Public Service Inquiry: On your own, you will investigate a public service organization of interest, such as an agency of local government, a local non-profit group in your area, or even a private firm that carries out public responsibilities through contract, charter or in partnership with a government or other public organization. You should plan to contact a key decision-maker within your organization of choice, such as an agency head or deputy, executive director or program manager, or the “point person” in charge of a particular policy or issues of concern that the organization is currently engaged. You have a great deal of flexibility in what you choose to investigate, as well as the person or persons you want to interview. The important and mandatory requirement is that the issue and people involved must have advocated, developed or helped to implement a public policy or address a community problem or issue of concern. Some potential interviewees may have gone only so far as to be involved in the development of a public policy proposal or planning effort, but the key purpose of this assignment is to learn from those who have participated, or are actively engaged, in the public policymaking or problem-solving process. You will want to investigate and articulate the following:
• What is the problem or central issue(s)?
• What are the major factors as the policy or issue develops including the steps taken to get the issue(s) on the public agenda?
• Is there relevant history around the issue that should be considered?
• What are alternatives or solutions for resolving the problem? These may be case specific or may be alternatives that occur to you as you develop your inquiry.
• What were the challenges/opportunities encountered along the way?
• What other factors seem relevant to you? For example, benefits versus costs of a particular solution? Or theories that might help you to understand behaviors? In what ways can you apply this case/situation to specific concept from the readings you’ve done up to this point in the course?
• What did your interview subject have to say about “doing politics” on behalf of a public issue?
• What might the interview subject’s experience teach you?
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