PUBLIC MANAGEMENT 3500 FINAL
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS(RATED
A+)
Describe four (4) strategies to improve public opinion of government. - ANSWER1.
Share success stories with the public - if all people hear is stories of the government
screwing up, they are going to have a negative perception of government.
2. ensure that citizens have positive interactions with government - especially with
SLBs
3. improve processes at agencies with historically bad reputations - i.e., DMV
4. reduce waste, fraud, and abuse by holding public managers accountable and
providing better training
What are the unique challenges of managing public organizations? Describe five (5)
in your response. - ANSWER1. Greater goal ambiguity, multiplicity, and conflict 2.
Crisis management
3. Less decision-making autonomy
4. Weaker authority over subordinates
5. Tendency to "over review"
6. Frequent turnover of high-level managers; More red tape
7.Greater administrative restraints on pay, promotion
8. Innovation/entrepreneurship can be more difficult
9. Greater media scrutiny
Why do public organizations exist? What purpose(s) do public organizations serve? -
ANSWERPublic organizations exist to serve the public interest and to address
private sector market failures. They serve the public interest by protecting individual
rights and freedoms, maintaining legal and judicial systems, and providing prosperity
and stability for society. Public organizations address market failures by preventing
free riding of public goods, correcting information asymmetries, combating
externalities, and curbing monopolies. They also handle redistribution and equity
issues.
What is "publicness?" In your response, include examples of private sector, nonprofit
sector, and public sector organizations. - ANSWER"Publicness" is a continuum of
ownership and funding that organizations exist on. Organizations have varying levels
of political and economic authority. Most organizations have some element of
"publicness". A private sector example would be a private firm managed by its
owner; this owner has essentially complete economic authority but no political
authority. A nonprofit sector example would be a private nonprofit with limited
economic and political authority; this organization has about equal influence in both
areas. A public sector example would be a government corporation funded through
user fees like the National Park Service; it is operated by the government (high level
of political authority) but funds itself (able to maintain some economic authority).
,Effective public management innovation requires a blend of innovation techniques,
tailored to an organization's unique environment. Identify and define three (3)
innovation tools. - ANSWERStrategic planning--scan the environment, discuss
needs with staff and key stakeholders, adapt mission and goals identify tasks to
meet goals; benefits include allowing adaptation to changing context, provides
platform to develop other innovations
Quality management-- focus on production and worker participation, communication
between customers and suppliers, rapid change in SOPs, constant training; benefits
include work processes, empowers staffers, brings in customer preference
Team management-- standing teams deal with issues that resurface seasonally,
project teams assemble for a specific assignment, crisis teams deal with CRISIS;
benefits include skills that exceed the capacity of a single person, can respond
flexibly with new problems, breaks down social barriers
Leveraging the private sector-- contract out production or supply of specific
functions, turnover a government-run enterprise to private sector, public/private
partnerships, deregulation incentives; benefits include competition, org
differentiation, potential for efficiency and cost savings
Benchmarking- evaluate or check (something) by comparison with an industry
Standard
Reengineering- Redesign or restructuring a service or organizational operations, in
order to create room for improvement or innovation
What is unique about strategy in public sector organizations? Specify five (5)
distinctions in your response. - ANSWERthe public sector requires that:
1. mission follows mandate - goal of serving the public should be the main priority.
mission-driven, not bottom-line driven.
2. citizens are not just customers
3. external constituencies are more diverse and more important
4. public sector employees have more complex roles than their private sector
counterparts
5. strategy has to align with budgets and elections - example: federal agency
strategy has to realign every four years to account for presidential election cycles.
the political influence adds an element to strategy that isn't present when the only
goal is to maximize shareholder value and profit.
You are the City Public Works Director. City Council has asked you whether pothole
repair should be contracted out. City employees currently perform the work. What
factors should you consider as you evaluate the make-or-buy decision? - ANSWERIs
there expertise within our organization to efficiently design/make/manufacture or do
the work that is needed?
Can we afford to assign resources towards doing it internally?
Do we have someone that can write up contracts well and that is knowledgeable or
experienced with contracting out public work?
Cost considerations: Labor, maintenance of capital goods, potential tax offset for
service
If contracted out, contract management would have to fall to someone or someone
would have to get hired to manage it
How long would it take to contract out and find a best-fitting contractor?
Market considerations
How strong is the market for the repair job?
, Mgmt capacity for oversight (see cost consideration)
Is there a preference for how the hole gets fixed? What materials should be used?
What is the going rate for the best materials vs. the most easily attainable?
Identify three (3) types of contract awards. Discuss the pros and cons of each. -
ANSWER"Set-aside": only certain groups (e.g. minorities, veterans, etc.) may bid on
a contract. results in a more limited pool of potential contractors, which could raise
price and/or reduce quality. fewer bidders=less resource-intensive. can target
bidders with expertise in a certain area and give traditionally underrepresented
groups an opportunity to contract.
"LPTA"=Low Price Technically Accepted: whatever the lowest bid is that will get a
job done. This would be used for something like trash collection, not health services
where quality really matters. low quality, but inexpensive. very limiting because you
have to choose the cheapest acceptable option even if it isn't desirable.
"Best Value": Compares cost, quality/past performance, and customer satisfaction.
resource-intensive and requires staff to make judgment calls. offers more flexibility
and the ability to account for more factors. optimal but resources might not allow.
may not achieve social objectives (like using a minority contractor).w
Primary challenges to achieving performance improvements include:
Performance improvement is often viewed as compliance exercise rather than an
opportunity to improve
Public managers often do not have enough authority to improve government
performance and results
The absence of the Performance Improvement Officers in federal agencies
What are the differences between performance budgeting and traditional (line item)
budgeting? In your response, discuss the pros and cons of performance budgeting. -
ANSWERperformance budgeting - measures success of public programs according
to outputs instead of inputs. assesses programs based on level of demand, outputs,
efficiency, and results. focus is total cost relative to results. pros: generates useful
information, focused on measurable outcomes - why fund something that doesn't
work?, easier to justify because it shows why a program is or isn't worth funding.
cons: requires reliable cost information, only useful if evaluation method is
appropriate - not effective if evaluation does not assess whether or not program
aligns with organizational strategy and goals, resource intensive, requires expertise.
line-item budgeting - based on past budgets. focus is on the incremental expenses of
providing services (i.e, Columbus Public Health incremental budgeting would focus
on the actual cost of supplies versus how effective those supplies are). common and
easy but does not address problems.
Managers need two basic types of information: internal and external information.
Define these two types of information. Provide examples for each type of information
that include a) who the information would target; and b) what type of information
would be appropriate. - ANSWER-internal information - information you need to
complete the task. targets employees, especially public managers, within your
organization. appropriate types of information include performance measurement,
available resources, and incentives. example: Columbus Public Health implements a
needle exchange. they need to provide department leadership with information about
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS(RATED
A+)
Describe four (4) strategies to improve public opinion of government. - ANSWER1.
Share success stories with the public - if all people hear is stories of the government
screwing up, they are going to have a negative perception of government.
2. ensure that citizens have positive interactions with government - especially with
SLBs
3. improve processes at agencies with historically bad reputations - i.e., DMV
4. reduce waste, fraud, and abuse by holding public managers accountable and
providing better training
What are the unique challenges of managing public organizations? Describe five (5)
in your response. - ANSWER1. Greater goal ambiguity, multiplicity, and conflict 2.
Crisis management
3. Less decision-making autonomy
4. Weaker authority over subordinates
5. Tendency to "over review"
6. Frequent turnover of high-level managers; More red tape
7.Greater administrative restraints on pay, promotion
8. Innovation/entrepreneurship can be more difficult
9. Greater media scrutiny
Why do public organizations exist? What purpose(s) do public organizations serve? -
ANSWERPublic organizations exist to serve the public interest and to address
private sector market failures. They serve the public interest by protecting individual
rights and freedoms, maintaining legal and judicial systems, and providing prosperity
and stability for society. Public organizations address market failures by preventing
free riding of public goods, correcting information asymmetries, combating
externalities, and curbing monopolies. They also handle redistribution and equity
issues.
What is "publicness?" In your response, include examples of private sector, nonprofit
sector, and public sector organizations. - ANSWER"Publicness" is a continuum of
ownership and funding that organizations exist on. Organizations have varying levels
of political and economic authority. Most organizations have some element of
"publicness". A private sector example would be a private firm managed by its
owner; this owner has essentially complete economic authority but no political
authority. A nonprofit sector example would be a private nonprofit with limited
economic and political authority; this organization has about equal influence in both
areas. A public sector example would be a government corporation funded through
user fees like the National Park Service; it is operated by the government (high level
of political authority) but funds itself (able to maintain some economic authority).
,Effective public management innovation requires a blend of innovation techniques,
tailored to an organization's unique environment. Identify and define three (3)
innovation tools. - ANSWERStrategic planning--scan the environment, discuss
needs with staff and key stakeholders, adapt mission and goals identify tasks to
meet goals; benefits include allowing adaptation to changing context, provides
platform to develop other innovations
Quality management-- focus on production and worker participation, communication
between customers and suppliers, rapid change in SOPs, constant training; benefits
include work processes, empowers staffers, brings in customer preference
Team management-- standing teams deal with issues that resurface seasonally,
project teams assemble for a specific assignment, crisis teams deal with CRISIS;
benefits include skills that exceed the capacity of a single person, can respond
flexibly with new problems, breaks down social barriers
Leveraging the private sector-- contract out production or supply of specific
functions, turnover a government-run enterprise to private sector, public/private
partnerships, deregulation incentives; benefits include competition, org
differentiation, potential for efficiency and cost savings
Benchmarking- evaluate or check (something) by comparison with an industry
Standard
Reengineering- Redesign or restructuring a service or organizational operations, in
order to create room for improvement or innovation
What is unique about strategy in public sector organizations? Specify five (5)
distinctions in your response. - ANSWERthe public sector requires that:
1. mission follows mandate - goal of serving the public should be the main priority.
mission-driven, not bottom-line driven.
2. citizens are not just customers
3. external constituencies are more diverse and more important
4. public sector employees have more complex roles than their private sector
counterparts
5. strategy has to align with budgets and elections - example: federal agency
strategy has to realign every four years to account for presidential election cycles.
the political influence adds an element to strategy that isn't present when the only
goal is to maximize shareholder value and profit.
You are the City Public Works Director. City Council has asked you whether pothole
repair should be contracted out. City employees currently perform the work. What
factors should you consider as you evaluate the make-or-buy decision? - ANSWERIs
there expertise within our organization to efficiently design/make/manufacture or do
the work that is needed?
Can we afford to assign resources towards doing it internally?
Do we have someone that can write up contracts well and that is knowledgeable or
experienced with contracting out public work?
Cost considerations: Labor, maintenance of capital goods, potential tax offset for
service
If contracted out, contract management would have to fall to someone or someone
would have to get hired to manage it
How long would it take to contract out and find a best-fitting contractor?
Market considerations
How strong is the market for the repair job?
, Mgmt capacity for oversight (see cost consideration)
Is there a preference for how the hole gets fixed? What materials should be used?
What is the going rate for the best materials vs. the most easily attainable?
Identify three (3) types of contract awards. Discuss the pros and cons of each. -
ANSWER"Set-aside": only certain groups (e.g. minorities, veterans, etc.) may bid on
a contract. results in a more limited pool of potential contractors, which could raise
price and/or reduce quality. fewer bidders=less resource-intensive. can target
bidders with expertise in a certain area and give traditionally underrepresented
groups an opportunity to contract.
"LPTA"=Low Price Technically Accepted: whatever the lowest bid is that will get a
job done. This would be used for something like trash collection, not health services
where quality really matters. low quality, but inexpensive. very limiting because you
have to choose the cheapest acceptable option even if it isn't desirable.
"Best Value": Compares cost, quality/past performance, and customer satisfaction.
resource-intensive and requires staff to make judgment calls. offers more flexibility
and the ability to account for more factors. optimal but resources might not allow.
may not achieve social objectives (like using a minority contractor).w
Primary challenges to achieving performance improvements include:
Performance improvement is often viewed as compliance exercise rather than an
opportunity to improve
Public managers often do not have enough authority to improve government
performance and results
The absence of the Performance Improvement Officers in federal agencies
What are the differences between performance budgeting and traditional (line item)
budgeting? In your response, discuss the pros and cons of performance budgeting. -
ANSWERperformance budgeting - measures success of public programs according
to outputs instead of inputs. assesses programs based on level of demand, outputs,
efficiency, and results. focus is total cost relative to results. pros: generates useful
information, focused on measurable outcomes - why fund something that doesn't
work?, easier to justify because it shows why a program is or isn't worth funding.
cons: requires reliable cost information, only useful if evaluation method is
appropriate - not effective if evaluation does not assess whether or not program
aligns with organizational strategy and goals, resource intensive, requires expertise.
line-item budgeting - based on past budgets. focus is on the incremental expenses of
providing services (i.e, Columbus Public Health incremental budgeting would focus
on the actual cost of supplies versus how effective those supplies are). common and
easy but does not address problems.
Managers need two basic types of information: internal and external information.
Define these two types of information. Provide examples for each type of information
that include a) who the information would target; and b) what type of information
would be appropriate. - ANSWER-internal information - information you need to
complete the task. targets employees, especially public managers, within your
organization. appropriate types of information include performance measurement,
available resources, and incentives. example: Columbus Public Health implements a
needle exchange. they need to provide department leadership with information about
