MODIFIED CASE ANALYSIS MATRIX FOR USE IN PA6699 AND

OTHER PA COURSES

INCLUDE ALL MANDATORY HEADINGS IN YOUR ANALYSIS UNLESS MODIFIED IN CLASS

MANDATORY HEADINGS SECTION INSTRUCTIONS
I. NARRATIVE SUMMARY OF THE CASE General Instructions for Section I:

Demonstrate an understanding of the case by writing a narrative analysis. Provide a thorough explanation of the essential elements of the case so that someone unfamiliar with its details can follow your analysis. Use specific referenced concepts, theories, theorists, scholars, models, processes, public laws, or court cases from MPA courses in your discussion.
A. Case Summary
 Write a narrative summary of the important elements of the case. Include a discussion of the goal(s), specific objective(s), or outcome(s) desired to be accomplished, achieved, or maintained.
B. Key Actors and Their Roles Identify and discuss the key actors and their motivating roles and agenda(s).
C. Central Problem(s) State clearly the central problem(s) or potential problem(s) in the case, external and internal to the organization.
II. IDENTIFICATION OF CASE PROBLEM(S) AND ISSUE(S) AND APPLICATION OF CORE COURSE KNOWLEDGE TO THE RELATED CASE PROBLEM(S) AND ISSUE(S) General Instructions for Section II:

You will specifically need to do following for each core course (1) identify the problem(s) or issue(s) from Section 1 that is the focus of the application (2) explain the concept you are applying to the problem(s) or issue(s) (assume the reader has limited background in the concepts you are discussing), and (3) explain how the concept can be applied to solve or lessen the impact of the problem(s) or issue(s). The emphasis in this section is applying the specific referenced concepts, theories, theorists, scholars, models, processes, public laws, or court cases from MPA core courses. A solid response will demonstrate understanding of the case by applying concepts from the MPA core courses. Begin the section with a brief summary of the central problem(s) from Section I.
A. PA 6601 – Research Methods Introduce at least one case problem or issue identified in Section 1. Identify and thoroughly discuss a minimum of two specific referenced course concepts, theories, theorists, scholars, models, processes, public laws, or court cases from the Research Methods course. Apply the material to the problem or issue identified.
B. PA 6602/6603/6631 – Quantitative Methods, Economics for Public Management, OR Program Evaluation Administration Introduce at least one case problem or issue identified in Section 1. Identify and thoroughly discuss a minimum of two specific referenced course concepts, theories, theorists, scholars, models, processes, public laws, or court cases from the Quantitative Methods, Economics, OR Ethics course. Apply the material to the problem or issue identified.
C. PA 6674 – Ethics in Public Administration Introduce at least one case problem or issue identified in Section 1. Identify and thoroughly discuss a minimum of two specific referenced course concepts, theories, theorists, scholars and/or processes from the Ethics course. Apply the material to the problem or issue identified.
D. PA 6620 Organization Theory OR PA 6646 Organizational Behavior Introduce at least one case problem or issue identified in Section 1. Identify and thoroughly discuss a minimum of two specific referenced course concepts, theories, theorists, scholars, models, processes, public laws, or court cases from the Organization Theory OR Organizational Behavior course. Apply the material to the problem or issue identified.
E. PA 6622 – Public Policy Analysis Introduce at least one case problem or issue identified in Section 1. Identify and thoroughly discuss a minimum of two specific referenced course concepts, theories, theorists, scholars, models, processes, public laws, or court cases from the Public Policy Analysis course. Apply the material to the problem or issue identified.
F. PA 6624 – Public Personnel Management/Public Human Resource Management Introduce at least one case problem or issue identified in Section 1. Identify and thoroughly discuss a minimum of two specific referenced course concepts, theories, theorists, scholars, models, processes, public laws, or court cases from the Public Personnel course. Apply the material to the problem or issue identified.
G. (if appropriate) PA 6644 – Administrative Law If having completed PA6644, your are encouraged to identify and thoroughly discuss a minimum of two specific referenced course concepts, theories, theorists, scholars, models, processes, public laws, or court cases from the Administrative Law course. Apply the material to the problem or issue identified.

H. PA 6650 – Governmental Budgeting

 Introduce at least one case problem or issue identified in Section 1. Identify and thoroughly discuss a minimum of two specific referenced course concepts, theories, theorists, scholars, models, processes, public laws, or court cases from the Governmental Budgeting course. Apply the material to the problem or issue identified.
III. ALTERNATIVES FOR ACTION General Instructions for Section III:

Identify, develop, or create three alternatives for action that are available to you or that are available to the decision makers in the case to solve the central problem. If you are analyzing actions performed by others, are additional alternatives available to them? List at least three alternatives for action. The alternatives should address the key decision problem from Section 1. Compare and contrast them, discussing their relative strengths and weaknesses. Begin the section with a brief summary of the central problem from Section I and the issues from Section II.

A. Alternative 1 Identify and discuss your first alternative. Support your alternative with specific referenced course concepts, theories, theorists, scholars, models, processes, public laws, or court cases from MPA courses.
B. Alternative 2 Identify and discuss your second alternative. Support your alternative with specific referenced course concepts, theories, theorists, scholars, models, processes, public laws, or court cases from MPA courses.
C. Alternative 3 Identify and discuss your third alternative. Support your alternative with specific referenced course concepts, theories, theorists, scholars, models, processes, public laws, or court cases from MPA courses.
IV. SELECTION OF RECOMMENDED ALTERNATIVE General Instructions for Section IV:
Begin this section with a summary of your central problem (from Section I), issues (from Section II), and alternative solutions (from Section III). In this section, you will choose one of your three alternative solutions for the central problem and recommend it for implementation. This is the appropriate place to list limitations, restrictions, constraints, rules, policies, guidelines or necessities, challenges, or opportunities to change or obtain waivers from these limitations.

In particular, selection of an alternative must be systematic and supported. A good way to organize your thinking about which alternative to select is to use a decision matrix. However, the decision matrix by itself is not the answer. It is only an organizing framework. Use of the decision matrix requires the student to identify decision criteria important to the facts of the case. The case suggests what these criteria are. The decision criteria used to evaluate alternatives should be defined. To fill in each cell of the matrix the student must insert judgmental or objective criteria.

A. Method Identify and discuss the method by which you will select your recommended alternative.
B. Criteria Identify, justify, and discuss three criteria you or the designated decision maker will use in selecting the recommended alternative. Support your choice of criteria with specific references to the case and/or referenced course concepts, theories, theorists, scholars, models, processes, public laws, or court cases.
C. Recommendation Use the method and criteria to identify the recommended alternative.
V. IMPLEMENTATION OF RECOMMENDATED ALTERNATIVE General Instructions for Section V:
In this section, you will develop a complete implementation plan for your recommended alternative. Begin this section with a summary of your central problem (from Section I), issues (from Section II), alternative solutions (from Section III), and a clear statement of which alternative you are choosing to implement (Section IV). Discuss the recommended alternative in more detail. Consider such elements as what obstacles you might encounter in implementing this alternative; how you would overcome them; what reporting or feedback system you will use, if any; and how you might evaluate the success or failure, even the degree of success or failure, of your alternative. End with summary, observations, concluding remarks, if any. Support your discussion of the implementation, obstacles, solutions, and evaluation strategy with specific referenced course concepts, theories, theorists, scholars, models, processes, public laws, or court cases.
A. Implementation Plan Develop a detailed implementation plan to explain how you would propose to operationalize the selected alternative.
B. Obstacles Speculate about potential obstacles to your implementation plan. Consider where resistance might come from either internally or externally to the organization. Suggest how each of the obstacles can be overcome.
C. Evaluation Plan Develop a plan for assessing the success or failure of the implementation plan. In other words, how will you know if the problem has been solved?