Graduate Curriculum Committee Course Proposal Form
for Courses Numbered 6000 and Higher
Note: Before completing this form, please carefully read the accompanying instructions.
Submission guidelines are posted to the GCC Web site: http://www.ecu.edu/cs-acad/gcc/index.cfm
1. Course prefix and number:
PADM 6161
2. Date:
November 3, 2011
3. Requested action:
New Course
x
Revision of Active Course
Revision & Unbanking of a Banked Course
Renumbering of an Existing Course from
from
to
#
x
Required
#
Elective
4. Method(s) of delivery (check all boxes that apply for both current/proposed and expected
future delivery methods within the next three years):
Current or
Proposed Delivery
Method(s):
x
On-campus (face to face)
Expected
Future Delivery
Method(s):
x
Distance Course (face to face off campus)
Online (delivery of 50% or more of the instruction is offered online)
x
5. Justification (must cite accreditation and/or assessment by the graduate faculty) for new course
or course revision or course renumbering:
The MPA faculty has assessed the structure of our curriculum to meet the new
accreditation standards of our accrediting body, the National Association of Schools of
Public Administration and Affairs (NASPAA). As a result of that assessment, the
graduate faculty who comprise the MPA Committee have determined the need to
introduce a new course on program evaluation and to revise the content of PADM 6161.
This change will allow the students focusing on public policy as an area of emphasis to
bridge distinct policy content focused courses. As such it will help us address the
required competency in “To participate in and contribute to the public policy process.”
The revision of this course was then approved by the Graduate Faculty of the
Department of Political Science.
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6. Course description exactly as it should appear in the next catalog:
6161. Applied Policy Analysis (3) P: PADM 6101 & 6102 or consent of
instructor. Public policy at all levels of government. Program charting, budget
examination, management analysis, systems analysis, implementation analysis,
and cost-benefit analysis.
7. If this is a course revision, briefly describe the requested change:
Title change, introduction of prerequisites, and revision of course content
8. Course credit:
Lecture Hours
3
3
Weekly
OR
Per Term
Credit Hours
Lab
Weekly
OR
Per Term
Credit Hours
s.h.
Studio
Weekly
OR
Per Term
Credit Hours
s.h.
Practicum
Weekly
OR
Per Term
Credit Hours
s.h.
Internship
Weekly
OR
Per Term
Credit Hours
s.h.
Other (e.g., independent study) Please explain.
s.h.
s.h.
3
Total Credit Hours
s.h.
15
9. Anticipated annual student enrollment:
10. Changes in degree hours of your programs:
Degree(s)/Program(s)
Changes in Degree Hours
MPA
0
11. Affected degrees or academic programs, other than your programs:
Degree(s)/Program(s)
Changes in Degree Hours
NA
NA
12. Overlapping or duplication with affected units or programs:
x Not applicable
Documentation of notification to the affected academic degree programs is
attached.
13. Council for Teacher Education (CTE) approval (for courses affecting teacher education):
x Not applicable
Applicable and CTE has given their approval.
14. University Service-Learning Committee (USLC) approval:
x Not applicable
Applicable and USLC has given their approval.
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15. Statements of support:
a. Staff
x Current staff is adequate
Additional staff is needed (describe needs in the box below):
b. Facilities
x Current facilities are adequate
Additional facilities are needed (describe needs in the box below):
c. Library
x
Initial library resources are adequate
Initial resources are needed (in the box below, give a brief explanation and an
estimate for the cost of acquisition of required initial resources):
d. Unit computer resources
x
Unit computer resources are adequate
Additional unit computer resources are needed (in the box below, give a brief
explanation and an estimate for the cost of acquisition):
e. ITCS resources
x
ITCS resources are not needed
The following ITCS resources are needed (put a check beside each need):
Mainframe computer system
Statistical services
Network connections
Computer lab for students
Software
Approval from the Director of ITCS attached
16. Course information (see: Graduate Curriculum and Program Development Manual for
instructions):
a. Textbook(s) and/or readings: author(s), name, publication date, publisher, and
city/state/country. Include ISBN (when applicable).
Bardach, Eugene. 2009., A Practical Guide for Policy Analysis: The Eightfold
Path to More Effective Problem Solving, 3rd Ed. Washington, DC: CQ Press.
ISBN: 978-0-87289-952-0*
Patton, Carl and David Sawicki, 1993. Basic Methods of Policy Analysis and
Planning, 2nd Ed. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall. ISBN: 0-13-060948X*
Plus selected readings and case studies
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*New editions forthcoming
b. Course objectives for the course (student – centered, behavioral focus)
Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:












Develop successful problem statements by moving from general problem
concepts to specific measures of the problem;
Devise clear statements of analysis goals and objectives;
Identify stakeholders in any given problem situation, clearly state the positions of
those stakeholders, evaluate their role in developing problem solutions, and
develop solutions to address stakeholders’ positions;
Develop specific evaluation criteria necessary to evaluate alternative solutions to
problems;
Develop alternative problem solutions to address public policy/administration
problems
Successfully analyze problem solutions against evaluation criteria employing
commonly-used analytical techniques such as cost-benefit analysis, discounting,
forecasting, modeling, sensitivity analysis, decision analysis, PRINCE analysis,
PERT, timelines, and scenario writing;
Develop commonly-used graphical summaries of analyses including Goeller
scorecards, unweighted and weighted decision matrices;
Develop conclusions drawn logically from analysis ;
Interpret findings in language understandable by practicing public officials;
Develop and present PowerPoint summaries of analyses in simulated public
hearings;
Defend assumptions and conclusions against arguments raised by colleagues
and the instructor;
Develop a first-cut outline of an MPA Professional Paper analysis
c. Course topic outline
Week 1 INTRODUCTION: QUICK ANALYSIS FOR BUSY DECISION MAKERS
Discussion of:
You need objective quantitative measures
You need objective quantitative measures
You need objective quantitative measures
(without them, your opinion is no better than mine)
Assignment 1 on teenage drivers (pp. 66-73 of Patton and Sawicki)
Week 2 DOING POLICY ANALYSIS AND PROGRAM EVALUATION
Patton and Sawicki, Chapters 1 & 2
Bardach, Part I
Teenage Driver Assignment due
Assignment 2 on Problems and Data
Week 3 DATA GATHERING TECHNIQUES
 Patton and Sawicki, Chapter 3
 David Weimer and Aidan Vining Policy Analysis, 5th edition, “Gathering
Information” on BlackBoard
 Bardach, Part II
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Week 4 STRUCTURING POLICY PROBLEMS
 Patton and Sawicki, Chapter 4
 William Dunn, Public Policy Analysis, 3rd edition, “Structuring Policy
Problems,” on BlackBoard
Assignment 2 due
Assignment 3 on Evaluation Criteria
Week 5 ESTABLISHING EVALUATION CRITERIA
 Patton and Sawicki, Chapter 5
 James Surowiecki, “The Perils of Efficiency” on BlackBoard
 A. J. Filipovich on PRINCE Analysis on BlackBoard
Assignment 3 due
Assignment 4 on Alternatives
Week 6 IDENTIFYING ALTERNATIVES
 Patton and Sawicki, Chapter 6
 Bardach, Part III
Assignment 4 due
Week 7 EVALUATING POLICY PERFORMANCE (Part 1)
 Patton and Sawicki, Chapters 7 – 9
 Bardach, Part III
 Dipak Gupta, Analyzing Public Policy, 2nd edition, Chapter 14 on
BlackBoard
First Analysis Case
[Examine the three examples of policy analysis papers on BlackBoard]
Week 8 EVALUATING POLICY PERFORMANCE (Part 2)
 Review Patton and Sawicki Chapter 7
 Weimer and Vining “Efficiency and the Idealized Competitive Model” on
BlackBoard
 Edward Gramlich, A Guide toBenefit-Cost Analysis, 2nd edition, “Valuation
of Benefits and Costs,” on BlackBoard
First Case Analysis papers due
Second Analysis Case
Week 9 ANALYTICAL TECHNIQUES IN COSTING
Week 10 DISPLAYING ALTERNATIVES, SELECTING AMONG THEM/
MONITORING AND EVALUATING POLICY OUTCOMES
 Patton and Sawicki, Chapter 8 & 9
Second Analysis Case due
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Third Analysis Case
Week 11 DISCUSSION OF NEEDS ASSESSMENT/ INTRODUCTION TO MODELLING
 Review Patton and Sawicki Chapter 7
 World Health Organization, “Why Do a Needs Assessment?” on
BlackBoard
 HEAP Comments from New York State on BlackBoard
 State of Connecticut Dept of Social Services, “Energy Assistance–Winter
Heating Assistance Benefits,
 http://www.ct.gov/dss/cwp/view.asp?a=2353&q=305192
 KEMA, “Final Report on Phase 2 Low Income Needs Assessment,” on
BlackBoard
Week 12 FORECASTING

Gupta “Projection Techniques” on BlackBoard
Third Analysis Case due: Remember that you must post PP slides by
midnight Tuesday November 8
Week 13 FINAL CASE PRESENTATIONS
Week 14 FINAL CASE PRESENTATIONS - All Final Case Papers due
d. List of course assignments, weighting of each assignment, and grading/evaluation system
for determining a grade
Assignments (4 @ 7.5% each) ................................................................. 30%
Case Study 1 ....................................................................................... 10%
Case Study 2 ....................................................................................... 10%
Case Study 3 ....................................................................................... 10%
Final Project ......................................................................................... 20%
Final Exam ........................................................................................... 20%
Grading scale:
90 – 100 %………………………………………………………………..A
80 – 89.9 %……………………………………………………………….B
70 – 79.9 %……………………………………………………………….C
Lower than 70%.………………………………………………………….F
The final project grade will be composed of both the written and orally-delivered
presentation of your project.
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Case Evaluation Rubric:
PADM 6161
Case #
Points
Name:
Earned
Grading Criteria
10
Validation/Redefinition
of the problem
10
Specification of goals
and objectives
10
Identification of relevant
stakeholders
Specification of
criteria
15
10
Three column display
Identification of
alternatives
10
20
Analysis of alternatives
against criteria
10
Display
Cover letter and
executive summary
5
Poor grammar/spelling
errors/ jargon/etc.
-10
Poor presentation/
poor organization/
poor layout
-5
100
Comments
0
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