Final Exam
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Final Exam- PUB407MT
The Final Exam is due by midnight on Sunday July 15.
The exam must be emailed to me as a Word document.
Please take the time to read these instructions.
Answer 2 of the following case studies. Each essay answer for each case study must be a minimum of 350
words (double spaced). In other words, between the 2 case studies you will have at least 700 words (350 x 2).
You can certainly write more than the minimum. Include the title of the case study at the beginning of each
response.
Your actual response is what counts towards the 350-word minimum for each response. Please cite all
your information. There are no single right or wrong answers, but it is important to back up your
responses with a citation of where you got the information.
Please name your document with your last name_ Student number_ Final exam. Your name and Barry Student
number are to be placed on the cover page. A 5-point penalty if your name is not on the paper. A 5-point
penalty for each essay if the actual question is not at the top of each essay answer. Late exams will not be
accepted. The exam must be double spaced, with times new roman 12 font. The exam is to be submitted as one-
word document encompassing the two case studies selected and you only have to put the Case number and title
as a heading and then your response. The questions posed in the case studies are there to aid you in your
response and do not need to be in your exam submission.
Be sure to appropriately cite using APA. Always cite when you use the words, thoughts, or ideas of others.
You must work alone. This is not a group exam.
Use the textbook for each answer, and at least one academic source from the Barry library (or any
academic library).
Please include a cover page using APA format and a reference page at the end for all your references.
This is an Open Book exam. Call, text, or email me if you have any questions.
Once again, your answers need to be backed up by references.
Thank you for all your hard work this semester.
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Case Study # 1: BP Federal Contracts
Following the aftermath of the BP oil spill in 2010, the dismantling of the Minerals Management Service, and the charges
against BP officials for misconduct—including counts of manslaughter—the U.S. EPA suspended further contracts for
drilling. In late 2012, the EPA temporarily barred BP from oil leases until BP could provide sufficient evidence that the
company meets federal business standards.
Strategy:
You work for the EPA and been tasked with reassessing the qualifications for oil leases, based on this event. Provide a
strategy for reevaluating these contracts. As you prepare it, consider the following questions to prepare your response:
1. What caused the failure of the lease with BP? How could this failure have been avoided?
2. How should BP or any other lessee be evaluated following a spill? Should the evaluation be based on the
severity of the spill? Explain.
3. What, if anything, should be changed about how leases are evaluated prior to signing an agreement? Explain
your reasoning.
4. Who will evaluate the contracts? Is an outside audit necessary? Why or why not?
Please cite references for your answers.
Case Study # 2: Cost Projection
Budget allocations are among the most concrete expressions of an organization’s priorities, but the budget is a very
blunt instrument of influence. It is important to use other management tools in addition to budget to influence an
organization’s behavior. Sometimes pilot projects can be used to demonstrate the legitimacy of a project by showing
that it is cost effective on a smaller scale.
Memo or business plan:
Utilize your agency and as the deputy administrator of the agency, compose a memo or business plan proposing a pilot
project to the director. The pilot project should address a current issue within the agency for which your director may
consider it too risky to allocate funds to a large-scale project. Consider the following questions to prepare your response
and remember to cite your responses:
1. Explain your pilot project. Why should your pilot project be implemented?
2. Propose a budget for your project. Defend the allocation of resources for that project.
3. What determines or how do you measure the success of the project?
4. What is the potential scale of this project if the pilot goes well? How might this project be brought to scale?
Please cite references for your answers.
3 Case Study # 3: Sizing E-Government
At all levels of government, agencies are increasingly using e-government to expedite their services and remove
inefficiencies. They are also shifting their services to appeal to their customers, who increasingly use the Internet to
accomplish tasks. The City of New York has integrated many forms of e-government, soliciting feedback through social
media campaigns and providing services like 311 online. The goals of e-government include maximizing efficiency,
resources, and access.
Memo:
You work for the city of your choice in the Digital Office. You have been asked to evaluate the City of New York’s
integration of e-services and make a recommendation for your city to implement one major addition to their internet-
based offerings. Consider the following questions to prepare your response and remember to cite your responses:
1. What does your city currently offer online? Do these offerings gain efficiencies over in-person services?
2. What services could be implemented to increase efficiency?
3. How will the affected agencies support these services? Will the managers need to be retrained? How will
the agencies ensure that personnel will be available for situations that necessitate personal interaction?
4. How can free resources like social media be maximized to garner input and feedback from the public?
5. What are the risks with switching to an internet-based system from the current system? How will the agency
mitigate these risks?
Please cite references for your answers.
Case Study # 4: Maintaining Excellence in the Public Sector
This text explores how the public sector should be lean, innovative, and effective, and agencies must be able to attract
and maintain the brightest individuals. They also must not be afraid to demonstrate where policies fail, so that they can
adopt flexible strategies that work better based on outcomes.
Strategy:
Choose a city and an agency or utilize your own agency. Develop a strategy to attract individuals and a track within that
agency to keep them engaged and motivated. Your plan should provide opportunities for these public managers to plan
and execute projects within that agency. Consider the following questions to prepare your response and remember to
cite your responses:
1. How can the recruitment process be changed to attract ideal candidates in your agency?
2. How will your strategy keep these employees growing within the agency?
3. Is there a promotion track? Why or why not? If so, is a raise included? Why or why not?
4. How can this project be funded? Will there be a cap on funds allocated to pilot projects of these individuals?
How will the agency decide the value of the project?
Please cite references for your answers.