Large Scale Project About Whittier Sewer System Development Discussion

Competency

In this project, you will demonstrate your mastery of the following competency:

• Examine the role of the public in government functions

Scenario

You work as the deputy director for your local city planning department. Jared, one of your fellow city employees and friends, knows that you have experience in policy analysis. Jared is in the public works department, which is about to initiate a large-scale downtown revitalization project. The project’s aim is to make the area around the town square more pedestrian- and bike-friendly by widening the sidewalks, adding new bike racks, and making other similar updates. Ultimately, the hope is that this public works project will attract more foot traffic to local businesses and improve the economic climate and cultural vibrancy of downtown.

Jared’s boss has appointed him to be the public engagement liaison for the downtown revitalization project. It is important to him that the public be very involved and engaged in the process. This is Jared’s first time being in a public-facing role, which has him excited but nervous about doing a good job. To that end, he has asked if you could lend your expertise to help him understand the role of the public in government so that he can be prepared for this new initiative.

Directions

To help Jared, you have decided to analyze a past planning project with which he is already familiar. You have chosen this case because it is particularly instructive in terms of the role of the public in policy development, and you believe that it contains important lessons that can be applied to the revitalization project. You plan to focus on the following stakeholder groups discussed in the case:

• The Sanitary District
• Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (ECBI)
• Jackson County residents
• Tuckaseigee Water and Sewer Authority (TWSA)

In this way, you hope to illustrate for your colleague the key aspects of shaping public engagement to positive effect. In your case report, be sure to address the following:

• Case summary: Remind Jared of the context of your chosen case. What did the policy entail? What was the public problem addressed by the policy? Which segments of the public were affected by the underlying problem? In other words, why is the policy needed?
• Analysis: Identify the key takeaways from the case, including each of the following:
  • Examine the methods the public can use to influence policy development and impact government functions. How was the policy formed and shaped? What does this case show about the ability of the public to affect government? Be sure to address each of the stakeholder groups listed above and cite specific evidence to support your positions.
  • Assess the need for transparency and ethics when public administrators interact with the public. What role did transparency and ethics play in this case? What is the broader significance of transparency and ethics for successfully managing public engagement in policy development and government functions? Cite specific evidence to support your positions.
  • Evaluate techniques for effectively managing public engagement in the policy development process. Put differently, to what extent were public administrators able to manage the influence of the public in the case? What worked and what did not? Be sure to address each of the stakeholder groups listed above and cite specific evidence to support your positions.
• Recommendations: Based on your analysis of the case, apply those takeaways to the new revitalization project. Recommend specific ways to engage the public and galvanize their participation that Jared can apply in his role as public engagement liaison.

What to Submit

Every project has a deliverable or deliverables, which are the files that must be submitted before your project can be assessed. For this project, you must submit the following:

Case Report and Recommendations
Your case report should analyze the past planning project in terms of the role of the public in policy development and highlight the important lessons that can be applied to the revitalization project. Your report should be 800–1200 words in length and appropriately cite all references.

Reference List For each source that you cite, you need to include the author’s name, the publication year, the title of the source, and the location of the source in a References section at the end of your work. in-text citation(s) and sources appropriately.

Supporting Materials

Case Material: Past Planning Project– Website: https://www.maxwell.syr.edu/parcc/eparcc/cases/The…
Use this resource as the subject case for your report and recommendations.