October 13, 2005
The latest comp questions and letter have been made available in pdf form here:
[PDF] Comps letter and questions (12 KiB)
Permission to use the case Snow Removal was granted by Hallway.org which is administered by the University of Washington's Daniel J. Evans School of Public Affairs.
February 5, 2004
Your assignment is to assure the MAPA faculty that you have a good grasp of the concepts, practices and literature central to the discipline of public administration. In order to blend theory and practice the faculty have requested that you read and digest the Electronic Hallway Network case study entitled Managing Cutbacks at the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services.
The purpose of the case study is to create a real world framework within which you can answer a number of questions that relate to the problems, crises, and dilemmas identified in the case. The questions do not need to be addressed ad seriatim but all need to be answered in full. You should draw on your classroom experience, class reading materials, and your own experiences either in or with government. You may consult with each other or with others of your choosing but each essay must be individually completed.
The written MAPA Comprehensive Examination is to be picked up by the student on Thursday at 9:00 AM and returned to the department office manager the following Monday by 12:00 PM. Essays should not exceed 20 pages of text, but the number of pages of the bibliography and appendixes may be at the students discretion. The format of the essay must follow an acceptable style manual (APA, APSA, MLA, Chicago, etc.) and should be listed along with other reference materials, and must be double-spaced, with standard margins and fonts (please, no exotic fonts), and the essay is to be properly annotated, cited and referenced. Students are to return three copies of the essay in sealed envelopes to the office manager. Other faculty members may request a reading copy from the department office manager. The examiners will look for clear, concise written communication that illustrates the student's preparation for this examination.
Define cutback management and discuss the consequences of the process. Would you manage cutbacks the same way Gibbs did? Why?
Who are the stakeholders in this budget process and how would you assess the way Gibbs handled all of the stakeholders?
Define block and categorical grants and how you would have used either in the case fact situation. Why?
Define federalism and how it relates to this case.
Page two - MAPA Comprehensive Examination
Block grants usually indicate an intergovernmental relationship. In this case what is the relationship and how did Gibbs negotiate among the various levels of government. Would you have followed Gibbs' strategy?
Did the organizational structure of the department complicate or assist Gibbs in the implementation of his cutback plan? Is there a better organizational structure that could have made the plan easier to implement?
Define devolution politics and discuss how this could have affected the implementation of cutback policy.
In your answers to these questions please define the following concepts: the budget cycle, the tax structure and the various financial tools available to state decision makers.
Why did Gibbs choose the following: the budget format, the leadership style and the rational decision making model. Do you think he made the correct decisions in the matters?
October 14, 2004
Your assignment is to assure the MAPA faculty that you have a good grasp of the concepts, practices and literature central to the discipline of public administration. In order to blend theory and practice the faculty have requested that you read and digest the Electronic Hallway Network case study entitled Managing Cutbacks at the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services.
The purpose of the case study is to create a real world framework within which you can answer a number of questions that relate to the problems, crises, and dilemmas identified in the case. The questions do not need to be addressed ad seriatim but all need to be answered in full. You should draw on your classroom experience, class reading materials, and your own experiences either in or with government. You may consult with each other or with others of your choosing but each essay must be individually completed.
The written MAPA Comprehensive Examination is to be picked up by the student on Thursday at 9:00 AM and returned to the department office manager the following Monday by 12:00 PM. Essays should not exceed 20 pages of text, but the number of pages of the bibliography and appendixes may be at the students discretion. The format of the essay must follow an acceptable style manual (APA, APSA, MLA, Chicago, etc.) and should be listed along with other reference materials, and must be double-spaced, with standard margins and fonts (please, no exotic fonts), and the essay is to be properly annotated, cited and referenced. Students are to return three copies of the essay in sealed envelopes to the office manager. Other faculty members may request a reading copy from the department office manager. The examiners will look for clear, concise written communication that illustrates the student's preparation for this examination.
What is the environmental context in which Director Diana Gale operates?
What intergovernmental relations/management issues did the Seattle Public Utilities face?
What are some issues surrounding captial budgeting and enterprise funds?
What are the pros and cons of privatization and contracting pressures foreseen by Director Gale?
What other strategies were possible to handle reorganization of SPU?
How would you assesss the leadership of Dirctor Gale as it related to the reorganization of SPU?
Did upper management address personnel concerns as they related to reorganization?
Were the overall goals of the reorganization accomplished?
What recommendations do you have for the future of SPU?
September 18, 2003
Your assignment is to assure the MAPA faculty that you have a good grasp of the concepts, practices and literature central to the discipline of public administration. In order to blend theory and practice the faculty have requested that you read and digest the JFK Harvard case study entitled Managing the Employment and Training Administration: Job Training.
The purpose of the case study is to create a real world framework within which you can answer a number of questions that relate to the problems, crises, and dilemmas identified in the case. The questions do not need to be addressed ad seriatim but all need to be answered in full. You should draw on your classroom experience, class reading materials, and your own experiences either in or with government. You may consult with each other or with others of your choosing but each essay must be individually completed.
The written MAPA Comprehensive Examination is to be picked up by the student on Thursday at 9:00 AM and returned to the department office manager the following Monday by 12:00 PM. Essays should not exceed 20 pages of text, but the number of pages of the bibliography and appendixes may be at the students discretion. The format of the essay must follow an acceptable style manual (APA, APSA, MLA, Chicago, etc.) and should be listed along with other reference materials, and must be double-spaced, with standard margins and fonts (please, no exotic fonts), and the essay is to be properly annotated, cited and referenced. Students are to return four copies of the essay in sealed envelopes to the office manager. Other faculty members may request a reading copy from the department office manager. The examiners will look for clear, concise written communication that illustrates the student's preparation for this examination.
What is the procurement process? What is the difference between sole-source and competitive bidding processes? How did this factor influence the outcome in this case?
What are some of the issues, in this case, which deal with organization behavior? Why should a new appointee be aware of these issues?
What is the culture of the organization and how does organization culture, in this case, affect organization change and development?
In this case, what was the role of organizational goals and did it create conflict? Why?
What are some of the political, economic and social factors that affect decision-making in an organization? How did these factors operate in this case? Who were the major actors in this case and how did they impact the outcomes in the case?
What is the budgetary process? What is the importance of auditing, performance measurements, evaluation, and different types of budgets? How did these aspects of public management impact the outcomes in this case?
What are the ethical issues in this case? How were they resolved?
