Capstone Presentations | Spring 2019

SCHOOL OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

SCHOOL OF PUBLIC

ADMINISTRATION

CAPSTONE PRESENTATIONS Spring 2019 | Tuesday, April 23, 2019

Presenters

Panel 1 | Online and On-Campus Students Room: CPACS 213 Alumni Panelists: Elizabeth D’Allura, Cari Harris, Chase Kratochvil Tune in online with Zoom using this link: https://unomaha.zoom.us/j/6036877455 1:00 PM: Cassie Brooks An Evaluation of HUD Rental Determination Policy on Resident Student Households

Given the work-first focus of welfare reform, this policy evaluation seeks to understand if an earned income disallowance for full-time students provides an incentive or benefit towards education-first for dependent household members within the Public Housing and Housing Choice Voucher program. As little research exists on this policy and its impact on residents, the evaluation will be structured as formative evaluation, reviewing ‘how’ and ‘to what effect’ the policy is meeting the needs of clients and aims of key stakeholders. Administrative data analysis, a resident survey and staff interviews will help to understand how a rental policy impacts a public housing authority’s students and their selfsufficiency.

1:20 PM: Daniel Meyer Evaluating Outcomes of the Whitewater Police Department Body-Worn Camera Program This paper outlines and analyzes the growing body of research related to body-worn cameras and their impact on law enforcement. The Whitewater, Wisconsin Police Department (WPD) has utilized body-worn cameras since 2011. This evaluation provides quantitative and qualitative analyses of the impacts body-worn cameras have had at WPD in terms of use of force, citizen complaints, and officer productivity. Suggestions for future research are also discussed.

1:40 PM: Kymberly Zomermaand Crisis Intervention Teams: Best Practices for Program Implementation

Since the deinstitutionalization of individuals with mental illness, prisons and jails have seen a dramatic increase in the number of inmates who suffer from such illness. To address this issue, provide these individuals with proper care and treatment, and reduce recidivism rates, law enforcement and mental health agencies across the United States have partnered to develop jail diversion programs specifically for low level offenders that suffer from mental illness.

The Crisis Intervention Team, or CIT, jail diversion model (also known as the Memphis Model) has become one of the leading methods of diverting these individuals. This research project examines the practices of two CIT programs in the United States that have been deemed successful by the respective jurisdiction—Bexar County CIT and Heartland CIT. The objective of the case study analysis was to identify which CIT practices are most important and will set a law enforcement agency up for success in addressing the collide between criminal behavior and mental illness.

2:00 PM: Tracey Culliver Elderly Self-Neglect: Insights from Nebraska

Elderly self-neglect is a critical issue among the elderly. Elderly self-neglect is defined as a vulnerable adult living in a way that puts his or her health, safety, or well-being at-risk. Elderly self-neglect is under the umbrella of elder abuse.

The transitioning of the older population is important to the public and private interest because elderly self-neglect is becoming a serious problem in the United State and is also a problem in Nebraska. These problems and challenges in self-neglect are compelling public administrators to make informed policies in healthcare, finances, and social services that are conducive for the elderly population. The current study collected data from the Nebraska Health and Human Service Adult Protective Services 2017 Annual Report, to determine the relationships between physical, mental and environmental factors with age, gender, and race.

2:20 PM: Rachel Slagle Representative Bureaucracy: Women in Public Administration

The definition of female citizenship in America’s representative democracy has been revised many times over the past 250 years, taking many turns. The federal right to vote has expanded to larger and larger populations, granting citizens regardless of gender, race, or financial status, the federal right to vote. Representation now stands at the heart of public perception of good governance in America. Therefore, it is important to periodically examine and evaluate bureaucratic representation in the field of public administration so awareness of horizontal employment segregation can lead to improved organizational outcomes for the public. Significant organizational characteristics of a representative bureaucracy include organizational culture, hierarchies and power, stereotypes, gendered employment trends, cultural scripts, public service motivation, workplace benefits, and gender diversity outcomes. With an understanding of current gender distribution, and the categorization of occupations into high male, gender neutral, and high female classifications stereotypes can be recognized, challenged, and overcome. This data provides categorical insight into a gendered perception of public administration.

Panel 2 | Online and On-Campus Students Room: CPACS 214 Alumni Panelists: Clif Banner, Elise Becker, Marshall Crawford, Gayle Malmquist Tune in online with Zoom using this link: https://unomaha.zoom.us/j/9883523914 1:00 PM: Aryn Crawford Solving Financial Problems in Small Nonprofit Organizations

This study examines the financial problem solving process in small nonprofit organizations. Qualitative data from interviews with twelve nonprofit leaders in Jasper County, Missouri was used to explore the dynamics of crosssectoral cooperation, the importance of building relationships with stakeholders, and the mystery of donor motivation.

Understanding financial health as a place on a continuum rather than a comfortable destination, the nonprofit leaders who participated in this study are positioned as outward facing liaisons to an ever-changing external organizational environment. Donor behavior, politics and culture, and perceptions of the nonprofit sector itself shape that environment and the way that nonprofit leaders choose to respond.

1:20 PM: Nancy Kim AMO (Ability-Motivation-Opportunity)-Enhancing Practices that Promote Volunteer Satisfaction and Retention: A Case Study of PLUR, a Volunteer Organization in Seoul, Korea

The Ability-Motivation-Opportunity (AMO) framework, widely used to explain the HRM-performance linkage, will be applied to study the effectiveness of AMO practices of a volunteer-led non-profit organization in Seoul, Korea on the satisfaction of its volunteers and their intention to continue volunteering with the organization. Peace Love Unity Respect (PLUR) is a volunteer organization in Seoul that helps deliver food and helpful supplies to the homeless population living around the main train station in Seoul. The organization is wholly dependent on volunteers, mostly made up of expatriates, who are transient in nature. By using the Ability-Motivation-Opportunity (AMO) framework, I aim to determine what strategies related to ability, motivation, and opportunity are being practiced by the leaders of PLUR, and how they affect volunteer satisfaction and retention in the organization.

1:40 PM: Tyler Webb Exploring Integrated Care using the Triple Aim Framework: How to Reach a Unified Conceptual Framework The healthcare landscape in the United States needs an overhaul, but a path forward is not clear. Per capita healthcare costs have risen to $10.3 trillion in 2016 according the CMS and the current fee-forservice system is fragmented and in need of intervention. The integrated care model has been hyped as, “a key strategy in reforming health systems around the world� (Kodner, 2009, p. 6). The purpose of this project was to answer two key research questions focused on patient outcomes and the patient experience. An extensive literature review was completed and a meta-analytical approach was then utilized to synthesize the findings. Using the Institute for Healthcare Improvement’s Triple Aim as a framework, emergent themes were identified within the body of research to ascertain how well the current research discusses and addresses three key principles: improving the patient experience of care, improving the health of populations, and reducing per capita costs of healthcare. Findings from the analysis show that the integrated care body of literature places an emphasis on researching and discussing ways to improve the patient experience of care and improve the health of populations, but there is a significant gap when addressing the cost per capita of healthcare. Additional emergent themes that will be discussed include communication strategies and the generalizability and replicability of the integrated care model.

2:00 PM: Michael Riley Using Omaha as a Platform on How to Better Serve Those with Special Needs

This research looks at the parks in Omaha, Nebraska and how they have been constructed to serve people with mental and physical disabilities. These parks have been modified in a number of different ways, serving individuals who are faced with ambulatory issues and/or utilize a wheelchair for mobility. This research will look at what Omaha has done to construct new parks with people who are mentally and physically disabled, as well as what Omaha has done to already established parks and how the city has made those facilities more accommodating to this population. The research includes a series of interviews with a number of different individuals. The interviewees are people who have been influential in the construction of such parks and a person who utilizes a wheelchair for mobility. The research hopes to look at what Omaha has done as a city with all-inclusive parks and how it has benefited the people of Omaha and how other towns and cities can mimic what Omaha has done.

2:20 PM: Katie Whitmore Fidelity of Implementation: A Process Evaluation of the Clatsop County Lunch Buddy Mentoring Program

Youth mentoring programs have grown significantly in the past two decades following a series of studies indicating that mentoring has positive effects on youth with adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) in their home and school environments. Community-based mentoring programs aim to mitigate the effects of ACEs by providing youth with opportunities to form meaningful and quality relationships with adults outside of their home and school environments.

To provide these same benefits to the youth in Clatsop County, Oregon, the Lunch Buddy Mentoring Program (LBMP) connects children in-need with positive, stable role models during the school year. The matches meet one-hour per week during the student’s lunch period. They eat together and spend recess doing a student-driven activity. The Board of Directors hoped to demonstrate the impacts of the LBMP through an outcome evaluation, but they recognized the lack of performance management systems and inconsistencies in implementation of the program across participating school sites would cast doubt on the validity of the outcomes. To determine the fidelity of the LBMP program and prepare it for a future outcome evaluation, this process evaluation assessed “to what extent are program staff implementing, with fidelity, the mentorship program” and “what key factors are affecting successful implementation.” Each LBMP mentee and mentor was surveyed, and all Site Coordinators and the Mentor Coordinator were interviewed. A qualitative analysis reinforced the need for implementation fidelity in the LBMP and provided recommendations for possible improvements.

Panel 3 | On-Campus Students Room: CPACS 109A Alumni Panelists: Valerie Boukal, Sheri Dunbar, Jim Temme 1:00 PM: Anne Bowen Increasing the UNMC Board of Counselors Engagement Initiative

This paper will address the best practices that can be utilized to grow and enhance engagement with the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) Board of Counselors group and create an action plan that will garner the highest involvement and engagement of the group, considering how to increase engagement and communication. This project creates an action plan for enhancing, growing and integrating engagement initiatives into the UNMC Board of Counselors membership within the next year. This includes engaging the group as ambassadors, advisers, and advocates to the Chancellor and on behalf of the UNMC.

1:20 PM: Giovanni Consolino Neoliberalism, New Public Management, and Public Higher Education: A Case Study Among Graduate Program Chairs at UNO

Drawing upon the existing literature on neoliberalism, New Public Management (NPM), and public higher education, this capstone project utilized a case study approach to explore how neoliberalism impacts the University of Nebraska at Omaha. By conducting semi-structured interviews with Graduate Program Chairs (GPCs), the findings of this study intensify a market-driven mentality within the context of the public university. The influence of the private sector on the public sector generated interesting considerations among participants, while other findings reinforced the necessity to comprehend the purpose and goals of public higher education. The implications of this study are mainly directed to university administrators. Future research should investigate administrators and students’ perceptions on neoliberalism and the interplay of university-industry alliances.

1:40 PM: Wynter Davis To Ban or Not to Ban: Is Affirmative Action Still Necessary in Higher Education?

Affirmative action continues to be a relevant and controversial topic in higher education. Currently, more and more universities and colleges are finding they have to defend their admissions policies from ongoing lawsuits. The research intended to answer the question: Do schools that have implemented affirmative action policies have greater diversity in their student populations than schools that have banned affirmative action policies? The researcher observed over ten years the composition of incoming freshmen at six highly selective colleges who implemented affirmative action policies or had an alternative plan.

2:00 PM: Victoria Novak Metropolitan Community College of Nebraska Workforce Innovation Division Strategic Planning and Roadmap The purpose of this research paper is to study the strategic management theory and the process of strategic planning. Some organizations run into issues with productivity because employees do not have direction or a plan to follow. Oftentimes employees do not work to their fullest ability because they do not completely understand their role, what is expected and have clear goals. Goals allow employees to know when they are on track and once a goal is achieved, they feel accomplished and successful. This project was intended for a team to go through the strategic planning process to develop a roadmap of goals and activities that are aligned with their division’s mission. The major findings of the strategic planning process is that when people work together toward their team goals then they are more invested in the desired outcomes and push toward success. There is a greater chance that the plan will be implemented and adopted when teams have a voice in the planning. In this case, the team immediately became more trusting of each other and excited about the direction they created for the team.

2:20 PM: Lauren Slaughter Title IX: Changes in the Scope and Impact on Higher Education Institutions This research draws on a rich history of social reform in throughout the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s to explain the success of Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972. The research conducts a policy analysis using the social construction of targeted groups to explain how the Title IX initiative was successfully presented and marketed to garner the support needed to become law. Several variables are evaluated to deepen the understanding of the impact Title IX legislation had on targeted groups, and whether or not it was successful at eliminating gender inequity and discrimination in postsecondary education.

Panel 4 | On-Campus Students Room: CPACS 120 Alumni Panelists: Jackie Collett, Mike McGlade, Carna Pfeil 1:00 PM: Elisabeth Barrett Amplify Arts: A Stakeholder Analysis

Strategic planning is an imperative part of every nonprofit that seeks to fill a void in the community and provide public value. More often than not, neglecting the perspectives, inputs, and opinions of stakeholders can result in the failed implementation of a strategic plan, because without their advocacy and support it is much more difficult for a nonprofit organization to achieve its mission. As an Omaha nonprofit, Amplify Arts, prepares to create a new strategic plan, the staff took the opportunity to learn more about their environment through the creation of a basic stakeholder analysis and a power versus interest grid. Using information from this activity and the results of interviews with stakeholders will assist Amplify Arts in their next steps towards forward growth and mission development. By working with staff and individual stakeholders on the first step towards a new strategic plan, this project investigates the research question: “Who are Amplify Arts’ stakeholders and how are they impacted by recent and upcoming changes in the organization?”

1:20 PM: Amanda Blessing Is State Obesity Rate Dependent on Prevention Policies & Programs?

Obesity has continued to plague the United States with no end in sight, forcing public policy makers to take action. Trust for America’s Health and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation have partnered over the past fourteen years to release the annual State of Obesity Report, which provides comprehensive information regarding obesity and its effects in the U.S. The report also includes public policy recommendations aimed at reducing obesity at the state level. Many states have subsequently implemented various policies to help increase physical activity and consumption of nutritious foods. Despite these attempts, the rates of obesity continue to rise. This paper examines the relationship between the recommended obesity prevention policies and actual obesity rates. The first research question seeks to determine whether there is a relationship between the total number of obesity prevention policies adopted in a state and the state obesity rates.

The second research question seeks to determine how obesity rates compare between states that adopt a policy versus states that do not adopt a policy.

1:40 PM: Kelly Koepsell Philanthropic Funding Requirements Reasons and Reactions: What funders require and how nonprofits react

Eleven foundation program managers were interviewed to determine their position on requiring Nonprofit Association of the Midlands (NAM) capacity-building activities as a condition of grant receipt/acceptance. Two foundations require activities, and two mandate reporting of NAM activities. The reason the foundations require NAM capacity-building activities is due mainly to a lack of financial management knowledge, governance, and infrastructure in the grantees and applicants. Successful grant applicants of the four foundations were surveyed to determine their perspective of the requirement. The majority (62%) were in favor of the requirements as being good for the sector, and for increasing nonprofit accountability and transparency. The nonprofit leaders who were against the requirements (38%) were so because of the time and money required to complete the requirements, and the perception that the NAM best practices program duplicated other programs. Five of the 46 negative perspective comments stated in some way or other that the requirement was morally wrong. Survey questions also asked about grant amount versus total budgets, to determine if resource dependency existed in the perspective of the nonprofit leaders’ responses. Response datasets did not pass normality tests nor were the characteristics of the datasets appropriate for any correlation tests.

2:00 PM: Heike Langdon Stakeholder Voices in Nonprofit Programming Decision Making

Since R. Edward Freeman introduced the concept of Stakeholder Theory in 1983, it has been embraced by many different fields, including for-profit companies, political and civic engagement organizations, and increasingly, the nonprofit field.

As in the other areas, nonprofits must balance the input, desires and power of different stakeholder groups in order to achieve their goals. For nonprofits, stakeholders include funders, board members, staff, volunteers, community members and those who participate in their programs, whether they are called audience members, clients, visitors, beneficiaries or a variety of other names. It is easy to see how groups like funders, board members, staff and volunteers are able to provide input to organizations, and from there track how this feedback is used. However, what does this look like for participants? How often do nonprofits solicit their input on questions of programming, organizational vision/mission and planning? How do they do this, and how is this information used? The purpose of this research is to look at stakeholder feedback as a whole, including why organizations do or do not solicit feedback, and best practices from those who do.

To do so, it looks at a survey of the 39 nonprofits with offices in the Barbara Weitz Community Engagement Center as a sample group, addressing questions of who speaks, what methods of communication are used, and what is done with this information.

2:20 PM: Venicia Figueroa Turnover Among Afterschool Program Site Directors

This research looks to explore the afterschool workforce turnover rate. A quantitative study was conducted examine former and current site directors sentiment on training, support, job satisfaction and intent to leave. Using SPSS statistical reports were ran to analysis the data and provide recommendation to reduce turnover.

Panel 5 | On-Campus Students Room: Barbara Weitz Community Engagement Center 128 Alumni Panelists: Brian Liu, Kathleen Mashanic, Polina Schlott, Brittany Willmore 1:00 PM: Derek Comba Recruitment Practices for Partnership 4 Kids: A New Approach to Recruiting Volunteers for Elementary School

This study takes a look at the goal setting and group mentoring organization Partnership 4 Kids. The study examines the current recruitment and retention practices of the volunteers that serve the program. Partnership 4 Kids relies on these volunteers to help run their programming. This project will help give more insights into what the program does well, and what they could improve on. The end goal of this project will be to help Partnership 4 Kids retain and recruit more volunteer and strengthen the program as a result.

1:20 PM: Christina Mayer Food for the Soul: Nutrition and Health at The Gathering Place in Lincoln, NE

Food insecurity and its physical counterpart, hunger, are widespread in the United States and often lead to long-lasting medical, psychological, and social impacts for individuals and families. Emergency food resource (EFR) providers are increasingly focused on the question of whether all calories are equal, and whether it is worthwhile or feasible to offer more fresh food items. Cost, and whether EFR recipients are interested in fresh foods, are the most commonly cited barriers. The Gathering Place is a nonprofit soup kitchen in Lincoln, Nebraska that serves an evening meal every weeknight. Better information about Gathering Place guests’ food sources and preferences, along with basic health information, will help the organization be more responsive to the community’s needs. An anonymous survey was administered to Gathering Place guests over the course of one week in March 2019; recorded interviews with the Gathering Place’s two staffers were conducted to gain insight on operational matters and determine how well employee expectations match with what guests self-report. Results from the surveys and interviews are analyzed and implications for practice discussed.

1:40 PM: Benjamin Rasmussen Supporting the Supporters: Developing Resources for Youth Care and Beyond

With many nonprofits seeking donations from the same sources, small organizations need to optimize their approach to marketing and development. In this paper we explore the unique situation of Youth Care and Beyond, evaluate different fundraising and marketing approaches, and design an efficient and optimal plan for the organization.

2:00 PM: Tiffany Uher Primary Risk Factors Impacting Safety for Children and Youth in Out-of-home Care

It is imperative that public administrators be diligent in both the prevention and monitoring of risk factors for recurrent maltreatment while youth are in out-of-home care. This capstone project examined the client data from one out-ofhome care provider over a five year period of time, to explore the impact of gender, race, placement type, and length of stay on the likelihood of a safety incident while in care. Using quantitative methods, the study found that gender and placement type have a strong effect on the occurrence of safety events. Client race had no effect on safety events.

Finally, while results regarding length of stay and the likelihood of a safety event were significant, the direct correlation between the two variables was inconclusive. More research is needed regarding safety of youth in care, particularly utilizing a broad definition of safety with attention to the complexity of the service environment.

2:20 PM: Joshua Williams Non-Profit Retention: Attracting and Retaining Millennials

This project takes a close look at retention amongst the millennial generation in non-profit businesses and organizations.

Based on generational differences, views of the non-profit sector and compensation, attracting, retaining and motivating promotion can seem difficult for employers. This project takes an objective look at the common themes of difficulty employers face in the fight to hire the next generation and keeping their doors open. It also takes a deep look at what best practice methods are yielding employers positive hiring experiences and sheds light on what specific factors are most prominent in influencing the millennial generation to leave their place of work and ultimately leave the industry all together.

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