Scenario for Assignments
For Assignments you will take on the role of a consultant for a government agency. Your consulting firm has been asked by the agency to research it, interview representatives within the agency, compile a report, and provide recommendations for improvement.
The first role of the consultant is to become familiar with the agency, its departments, and key actors. You will develop the assignment in five (5) parts, submitting each to your supervisor (your professor's role) who will offer feedback for revisions.
Select one of the following agencies from the federal, state, or local government listed below and then select a department within the agency.
Usually, you can find contact information on their Websites.Each assignment builds upon the previous assignment. The agency you select in Assignment 1 must be used for all remaining assignments. You do not have to use the agency you selected in Week 1 discussion.
• Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)
• Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
• Social Security Administration (SSA)
Assignment 1: Rationale and Analysis for Agency Selected, Part 1
Assignment 2: Evaluation of Agency's Public Personnel Administration, Part 2
Assignment 3: Agency's Law and Ethics of Hiring a Diverse Workforce, Part 3
Assignment 4: Analysis of the Agency's Policies, Procedures, and Plans - Unions, Privatization, Pensions, and Productivity, Part 4
Assignment 5: Preparing for the Agency's Future, Part 5
After selecting an agency and department, you are expected to:
1. Research the literature regarding issues that involve the selected agency and public administration in general.
2. Interview at least two (2) representatives of the agency's department for the different sections of the paper. (If you can obtain more than two (2) different interviews, do so. The more perspectives, the better. Interviews can be conducted in person, by phone, or by an electronic method such as email.)
3. Develop the assignments in parts, submitting them to your professor for review and feedback.
4. Revise Assignments 1, 2, and 3 based on your professor's feedback.
(Note:Guidelines for Interview Assignments at Strayer University (See Appendix):
(1) Before students engage in an interview assignment, they must adhere to these Guidelines for Interview Assignments at Strayer University:
(a) The purpose of the assignment is to train students in interview/research methods, not to develop or contribute to research that can be applied to situations beyond that studied or that is created to share with others beyond the local setting.
(b) No publication of projects containing the results of or information from the interviews is allowed, including publication in social media, blogs or the Internet generally. The interview findings may only be shared in the class.
(2) When presenting the results of their interviews to their instructor and / or classmates, students may not disclose personally identifiable information about an interviewee, unless they have received written permission from the interviewee as verified by their instructor.
(3) All interviewees must be at least 18 years old.)