grade.
Groups are free to allocate responsibilities in any way you want;
however, groups are not expected to carry free riders.
A peer evaluation form will be used when you complete your second
group case memo and an individual grade may be adjusted lower if the team
reports that one of its members did not contribute to the group memos.
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Memo
Assignments - Groups
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| At the beginning of the semester, you will be assigned
to a team. Each team will be
responsible for preparing a memorandum that analyzes 1 case. You should ignore the directions contained in the chapters,
although they often provide some helpful guidance. Instead, your
analysis should describe the problem, identify the alternatives and
evaluative criteria, compare outcomes, and include a recommended course of
action and where applicable an implementation strategy. This
analysis should form the basis of your presentation. It should also
be summarized in memo form with any necessary supplemental information
included as attachments. Your memos are limited to 3 single-spaced
pages with 1 inch margins and 12 point
font. Any
format can be used provided that it is professional in format Most
word processing programs have templates that can be used.
You can download a sample memo for my PLS 308 class by clicking
here. Additional instructions and guidance
for preparing case memos is included on the web site. |
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Presentations
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| Each
team will also be responsible for presenting their analysis of the case
to the class. Your presentation
should be professional and be designed as if you were briefing the
decisionmakers who commissioned the analysis. Thus,
it should include a discussion of the problem, the evaluative criteria,
the alternatives, an analysis of the alternatives, your recommendations,
and where applicable an implementation strategy.
You will
have only 10 minutes to present your analysis.
Accordingly, your presentation should be brief, well organized, and
professional. You should rehearse the presentation to ensure that
you complete it in the time allowed. You should also use appropriate
audiovisual aids. |
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