Table of Contents
Summary
This course has been challenging, however very enlightening it has shown that there is more to making a policy and tons of factors that make it succeed. A policy is made with careful thought and consideration for whom it will serve. A policy is put into place in order to ensure everyone can benefit from it but also protects those who cannot protect themselves. A policy goes through stages before it can be passed because everything needs to be considered before that policy is made final. It challenges us to think outside the box, to dive deeper into the subject matter discussions in order to gain more knowledge and understanding of what public administration entails. It is not just about reading but also learning from those with different backgrounds.
This has enlightened us how to understand the things that are going on within the world politically and the issues that would generally go over some of our heads. This has bought us to be more aware of things going on around us. It has bought attention to some us that did not watch the news or show any interest in politics. We love the fact that taking this course, especially this class, has turned some of us into a person who wants to know what is going on politically, gain understanding, insights, thoughts, and opinions. Only the people who pay attention and feel as though they are involved would want to do something like that. Throughout these past weeks we have learned more about policy research and what steps are taken in order to recommend a policy. We learned that stakeholders are those affected by such policy and the underlying problems associated with that policy. This course also discussed the various methods to communicate why the policy is needed, who should receive the information, when they should receive it and exactly how much information should be divulged. Learning to dissect a policy problem and determine what alternatives can be implemented is an area that can take you on many directions. Each question has an answer but also another question can come from the question. We can take lessons learned from this course, apply them in our current careers and help us with deciding a new career.
The course has been informative it has taught not only new concepts but better ways to be effective in the public sector. Stakeholders have limited knowledge about the role of a legislator and their efforts in the preparation of a public policy that will be efficient and effective in the community they serve. Since stakeholders are made up of diverse group of individuals, the preparation process of a public policy requires considerable thought. Stakeholders have many duties when deciding on a policy especially for the public sector because they representative the interest of all the public in the end. Stakeholders in the public or private sectors can help give resources, ask for investments and collect data that will help make a policy succeed.
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A review of the project that we prepared for this course is a reminder of the analytic, evaluative, implementation and projected outcome criterion required to achieve the goal of a public policy. This course is a reminder that it takes a considerable amount of effort and a variety of individuals of all ethnicities to invest in the public policy process. When a policy is introduced among a group of individuals it is presented with a purpose to either improve an existing policy, replace an out of date policy or to show direction to the new way of things. During difficult times an old policy may not work for that situation and will need to be changed but in order for it to be changed their needs to be another that can replace so there is a list of steps it must go through in order to see if it is for the best.
This course emphasizes the importance of observation and communication to complete the public policy process. Students were given an opportunity to understand the critical steps in identifying the problem, outlining the objectives, naming, addressing the appropriate stakeholders, and convincing arguments that guarantees a favorable outcome.
One of the things we did learn over the weeks in this course was why the implementation part of a policy is critical. When implementing a policy, it must be discussed with those who will be deciding if that policy will work to ensure all pros and cons are laid out on the table for discussion. Then the policy is customized for its purpose, then it is stated clearly what the policy will do and what the outcome needs to be. The next step is to make sure the policy is reasonable for all then it is announced that there will be a policy or procedure to follow. Then all involved using the new policy will need to be trained about its purpose and procedures. For a policy implementation to work it needs to be consistent, reevaluate from time to time to ensure it stays up to date, then it needs to be obeyed and enforce for all to follow. Lawmakers are always challenged by the fact that they must convince their constituency that outcome represents the best solution.
This course provided an opportunity define alternatives that would include options if the initial plan did not represent the most viable solution. The use of social media, newspapers, TV, etc. as an option for providing additional research and communication strategies was another learning opportunity. The construct of a budget to complete the cost-benefit and cost-effectiveness components was an opportunity to introduce students to the relationships in the financial sector. “Although cost-effectiveness analysis and benefit-cost-analysis sound alike and are frequent traveling companions, they are not the same, and their uses can be quite different”.
Thoughts/Opinions
An example of what this course has taught me and others about working in the field of public administration and the various role’s we can play is the current health crisis this country is facing. The COVID‐19 pandemic is seen as the biggest crisis since World War II. What started out as a public health issue, has quickly morphed into a political, economic, and societal crisis of epic proportions. During pandemic’s like the one we are all facing at this time, we all need to come together to help solve the issue at hand in order to help the public beat a crisis like the one they facing because the individuals in any type of administration are the ones that all individuals need to depend when they cannot do it themselves.
Some of us were able to learn more about the Affordable Care Act than we have previous known. That topic was of interest because we were able to use previous experiences to relate to issues. One of us were able to relate from their last job working with the elderly, they saw what was going to happen beforehand in Louisiana if they would have done away with the Medicaid services. That was going to destroy lots of people by having them lose healthcare to people losing their jobs. It was crazy how it went from just talk of Medicaid to the Affordable Care Act. Overall, this class was also a recap of the things we have previously learned within the Public Administration Program. Even though this was our last class and it has been hard to focus because of the Corona Virus outbreak, it has been interesting. We feel what we have learn has enable us to be ready to go and find a job with the state senate or government. We feel greatly confident from the things that we have learned and would be capable of getting the job done the right way. While getting our degrees we have experience drastic changes and better understandings to why things change our lives for the better. One of the teammates have an opportunity to go and work for the Mayor in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and one of their high school classmates is running for U.S. Senate. They have made the right decision and that things are going to work out for them during these difficult times because of the choices they have not only made but because of the career path they chosen.
Administrative capacity is a major factor in determining whether societies will emerge from this unprecedented situation with resilience and optimism, or despair and disconnectedness, and whether trust in government will increase or decrease. Public administration involves a variety of strategies that can help fix an issue that the economy or society is facing at a challenging time. Most business in the public or private sectors of an administration try to concentrate on implementing new ways to serve the public needs and wants. Public administrators are tasked with planning, organizing, directing, coordinating, and controlling of government operations which in this time is much needed. This course has pointed out the various stakeholders who are involved with helping to shape policy, their motives and beliefs, political actors and collaborative networks that will always be a voice in policy research and implementation.
This course provided tools that helps one be successful in the different areas of public administration but also putting those skills to be use in your everyday life. Each day we are faced with a problem to solve and must determine if it is really the problem or if it is truly something else. We must then explore possible resolutions to the problem, who will be affected, the cost with implementing a new policy and whose voices are a part of the solution. It also gave opportunities to expand of the public policy process and the role of legislators. Legislators have a major responsibility to their constituency, and they are frequently reminded that their efforts will be recognized during an election.
This course provided me with an opportunity to research affordable housing, which is a crisis that has impacted the city where I am a resident. The fact that our nation is now suffering through COVID 19 has escalated the public housing crisis because millions of people are unemployed, and unable to pay their rent. Public housing was established for low- and middle-income families, but the economy is currently in turmoil, and we do not know if it will ever bounce back.
Lawmakers are overwhelmed by the escalation in poverty, and dwindling savings of individuals in every state. They have created legislation to grant temporary assistance so that rents will be frozen to prevent evictions, but a major problem is the city is now running out of money. The city is borrowing from the state, and the state is soliciting funds from the federal government. The recent $1200 stimulus is not enough to prevent personal bankruptcies after a job loss. Lawmakers are spending long hours to alleviate the stress of individuals in public housing, businesses, and other forms of employment. However, they recognize that the answer to the problem is a lack of funding, and although they have legislation, adequate funding will continue to be a challenge.
Funding is not easy to get when trying to use it to help or assist those in need because just like a policy or problem that needs financial help there needs to be proper steps and consideration to be taken before funding can be issued to anyone to ensure one that funding is going to a place it will help the majority or hurt them.
Highlights
In the beginning some of us choose a path in Public Administration, that also went along with our previous degrees, we have a better understanding, that there are more options and opportunities out there for us. This year has just been a drastic change for the world as well dealing with the new normal of wearing masks when we leave our home to go to the store or anywhere else. While there are many highlights from this course, we would have to say the one we have enjoyed the most is the feedback from the professor. Being able to write is one of the most important aspects of any career and to receive the needed feedback to enhance those skills is equally important. Constructive feedback is a robust tool for creating healthy environment, boosting productivity and engagement, and achieving better results. This works for many different areas like business, sports, education, and many others.
Feedback positively influences on communication, team members’ interaction and teamwork results in different fields. The feedback process has provided help to everyone not only on track but pinpoint areas of weakness, which help to avoid any major mistakes. The feedback provided each week has allowed me to grow both professionally and personally in my abilities. To understand and implement changes in areas that I would not have thought to which in the end increase my capabilities. The professor’s feedback has never been demeaning or judgmental but one that is of motivation.
Motivating students to do more than what they are doing shows the professor has quickly picked up on the level of work being presented versus what can be presented. Being able to have open discussions with not just the professor but will all classmates have been highly informative and helpful because it allowed us all to think greater. By us being able to discuss many different topics over the last six weeks has encourage many of us to challenge one another and to speak up about our opinions even if it does not make sense to the next person but it open doors for communication to happen. Once this course is over, we will take what we have learned just like we have from other courses and apply them to our everyday lives or careers. It is important that we also take an understanding to what others may think or suggest because the world is made from different people’s thoughts and beliefs.
If we cannot challenge one another then we will never learn from one’s faults or gain knowledge from their success. Discussion questions gives one the opportunity to ask what we may all be thinking and give us a chance to listen to others views on that question that could lead to many other issues being bought to everyone’s attention.
Another highlight that is memorable from this course was the amazing team we had the privilege of working with for the past 6 weeks. We shared a very interesting camaraderie, and the various challenges of first-time experiences of working from home despite the fact that there were children for some, and the care of elderly parents for others, our assignments were always at a quality level, and submitted before the deadline. From an academic perspective, the project we selected for the course was interesting, and very productive. The lawmakers have a major job when they are in office with the responsibility of the stakeholders and their respective needs. This course has provided me with enough information on the public policy process so that I can identify with some of the issues that are impacting my community. There is so much that we have learned within this course and these past weeks has allowed us to recap on everything. We are more aware of public policy issues, alternatives, implementation, etc. We found this class to be most interesting during this time as we are going through this pandemic and people are now paying attention to what is going on in the world versus when no one pays attention to anything. Finally, now that we have a better understanding of the public sector, we can make recommendations about implementing change, and the internal and external environments that impact the public policy outcome.
References
- Bardach, E., & Patashnik, E. M. (2016). A Practical Guide for Policy Analysis: The Eightfold Path to More Effective Problem Solving. (5th ed.) Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage
