Public Administration Commons^™

Cpaf Updates Vol. 14 Issue No. 3, Cristeta A. Foronda, Rowena A. Noche, Stoix Nebin S. Pascua

CPAf Updates

In this issue:

• Benchmark Study on UPLB R&D Performance, 1
• Ms. Noche attends Basic Supervisory Skills Training, 2
• CSPPS conducts seminar on anti-smuggling policies on agricultural commodities, 3
• Prof. Gumasing pursues PhD studies at Asian Institute of Technology, 4

Administrative Issues Journal Conference Proceedings: Table Of Contents

Administrative Issues Journal

No abstract provided.

Shared Services In New York State: A Reform That Works, George C. Homsy, Bingxi Qian, Yang Wang, Mildred Warner

Public Administration Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Departmental Strategic Planning: Examining The Institutional And Organizational Linkages That Influence Departmental Strategic Planning Processes In Local Government, Adam Mobbs

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper examines the organizational and institutional factors that contribute to strategic planning efforts within the specific context of municipal government departments. It uses a mixed-methods approach consisting of a quantitative and qualitative analysis. The qualitative data was collected through interviews with department heads from two municipalities – Markham and Vaughan – that demonstrated enhanced strategic management processes, while the quantitative data was collected through a questionnaire that measured the perceptions of department heads employed by mid-sized Ontario municipalities. The findings reveal that each measure contained in the Strategic Management Processes Index demonstrates a relatively healthy level of management processes …

Staffing And Organizational Assessment Of The Public Works Department Of The Town Of Watertown, Ma, Edward J. Collins, Jr. Center For Public Management, University Of Massachusetts Boston

Edward J. Collins Center for Public Management Publications

This report presents the results of the management assessment of the Watertown Public Works Department (the “Department”) conducted by the Edward J. Collins, Jr. Center for Public Management in the McCormack Graduate School of Policy and Global Studies at the University of Massachusetts Boston (“the Center”). This first section introduces the analysis, outlining principal objectives and how the analysis was conducted, and it offers a summary of the recommendations described in detail later in the document.

The project team conducted a comprehensive organizational and management analysis of the Department’s existing operations, service levels, infrastructure management, organizational structure, and staffing levels.

Affordable Housing Policies: What China Could Learn From Canada, Jingyuan Sun

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper discusses the lessons China could learn from Canada with respect to affordable housing. It uses specific case studies that focus on the experiences of Shanghai and Toronto respectively, with the necessary information regarding the policies of both cities being sourced from existing research papers, government documents, and government websites. The findings reveal that the affordable housing system in China is lacking the enlargement of public participation, the reinforcement of community engagement, and the expansion of public-private partnerships, suggesting that these three areas can be improved with reference to the affordable housing experience in Toronto, where these factors are …

Inter-Municipal Transit Governance: An Investigation Of Challenges And Opportunities In The Alberta Capital Region, Paul Szabo

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper examines the possibilities for inter-municipal coordination of public transit services and regional transit in the Alberta Capital Region. Specific regional governance options for public transit in Greater Edmonton are evaluated through case studies of regional public transit delivery in Canada and these options are assessed using information acquired from interviews with members of key regional transit committees. The findings reveal that regional problems necessitate regional solutions and public transit is an inherently metropolitan and regional service requiring cooperation among municipalities and the involvement of the provincial government.

Re.Invest, Denise Thompson

July 10, 2013: Best Practices and Communications Strategies for Adapting to Sea Level Rise and Flooding

No abstract provided.

More Effective Human Spaceflight Programs And Their International Security Implications, Bert Chapman, Sarag J. Saikia

Libraries Faculty and Staff Scholarship and Research

NASA can more effectively perform its missions by transferring its aeronautic responsibilities to the Federal Aviation Administration and be renamed the National Space Agency. The U.S. must also recognize that space is an emerging arena of international competition and conflict and militarily protect its space assets from China which seeks to use space to restrict the U.S.' ability to defend its strategic interests in regions such as the Western Pacific.

Cpaf Updates Vol. 14 Issue No. 2, Cristeta A. Foronda, Stoix Nebin S. Pascua, Rowena A. Noche

CPAf Updates

In this issue:

• CPAf organizes Basic Records Management Seminar, 1
• Student's Orientation 2013, 3
• CSPPS Director attends Environmental Leadership Program, 3
• Prof. Cortes pursues graduate studies at Harvard University, 4

Climate Change And The Co-Production Of Knowledge And Policy In Rural Us Communities, George C. Homsy, Mildred Warner

Public Administration Faculty Scholarship

Climate change requires action at multiple levels of government. We focus on the potential for climate change policy creation among small rural governments in the US. We argue that co-production of scientific knowledge and policy is a communicative approach that encompasses local knowledge flowing up from rural governments as well as expertise and power (to coordinate and ensure compliance) flowing down from higher level authority. Using environmental examples related to land use policy, natural gas hydro-fracturing, and watershed protection, we demonstrate the importance of knowledge flows, power, and coordination in policy creation. Co-production of knowledge and policy requires respect for …

Landowner Behaviour In The Upper Thames And Grand River Watersheds: A Study Of Factors That May Explain The Conservation Behaviour Of Farmers, Jeffrey Brick

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper examines the factors that may explain why some farmers choose to remove conservation lands, while others choose to restore them. It uses a survey that was administered to rural landowners in the Upper Thames River and Grand River watersheds in Southwestern Ontario to collect information on landowner characteristics and behaviours, as well as literature reviews to provide insights into the value of conservation lands and the changing economic conditions in the study area. Eight independent variables that may explain the conservation behaviour of farmers were assessed. The findings reveal a significant positive correlation between property size and the …

The Revitalization Of Social Housing: An Analysis Of Mixed-Income Housing In The City Of Toronto, Zoie Browne

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper examines whether community-based organizations (CBOs) offer a viable strategy for addressing social and community development issues within mixed-income housing in Toronto. It analyzes how and under what conditions mixed income housing developments produce a vibrant base of CBOs that reflect the social diversity of residents and it explores the extent to which mixed income developments build a sense of community with reference to the St. Lawrence Neighbourhood. Interview data is used to provide empirical evidence regarding both the physical and social principles relating to community development in the area. The findings reveal that the success of a model …

Municipal Election Compliance Audit Committees: A Review And Critical Analysis, Ashley Grigg

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper examines the municipal election compliance audit committee (CAC) process and the practical application of legislative parameters. It undertakes a descriptive analysis of the CAC process using four cases – each having resulted in an appeal to the Ontario Court of Justice – and ultimately puts forward an argument for legislative review. The findings reveal that there are conflicting legislative interpretations concerning the function and powers of CACs, demonstrating the need for increased statutory clarity regarding the committee’s authority and purpose.

Homelessness In Winnipeg, Manitoba: An Analysis Of Local Government Inaction, Rhiannon Hayes

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper examines the topic of homelessness with a specific focus on Winnipeg, Manitoba to determine why it has remained inactive in addressing this social issue. It uses a qualitative approach in the form of interviews with different employees for the City of Winnipeg and members of non-governmental organizations to understand why the city has had such a limited response. This paper also compares Winnipeg to Edmonton, Alberta and Vancouver, British Columbia to analyze the experiences of other Canadian cities that are attempting to tackle homelessness. The findings reveal that Winnipeg does not actively address homelessness due to the failure …

The Regional Variation Of Ontario Works: From The Perspective Of Provincial-Municipal Relationship, Ju Xue

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper examines the regional variations of Ontario Works in the province using empirical studies of 12 municipalities: Durham, Halton, Hamilton, London, Muskoka, Niagara, Ottawa, Sudbury, Toronto, Waterloo, Windsor, and York. The findings reveal that the variation of Ontario Works in different municipalities is limited and the services provided to clients are similar across the entire province. Furthermore, in understanding why the provincial government still requires the involvement of municipalities in the program, despite it being consistent across Ontario, it concludes that the introduction of Ontario Works was accompanied by the province’s decentralization process and the fiscal retrenchment of provincial …

Explaining Social Media Variation: An Analysis Of Internal Municipal Factors That Shape Canadian Municipal Websites, Julien Patel

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper explains the variations in social media features on Canadian municipal websites by measuring internal characteristics of key municipal administrators. The research process used a questionnaire to measure administrators’ attitudes towards engagement and municipal corporations’ capacity to improve websites moving forward. The results of the survey are contrasted with a dataset that scores each respondent’s municipality using predetermined criteria. Representatives from 43 Canadian municipalities agreed to participate in the study. The findings reveal that age, citizen pressure to provide online services, and engagement efforts with local stakeholders significantly explain a proportion of variation in municipal social media features.

E-Governance On Ontario Municipal Websites: Exploring The Development Of E-Governance Tools Used By Ontario Municipal Planning Departments, Spencer Sandor

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper examines whether there are patterns to the adoption of e-Governance tools on Ontario municipal websites, with a specific focus on whether the adoption follows a hierarchical pattern based on intended engagement outcomes. The planning department sections of 160 websites for municipalities with populations between 10,000 and 500,000 were searched for a list of 15 online tools that were selected following a literature review of the various uses of online tools. The findings illustrate a number of statistically significant relationships, suggesting that there is a hierarchical pattern to tool adoption. In addition, the results demonstrate a relationship between the …

No Choice But To Change: An Investigation Into The History And Effects Of The 2006 Municipal Ward Boundary Realignment In London, Ontario, Stephen Turner

MPA Major Research Papers

In 2005, the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) responded to a citizen petition in London, Ontario by imposing significantly changed municipal wards for the 2006 municipal election, focusing on the concept of communities of interest in setting the new electoral boundaries. This paper examines the effects of ward realignment to determine personal attitudes on the effects of the change. Interviews with 14 civically involved Londoners were conducted, in addition to an analysis of voter turnout, campaign expense, municipal budget, and neighbourhood demographic data over 10 years to identify any patterns that may have arisen. The findings reveal that municipal government improved …

Staffing And Operational Assessment Of The Treasurer-Collector's Office: Town Of Sheffield, Massachusetts, Edward J. Collins, Jr. Center For Public Management, University Of Massachusetts Boston

Edward J. Collins Center for Public Management Publications

The Town of Sheffield engaged the Collins Center (the Center) to conduct an analysis of the Treasurer/Collector’s office. This analysis was to focus on work practices, staffing, management systems, information technology use, policies and procedures, as well as other facets of operations.

The Treasurer/Collector’s Office has, in recent years, been staffed with an appointed Treasurer/Collector, an Assistant Treasurer/Collector and a Clerk. Earlier in the calendar year, the Clerk resigned to take a position outside Town government, and the Town wished to engage an outside consultant to determine whether the workload of the Treasurer/Collector’s office warranted filling the recently-vacate position of …