Proposal: Lack of Communication

The problem statement provides a clear concise description of the problem/issue that is being addressed. It provides the context for the applied study and typically generates questions which the applied research hopes to answer.

Problem Statements

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 What are some current problems or issues (of interest) in your work setting, community, or the general public and/or nonprofit sector?

Identifying your Problem

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 The problem is that California's fiscal stability is horrible; as a result of this budget crisis, education and human services have suffered.

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Is this a strong or weak statement?

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Answer: Weak

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Problem statements should NOT be opinion-based and/or symptomatic.

“The problem is that California's fiscal stability is horrible; as a result of this budget crisis, education and human services have suffered.”

Which statements are Opinion- based?

Which statements are Symptomatic?

Let’s Examine:

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“The problem is that California's fiscal stability is horrible; as a result of this budget crisis, education and human services have suffered.”

Opinion-based: "fiscal stability is horrible”

Symptomatic: "education and human services have suffered”

Revisiting the Problem

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“The problem is that California's fiscal stability is horrible; as a result of this budget crisis, education and human services have suffered.”

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Revised Problem Statement:

The problem is that the State of California has a recurring structural budget deficit.

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Linking Problem Statement to Capstone Project 1. Identify a current problem or issue within your current (or previous) work setting, community, or public administration field.

2. Explain how the problem or issue relates to public administration.

3. Discuss appropriate public administration related theories and concepts (from all previous coursework) that inform the problem or issue.

4. Conduct a thorough review of relevant and current literature to identify gaps and trends regarding the problem or issue.

5. Determine an appropriate project approach for exploring your problem.

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