Public Affairs 6515: Skills: Database Management

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This is a sample syllabus to provide general information about the course and it's requirements. Course requirements are subject to change. This syllabus does not contain all assignment or course detail and currently enrolled students should reference the syllabus provided by their instructor. For a specific syllabus, please email us a request.

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Course Overview

1 Credit Hour
Modalities Available: In-Person

A critical skill in today’s public sector environment is the ability to effectively collect, manage, and analyze the significant amount of data needed to operate any size department or agency. 

The database environment is the central resource for the support of decision making at the tactical, strategic, and policy levels. In this environment, end-users (policy analysts, financial managers, and other non-computer specialists) directly use computers to quickly access information for decision making. The database environment is thus a key to increased efficiency and effectiveness. Also, by studying database design and implementation, we arrive at some of the most fundamental information and information technology issues facing government. Finally, because databases are the repository for the organization's information, they are the core or foundation upon which information systems are built.

The management of information systems has evolved from a narrow concern with how to utilize the data processing center to a wider vision of how the organization can best use its information resources. As a result of this shift in focus, the successful public manager must understand both the technical implications of database technology as well as their managerial and policy implications. Students who master this class will have very marketable skills, as they will be able to build a simple database in Access that contains most of the components of a database system. Completion of this class also provides a foundation for those who want to further specialize in information systems and further decision support courses.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to or will have:

  • Developed skills in the management of information and information technology
  • Built competence in end-user computing
  • Apply skills to manipulate and create management application software (Access)
  • Interact effectively with IT professionals and software vendors

Requirements and Expectations

Class will primarily consist of two parts:

  1. The first 30-60 minutes will consist of lecture/discussion on the general information management topic of the day. This will include discussion on the assigned reading along with additional material from the instructor.
  2. The remaining 60-75 minutes will be hands-on time with Access. This may include some additional instruction time specific to Access, working with test files from the Access book, and working directly on the database project.

Reading materials may be required for this course. Consult your instructor's syllabus for details.

The following components make up the final course grade:

  • Class contribution: 10%
  • Current Trend Memo: 30%
  • Interim Database Check: 15%
  • Final Database Project: 45%

Class contribution is critical to make this course as valuable as possible for you and your fellow students. This includes having read assigned readings before class, participating in conversations regarding those readings, asking questions, clarifying assignments, participating in the lab portion of the class, and sharing personal and professional experiences that can aid the class during discussions. Attendance is considered part of class contribution, and lack of attendance and leaving the lab portion of the class early will reduce this portion of your grade. Lack of evidence that class readings were completed will also affect this portion of your grade. 

Attendance is taken by roll call. If you arrive late, it is your responsibility to sign in or inform me before you leave that you were in attendance. Notification after the class ends via any method that you were in attendance will not be considered as proof of attendance. Notification ahead of class time is required for excused absences.

The purpose of this assignment is to look at a current technology trend and integrate that trend with your knowledge of how it could impact information management in the public sector. The method of achieving this is to approach the paper as a memo to the senior leadership of an organization (federal, state, local, nonprofit). The paper should aim to answer the following: 

  • Describe the current technology trend with some detail (10 points) 
  • What challenges will your organization have in adopting this trend? (10 points)  
  • Your recommendation: Should your public sector organization adopt this trend? Why or why not? If adopted, how will the trent impact your organization? (10 points)

An additional 5 points is awarded for overall paper cohesiveness, and quality of writing and thought. Conciseness is critical, and points will be taken off for exceeding the page limit. The paper is graded out of 35 points.

The paper should be 2 pages, single spaced, 12-point font, 1-inch margins. Cite all sources and be consistent in the method by which you cite (e.g. footnotes, endnotes, APA style). A required list of references does not count against the 2-page limit. It is expected that you will rely on a number of sources for this paper, which can include, but is not limited to, any of the following:

  • Material published by a public sector organization
  • Evaluations conducted by oversight organizations
  • Reports in periodicals
  • Primary or secondary interviews
  • Blogs
  • Online articles

The purpose of this assignment is to provide hands-on experience in designing and implementing a simple database in a public organization. By working with a real-life problem, we encounter some of the technical issues as they interact with the political, economic, and organizational issues of managing information in the public sector. We will use Microsoft Access to build a database from (almost) scratch, covering topics such as tables, queries, forms, reports, user interface design, and process improvement. 

There will be two submissions for this project. The Interim Database Check submission will include the Access Database and the Documentation Template for Sections B, C, D, and E. All documentation and files related to the Interim Database Check are to be submitted to Carmen.

Using the feedback you received from the Interim Database Check, you can improve sections B, C, D, and E. These sections will be re-graded if work was done to improve them for the Final Database Project. Otherwise the original grade will be used for those sections when calculating the Final Database Project score. All documentation and files related to the Final Database
Project are to be submitted to Carmen. Additional information regarding this project will be presented separately.

Course Schedule

Week 1: 

  • Welcome and introduction to course
  • Brief overview of syllabus and course requirements
  • IT/Public policy interaction
  • Myths and Realities of IT
  • Process analysis/improvement
  • Database design
  • Overview of project

Week 2: 

  • Data normalization
  • OCAP Overview 

Week 3: 

  • Interoperability and data sharing
  • Open Data and Transparency
  • Due: Current Trend Memo is to be submitted to Carmen by 5:00 PM on Monday,
    November 1.

Week 4:

  • Big data
  • Information quality

Week 5: 

  • Security/Privacy

Week 6: 

  • Usability of data systems

Week 7:

  • The cloud
  • Challenges to data informed governance

Week 8:

  • Artificial intelligence, big data, and algorithmic bias