Week four discussion
Question 1
Milakovich and Gordon discuss the trend in recent years to “privatize” or “contract out” work previously managed and financed by public entities. We have seen this approach applied to everything from managing prisons to educating children. Discuss and provide some examples of this dynamic. Are there some policy areas that you think are well suited for privatization? Are there responsibilities where privatization might not be desirable?
Question 2
Our text focuses on federal government budgeting. While the federal government can run a deficit, local governments must balance their budgets (and so, too, must most state governments). Take a look at the Chatham County (GA) 2016-2017 budget information and note the listed revenue sources (pages 30-39) and the amount allocated to emergency management (page 83).
Select a different local or state government in the U.S. and do in-person or Internet research to find a recent annual budget for that government; list its key sources of revenue and the amounts from each source. If available, note the budget amount for the emergency management. Provide a link (or contact office if you obtained in hard copy) for your source of information.
Question 3
In an essay of approximately 250 words, identify and explain how complex decision-making structures in U.S. government affects the role of emergency managers. In your essay, explore one or more impacts – positive or negative — this system can have on emergency management. In addition to the text, reference at least one credible government or academic source. Provide in-text citations and a reference/works cited list in APA Style. Submit your essay to Turnitin before uploading it here.
Question 4
You have been asked to brief a federal agency administrator on how to evaluate a program under his/her agency’s control. Select one of the following U.S. federal programs related to emergency management and, conducting additional research as needed, identify several key points you would recommend to evaluate the effectiveness of program you selected.
Explain the relevance (and the source, if applicable) of the points you recommend. Consider how evaluating disaster and security-related programs might be different from evaluating other types of government programs.
https://www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/documents/24945
https://www.fema.gov/national-flood-insurance-program
https://www.fema.gov/port-security-grant-program
https://www.fema.gov/pre-disaster-mitigation-grant-program
https://www.fema.gov/public-assistance-local-state-tribal-and-non-profit
https://www.fema.gov/radiological-emergency-preparedness-program
Question 5
Your response to the question below should be at least one brief paragraph.
Identify at least two challenges that can face a state or local government agency in attempting to implement or restructure a program. How might the challenges be addressed or minimized?