| Case Memos |
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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
several of the cases contained in Patton, et al.'s Basic Methods
of Policy Analysis and Planning (3rd Edition) |
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 | Chapter 11: Defending Against Accusations of
Discriminatory Housing Practices |
| Chapter 12: Municipal Garbage: Solid-Waste Collection Methods |
| Chapter 13: University On-Campus Parking
Policies |
| Chapter 14: Emergency Aid for Home Fuel: Developing
an Allocation Formula |
| Chapter 15: A State Tax on Plastic Shopping
Bags |
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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.
For the group memos, your individual grade on the assignment 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.
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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Individual
Memo
Assignment (Required)
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students are required to complete the first memo assignment for Case 13:
University On-Campus Parking Policies. You should ignore the
directions included in this chapter. Instead, you should read the
case, assume you area consultant working for Public Policy Analysis, Inc.
and write a memo directed to the President of the State University who hired
your firm. Your memo should include your preliminary analysis of the
situation based on the information contained in the case. Your memo
should verify and frame the problem, identify some specific alternatives (or
a set of strategies) that can be used to address the problem, the evaluative
criteria you relied on to analyze the alternatives, and your preliminary
recommendation. Be sure to use data and numbers from the case to
support your arguments.
Your memos should be formatted professionally and be well
written. They
are limited to no longer than 3 single-spaced
pages with 1 inch margins and 12 point
font.
This doesn't include any
attachments or figures (e.g., a table comparing the alternatives,
documentation for your calculations, etc.). Blackboard contains a
variety of readings to provide guidance in terms of preparing memos. |
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| Group Memo Assignments (3 of 4) |
| At the beginning of the semester, you will be assigned
to a team.
Each team is required to prepare 3 memos (see your group assignments and the
required memos). Each team has the option of doing the fourth case
memo (i.e., non-assigned case) and the three highest grades will count
towards your final grade. You should ignore the directions
at the beginning of the case. Instead, each team will be
responsible for preparing a memorandum that analyzes each
case and responds to the following questions: |
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| Chapter 11: Defending Against Accusations
of Discriminatory Housing Practices: Assume you have been
contacted by Jan McGinty. Prepare a memorandum that analyzes
fair-share housing and whether Peters is meeting the terms of the
agreement. |
| Chapter 12: Municipal Garbage: Solid-Waste Collection Methods:
Assume you work in the budget office of the City. You were asked
to review these data and write a memo to the Mayor analyzing the problem
and alternatives and to recommend the alternative the city should adopt
moving forward. |
| Chapter 14: Emergency Aid for Home Fuel: Developing
an Allocation Formula: Assume
you are an analyst on the staff of the county executive one of the three
counties in the case (e.g., Milwaukee, Dane, or Rusk). Prepare a
memorandum to the administrator of the WHEP that describes your proposed
allocation formula and be sure to display how the formula allocates
funds for each of three counties. |
| Chapter 15: A State Tax on
Plastic Shopping Bags: Assume you are a policy analyst working
for a state senator. Write a briefing memo for the senator that
includes a recommended course of action. If you urge delay, be
sure to clearly describe how you will use the additional time to learn
more about the problem and the additional alternatives you plan to
examine. |
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| Be
sure that your memos use data and numbers from the case to support your
arguments.
Your memos should be formatted professionally and
be well written because each group member can help edit the text. They
are limited to no longer than 3 single-spaced
pages with 1 inch margins and 12 point
font.
This doesn't include any
attachments or figures (e.g., a table comparing the alternatives,
documentation for your calculations, etc.).
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Presentations
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Each
team will present 2 cases
to the class.
Your presentation should be in the form of a briefing for decision makers
and be professional in nature. It is limited to 10 minutes.
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 (no
more than 5 - 10 slides).
Since everyone will have read the case, your presentations
should focus on your analysis should focus on the alternatives, evaluative
criteria, systematic comparison of the alternatives, and the presentation of
a recommendation grounded in the data from the analysis. You may wish
to provide a handout as you would if making a presentation to decision
makers.
See
the set of readings on Blackboard that provide advice on making good
presentations. |
