Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Panel Discussion Presentation: U.S. – Mexico Transboundary Perspectives, Martin J. Pasqualetti

North American Energy Water Nexus Roundtable

Panel Discussion: U.S.-Mexico Transboundary Perspectives

Principal Question: What are the implications of the energy/ water nexus at the US/Mexico border?

1. Water Supply and Demand

2. Water Costs of Electricity

3. Virtual Water Transfers

4. Renewable Energy Resources

5. Solar/Water nexus at the US/Mexico Border

Panel Discussion Presentation: Columbia River Treaty, Kelvin Ketchum

North American Energy Water Nexus Roundtable

Panel Discussion: U.S.-Canada Transboundary Perspectives

Slide titles:

- Columbia River Treaty – the setting

- What does the Treaty Do?

- Social & Environmental Costs of the Treaty in Canada

- Treaty benefits and term

- Treaty priorities for water usage

- Example of Flood Control Curves

- Actual Treaty operations

- Supplemental operating agreements

- Treaty Implementation

- Reasons for Treaty Success

Faculty Institute On Research Based-Learning In High Impact Courses, University Of Nevada, Las Vegas

UNLV Libraries-Greater Western Library Alliance Conference

In Spring 2009, the Library Advisory Board agreed to fund a proposal for the Libraries to collaborate with campus partners to provide support to faculty who were faced with several initiatives that impact the way faculty deliver their course content, develop their assignments and assess their success. These initiatives include the movement to large enrollment classes, especially for large impact, core courses; the redesign of the general education requirements around universal learning outcomes; and, enhancing the first-year experience for incoming students. There is no single entity on campus in a position to provide the faculty support and development needed.

The …

Universal Undergraduate Learning Outcomes (Uulo) Recommendations, University Of Nevada, Las Vegas

UNLV Libraries-Greater Western Library Alliance Conference

Outcomes (What we want students to achieve) and Objectives (How we will know students achieve the goals)

The undergraduate learning outcomes articulate clear expectations for what all UNLV students should know and be able to do upon graduation. The undergraduate learning outcomes form the foundation for general education but also extend into the majors. This comprehensive approach aims to meld undergraduate learning into a more intentional, coherent experience that consists of the purposeful sequencing of learning from the first year, to the middle years, to the senior year and includes learning both within and outside the major, including co-curricular expenences.

Unleashing Innovation In Public Agencies, Christine G. Springer

Public Policy and Leadership Faculty Publications

Nurturing continuous innovation and renewal in public agencies is not only important but critical to successful public management in an environment of change. Innovation is a tool for transforming the entire culture of organizations and there is a growing recognition that fostering a culture of innovation is critical to success. It is even as important as mapping out competitive strategies, maintaining good profit margins in revenue areas or meeting statutory requirements. There are fifteen types of teams and individuals that fuel innovation inside organizations: five outsiders and ten insiders. By developing and supporting some of these innovation personalities that often …

Solar Powering Your Community: A Guide For Local Governments, National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Publications (E)

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) designed this guide "Solar Powering Your Community: A Guide for Local Governments" to assist local government officials and stakeholders in designing and implementing strategic local solar plans. The 2011 edition contains the most recent lessons and successes from the 25 Solar America Cities and other communities promoting solar energy. Because DOE recognizes that there is no one path to solar market development, this guide introduces a range of policy and program options that can help a community build a local solar infrastructure.

Structurally Unbalanced: Cyclical And Structural Deficits In Arizona, Matthew Murray, Kristin Borns, Susan Clark-Johnson, Mark Muro, Jennifer Vey, Brookings Mountain West, Morrison Institute For Public Policy

Brookings Mountain West Publications

Though the Great Recession may be officially over, all is not well in Arizona. Three years after the collapse of a massive real estate “bubble,” the deepest economic downturn in memory exposed and exacerbated one of the nation’s most profound state fiscal crises, with disturbing implications for Arizona citizens and the state’s long-term economic health. This brief takes a careful look at the Grand Canyon State’s fiscal situation, examining both Arizona’s serious cyclical budget shortfall—the one resulting from a temporary collapse of revenue due to the recession—as well as the chronic, longer-term, and massive structural imbalances that have developed largely …

Structurally Unbalanced: Cyclical And Structural Deficits In California And The Intermountain West, Matthew Murray, Susan Clark-Johnson, Mark Muro, Jennifer Vey, Brookings Mountain West, Morrison Institute For Public Policy

Brookings Mountain West Publications

Though the Great Recession may be officially over, economic recovery is slow and tentative, particularly in California and much of the Intermountain West. Among other challenges, the protracted downturn in these states has exposed and aggravated a huge public-sector fiscal crisis—with disconcerting implications for citizens and states’ long-term economic health. This brief takes a careful look at the fiscal situation in Arizona, California, Colorado, and Nevada, examining both their serious cyclical budget shortfalls—those resulting from the recession and its aftermath—as well as the critical longer-term structural imbalances between revenues and expenditures that have developed in Arizona, California, and, to a …

Achieving Community Preparedness Post-Katrina, Christine G. Springer

Public Policy and Leadership Faculty Publications

Improving disaster response capabilities within this country requires better coordination not only within the Department of Homeland Security, but also across the federal government as well as with state and local governments, private and non-profit sectors. To do so, according to more than 150 state and local stakeholders that I surveyed in April, 2009 and again in April, 2010, requires that FEMA improve its capacity to fully support state, local and tribal stakeholders … that it improve its internal business practices so as to better implement federal policies and guidance…that it find a way to use thematic goals and transition …

Centers Of Invention: Leveraging The Mountain West Innovation Complex For Energy System Transformation, Mark Muro, Sarah Rahman

Brookings Mountain West Publications

America needs to transform its energy system to reduce its carbon intensity and make clean energy cheap. At the same time, the Intermountain West region (which includes Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, New Mexico, Nevada, and Utah) possesses a unique confluence of world-class innovation assets; varied energy resources; and unparalleled opportunities to build out next-generation energy systems. To that end, the brief proposes that the federal government begin constructing a distributed Intermountain West network of federally-funded, commercialization-oriented, broadly collaborative energy research and innovation centers. Organized around existing capacities in a hub-spoke structure that links fundamental science with innovation and commercialization, these research …

The Case For Increased Cross-Agency Data Sharing In The State Of Nevada, Richard Entringer, Tina Jara, Alysia Peters, Steve Price

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

According to a July 2010 survey conducted by CNBC Nevada ranks 34th in its quality of life. Contributing to this low ranking are remarkable statistics that rank Nevada as the highest state in the nation regarding the percentage of 18 to 24 years olds who are not high school graduates and for 16 to 19 year olds who are not in school and not working. In addition, Nevada currently has the highest unemployment rate in the nation at 14%. Recognizing the need to increase the education and work skill levels for Nevada’s youth, and in an effort to remediate unacceptable …

Making The Most Of Opportunities During A Recession, Christine G. Springer

Public Policy and Leadership Faculty Publications

The best public managers know that conventional thinking won’t get them through tough times and that a recession is a rich opportunity to reinvent their organization and to lay the groundwork for future successes. Good times are when managers experience their greatest success. But bad times provide the greatest opportunities to rethink how the organization will persist through the inevitable up and down economic cycles so as to be successful in the future. Smart managers today that I have engaged regarding this process say that they plan for both the good and bad times by continually focusing on six processes: …

Centennial Hills Active Adult Center Business Plan, K. C. Brekken, Jeff Buchanan, David Gordon, Doug Guild

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The economic indicators for the state of Nevada indicate a bleak financial future. The foreclosure rate of the Las Vegas Valley is five times the national average and the highest rate in the country (Hoak, 2010). Sales tax revenues continue spiraling down and fell by 6.6 percent in December 2009 from December 2008 (Garcia, 2010). State politicians face an estimated budget deficit of $3.5 billion. Local conditions are equally dire. The City of Las Vegas faces a budget shortfall of nearly $69 million for this fiscal year (Choate, 2010). City administrators struggle to find creative solutions to fill financial gaps …

Volunteer Management Analysis For The City Of Las Vegas, Robert Fash, Jose Rodriguez, Bertral Washington, Heather Whitesides

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The City of Las Vegas current volunteer management program is unable to provide effective administration of its volunteers. We will discuss what type of volunteer management program would work best for the City of Las Vegas? Volunteer management models were examined to determine what best practices can be adopted by the City of Las Vegas. Research shows a correlation between citizen engagement, volunteerism in the community, and a better quality of life for citizens in communities that have active volunteer programs. Thirty-six jurisdictions were surveyed, most of which are in the Western United States, with four jurisdictions being highlighted. The …

Graduate Programming For Working Professionals: What Makes A Difference?, Christine G. Springer

Public Policy and Leadership Faculty Presentations

Education: A Graduate Degree Designed for New and Working Professionals

Mission: To provide a well-rounded graduate learning experience to current and future crisis and emergency management leaders for effectively addressing natural, intentional and technical disasters

Strategic Management Of Three Critical Levels Of Risk, Christine G. Springer

Public Policy and Leadership Faculty Publications

The financial crisis that erupted in 2007 revealed a major gap in the management systems of government and business. For the most part, governments focused on revenue growth, productivity, cost control and quality. There were many interrelated factors involved with the failures but two in particular stand out in my mind: a failure to explicitly account for risk when formulating organizational strategies and a failure to monitor and manage the risks that they had identified and assumed. Organizations face many different types of risk but often they can be categorized into three types based upon their predictability, controllability and management. …

The Role Of Tuition In Financing Higher Education, Jay Craddock, Amjad Kisswani, Krista Kurvers, Hillery Leslie, Kumiko Primm, Abigal Sills

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

In May 2009, six students enrolled in a graduate level policy analysis course at the University of Nevada- Las Vegas engaged in discussion concerning the effects of recent trends in the financing of higher education within the State of Nevada. This discussion was further narrowed down to the effects of tuition revenues. To what extent the University of Nevada-Las Vegas exercises control of their individual tuition revenues (how tuition revenues are expended and/or invested), and the amount of tuition revenues retained (to be expended and/or invested to maintain institutional operations) became the basis of this paper. While comparing the University …

Nonprofits In Crisis: How To Retain Employees In The Nonprofit Sector, Liz Armstrong, Jocelyn Bluitt-Fisher, Lori Lopez-Newman, Diana R. Paul, Keith R. Paul

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

In today's worsening economy more and more people find themselves seeking help through the services of nonprofit groups. Families are in worsening situations and the need for effective and efficient nonprofit human services is growing faster as more people are put out of work. It is clear that the nonprofit organizations must find a way to retain already trained employees to stave off the cost of finding and training replacements. It would be easy to think that nonprofit employees would stay if only their salaries were to increase, however, the literature review and focus group interviews found that is not …

The Use Of Policy Analysis In Southern Nevada Planning And Development Departments, Dawn Barlow, Shane Dillon, Lynn Hunsinger, Ted Lendis, Neo Vidal, Wendy Yada

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this study is to investigate the use of policy analysis by planning and development departments throughout the Southern Nevada region. The data for this study was collected from interviewing eight planning and development department heads within various jurisdictions. The interviews consisted of twelve questions that were designed to explore the roles of department heads with respect to the policymaking process as well as whom is conducting policy analysis to assist in Decision-making. The main research question this study attempts to answer is, do Southern Nevada planning and development agencies conduct and use policy analysis?

The data was …

Evaluating The New Fema Post Pkemra, Christine G. Springer

Public Policy and Leadership Faculty Presentations

In 2002, with the creation of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and more than 20 other agencies/entities became part of a new organizational entity. Subsequent performance failures by FEMA, specifically preparation for and response to Hurricane Katrina, led to a number of internal and external reviews and investigations to determine the causes of these failures and to identify potential solutions. Congressional concern led to the passage of PL109-295, the Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act of 2006, which set in motion a series of expectations and provided considerable resources for FEMA’s ‘transformation’. Since then, …

An Examination Of Rural Residents’ Perceptions Of Environmental Activities At The Nevada Test Site: Results Of A Mail Questionnaire 2008 – 2009, Helen R. Neill

Public Policy and Leadership Faculty Publications

Purpose:

Given the U.S. DOE's Environmental Management activities at the Nevada Test Site, what matters to rural residents living nearby?

DOE provided a grant to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas to conduct a questionnaire and analyses.

Hopelink: A Program Evaluation, Cheryl Edwards, Telma Lopez, Bryan Osborne, Erik Pappa

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

In January 2009, a four-member team of University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) Department of Public Administration students set out to evaluate the effectiveness of HopeLink, a transitional housing program in Henderson, Nevada. The research team was tasked with evaluating the effectiveness of the agency and assisting the Committee on Homelessness in deciding future funding allocations. This paper provides our review and analysis, including program strengths and weaknesses, and recommendations for future program and funding improvements.

According to the 2007 U.S. Census, there are approximately 11,000 homeless people in Clark County, Nevada, with 75% of those utilizing transitional housing programs, …

City Of Las Vegas Detention And Enforcement Commission On Accreditation Of Law Enforcement Accreditation Program Evaluation Report, Karen Kelly, Cecelia Mcneely, Sandy Seda

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The City of Las Vegas Detention and Enforcement (CLVDE) is a highly efficient, professionally managed, unique law enforcement agency. The CLVDE has a multifaceted mission and is responsible for providing diverse law enforcement, patrol, code enforcement and support services for the City of Las Vegas. The agency is comprised of several operational divisions: A city Jail, an Animal Control division, Parking Enforcement and the Marshals (police). For many years, the CLVDE, has enjoyed the unique distinction of being a "Triple Crown" accredited agency1. The agency currently has attained accreditation status from several nationally recognized professional organizations such as: The American …

Program Evaluation Of Help Las Vegas Genesis Apartments, Shauna Davis, Bristol Ellington, Alexis Mussi, Jason Lamarr Wasden

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Our group conducted a program evaluation of HELP Las Vegas Genesis Apartments (HELP Genesis). We began the evaluation on November of 2008 and concluded May 2009. HELP Genesis is a permanent supportive housing facility for veterans and homeless with disabilities. It was a concern that they may be a transitional housing facility because of their turnover rate. We concluded that this was not the case.

We have identified the following limitations in our analysis. There was a lack of accessibility to the budget and accounting documents, limited access to key contacts for necessary information, and time constraints which prohibited us …

City Of Las Vegas Detention And Enforcement Accreditation Evaluation Program, Daniel Bennett

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The City of Las Vegas, Detention and Enforcement is a law enforcement organization that is significantly unique in its mission and organization. On March 15, 1982, the City of Las Vegas determined that, due to extreme overcrowding at the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Departments holding facility, it was time to create the Las Vegas Department of Detention and Correctional Services. As the population of Las Vegas continued to grow, the Las Vegas Department of Detention and Correctional Services also increased in both size and degree of responsibilities. In 1986, the Las Vegas Park Rangers were absorbed and became the law …

Managing In A Time Of Crisis, Christine G. Springer

Public Policy and Leadership Faculty Publications

Some managers shine during a major crisis, while others don’t. As a strategic manager, one must follow a comprehensive protocol that includes the implementation of teams, systems and tools to respond to a crisis. It also requires having an action plan in place to react quickly, manage rumors and respond to victims and stakeholders sincerely while recovering from the crises’ impact. It starts with being willing to ask and answer important questions like: What is the worst that could happen? It then requires addressing how to plan for and avert crises by securing the workplace and the proper management of …

Transition Teams Matter, Christine G. Springer

Public Policy and Leadership Faculty Publications

As President-elect Obama comes to office, his administration faces daunting challenges and yet many expect that his diverse team of cabinet appointees may serve as a model for future transitions. In order for this administration to be truly successful, more is required. There must be functional teams in place not only at the cabinet level but also at the public administration level within each agency that operate according to clearly defined decision-making protocols and understand what they are accountable for and are willing to own the results achieved. This requires leadership, team skill and an alignment process so that progress …

Emergency Managers As Change Agents, Christine G. Springer

Public Policy and Leadership Faculty Publications

Since 2001, FEMA and others have been defining and refining competencies for emergency management professionals. In so doing, they have addressed directly and indirectly the qualities of leaders. We know that leadership is not a person or a position. It is a complex relationship between people, based on trust, obligation, commitment, emotion, and a shared vision of the good. We also know that transformational or change-based leadership has become an organizational necessity given the fact that emergency management as a profession is just now coming into its own and emergency management jobs are not traditional in terms of the how, …

Contract Management: A P.A. Education For Boundary Managers., M. Ernita Joaquin

Public Policy and Leadership Faculty Publications

Graduates of public administration programs might reasonably be expected to accurately spell out, even in their sleep, POSDCoRB. After all, it was Luther Gulick's rock-hewn formulation of the skills involved in public administration, circa 1937. Almost seven decades later, in their book Governing by Network, Stephen Goldsmith and William Eggers called for a
cultural transformation in the way we build capacity in the public sector, and, as I see it, crafting a new POSDCoRB for our time.

An Economic Development Plan For Boulder City, Mel Barosay, Amber Z. Cunningham, Dollinda Fields, Silas Prince

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Boulder City is rich with natural resources such as abundant land, 50% of Hoover Dam's power generation at cheap rates, and a high priority right of Colorado River Water. In addition to low utility rates, Boulder City residents have the lowest property taxes by far compared to other cities in southern Nevada. Unfortunately due to needed infrastructure replacement and new expenses facing Boulder City, such as paying for a portion of the third intake at Lake Mead, revenue is no longer covering the city's expenses.

Through the previous group's (grad students of the Spring 2008 Semester) research, we combined both …