This paper circulates around the core theme of Option 2: Evaluating Best Practices of Local Government together with its essential aspects. It has been reviewed and purchased by the majority of students thus, this paper is rated 4.8 out of 5 points by the students. In addition to this, the price of this paper commences from £ 99. To get this paper written from the scratch, order this assignment now. 100% confidential, 100% plagiarism-free.
The paper should focus on an innovation in public
management. The paper should be
double-spaced, 12-15 pages in length, with appropriate citations. You may use
the APA or Chicago documentation style. In terms of conducting a literature
review, you are required to include the three course texts in your paper and at
least 10 peer reviewed articles.
Papers must be formatted as follows: 1) use a size 12 font,
2) double spaced, 3) use headings and subheadings to organize the paper, 4) put
your name, course number, title and date on the first page, 5) include
parenthetical citations and a list of references, and 6) do not exceed 15 pages
in length.
Project Descriptions
Option 1: Theory/Practice Paper
The MPA is a professional degree. That means that key
concepts you learn during your tenure should be applicable to the professional
settings in which you are currently working or will work after you graduate. A
primary goal of this course is to help students develop the ability to analyze
and apply theory and empirical research to practice situations.
Throughout the semester, you will be exposed to the major
public management concepts that are currently being discussed or used in public
administration journals. Option 1 of your paper assignment has two parts. The
first will be to trace the concept’s origins in the form of a literature
review. Who used it first? How did the original author apply the concept to
theory and practice? What concepts did this replace or overshadow? How are
current authors using the concept? Has it been borrowed appropriately from a
different field? You should provide at least three definitions for the concept
and discuss what the differences in definitions mean.
The second part of the paper asks you to apply the concept
to a contemporary public or nonprofit administration practice. What political
or administrative contextual issues might complicate its applicability to the
local setting that you have selected? What insights does the concept offer that
might shed new light on contemporary management problems? In short, your paper
must show that you have used the public or nonprofit administration literature
to evaluate a specific problem in your field.
Your paper will be 12-15 pages in length (double spaced)
with a one paragraph abstract. You will use a minimum of ten academic journals
and/or books from the fields of public and/or nonprofit administration to
develop your arguments. Your paper must conform to either the APA or the
Chicago style.
Option 2: Local Government or Nonprofit Best Practices Paper
In an environment of intense scrutiny and demands for
accountability, public and nonprofit organizations are increasingly pressured
to demonstrate that they are performing effectively, achieving their intended
outcome goals, and meeting the needs of the populations they serve. Many
government pilot and demonstration projects, research centers white papers and
accreditation bodies propose “best practices” that they assert will
lead to greater productivity or accountability (or both) for adopters. Indeed,
many citizen reformers look for best practices as a way to evaluate the current
practices of their local government operations. For example, in the study of
Johnson City’s dissolution, committee members want to be able to compare local
government’s performance with standards of best practice.
As a second option for this semester, you may select and
evaluate a “best practice” for a local government or nonprofit
organization, or one of its departments or programs. You will address each of
the following questions in your paper.
•What is the theoretical basis for the claim that a set of
practices is “best?”
•What empirical evidence supports the argument?
•What contextual (legal, institutional, political,
financial, capacity) factors influence their adoption by a particular local
organization?
•What constraints may prevent a local government from
adopting a best practice?
•What are the potential risks to adopting a best practice?
•What specific steps could a local organization take to
implement a best practice?
•How much time will implementation and improved results
take?
•What specific measures of performance should an
organization track to determine whether a best practice is successfully adopted?
•Based upon your analysis, should a particular organization
attempt to adopt the best practice you have selected? Why or why not?
Your paper will be 12-15 pages in length (double spaced)
with a one paragraph abstract. You will use a minimum of ten academic journals
and/or books from the fields of public and/or nonprofit administration to
develop your arguments. Your paper must conform to either the APA or the
Chicago style.
