This study dealt with a personnel problem which emanates from the ineffectiveness of the Career Ladder program for probation services within the Georgia Department of Offender Rehabilitation. Emphasis was upon the impact of the problem on the probation staff's provision of supervision and services for effective rehabilitation of offenders. Probation staff included positions of probation/parole aide, probation/parole officer I, probation/parole officer II, probation/ parole officer III and unit coordinator. Insufficient advancement Opportunities and an inadequate position/classification system were contributing factors to the ineffectiveness of the Career Ladder. Research and analysis were used to indicate that the ineffectiveness of the Career Ladder program was due to the agency's inability to attract and retain the most competent staff. An additional adverse effect of the Career Ladder program was the ineffective rehabilitation of offenders. To resolve this personnel problem, the implementation of a staff development program is recommended. The program should be designed to attract and retain the kind of staff needed to provide quality services to offenders.

The diversity visa (DV) lottery was created as part of a larger immigration bill in 1990 in order to diversify an immigrant pool that has favored Asian and Hispanic immigrants since the passage of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965. Traditional research on the national security ramifications of immigration policy has focused on highly publicized issues, such as illegal immigration and asylum and amnesty programs, to the exclusion of the risks of fraud and terrorism inherent in the DV lottery. The purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore the national security vulnerabilities of the DV lottery. Open-ended interviews were conducted with a snowball sample of 10 foreign service officers who adjudicate lottery visas for U.S. immigration from nations designated as state sponsors of terror. Guided by the framework of systems theory and the theory of constraints, content analysis was employed to reveal patterns and themes in the data. The findings were consonant with the framework, revealing the barriers and vulnerabilities of the DV lottery. Other findings showed both that the DV lottery has a negative impact on U.S. national security and fraud remains a serious concern, and yet there was no consensus on the scope and origin of potential terrorist threats. Recommendations include increasing collaboration and integration among agencies implementing the DV lottery, developing information-sharing agreements with other countries, and taking measures to eliminate fraud. The implications for social change include informing the public, immigration agencies, academics, and policy makers about the vulnerability of the DV lottery to fraud and misrepresentation; enhancing the debate about balancing immigration policies and national security; and possibly ending the DV lottery.

This dissertation is an examination of goal-directed network management, leadership, and governance through the lens of a framework based on the work of Chester Barnard (1938). I approach network management, leadership, and governance through the three Barnardian executive functions: providing a system of communication, securing essential effort, and formulating and providing purpose. These three functions are examined through the empirical examination of the case of the Southern Alberta Child and Youth Health Network (SACYHN). Drawing on both descriptive, qualitative data, as well as quantitative and structural network data, I examine which network actors were undertaking the Barnardian functions in the case of SACYHN and whether network leadership made a difference in overcoming challenges to cooperative action. Data were collected on SACYHN and its approximately 50 member organizations through an organizational questionnaire and elite interviews. Multiple methods were used for analyzing the data, including standard network analysis, qualitative analysis, Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA), and Multiple Regression Quadratic Assignment Procedure (MRQAP).By examining goal-directed inter-organizational network management, leadership, and governance through the lens of a Barnardian framework, I found that the essential functions necessary for effective network function are providing a communication system, securing essential effort, and formulating and defining purpose. I also contribute to the theory development around network functioning by proposing the role of network management, leadership, and governance in upholding the communication system, bolstering the securing of effort, and championing purpose. Second, by focusing on the fundamental functions of each, I then propose why and when management, leadership, and governance are important to effective network functioning and the theoretical and practical implications for relationship building in formal, goal directed inter-organizational networks.

The intent of this degree paper is to describe and analyze problems of inefficiency in personnel administration in the Personnel Direction of the National Institute of Housing in Venezuela. The paper includes a general description of the National Institute of Housing, the actual structure and functions of the Personnel Direction as well as the functions of those divisions and departments attached to it. The study draws attention to those existent inefficiencies in personnel administration and authority distribution. The study found that public employees at the National Institute of Housing are not regulated by the provisions of the Administrative Career Law designed as a guide for the Venezuelan public administration system. Consequently, Public employees are laid off every five years, employees are not selected on merit basis, employees are promoted through political patronage and personal alliances, and they are paid inadequately. Furthermore, the Personnel Direction lacks sufficient delegated authority in the administration of personnel. The main sources of information were a combination of secondary sources and the writer's observation during his tenure as head of the department of classification and remuneration within the Personnel Direction. Included in this study are proposed reforms in the above mentioned areas in an attempt to help create a better and more efficient public administration system. The suggested reforms address the inequities of the Personnel Direction and are proposed as corrective measures for the Personnel Direction's present ineffective policies in recruitment, selection, promotion, authority distribution, and call for the enforcement of the Administrative Career Law.

No description available.

Local governments traditionally produce public services by using their own employees. Some public service reform proposals have emphasized privatization and contracting out in order to improve efficiency and effectiveness of public services. Local governments have principally contracted with private companies to deliver public services, however some have looked to other governments as a service provider. Some municipalities build partnerships with other governments to produce particular services. Conversely, some local governments have decided to become service providers for other governments in producing specific services. Although police, fire protection, and EMS have most often been contracted to other governments, intergovernmental contracting gradually has been expanded to other services. Some governments prefer public entities as a service provider to private companies in delivering specific services. Existing research has paid mostly attention to the characteristics of governments that purchase particular services. Although several studies focus on contractual relationships between governments, there are few studies that examine why some local governments become providers of public services to other governments. The purpose of this study is twofold. First, it is to identify the characteristics of governments that choose to purchase from other governments. Second, it clarifies why some municipalities decide to become providers of services to other governments. This study employs mixed method analyses. Multinomial logistic regression analysis, form of a quantitative analysis, identifies some characteristics that are associated with governments' decisions to purchase particular services from other governments. Qualitative analysis in the form of in-depth interviews, were conducted with officials in seven cities to clarify why some local governments decide to provide particular services to other governments. Results show that economic, political, and organizational factors influence the decisions to contract services out to other governments. Interview results reveal that costs, production capacity, innovative ideas, new revenue sources, proximity, and economies of scale are important in understanding why some local governments choose to be service providers for other governments. / A Dissertation submitted to the Askew School of Public Administration and Policy in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Fall Semester 2018. / November 13, 2018. / Contracting Out, Government Contracting, Public-Public Partnership / Includes bibliographical references. / William E. Klay, Professor Directing Dissertation; Randall G. Holcombe, University Representative; Keon-Hyung Lee, Committee Member; David G. Berlan, Committee Member.

More than seven decades of trade experience, since the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) entered in to force, has showed that the global trade brought prosperity to the nations and reduced the poverty. As a result, the importance of smooth flow of crossborder trade is well understood by all trader countries. Hence the notion of trade facilitation stays as a hot toping of international trade negotiations. Improving the hard infrastructure of trade environment is the priority focus of developing countries whereas developed countries shifted their focal point to modernize the soft infrastructure of their trade environment. United States, who enjoys the second largest share of global trade, is one of those counties whose cross-border implementations are closely followed by the rest of the world. Trade facilitation implementations and applications of US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is used as a base for best practices in many countries. The perfect combination of facilitation and enforcement is key to establish and sustain a global competitiveness for US companies. After recognition of reasons behind the trade facilitation efforts around the globe and broad definition of the concept, this study explicates the background of trade facilitation and enforcement legislations as well as current trade facilitation implementations in U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

This study examines the impact of 1998 Revision 7 to Article V of the Florida Constitution (hereafter referred to as Revision 7) in shaping governance of Florida's courts system. Revision 7 shifted the major costs of funding the courts from the county level to the state level. Under our tripartite system of government, the judicial system is dependent on the legislative branch for its funding. An adequate and stable source of funding is required to govern the courts system, and essentially to execute their constitutional and statutory mandates. Since the implementation of Revision 7 in Florida, the courts system primarily depends on the Florida Legislature to determine its level of funding. Very little has been written about state courts, and specifically, state courts administration in public administration literature, so this study has something valuable to contribute to public administration, both theoretical and substantive, through the perspective and experiences of court administrators/leaders. This study is rooted in the case study tradition employed by various disciplines and asks this central question: How has Revision 7 impacted governance in Florida's courts? This study was conducted by giving voice to court insiders who experienced the governance structure of Florida's courts pre- and/or post- Revision 7. From the data derived through the interview and journaling processes, an overall picture of the experiences of the participants and the meanings that the participants construct of their experiences was drawn. Nineteen court administrators/leaders participated in the study, and the information gathered from those participants formed the basis for the overall findings of this study. Based on the results, two main themes regarding the participants' experiences emerged from the data – politics and collaboration. Court administrators/leaders need to better understand the budget process and legislative behavior, as well as need to study, embrace, and engage in the political process; and, court administrators/leaders need to stride a better balance between political and judicial forces. Conclusions based on the data were included, implications were discussed as well as recommendations for further study. / A Dissertation submitted to the Askew School of Public Administration and Policy in partial fulfillment of the Doctor of Philosophy. / Fall Semester 2015. / November 9, 2015. / BUDGET POLITICS, COURTS SYSTEM, FLORIDA COURTS, GOVERNANCE, REVISION 7 / Includes bibliographical references. / Ralph Brower, Professor Directing Dissertation; Irene Padavic, University Representative; Lance deHaven-Smith, Committee Member; William Earle Klay, Committee Member.

<p> <b>Purpose.</b> This research sought to explore the factors that influenced the policy decision to change a city council electoral system from an at-large structure to a by-district structure. The structure of the electoral system impacts representation in that it creates the rules and requirements as to how people are elected and who can vote for them. This study provided context for local government decision making. This context provides decision makers and citizens alike with insight into the degree of influence exerted in the public policy process by internal and external forces. </p><p> <b>Theoretical Framework.</b> Three lenses were used: social exchange (Blau, 2017), focusing events (Birkland, 2013; Kingdon, 2003) and Force Field Analysis (Lewin, 1951)) to describe the interaction of theory in explaining the antecedent factors, focusing events, and forces that were present during the local decision-making process. </p><p> <b>Methodology.</b> This was a descriptive, multiple case study design. It looked at multiple cities in an effort to identify the driving and restraining forces that led to changing a specific public policy. Specifically, it conducted content analysis and applied Lewin&rsquo;s force field analysis to public documents in an effort to understand the antecedent factors leading to the change in the structure of the electoral system in select California cities. </p><p> <b>Findings/Conclusions.</b> Both driving and restraining forces were evident in the policy process for change. Four categories of forces were identified: social, political, economic and legal. In the case of the change to a By-District Voting system taking place throughout California, the community itself has not necessarily identified a problem in need of a solution. Rather, a lawsuit&mdash;or threat of a lawsuit&mdash;is the impetus for change&mdash;wanted or not. Given that the focusing event for the voting system policy change examined in this research is litigation, most discussion and input takes place behind closed doors with input being from attorneys and city management staff. While this is important in order to create legislative strategy, it does omit input from the citizens who will be impacted by the decisions. Therefore, the question remains, once fully implemented, will the change in the structure of the electoral system bring &ldquo;better&rdquo; representation?</p><p>

No description available.