Policy Design, Analysis, and Evaluation Commons^™

Benchmarking The Delivery Of Fema Training To Operation Line Employees Within Surface Transit Agencies, Matthew E. Mccann

Master's Projects

In February 2003, in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 terror attacks, the administration of then President George W. Bush developed Homeland Security Presidential Directive-5 (HSPD-5), which mandated the use of the National Incident Management System (NIMS), and the Incident Command System (ICS) by all agencies receiving federal funding (Bush, 2003). The intent of HSPD-5 was to “enhance the ability of the United States to manage domestic incidents by establishing a single, comprehensive national incident management system” (Bush, 2003), or in other words, to ensure that emergency response by the many disparate agencies under the umbrella of government funding …

Smarter Crm From A Customer Service Perspective: A Process Evaluation On The City Of San José'S My San Jose Smartphone Application For City Services, Roxanna Moradi

Master's Projects

This research paper provides background on the City of San José’s smart phone application history and reviews other similar municipal smart phone applications. It also analyzes current literature on implementations of non-emergency service communications and service requests (311). Primarily, this research paper investigates whether the functioning of the My San Jose smartphone application and website platforms are meeting the intended goal of improving the customer experience for city services.

This paper analyzes My San Jose raw service request data to review performance. In addition, this paper analyzes qualitative information gathered from semi-structured interviews of City of San José employees to …

Extending Ab-1825 Training At Santa Clara Valley Water District, Heather Reiss

Master's Projects

In 2004 the California legislature passed AB-1825, Sexual Harassment Training and Education, Government Code 12950, which mandates that employers train all supervisors in the identification of sexual harassment, and ways to ensure that it does not occur in the workplace (Legislative Counsel, 2004). The Santa Clara Valley Water District (SCVWD) is a mission driven organization that is committed to providing excellent water services to the community. According to the Valley Water website (2018) “The mission of the District is to provide Silicon Valley with safe, clean water for a healthy life, environment, and economy” (Valley Water, 2018, web). As a …

Cycling Into The Future: Implementation Of Enhanced Bikeways Along San Fernando Street In Downtown San Jose, Patrick Rubens

Master's Projects

In 2012, the City of San Jose acquired funding from the Transportation for Livable Communities Grant Program and began installing “green striped” enhanced bicycle lanes on a 1.5 mile stretch San Fernando Street between Diridon Station and 10th Street connecting San Jose’s Downtown Train Station to San Jose State University. According to city documents, these enhanced bikeways are intended to “enhance the visibility and safety of this route as a primary bikeway.” An important element of the project was the installation of LED streetlights to improve nighttime visibility. This specific project undertaken by the city falls under the umbrella of …

The Predictors Of Juvenile Recidivism: Testimonies Of Adult Students 18 Years And Older Exiting From Alternative Education, La Toshia Palmer

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this descriptive, qualitative study was to identify and describe the importance of the predictors of juvenile recidivism and the effectiveness of efforts to prevent/avoid juvenile recidivism as perceived by previously detained, arrested, convicted, and/or incarcerated adult students 18 years of age and older exiting from alternative education in Northern California. A second purpose was to explore the types of support provided by alternative schools and the perceived importance of the support to avoid recidivism according to adult students 18 years of age and older exiting from alternative education.

Methodology: This qualitative, descriptive research design identified …

Comparing German And Us Energy Transitions: Centralized Vs. Decentralized Government Approaches, Sarah Greenway

Honors Projects in Science and Technology

The German Energiewende (“energy transition”) is often credited with being the most ambitious renewable energy transition in the world. Germany’s rapid transition is mainly led by their Renewable Energy Act of 2000, which has been amended several times in order to remain relevant during changing conditions. In contrast, the United States’ energy transition seems stagnant and lacks an overall direction from the Federal Government. Despite this, the United States is making progress towards implementing renewable energy technologies due to the efforts of several states. Germany’s transition has experienced a number of challenges along the way, while the United States’ transition …

Path2 Services Court: A Process Evaluation, Octavio Jimenez

Master's Projects

In 2014, the Santa Clara County Superior Court received a Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) grant to improve the efficacy of the Juvenile Treatment Court (JTC) and Court for the Individualized Treatment of Adolescents (CITA) programs by streamlining the referral, screening, and court hearing processes. Receipt of the grant allowed the Superior Court to integrate JTC and CITA to establish the Progress Achieved Through Hope and Holistic Services (PATH2 Services) Court.

This research analyzed whether the Santa Clara County Superior Court successfully integrated the JTC and CITA programs when it established PATH2 Services. In addition it determined …

The Santa Clara County Reentry Resource Center: Reentry Service Linkage And The One-Stop Shop Model, Rose Redlich

Master's Projects

AB 109 has resulted in a significantly greater need for reentry programs and services across California. Many county law enforcement officials now view reentry programs and services as a promising approach for keeping recidivism rates low.

Santa Clara County has recognized the value of well-coordinated, quick, and efficient reentry service delivery. In response to AB 109, the Office of the Sheriff and Department of Correction partnered with the Probation Department, Office of the County Executive, Behavioral Health Services Department, Custody Health Department, Ambulatory Care, and the Social Services Agency to establish the Santa Clara County Reentry Resource Center (SCCRC) in …

The Normalization Of Prostitution In Switzerland: The Origin Of Policies, Corinne Isler, Marjut Jyrkinen

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

In this article, we examine how socio-political actors frame prostitution and problems attached to the phenomenon and what types of policies they suggest. The sex trade in Switzerland has been tolerated since 1942, and prostitution is protected under the economic freedom guaranteed by the Swiss constitution. Any critique of prostitution is viewed as counterproductive, claimed to be rooted in old-fashioned ideas about sexuality and thought to worsen the situation for women who sell sex. The role of sex buyers is largely obscured, and the presumed right to buy sex remains unquestioned.

Las Barreras Que Enfrentan Las Personas Indígenas Con Discapacidades En Una Comunidad Rural De Paucartambo, Perú / The Barriers What Face The People Indigenous People With Disabilities In A Community Rural From Paucartambo, Peru, Julia Scolapio

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

En Perú las personas tienen la garantía de recibir protección del Estado en la presencia de una discapacidad. El gobierno solo reconoce las discapacidades que han sido certificadas por un médico oficial. Cuando las personas reciben un certificado de discapacidad, están amparadas por la Ley 29973 para personas con discapacidades. Pero la expectativa no es la realidad para las personas con discapacidades en Perú. Para personas que viven en zonas rurales, por ejemplo poblaciones indígenas, el proceso para recibir un certificado del gobierno no es fácil y ellos enfrentan barreras para certificar sus discapacidades y para recibir sus derechos. Las …

Ireland Austerity Addiction: Challenges & Opportunities, Brendan O'Rourke, John Hogsn

Conference papers

The current hold of austerity on Irish public policy provokes a comparison with addiction. Postliberalism, the form of austerity Ireland is hooked on, brought the country to its knees. It tied the millstone of bank bailouts around Ireland’s neck, slashed its education and health spending and meant its budgets were closely supervised by the Troika of the Europe Union (EU), the International Monetary Fund and the European Central Bank from 2010-2013. Unemployment spiked and there was an exodus, particularly of young people, from the country. This was a period of national humiliation as economic sovereignty evaporated in a deal described …

Evaluating Disparities In The U.S. Technology Transfer Ecosystem To Improve Bench To Business Translation, James Weis, Ashvin Bashyam, Gregory J. Ekchian, Kathryn Paisner, Nathan L. Vanderford

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

Background: A large number of highly impactful technologies originated from academic research, and the transfer of inventions from academic institutions to private industry is a major driver of economic growth, and a catalyst for further discovery. However, there are significant inefficiencies in academic technology transfer. In this work, we conducted a data-driven assessment of translational activity across United States (U.S.) institutions to better understand how effective universities are in facilitating the transfer of new technologies into the marketplace. From this analysis, we provide recommendations to guide technology transfer policy making at both the university and national level.

Methods: Using data …

Residential Settings And Healthcare Use Of The Rural "Oldest-Old" Medicare Population, Nathan Paluso Mph, Zachariah T. Croll Mph, Deborah Thayer Mba, Jean A. Talbot Phd, Mph, Andrew F. Coburn Phd

Long Term Services and Supports

The aging of the baby boom generation is projected to dramatically increase the population aged 65 and older in the coming decades. In particular, those aged 85 and older (the ‘oldest old’) are expanding at a faster rate than any other age group and by 2050 are expected to make up 4.5 percent of the population, compared to 1.9 percent in 2012. Faster growth in the percentage of older people (65+) in rural than in urban areas is likely to challenge the healthcare and long term services and supports (LTSS) capacity in many rural communities.

This study used Medicare Current …

Why The United Nations Underperforms At Preventing Mass Atrocities, Edward C. Luck

Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal

No abstract provided.

The Contribution Of Comparative Policy Analysis To Policy Design: Articulating Principles Of Effectiveness And Clarifying Design Spaces, Michael Howlett, Ishani Mukherjee

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Policy analysis has always been interested in better understanding and improving the sets of policy tools adopted by governments to correct policy problems. Comparative policy studies have contributed much towards clarifying the nature of the processes of policy analysis and policy formulation which result in the construction of these policy portfolios. Past studies have helped clarify the role of historical processes, policy capacities and design intentions in affecting policy formulation processes - from design to non-design ones - and more recently have begun to articulate basic principles for better policy designs. Effectiveness in this work has been evaluated at three …

Promise Programs, Emergency Aid, And Strategies For College Retention, Brad J. Hershbein

Presentations

No abstract provided.

Obama’S Fight For Rigor And Results In Social Policy, Ron Haskins

Brookings Scholar Lecture Series

This lecture tells the story of how the Obama administration changed the role of evidence in federal policy making. Based on public documents and 135 interviews with major players from the White House, the Office of Management and Budget, federal agencies, Congress, and the child advocacy community, the lecture provides insight into the tools and methods that should serve as a blueprint for policymakers on how to bring social science evidence – especially from program evaluation – to the center of policy making.

Gun Violence: Chicago, Illinois, Kayla Dillon

Global Issues in Public Health

Gun violence has been, and continues to be, a significant problem in Chicago, Illinois. There have been several programs in place that have worked towards improving the level of gun violence. One of the most noticeable being Project Safe Neighborhood, which began in 2001. Part of what makes these programs, and programs similar to it, necessary is that it targets the populations most at-risk of gun violence. By targeting these specific regions of the city, these programs can provide the resources necessary to improve the condition of the city in the long-term, as well as prevent the condition from spreading …

Vocational Training Programs And Youth Labor Market Outcomes: Evidence From Nepal, S Chakravarty, M Lundberg, Plamen Nikolov, J Zenker

Economics Faculty Scholarship

Lack of skills is arguably one of the most important determinants of high levels of unemployment and poverty. In response, policymakers often initiate vocational training programs in efforts to enhance skill formation among the youth. Using a regression-discontinuity design, we examine a large youth training intervention in Nepal. We find, twelve months after the start of the training program, that the intervention generated an increase in non-farm employment of 10 percentage points (ITT estimates) and up to 31 percentage points for program compliers (LATE estimates). We also detect sizable gains in monthly earnings largely driven by women who start self-employment …

A Lesson In Learning: Improving Learning Outcomes In India Via Pedagogical Innovation, Rhea Handa

Scripps Senior Theses

When delivered well, education is key to addressing a host of individual and societal ills, from poverty and disease to crime and poor voter engagement. India has demonstrated considerable progress in improving various aspects of its primary education system, including infrastructure and buildings, teacher-student ratios, and school enrollment. However, student learning outcomes remain consistently low across the country. A review of the literature surrounding learning outcomes has highlighted gaps in school instruction and has shown the dire need for innovations in pedagogy and curriculum to improve student learning. This paper assesses the long-term impact of one such pedagogy, called Teaching …