Public Affairs 3500: Public Management

• Beginning of Semester Tasks 5%

• Class Participation 12% - 2 dropped

• Individual Reflection Papers 10% - 2 dropped

• Group Case Study Facilitation 15%

• Case Analysis Deliverables 45% (3@15%)

• 360 Evaluations 5% 

• Final Reflection Paper 8%

During the first week of class, everyone will create a slide in our class Google slideshow to introduce themselves to the class and complete a brief questionnaire for the instructor in Canvas. Further instructions will be discussed in class and posted on the class website.

This course is heavily based on class discussion, so it is important that everyone attends class sessions, listens attentively, and contributes ideas and questions. The quality of your comments and contributions to class discussions will impact the quality of your and your colleagues’ learning. Your comments should add a new perspective, prompt critical thinking, respectfully challenge a colleague’s position, or lend substantive additional depth. I will track attendance and share my observations about your participation mid-way through the semester. You will reflect on your participation as part of your final reflection paper. I will use this self-evaluation along with my own evaluation and your attendance to assign your final participation grade.

Each week, you will submit via Canvas a substantial document of at least half of a page (single-spaced, 1-inch margin, 12- point Times New Roman font) that addresses 2-3 of the reflection questions for the week posted to Canvas. You do not need to formally cite the course materials for the week but please make it clear to the reader which course materials you are discussing by referring to them by their title or the name of the author.

Each paper is worth 10 points. In general, papers will be graded as complete (full points) or missing (0 points). However, if you consistently do not adjust to feedback and further elaborate on your ideas, we may deduct points on subsequent reflection paper assignments.

Throughout the semester, small groups of students will facilitate discussions/activities based on that week’s management case study to: 1) develop the planning and facilitation skills critical to their future success as public managers, and 2) reinforce course content by applying it to a specific management situation. Outside of the classroom, the facilitation skills you will practice as part of this assignment are relevant to strategic planning processes, collaborative initiatives, and stakeholder engagement efforts. You will work in small groups of 5-7 people formed with support from the instructor. Each group will be responsible for giving a 5-minute presentation summarizing important background information from the case and facilitating a 35-minute class discussion/activity based on the case and an analytical or conceptual framework from one assigned reading/video from the module.

To prepare for the facilitation, you will meet ahead of time with your team. Each team is also required to meet with the instructor to review their presentation visuals and facilitation agenda at least one week prior to the date they are scheduled to facilitate. These meetings will typically take place in the last 15 minutes of class on the week before a group is scheduled to facilitate. Each team will submit the final version of their facilitation materials through Canvas on the day they facilitate. Immediately after their team facilitates, they will debrief with the entire class and meet briefly with the professor to identify lessons learned from their preparation process and facilitation experience. We will all prepare for and participate in the case discussions designed by our colleagues.

You will receive a group grade for your presentation and facilitation based on the following criteria:

• Preparation - thoughtful and timely group planning including (30 points):
  • Ontime submission of group norms and roles at the beginning of the semester.
  • Group meeting prior to check-in with instructor to collectively discuss:
    • Key themes in the case study.
    • Connections to concepts and tools from relevant course materials, including one focal reading/video from the module.
    • Ideas for activities and discussion questions.
  • Meeting with instructor at least one week prior to facilitation date.
  • Submission of draft presentation visuals and facilitation agenda to instructor two days prior to scheduled facilitation date.
• Presentation Skills – present clear 5-minute overview of case study materials (10 points)
• Facilitation Skills – facilitate 35-minute discussion that (50 points):
  • Incorporates feedback from professor.
  • Involves all group members.
  • Engages classmates in critical analysis of case study based on focal reading/video from the module and other relevant course materials.
  • Demonstrates key facilitation skills discussed in class.
• Critical Reflection – reflect on assignment and assess skill development (10 points):
  • Identify lessons learned through discussion with instructor.

You will work individually to complete three case analysis deliverables based on our over-arching case study for the semester: the emergent role of AI in public organizations. More detailed guidelines and grading rubrics for each of the deliverables will be posted to Canvas and discussed in class several weeks before each deliverable is due. The following provides an overview of each deliverable:

• For the first deliverable, you will work with a co-author to provide detailed descriptions of three specific AI use cases in public organizations in the policy area you choose (e.g., education, criminal justice, social services, etc.).
• For your second deliverable, you will individually write a memo detailing a stakeholder analysis of a public organization AI use cases identified in deliverable 1. You will then use ChatGPT to refine your deliverable.
• For your final deliverable, you will conduct a SWOT analysis and write a memo detailing a comprehensive assessment of the pros and cons of the AI use case from deliverable 2.

Over the course of the semester, you will complete a 360 evaluation for several of your colleagues. The 360 evaluations will be administered through Canvas. Further instructions will be discussed in class and posted on the class website.

At the end of the semester, you will write a final reflection paper in which you reflect on your growth during the course. You will submit a final reflection paper in which you address the following questions:

• How has your understanding of public management and/or the role of public values in management evolved over the course of the semester? Include a discussion of your pre-semester questionnaire results.
• How has your understanding of facilitation and reflection as management skills changed over the course of the semester? You may want to focus on your experience with the group facilitation and individual reflection paper assignments, but I encourage you to think about how your management practice has changed outside of the course as well.
• What are your strengths and weaknesses as a manager and leader? Include some discussion of your experiences submitting evaluations for your colleagues and reviewing the results of your 360 evaluations. Also include a reflexive evaluation of your participation in the course in this section.
• What was one of the most impactful things that you learned in this course this semester? How will it shape the way that you think about and practice management moving forward?

You will submit a paper of approximately 1500 words (double-spaced, 1-inch margin, 12- point Times New Roman font) via Canvas by midnight on the day they are due. Final Reflection Papers will be graded on the following criteria:

• Executive Summary - succinctly (i.e. in one paragraph) relates the most important information contained in the paper including the purpose/goal of the paper, important take-aways or insights, and an overview of the structure of the paper (10 points).
• Content – sections addressing each of the four sets of questions outlined above (40 points)
• Substance – depth of critical reflection and analysis demonstrated in reflection (35 points).
• Written Communication Style - uses effective organization strategies, proper spelling, grammar, and formal tone; meets word count (10 points).
• Above and Beyond – thoughtful and/or critical reflection on personal growth and development, clear technical writing, etc. that exceeds the minimum requirements for the assignment (5 points).