MPA Capstone Booklet--Spring 2018

SCHOOL OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

SCHOOL OF PUBLIC

ADMINISTRATION

CAPSTONE PRESENTATIONS Spring 2018 | Monday, April 30, 2018

Presenters

Panel 1 | Online Students Room: CPACS 111E Alumni Panelists: Emily McIvor, Greg Hood, Hannah Young Tune in online with Zoom using this link: https://unomaha.zoom.us/j/178103308 1:00 PM: Laura Klein Satisfaction Levels of Physicians and Nurses in Accountable Care Organizations

Accountable care organizations (ACOs) are increasingly becoming the more common method of healthcare delivery since the passing of the Affordable Care Act. As these models of care continue to establish across the country, it is important to note whether these models are impacting job satisfaction levels of physician and nursing staff. This research paper utilizes previous literature on provider satisfaction in other health care settings and surveys primary care physicians and nurses from two ACOs in Nebraska. The two ACOs are similar in the guidelines they are required to follow but differ in location and size. Findings of the study suggest that physicians and nursing staff have an overall satisfaction in their positions, but experience certain struggles and benefits that do impact daily and higher level job satisfaction. The study hopes to provide a basic framework for an area that is lacking in research and to provide insight for current and future providers and administrators in ACOs.

1:20 PM: Andrea L. Covert Maximizing Resources with Collaboration to Conquer Issues of Poverty

Maximizing resources with collaboration aides in conquering issues of poverty: a case study of Interfaith of Natrona County addresses the following questions: (1) What elements are important for a successful collaborative network?, (2) How does Interfaith of Natrona County manage a collaborative network to address issues of homelessness and is it sustainable over time?, (3) What lessons can be learned from the study of Interfaith’s collaborative network? First, duel literature addressing issues of poverty and collaborative networks are presented. Findings from qualitative interviews revealed: a model of referral, need for knowledge of resources, unclear funding cycles, a need for staff self-care and rejuvenation, and successes and trepidations. In the end, important elements for a successful collaborative network were discovered to be: knowledge of available resources; frequent open and honest communication, a shared sense of purpose, and time. Interfaith manages a collaborative network by operating within an established model of referral, which does not consist of formalized structures nor does it utilize a lead agency. This model can be sustainable over time; however, a leader could strengthen it. Lessons learned are the importance of building and maintaining a strong reputation, providing consistent services; and an emphasis for staff self-care and rejuvenation.

1:40 PM: Justin D. Watson An Analysis of Staffing Plans in Nebraska’s Rural Local Public Health Departments for Medical Countermeasure Dispensing Operations

Local Public Health Departments (LPHDs) in rural Nebraska are tasked with providing medical countermeasures (MCM) to some or all of their populations in the event of a public health emergency. In order for sites to run efficiently and within necessary timeframes, LPHDs will need a sufficient number of adequately trained staff. Dispensing plans for rural LPHDs in Nebraska have not been reviewed since 2011 and no in-depth analysis is on record. This paper compares LPHD planning for staffing dispensing sites to federal guidance, existing plans, and scholarly literature for similarities and differences to determine the adequacy of LPHD staffing plans in Nebraska. A content analysis conducted on LPHD staffing plans and transcripts from interviews with Emergency Response Coordinators (ERCs) reveals numerous strengths and challenges and provides an extensive list of suggestions and recommendations. The analysis, findings, and recommendations provide enough information for state and local planners to understand the current level of planning and conduct more targeted assessments.

2:00 PM: Laura D. Rodriguez-Carbone Evaluating Public Participation in the Policy-making Process: Building a Hospital Conversion Foundation in Lakewood, Ohio

This case study explored factors that affected public participation in the decision and policy-making process of building a Hospital Conversion Foundation. The report discusses levels of public participation and their effects on decisionmaking and public policy, considers qualitative surveys and employs a mixed scanning methodology when considering correlations with quantitative data and examines socio-political pressures and their influence on public engagement and the policy development process. This case study provides a multi-facet viewpoint into the evolution of decision-making during the course of the public policy process.

Panel 2 | Online Students Room: CPACS 109A Alumni Panelists: Eric Drumheller, Jim Davey, Julie Lubisi Tune in online with Zoom using this link: https://unomaha.zoom.us/j/272803301 1:00 PM: Caitlin Brady Capital versus Maintenance Transportation Projects: A Case Study at the Maricopa County Department of Transportation

The Maricopa Department of Transportation’s (MCDOT) core purpose is to provide connections that improve people’s lives. MCDOT achieves this through the operation and maintenance of approximately 2,000 centerline miles of roadway in the greater Phoenix area. The annual $200 million budget must be divided between capital and maintenance projects to meet this goal. Often, the distinction between capital and maintenance activities is clear, but what happens when it is not? Projects can suffer from delays in rework or transitioning from one budget to another or could slip through the cracks and never be completed creating an inefficient system for the travelling public. A significant lack of research has been completed on this specific of topic; however, through internal interviews and a landscape analysis, this case study examines the differences between capital and maintenance projects at MCDOT and makes recommendations on how best to clarify the differences – more effectively and efficiently using tax-payer resource and meeting the core purpose of MCDOT to “Provide connections that improve people’s lives.”

1:20 PM: Ryan Daniel Public Influence in Idaho Local Economic Development: Administrator Perceptions of Citizen Involvement

Economic studies suggest that the extent of citizen cooperation within local economic development has an important role in positive economic growth. However, there is a lack in recent studies measuring the direct influence between local public involvement and local economic development. The question that remains is the amount of influence the public can have on local economic development in their respective cities. In the State of Idaho, organized economic development is a fairly recent concept. In fact, in 2015, the Idaho Economic Development Association, IEDA, was organized to fulfill the mission to enhance and elevate the practice of economic development in Idaho, to promote sustainable business growth, and strengthen communities through education, networking and advocacy. This study addresses the impact that citizens can have on their local economic development within the State of Idaho based upon the economic development’s five schools of thought and their relation to active citizen involvement within communities. The five schools of thought consist of the quality of government, political accountability, social capital, economic strategy, and institutional influence. Through a careful examination of the perceptions of city administrators in dealing with citizens and economic development a study will be performed through gathering first hand data from various administrators of the 200 cities in Idaho State.

1:40 PM: Ashley Greenman Afterschool Programming Implementation in High-Need Districts: A Case Analysis in Rochester, NY

Out-of-school time (OST) activities for youth vary widely across the socioeconomic spectrum. Disparities in access to and participation in OST programming have a tremendous impact on economic outcomes for individuals, communities, and the entire nation. High-need districts often work with community-based organizations (CBOs) to implement OST programming to reduce opportunity gaps. Using an integrated, systems approach informed by models from implementation science, the researcher investigated a CBO’s implementation of an OST program in Rochester, NY. Document reviews and formal interviews with key personnel informed this qualitative study that can be used to prompt additional research regarding afterschool program implementation. While considering contextual elements and program fit, this capstone identified key elements that influence successful collaboration between school districts and afterschool program providers. Gaps in understanding the purpose of afterschool programming and its context and lack of consistent expectations for community partners hinder collaboration. Cross-training in social and emotional learning, communicating clear expectations with all members in a collaborative agreement, and expanding contextual understanding emerged as three elements necessary for successful collaboration. Findings will inform broad strategies for districts and other community stakeholders to improve partnerships and create effective networks for youth programs and OST providers.

2:00 PM: Christian Gray Citizen-Led Neighborhood Planning Practices within Resurging US Urban Communities

After decades of perpetual decline, urban U.S. cities are on the rebound and redeveloping at an unprecedented rate.

However, as communities are “revitalizing” in the midst of this nationwide sweep of redevelopment, it is commonplace for both new- and long-term residents to play a bystander role as they passively and, at times, powerlessly watch as their neighborhoods transform before their very eyes. The American people appear to have little self-determination in the realm where they arguably should have the loudest voice and strongest muscle: their own home neighborhood. With the hope of fanning the flame of the American civil spirit so famously observed by Alexis de Tocqueville nearly two centuries ago, this paper examines the theories and praxis of citizen-led neighborhood development within today’s resurging U.S. urban communities. Findings from the literature are then applied to a current local planning effort taking place in the Park Avenue neighborhood of Omaha, Nebraska.

Panel 3 | SWOT Analyses, Program Evaluation, and Strategic Planning Room: CEC 128 Marian Ivers Board Room Alumni Panelists: Hillary Nather-Detisch, Dan Fried, Carri Harris 1:00 PM: Camtrice Bexten Civic Practice in Opera: An Evaluation of the Holland Community Opera Fellowship

It has been said that opera pays the bills by promoting exclusivity. However, as nonprofit organizations, opera companies are charged with serving the public good. In an effort to move from exclusivity to inclusion, Opera Omaha launched the Holland Community Opera Fellowship. This groundbreaking initiative seeks to change how opera companies engage with their communities, and strives operate in the realm of meaningful civic practice, providing artistic resources to everyone. In review of the first season, this study asks, “Does Opera Omaha employ effective practices of civic engagement through the Holland Community Opera Fellowship?” Through study of qualitative data from External Perception Interviews, Community Artist Panel Meetings, Community Partner Program Reviews, and an in-depth SWOC/T analysis, this study was able to answer the question and offer recommendations for improvements to the program.

1:20 PM: Brandon J. Camacho A Strategic Planning Approach: An Analysis of Autumn Ridge Personal Care

Autumn Ridge Personal Care (ARPC) is a small for-profit State regulated special needs-based long-term care facility located 30 miles south of Paducah, KY. It serves adults who are afflicted with mental illness by providing stable living, medication management and food/shelter. This study sets out to analyze the Strengths/Weaknesses/Opportunities/ Threats (SWOT) of this organization through the sole use of qualitative analysis. The qualitative analysis involved was in the form of a semi-structured interview of six out of the eight current staff members and of the Executive Director (ED).

The data was subsequently characterized, using thematic analysis, in the form of each individual SWOT component.

Once these SWOT components were created each was formed into a SWOT matrix and transformed into action guidelines. Seven action guidelines were recommended to both the staff and ED of ARPC.

1:40 PM: Emily Yoshimoto Co-Op of Opportunities: An Evaluation of the Artist Co-Op Studios at The Union for Contemporary Art

Recognizing that evaluation is a valuable tool to help with programmatic growth and enhancement, The Union for Contemporary Art (The Union), an Omaha based nonprofit implemented a program evaluation of their Co-Op program.

This program evaluation examined the alignment of program objectives with program outcomes, measured Co-Op member satisfaction, and examined the barriers that prevent inactive members from becoming active members.

Through two online surveys, the evaluation results reveal that the Co-Op’s studios and workshops support the practice, development, and sustainability of creative processes of the Co-Op members by being affordable, creating opportunities to connect and collaborate, through workshops that inspire and increase artistic skills and knowledge, and by being a welcoming and accessible space. While inactive members indicated there were several barriers which prevented them from renewing their memberships. These survey results provide valuable information for The Union to reflect on the operations and programming of the Co-Op, while also allowing the organization to compile qualitative and quantitative measures of program effectiveness for potential and current funders.

2:00 PM: Laura Windisch Building Leaders for Tomorrow: A Program Evaluation of the Girl Scout Spirit of Nebraska

Recently, Girl Scouts of the United States of America (GSUSA) began conducting evaluations of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience program, which seeks to develop leadership skills necessary for young females to become successful, confident women. While GSUSA examines aggregate data at the national level, there has yet to be a program evaluation that examines grade-level performance for participants in the Girl Scout Leadership Experience program.

To address this gap, I relied on survey data from 1,056 females who participated in Girl Scout Spirit of Nebraska between 2016-2017. Specifically, I conducted an analysis of variance test to examine relationships between participant grade-level and key performance outcomes (i.e., sense of self, positive values, challenge seeking, community problem solving, healthy relationships). Results indicate that Girl Scout Spirit of Nebraska ranked below the national average in all performance outcomes with the exception of sense of self. In terms of grade-level performance, the only significant differences identified pertained to positive values and community problem solving skills. I conclude with suggestions for future research that extend the Girl Scout Leadership Experience and provide recommendations for practitioners evaluating leadership development programs.

Panel 4 | Social Policy and Public Safety Room: CPACS 208 Alumni Panelists: Lisa Jorgensen, Ronna Sears-Fritz, Ikpeme Ben Ebong 1:00 PM: Holly Dunning Youth Homelessness and Out of Home Care in Nebraska: An Analysis of Current Policy

Sometimes referred to as the “invisible� homeless population, adolescents who are homeless without a parent or guardian present are a serious concern in Nebraska. Recent national data indicates that one third to one half of homeless youth had been placed in foster care or a group home and nearly one half had been in juvenile detention or prison. These findings suggest that significant opportunities for homelessness prevention may exist within the child welfare system. How can policy be a more effective tool in preventing and alleviating homelessness among this population? To answer this question, qualitative data is assessed through an overview of state child welfare policies and semi-structured interviews with service providers and stakeholders. The resulting data demonstrates that while there have been many positive developments within the Nebraska child welfare system in recent years, there are critical areas where further efforts are needed. Improving collaboration among the involved systems, reducing placement instability, offering more mental health services, and providing more opportunities for youth to have a voice in their care could help increase the efficacy of current policies.

1:20 PM: Brittany Herrington Summer Food Service Program: A Case Study of Douglas County, Nebraska

1 and 5 children in the state of Nebraska are experiencing food insecurity, which has negative impacts on children’s health, development, and educational outcomes. To address the issue of child food insecurity the Department of Agriculture designed The National School Lunch Program that allows learning institutions to provide food to children throughout the school year. The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), another USDA program, was established to provide free meals to children over the summer months when school is not in session. Nebraska currently has some of the lowest participation rates in SFSP, meaning many low-income children may not be receiving nutritious lunch and/ or snacks over the summer. Previous research has identified geographic accessibility as one of the biggest determining factors in participation rates. A case study of Douglas County, Nebraska was conducted in order to identify high priority summer meal site locations, as well as empirically establish summer meal recommendations from area experts.

1:40 PM: Brian Thorson Annual Fitness Testing for the Omaha Fire Department

The Omaha Fire Department does not currently utilize any method of mandatory annual physical or wellness testing.

These tests are a common practice around the country to ensure that firefighters are physically able to handle the extreme working conditions they face. Two common types of testing are physical and wellness. Physical tests are designed to simulate working at a fire scene, where firefighters will be tasked with dozens of different jobs. Wellness testing requires the physical examination of a doctor as well as blood labs to identify early warning signs for deadly diseases. Across the country, these tests are becoming for common but still not required by law. The two agencies that oversee and set the safety standards for firefighters have guidelines in place but cannot enforce them. It is up to each individual department to evaluate their own needs and budget and determine if testing would be beneficial.

In the following paper, data from three departments has been compiled to evaluate how successful different methods have proven to be. Dallas Fire has adopted a mandatory wellness exam to find early indicators of heart disease, cancer, and other diseases. Denver Fire puts its members through a strenuous physical test to simulate fire ground conditions.

Omaha Fire does not require any testing and leaves physical training and wellness testing up to every individual.

2:00 PM: Chase Kratochvil A Moment in Time: Police Body Camera Policies and the Omaha Police Department

Over the past couple of years, public trust with law enforcement has declined. This lack of trust and accountability is being addressed by many law enforcement agencies across the county. By implementing Body-Worn Camera’s, law enforcement agencies are hoping to be held more accountable to the public. However, simply issuing body cameras to officers may not be the simple solution. The policies that govern said body camera’s is really where that trust and accountability will be built upon. While the Omaha Police Department has policies in place, already. It is important to analyze those polices and compare them to other law enforcement agencies across the country to identify the best practices and polices to have in place. This ensures that the Omaha Police Department and their body camera program are as effective as can be, in order to be accountable to the population they protect and serve.

Panel 5 | Community and Donor Engagement, Economic Development, and Workplace Satisfaction Room: CEC 118, First Floor Video Conference Room Alumni Panelists: Jacki Collett, Elizabeth Cunard, Carna Pfeil 1:00 PM: Alexandra Bauer Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing in Omaha: Recommendations and Strategies for Community Engagement in Housing Initiatives

Segregation and discrimination in housing has evolved from an intentional government initiative to a persistent plague on American cities. In order to challenge cities to explore solutions to defuse the long-term and cyclical problems faced by neighborhoods and communities, HUD created the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) Rule in 2015. In 2017, the City of Omaha Planning Department completed the process of creating and disseminating a community housing survey to the Omaha and metropolitan area. The most pertinent question from the AFFH process in 2017 and the question researched in this project was, “What steps can the City of Omaha take to engage more effectively with the community to collect insightful feedback on the state of housing in the Omaha metropolitan?” Through interviews with key stakeholders in the Omaha housing community and analysis of the 2017 survey results, this mixed methods study was able to offer recommendations for community engagement strategies for future housing initiatives in Omaha.

1:20 PM: Josh Charvat The Role of Development-Ready Sites as an Industrial Development Tool in Nebraska

Achieving industrial economic growth has become an increasingly difficult venture for local communities. Communities must now compete, not just with their regional neighbors, but against communities across the nation for development due to improvements in transportation and telecommunications. Increased competition has made it vital that Nebraska has effect policies in place to attract industrial investment and create jobs. The policy of utilizing site development has gained significant popularity in recent years due its ability to mitigate risk, decrease speed to market, and reduce costs for industrial developers. This analysis takes a deeper look at the use of a site development in Nebraska to assess how effective local practitioners view it in order to establish its place among industrial economic development policies in the state.

1:40 PM: Ian Vosburg Quid Pro Quo Fundraising: The Effects of Thank You Gifts on Donor Retention at NET, Nebraska’s PBS & NPR Stations

NET, Nebraska’s PBS & NPR Stations – and other public media organizations – commonly use thank you gifts during on-air pledge drives to acquire new donors. Because these thank you gifts detract from the value of the donation as well as from a donor’s intrinsic motivations to donate, there is question if this is an efficient and effective donor acquisition method. Do these thank you gift acquired donors give enough future donations to offset the costs of acquiring them?

Using NET’s data of new donors from 2012 to 2017, this question is studied quantitatively using regression analyses, independent samples t-tests, and novel equations to determine both the efficiency and effectiveness of thank you gifts in donor acquisition. The findings of this study may provide direction for NET’s future donor acquisition efforts.

2:00 PM: Natalie Scarpa Intersectionality in the Workplace: Perceptions of Satisfaction, Opportunity and Inclusivity in Omaha Community vibrancy depends on the contributions of its members. To grow and prosper communities must attract and retain top individuals. Previous studies have revealed that black young professionals of Omaha feel less satisfied with and less likely to recommend Omaha than are individuals of other races. The workplace is one of the primary venues that individuals experience discrimination, which can reduce job satisfaction and ultimately reduce satisfaction within the community. Developing an effective strategy to address this issue is paramount, but doing so requires having a nuanced understanding of the role identity plays in community satisfaction. This study seeks to better understand the influence of intersecting identities of race, gender, and age on workplace satisfaction and perceptions of opportunity and inclusivity, taking it a step beyond previous studies that have only considered the racial aspect of identity. Results revealed that an intersectional approach provided more accurate, nuanced understanding of the relationship between identity and workplace perceptions.

Results also provided detailed insights into minority perceptions of the workplace, which will inform a more effective an encompassing strategy for attracting and retaining top talent of all identities.

402.554.2625 | spa.unomaha.edu | facebook.com/unospa The University of Nebraska does not discriminate based on race, color, ethnicity, national origin, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, and/or political affiliation in its programs, activities, or employment.