This document outlines a financial statement analysis project for graduate students. It provides context for the project by describing a scenario where students have been hired by an accounting firm. The project involves analyzing financial statements of paired public companies, preparing a presentation and report, and presenting findings to gain employment. Detailed steps are provided to guide students through research, analysis, reporting, and deliverables. The goal is for students to develop skills in measurement, analysis, interpretation, reporting, research, and using technology/tools to analyze financial statements.
I. Project 3 Financial Statement Analysis ProjectII. Introductfideladallimore
I. Project 3: Financial Statement Analysis Project
II. Introduction:
This project is designed to assess your ability to research corporate data, analyze and interpret financial statements and make a presentation to your boss and colleagues.
The project provides opportunities for you to further develop the following competencies:
Graduate School Core Competencies:
1. Communication
2. Critical thinking
Accounting Competencies:
3. Measurement, analysis, and interpretation
4. Reporting
5. Research
6. Technology and tools
Business Competencies:
7. Global and industry perspective
Professional Competencies:
8. Professional behavior
Scenario:
You graduated with a MS in accounting from UMGC and have recently been hired by a large accounting firm in Washington, D.C. You report directly to the senior accountant, Kathryn Cowgal, who is originally from Colorado and loves to ski when she’s not riding horses. Fortunately, you and Kathryn hit it off right away and you’re excited to be part of her team.
It’s Monday morning, you’re at your desk with a cup of coffee and a Danish staring at your long list of emails wondering how you’ll ever have time to catch up on last week’s projects. Your boss Kathryn briskly enters your office, sits down, and says, you’re going to love this assignment. I have hand-picked you to prepare a financial analysis for a new client in the retail industry. Kathryn goes on to say your report will be part of a company-wide analysis of the retail business sector in the US. For the analysis, she instructs you to choose from a list of paired public retail companies that are among the Fortune 500 and to be prepared to present your findings to the client. Kathryn hands you the list of paired public retail companies, suggested steps to follow, and a list of deliverables. She strongly encourages you to submit drafts, which she refers to as milestones. The purpose of the milestones is to receive Kathryn’s constructive feedback on your deliverables to give you an opportunity to improve your final versions before her deadline.
Further, Kathryn informs you that she and the CFO will also be attending your presentation to the client. They plan to use your presentation as part of the first quarter review all new employees undergo during the probation period with the company. Realizing this project could make or break your opportunity to stay employed beyond the probation period, you decide to review financial analyses techniques, interpreting SEC 10-K reports, and other resources to prepare the report and make a stellar presentation (Appendix A).
III. Steps to Completion:
Step 1: Select two companies to analyze
Selectany pair of companies found in the Project 3 Fortune 500 Paired Companies List (Excel). Post your selection in the Subject Line of the Week 8 discussion topic. Each paired-company can only be selected by one student. Before making your selection, check the discussion to learn which paired-companies have ...
Feedback from Part 1 please read and look for typos and grammar!! .docxmglenn3
Feedback from Part 1 please read and look for typos and grammar!! 100 Authentic
· Attempts in-text citations and reference lists; APA style errors are noted throughout; Fails to use APAcitations when appropriate 3 times in document. (0.525 - 0.59)
12:13
· Attempts to presents company conclusion that emphasizes the purpose/significance of the analysis, the consequences of findings, and indicate the wider application derived from main points using course material and research to support the reasoning and conclusions but significant clarity or development is needed.
Instructions
Project 2: Internal Environmental Analysis/Strategy Analysis (Week 6)
NOTE: All submitted work is to be your original work (and only yours). You may not use any work from another student, the Internet or an online clearinghouse. You are expected to understand the Academic Dishonesty and Plagiarism Policy, and know that it is your responsibility to learn about instructor and general academic expectations with regard to proper citation of sources as specified in the APA Publication Manual, 6th Ed. (Students are held accountable for in-text citations and an associated reference list only).
Purpose:
This project is the second of three projects. Students will perform an internal environmental analysis using the tools and concepts learned in the course to date. You will also draw from previous business courses to develop an understanding of how organizations develop and manage strategies to establish, safeguard and sustain its position in a competitive market.
Students also have the opportunity to review an organization’s objectives and goals and the key functional areas within the organization. Performing an internal environment analysis helps assess a firm’s internal resources and capabilities and plays a critical role in formulating strategy by identifying a firm’s strengths to capitalize on so that it can effectively overcome weaknesses.
Skill Building:
In this project, you are building many different skills including research, critical thinking, writing and developing analytical skills related to various financial analysis tools and strategy tools used in business.
Outcomes Met With This Project:
· utilize a set of useful analytical skills, tools, and techniques for analyzing a company strategically;
· integrate ideas, concepts, and theories from previously taken functional courses including, accounting, finance, market, business and human resource management;
· analyze and synthesize strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) to generate, prioritize, and implement alternative strategies in order to revise a current plan or write a new plan and present a strategic plan.
Instructions:
Step 1: Research
In completing the report, students will use the chapters in the eBook as a guide and perform research on the company from Project 1 so that they can answer the required elements below in narrative form following the steps.
Library Resources
Y.
Swot AnalysisConduct SWOT analysis giving 5 points each fo.docxssuserf9c51d
Swot Analysis
Conduct SWOT analysis giving 5 points each for S, W,O,T as per descriptions below to help project
managers.
Strengths
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Weakness
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Opportunity
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Threats
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Project Charter
Date: <today’s date>
Project Title: <Title of your Project>
Project Start Date: 4 Jan 2016
Project End Date: < dura�on is 6 months, calculate the end date>
Budget Informa�on: $50000.00
Project Manager: < Name>, < Email>, <Telephone No>
Project Objec�ves:
⦁ Clear, concise reasoning for why the project is being performed
⦁ Clear, concise definition of what the project’s activities will entail
⦁ Brief description of primary deliverable(s)
⦁ Clear description of the project’s behefits to the organisation
⦁ Recognition and description of any limits that the project will not cover and address
Acceptance Criteria
⦁ Identification of specific factors against which the project can be compared to determine
success/failure
⦁ Identification of specific deliverables not only for class, but for the project as a whole
⦁ Agency-specific deliverables
⦁ Inclusion of due dates for the deliverables
⦁ Clear identification of milestone and milestone exit points
⦁ Factors should include a specific metrical comparison
Assumptions and Constraints
⦁ Any assumptions made during the course of the project
⦁ List of constraints that entail the limitations that are required to be addressed
Stakeholder List
Stakeholder
No
Name and Signature Role and
Responsibility
Position Contact
Information
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Lessons Learned
⦁ Identification of pitfalls to be avoided, based on the student’s past experience
⦁ Evidence of thought as to what can and cannot affect the project in terms of how the project
will run
Charter Signoff
Communica�on Plan Template
Plan purpose – A brief description of why and how the plan was developed, and an overview of the
overall team communication philosophy. Also states types of communications planned, for lateral,
downward, and upward communication.
Change management – Description on how the team will handle changes in the project, whether it is in
terms of project scope, schedule, or resources. This includes how the team plans to communicate
changes as well as how the team plans to make decisions about changes.
Meeting agenda – Gives a brief overview of what the team plans to accomplish in each of its meetings,
how it documents goals and objectives for meetings, and defines and assigns actions for the team to
accomplish project objectives.
Stakeholder Information to
be shared
Frequency of
information
exchange
Location of
information
exchange
Purpose of
communication
Mechanism for
communication
Who What When Where Why How
BMGT 495 Strategic Management
Assignment 2: Internal Environmental Analysis/Strategy Analysis and Strategy Selection (Week 6)
Purpose: This assignment is the second of three assignments. Students will use the tools and concepts learned ...
Health Care Research Project
By:
Dr. Joseph Foy, CPA
Dr. Frimette Kass, CPA
Overview
This project is designed to have many learning outcomes. Some of the learning outcomes include:
· team building skills
· leadership skills
· accounting and auditing research
· identifying and correcting weak/non-existent controls
· perform financial statement analysis
· imp[rove/develop report writing skills
To accomplish this project you will be divided into teams of four or five. Each team will choose a publicly traded hospital corporation. You will then perform certain audit techniques on the team’s chosen corporation and write short papers about what you have discovered.
Step by Step Description of the Project
This project is broken into various steps. Each step will have its own due date. By dividing the project into steps it will be easier for you to accomplish the project over the course of a semester.
Step One: Selection of Teams and corporations
On, or about, February 4 (the last day to add a course) you will be randomly assigned to teams of three to five. You will be able to determine your team by searching in BB under the ‘Groups’ tab.
Each team will then do research to find a publicly traded hospital corporation. The benefit of using publicly traded corporations is that their financial statements are publicly available online. Each team must choose a different corporation. Do some internet research. When you find a company post it on the discussion board area that is set up in BB for this purpose. The corporations will be assigned on a first come, first serve basis.
For each Deliverable (assignment to be submitted via Blackboard), teams will choose a different leader from among the group. The job of the team leader is to breakdown the work for that deliverable, assign the work to team members, organize peer review of the assignment, and upload the assignment in a timely fashion.
Step Two/Deliverable One: Finding and Analyzing F/SDeliverable One: Create Excel Spreadsheet, Financial Analysis
In this first deliverable, you are going to work with excel spreadsheets to become familiar with the financial information published by your corporation.Deliverable One Objectives:
1. Demonstrate an understanding how to use various features of excel.
2. Understand financial analytical tools to help make business decisions.
3. Demonstrate an understanding of various types of accounts public companies utilize.
4. Demonstrate how to organize data.Deliverable One Requirements:
1. Collaborate with other students in groups.
2. Excel spreadsheet data set up.
3. Horizontal and vertical analysis.
4. Financial ratio analysis.
5. Chart results.
6. Upload the document via Blackboard.
Requirement #1: Collaborate with Group
Students will continue to collaborate within their assigned groups to complete this deliverable, but the work product will be graded individually. You are to elect a new group leader to centralize group communications ...
Accounting/Accounting/Assessment 10/Assessment 10.docx
· Write a 3- to 5-page essay about the ethical and financial implications of insider trading.
Note: Some of the assessments in this course build upon each other, so you are strongly encouraged to complete them in the order in which they are presented.
Show More
Investors depend on the information from financial statements in making investment decisions. However, if a company's financial information is used or shared before it is released to the public, this could cause substantial movement in the price of a company's stock. Some individuals do not see anything unethical about insider trading, yet it is a criminal offense, one for which even well-known and respected individuals have served, and are serving, time in prison. CPAs agree to a professional code of conduct upon licensure, but it is important to develop your own conclusions regarding the ethical implications of financial reporting, planning, and decision making within an organization.
By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and assessment criteria:
· Competency 2: Examine regulatory, ethical, and credibility issues in accounting
1. Analyze how insider trading may affect general business management planning and decision making.
1. Analyze the ethical implications related to financial decisions concerning inside information.
. Competency 5: Communicate in a manner that is professional and consistent with expectations for members of the business professions.
2. Communicate in a manner that is professional and consistent with expectations for members of the business professions.
Competency Map
Check Your ProgressUse this online tool to track your performance and progress through your course.
· Toggle Drawer
Resources
Suggested Resources
The following optional resources are provided to support you in completing the assessment or to provide a helpful context. For additional resources, refer to the Research Resources and Supplemental Resources in the left navigation menu of your courseroom.
Library Resources
The following e-books or articles from the Capella University Library are linked directly in this course:
. Murthy, G. (2009). Financial accounting. Mumbai, India: Himalaya Publishing House.
. Vataliya, K. S. (2009). Practical financial accounting: Advance methods, techniques and practices. Jaipur, India: Paradise Publishers.
. Doran, D. T. (2012). Financial reporting standards: A decision-making perspective for non-accountants. New York, NY: Business Experts Press.
Show More
Course Library Guide
A Capella University library guide has been created specifically for your use in this course. You are encouraged to refer to the resources in the MBA-FP6014 – Financial Accounting Library Guide to help direct your research.
Bookstore Resources
The resources listed below are relevant to the topics and assessments in this course. These resources are available f.
For completing this assignment successfully, you must read careful.docxlmelaine
For completing this assignment successfully, you must read carefully the assignment brief to ensure that you address all of the requirements of the assignment.
A strong assignment submission must include the following:
Relevance
Good Portion of Knowledge
Consistent Analysis
Argument Structure
Critical Evaluation
Good Presentation
Reference to Literature
In order to complete this activity you need to consider the following:
(1) Utilise academic research using literature from journals, books, Google Scholar, etc. – Do not use unreliable sources such as Wikipedia, Investopedia, blogs or other non-professional or non-refereed articles. At this level of study it is expected that you use a wide-range of sources to support your discussion and analysis.
(2) Undertake a critical evaluation making effective use of evidence and sources
(3) Present findings in an appropriate format (ensure that Harvard referencing is used)
AF4S31 Assessment 1 (V2) Brief
This assignment will be marked out of 100%
This assignment contributes to 50% of the total module marks.
The assessments are bonded which means you need 40%+ over both assessments combined to pass the module.
Learning Outcomes to be assessed
As specified in the validated module descriptor available at:
https://icis.southwales.ac.uk/studentmodules/10122/studentmodulespecifications
Learning outcome 1
The ability of students to critically assess, apply and evaluate the issues and techniques of strategic financial management.
Grading Criteria
Please see School’s marking criteria for undergraduate/post graduate assessments on the module VLE. Any additional grading/marking guidance will be posted with assessment task below.
Assignment
You have recently attended a workshop aimed at improving your understanding of company Annual Reports using Tesco’s report as an example.
During the workshop you looked at the following sections of Tesco’s annual report:
· The Strategic Report including the Environmental and Social Review,
· The Corporate Governance Report and,
· The Group Statements of: ‘Income’ (also sometimes referred to as the Statement of Profit and Loss) ‘Balance Sheet’ and ‘Cash-Flows’.
You learned about how different ‘stakeholders’ may use the information contained in these reports and financial statements. You also learned about financial ratios and how these can be used to interpret and assess the performance of a business in terms of its profitability, liquidity, efficiency and return to investors.
The timing of the workshop was very fortuitous. You are the Purchasing Manager for the business you work for. You are in the process of letting a contract for the supply of an important component used in your business’s production. You have been provided with the financial statements of Benedict Co. who are one of a few companies tendering for the contract. The income statement and statement of financial position have been reproduced ...
I. Project 3 Financial Statement Analysis ProjectII. Introductfideladallimore
I. Project 3: Financial Statement Analysis Project
II. Introduction:
This project is designed to assess your ability to research corporate data, analyze and interpret financial statements and make a presentation to your boss and colleagues.
The project provides opportunities for you to further develop the following competencies:
Graduate School Core Competencies:
1. Communication
2. Critical thinking
Accounting Competencies:
3. Measurement, analysis, and interpretation
4. Reporting
5. Research
6. Technology and tools
Business Competencies:
7. Global and industry perspective
Professional Competencies:
8. Professional behavior
Scenario:
You graduated with a MS in accounting from UMGC and have recently been hired by a large accounting firm in Washington, D.C. You report directly to the senior accountant, Kathryn Cowgal, who is originally from Colorado and loves to ski when she’s not riding horses. Fortunately, you and Kathryn hit it off right away and you’re excited to be part of her team.
It’s Monday morning, you’re at your desk with a cup of coffee and a Danish staring at your long list of emails wondering how you’ll ever have time to catch up on last week’s projects. Your boss Kathryn briskly enters your office, sits down, and says, you’re going to love this assignment. I have hand-picked you to prepare a financial analysis for a new client in the retail industry. Kathryn goes on to say your report will be part of a company-wide analysis of the retail business sector in the US. For the analysis, she instructs you to choose from a list of paired public retail companies that are among the Fortune 500 and to be prepared to present your findings to the client. Kathryn hands you the list of paired public retail companies, suggested steps to follow, and a list of deliverables. She strongly encourages you to submit drafts, which she refers to as milestones. The purpose of the milestones is to receive Kathryn’s constructive feedback on your deliverables to give you an opportunity to improve your final versions before her deadline.
Further, Kathryn informs you that she and the CFO will also be attending your presentation to the client. They plan to use your presentation as part of the first quarter review all new employees undergo during the probation period with the company. Realizing this project could make or break your opportunity to stay employed beyond the probation period, you decide to review financial analyses techniques, interpreting SEC 10-K reports, and other resources to prepare the report and make a stellar presentation (Appendix A).
III. Steps to Completion:
Step 1: Select two companies to analyze
Selectany pair of companies found in the Project 3 Fortune 500 Paired Companies List (Excel). Post your selection in the Subject Line of the Week 8 discussion topic. Each paired-company can only be selected by one student. Before making your selection, check the discussion to learn which paired-companies have ...
Feedback from Part 1 please read and look for typos and grammar!! .docxmglenn3
Feedback from Part 1 please read and look for typos and grammar!! 100 Authentic
· Attempts in-text citations and reference lists; APA style errors are noted throughout; Fails to use APAcitations when appropriate 3 times in document. (0.525 - 0.59)
12:13
· Attempts to presents company conclusion that emphasizes the purpose/significance of the analysis, the consequences of findings, and indicate the wider application derived from main points using course material and research to support the reasoning and conclusions but significant clarity or development is needed.
Instructions
Project 2: Internal Environmental Analysis/Strategy Analysis (Week 6)
NOTE: All submitted work is to be your original work (and only yours). You may not use any work from another student, the Internet or an online clearinghouse. You are expected to understand the Academic Dishonesty and Plagiarism Policy, and know that it is your responsibility to learn about instructor and general academic expectations with regard to proper citation of sources as specified in the APA Publication Manual, 6th Ed. (Students are held accountable for in-text citations and an associated reference list only).
Purpose:
This project is the second of three projects. Students will perform an internal environmental analysis using the tools and concepts learned in the course to date. You will also draw from previous business courses to develop an understanding of how organizations develop and manage strategies to establish, safeguard and sustain its position in a competitive market.
Students also have the opportunity to review an organization’s objectives and goals and the key functional areas within the organization. Performing an internal environment analysis helps assess a firm’s internal resources and capabilities and plays a critical role in formulating strategy by identifying a firm’s strengths to capitalize on so that it can effectively overcome weaknesses.
Skill Building:
In this project, you are building many different skills including research, critical thinking, writing and developing analytical skills related to various financial analysis tools and strategy tools used in business.
Outcomes Met With This Project:
· utilize a set of useful analytical skills, tools, and techniques for analyzing a company strategically;
· integrate ideas, concepts, and theories from previously taken functional courses including, accounting, finance, market, business and human resource management;
· analyze and synthesize strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) to generate, prioritize, and implement alternative strategies in order to revise a current plan or write a new plan and present a strategic plan.
Instructions:
Step 1: Research
In completing the report, students will use the chapters in the eBook as a guide and perform research on the company from Project 1 so that they can answer the required elements below in narrative form following the steps.
Library Resources
Y.
Swot AnalysisConduct SWOT analysis giving 5 points each fo.docxssuserf9c51d
Swot Analysis
Conduct SWOT analysis giving 5 points each for S, W,O,T as per descriptions below to help project
managers.
Strengths
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Weakness
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Opportunity
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Threats
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Project Charter
Date: <today’s date>
Project Title: <Title of your Project>
Project Start Date: 4 Jan 2016
Project End Date: < dura�on is 6 months, calculate the end date>
Budget Informa�on: $50000.00
Project Manager: < Name>, < Email>, <Telephone No>
Project Objec�ves:
⦁ Clear, concise reasoning for why the project is being performed
⦁ Clear, concise definition of what the project’s activities will entail
⦁ Brief description of primary deliverable(s)
⦁ Clear description of the project’s behefits to the organisation
⦁ Recognition and description of any limits that the project will not cover and address
Acceptance Criteria
⦁ Identification of specific factors against which the project can be compared to determine
success/failure
⦁ Identification of specific deliverables not only for class, but for the project as a whole
⦁ Agency-specific deliverables
⦁ Inclusion of due dates for the deliverables
⦁ Clear identification of milestone and milestone exit points
⦁ Factors should include a specific metrical comparison
Assumptions and Constraints
⦁ Any assumptions made during the course of the project
⦁ List of constraints that entail the limitations that are required to be addressed
Stakeholder List
Stakeholder
No
Name and Signature Role and
Responsibility
Position Contact
Information
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Lessons Learned
⦁ Identification of pitfalls to be avoided, based on the student’s past experience
⦁ Evidence of thought as to what can and cannot affect the project in terms of how the project
will run
Charter Signoff
Communica�on Plan Template
Plan purpose – A brief description of why and how the plan was developed, and an overview of the
overall team communication philosophy. Also states types of communications planned, for lateral,
downward, and upward communication.
Change management – Description on how the team will handle changes in the project, whether it is in
terms of project scope, schedule, or resources. This includes how the team plans to communicate
changes as well as how the team plans to make decisions about changes.
Meeting agenda – Gives a brief overview of what the team plans to accomplish in each of its meetings,
how it documents goals and objectives for meetings, and defines and assigns actions for the team to
accomplish project objectives.
Stakeholder Information to
be shared
Frequency of
information
exchange
Location of
information
exchange
Purpose of
communication
Mechanism for
communication
Who What When Where Why How
BMGT 495 Strategic Management
Assignment 2: Internal Environmental Analysis/Strategy Analysis and Strategy Selection (Week 6)
Purpose: This assignment is the second of three assignments. Students will use the tools and concepts learned ...
Health Care Research Project
By:
Dr. Joseph Foy, CPA
Dr. Frimette Kass, CPA
Overview
This project is designed to have many learning outcomes. Some of the learning outcomes include:
· team building skills
· leadership skills
· accounting and auditing research
· identifying and correcting weak/non-existent controls
· perform financial statement analysis
· imp[rove/develop report writing skills
To accomplish this project you will be divided into teams of four or five. Each team will choose a publicly traded hospital corporation. You will then perform certain audit techniques on the team’s chosen corporation and write short papers about what you have discovered.
Step by Step Description of the Project
This project is broken into various steps. Each step will have its own due date. By dividing the project into steps it will be easier for you to accomplish the project over the course of a semester.
Step One: Selection of Teams and corporations
On, or about, February 4 (the last day to add a course) you will be randomly assigned to teams of three to five. You will be able to determine your team by searching in BB under the ‘Groups’ tab.
Each team will then do research to find a publicly traded hospital corporation. The benefit of using publicly traded corporations is that their financial statements are publicly available online. Each team must choose a different corporation. Do some internet research. When you find a company post it on the discussion board area that is set up in BB for this purpose. The corporations will be assigned on a first come, first serve basis.
For each Deliverable (assignment to be submitted via Blackboard), teams will choose a different leader from among the group. The job of the team leader is to breakdown the work for that deliverable, assign the work to team members, organize peer review of the assignment, and upload the assignment in a timely fashion.
Step Two/Deliverable One: Finding and Analyzing F/SDeliverable One: Create Excel Spreadsheet, Financial Analysis
In this first deliverable, you are going to work with excel spreadsheets to become familiar with the financial information published by your corporation.Deliverable One Objectives:
1. Demonstrate an understanding how to use various features of excel.
2. Understand financial analytical tools to help make business decisions.
3. Demonstrate an understanding of various types of accounts public companies utilize.
4. Demonstrate how to organize data.Deliverable One Requirements:
1. Collaborate with other students in groups.
2. Excel spreadsheet data set up.
3. Horizontal and vertical analysis.
4. Financial ratio analysis.
5. Chart results.
6. Upload the document via Blackboard.
Requirement #1: Collaborate with Group
Students will continue to collaborate within their assigned groups to complete this deliverable, but the work product will be graded individually. You are to elect a new group leader to centralize group communications ...
Accounting/Accounting/Assessment 10/Assessment 10.docx
· Write a 3- to 5-page essay about the ethical and financial implications of insider trading.
Note: Some of the assessments in this course build upon each other, so you are strongly encouraged to complete them in the order in which they are presented.
Show More
Investors depend on the information from financial statements in making investment decisions. However, if a company's financial information is used or shared before it is released to the public, this could cause substantial movement in the price of a company's stock. Some individuals do not see anything unethical about insider trading, yet it is a criminal offense, one for which even well-known and respected individuals have served, and are serving, time in prison. CPAs agree to a professional code of conduct upon licensure, but it is important to develop your own conclusions regarding the ethical implications of financial reporting, planning, and decision making within an organization.
By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and assessment criteria:
· Competency 2: Examine regulatory, ethical, and credibility issues in accounting
1. Analyze how insider trading may affect general business management planning and decision making.
1. Analyze the ethical implications related to financial decisions concerning inside information.
. Competency 5: Communicate in a manner that is professional and consistent with expectations for members of the business professions.
2. Communicate in a manner that is professional and consistent with expectations for members of the business professions.
Competency Map
Check Your ProgressUse this online tool to track your performance and progress through your course.
· Toggle Drawer
Resources
Suggested Resources
The following optional resources are provided to support you in completing the assessment or to provide a helpful context. For additional resources, refer to the Research Resources and Supplemental Resources in the left navigation menu of your courseroom.
Library Resources
The following e-books or articles from the Capella University Library are linked directly in this course:
. Murthy, G. (2009). Financial accounting. Mumbai, India: Himalaya Publishing House.
. Vataliya, K. S. (2009). Practical financial accounting: Advance methods, techniques and practices. Jaipur, India: Paradise Publishers.
. Doran, D. T. (2012). Financial reporting standards: A decision-making perspective for non-accountants. New York, NY: Business Experts Press.
Show More
Course Library Guide
A Capella University library guide has been created specifically for your use in this course. You are encouraged to refer to the resources in the MBA-FP6014 – Financial Accounting Library Guide to help direct your research.
Bookstore Resources
The resources listed below are relevant to the topics and assessments in this course. These resources are available f.
For completing this assignment successfully, you must read careful.docxlmelaine
For completing this assignment successfully, you must read carefully the assignment brief to ensure that you address all of the requirements of the assignment.
A strong assignment submission must include the following:
Relevance
Good Portion of Knowledge
Consistent Analysis
Argument Structure
Critical Evaluation
Good Presentation
Reference to Literature
In order to complete this activity you need to consider the following:
(1) Utilise academic research using literature from journals, books, Google Scholar, etc. – Do not use unreliable sources such as Wikipedia, Investopedia, blogs or other non-professional or non-refereed articles. At this level of study it is expected that you use a wide-range of sources to support your discussion and analysis.
(2) Undertake a critical evaluation making effective use of evidence and sources
(3) Present findings in an appropriate format (ensure that Harvard referencing is used)
AF4S31 Assessment 1 (V2) Brief
This assignment will be marked out of 100%
This assignment contributes to 50% of the total module marks.
The assessments are bonded which means you need 40%+ over both assessments combined to pass the module.
Learning Outcomes to be assessed
As specified in the validated module descriptor available at:
https://icis.southwales.ac.uk/studentmodules/10122/studentmodulespecifications
Learning outcome 1
The ability of students to critically assess, apply and evaluate the issues and techniques of strategic financial management.
Grading Criteria
Please see School’s marking criteria for undergraduate/post graduate assessments on the module VLE. Any additional grading/marking guidance will be posted with assessment task below.
Assignment
You have recently attended a workshop aimed at improving your understanding of company Annual Reports using Tesco’s report as an example.
During the workshop you looked at the following sections of Tesco’s annual report:
· The Strategic Report including the Environmental and Social Review,
· The Corporate Governance Report and,
· The Group Statements of: ‘Income’ (also sometimes referred to as the Statement of Profit and Loss) ‘Balance Sheet’ and ‘Cash-Flows’.
You learned about how different ‘stakeholders’ may use the information contained in these reports and financial statements. You also learned about financial ratios and how these can be used to interpret and assess the performance of a business in terms of its profitability, liquidity, efficiency and return to investors.
The timing of the workshop was very fortuitous. You are the Purchasing Manager for the business you work for. You are in the process of letting a contract for the supply of an important component used in your business’s production. You have been provided with the financial statements of Benedict Co. who are one of a few companies tendering for the contract. The income statement and statement of financial position have been reproduced ...
FIN 330 Final Project I Guidelines and Rubric OvervChereCheek752
FIN 330 Final Project I Guidelines and Rubric
Overview
Corporate financial managers must have a business-wide perspective to successfully navigate the corporate environment. The skills you will develop in this
course will support you in your future business career and set the foundation for the concepts that will be covered in the next course, Multinational Corporate
Finance. Your final project for FIN 330 will allow you to showcase your mastery of the varied skills a finance professional must obtain: It will require you to
analyze a real-world corporation from a quantitative perspective while also investigating the challenges and decisions a manager must face.
To accomplish this, your final assessment will be broken up into two separate but related projects. For your first project,, a corporate valuation report, you will
choose one of the U.S. corporations from the provided list, analyze the historical financials of your chosen corporation using the provided Excel template, and
estimate the value of your corporation in a brief report.
The second final project is a risk management and ethical analysis that will focus on the same corporation, highlighting the management and leadership
considerations and decisions required of top-level financial managers. In this written report, you will discuss ethics, corporate social responsibility, and the
challenges related to attaining short-term and long-term goals.
Combined, these two projects will assess your knowledge regarding the quantitative and qualitative concepts of corporate finance and leadership.
The first final project is divided into two milestones, which will be submitted at various points throughout the course to scaffold learning and ensure quality final
submissions. These milestones will be submitted in Modules Two and Five. The final corporate valuation report is due in Module Seven, and the final risk
management and ethical analysis is due in Module Eight.
In this assignment, you will demonstrate your mastery of the following course outcomes:
Estimate the value of corporations based on quantitative and qualitative analysis of financial history, industry trends, and projections of future
performance
Analyze the relationships between capital structure, risk, and cost of capital for informing financial decisions that can optimize the value of corporations
Analyze challenges financial managers face regarding short-term and long-term planning for informing decision making
Prompt
Your corporate valuation report should analyze your chosen corporation from the provided list and estimate its overall value.
Throughout this assignment, you will use a provided Excel template. To complete this assignment, you will submit both a written paper and the completed Excel
template with the “Financial History,” “Capital Structure,” and “Valuation” tabs filled in.
https://learn.snhu.edu/d2l/lor/viewer/view.d2l?ou=6606&loIdentId=24406
https://lear ...
FIN 330 Final Project I Guidelines and Rubric Overv.docxcharlottej5
FIN 330 Final Project I Guidelines and Rubric
Overview
Corporate financial managers must have a business-wide perspective to successfully navigate the corporate environment. The skills you will develop in this
course will support you in your future business career and set the foundation for the concepts that will be covered in the next course, Multinational Corporate
Finance. Your final project for FIN 330 will allow you to showcase your mastery of the varied skills a finance professional must obtain: It will require you to
analyze a real-world corporation from a quantitative perspective while also investigating the challenges and decisions a manager must face.
To accomplish this, your final assessment will be broken up into two separate but related projects. The first, a corporate valuation report, will focus on a U.S.
corporation of your choice. You will analyze the historical financials of your chosen corporation using the provided Excel template, and estimate the value of
your corporation in a brief report.
The second final project is a risk management and ethical analysis that will focus on the same corporation, highlighting the management and leadership
considerations and decisions required of top-level financial managers. In this written report, you will discuss ethics, corporate social responsibility, and the
challenges related to attaining short-term and long-term goals.
Combined, these two projects will assess your knowledge regarding the quantitative and qualitative concepts of corporate finance and leadership.
The first final project is divided into two milestones, which will be submitted at various points throughout the course to scaffold learning and ensure quality final
submissions. These milestones will be submitted in Modules Two and Five. The final corporate valuation report is due in Module Seven, and the final risk
management and ethical analysis is due in Module Eight.
In this assignment, you will demonstrate your mastery of the following course outcomes:
Estimate the value of corporations based on quantitative and qualitative analysis of financial history, industry trends, and projections of future
performance
Analyze the relationships between capital structure, risk, and cost of capital for informing financial decisions that can optimize the value of corporations
Analyze challenges financial managers face regarding short-term and long-term planning for informing decision making
Prompt
Your corporate valuation report should analyze your chosen corporation and estimate its overall value.
Throughout this assignment, you will use a provided Excel template. To complete this assignment, you will submit both a written paper and the completed Excel
template with the “Financial History,” “Capital Structure,” and “Valuation” tabs filled in.
http://snhu-media.snhu.edu/files/course_repository/undergraduate/fin/fin330/fin330_spreadsheet_template.xlsx
Specifically, th.
MBA 504 Module Four Power BI Assignment User Manual MAbramMartino96
MBA 504 Module Four Power BI Assignment User Manual
MBA 504 Module Four Power BI Assignment User Manual ...................................................... 1
Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 1
Accessing Power BI via the VDI .............................................................................................. 1
Importing Files to Power BI .................................................................................................... 2
Working on the Module Four Power BI Assignment ............................................................. 3
Creating a Pie Chart 3
Creating a Column Chart 8
Exporting Files From Power BI ............................................................................................. 12
Introduction
Power BI is a tool that enables its users to visualize data and present it in a manner that is easy to
understand and analyze.
Accessing Power BI via the VDI
1. Open the virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) on your machine.
2. In the VDI home screen, select Power BI.
2
Importing Files to Power BI
1. Once Power BI opens, close out of any message windows that may pop up. On the Power BI
homepage, you can select the type of file you want to import.
2. Go to File, then Get Data, and select Text/CSV.
Note: For the steps to access Power BI tool via the VDI, refer Accessing Power BI via the
VDI.
3
3. The Open window is displayed.
4. Go to Desktop, then Business Analytics Course Content Folder, and then MBA-504. Select
the CSV file to be imported and click Open.
5. Click Load. The data is imported in Power BI. You can now perform your analysis.
Working on the Module Four Power BI Assignment
In MBA 504, you will access Power BI using the VDI in the Module Four Power BI assignment. In this
assignment, you will create a pie chart and a column chart for your analysis.
Creating a Pie Chart
1. Access Power BI and import the required CSV file.
4
Note: To learn the process for how to access and import files into Power BI, refer Importing
Files to Power BI.
2. In the displayed right pane, under Visualizations, click the pie chart icon.
In the center pane, the pie chart placeholder is displayed.
5
Note: To view the name of the icon, place your cursor over the icon. For example, to view
the name pie chart, place your cursor over the following icon.
3. Using the resizing tool, resize the pie chart placeholder so that it fits the screen.
The placeholder is resized. You can now move ahead and plot the pie chart per the required
attributes.
6
4. To add an attribute, in the right pane, under Fields, drag an attribute and place it under
Visualizations and Legend/Details/Values/Tooltips.
For example, let’s move the attributes Order Date and Product Name from Fields to Axis
and Values ...
Case Study Research paper- report Spring 20201) Total points.docxzebadiahsummers
Case Study Research paper- report Spring 2020
1) Total points 100 and Optional Presentation =10 points must be 5-6 Power points 4-5 Minutes.
2) So, expectation is to submit a Research Paper (13-14 PAGES) + PowerPoint Presentation on the Research Paper.
2) All Case Study Assignment due: Must post on Black Board; before the beginning of the class
: Thursday 5/04/2020 No Email attachments the late work will not be accepted
3) Individual work. All written submissions must be typed in 12-point font and double spaced.
4) The papers should be logically organized, reflect a theoretical or research foundation where applicable.
5) On Cover Page. a) Title of your Case Study Report and Make sure that b) Last Name c) First name,
d) Class row number e) Professor Hemati f) Spring 2020
Select a Case Study to cover 3-4 topics We discussed and apply in your field of your Major-Program of study (MY MAJOR is ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING); related to Process developments or Services, of Application and Implementation of capital equipment’s Selections and Replacements, and/ or Future needs.
Interest and Equivalence Economic; Present Worth and Annual Cash Flow Analysis
Choosing the Best Alternative; Income Tax; Replacement Analysis; Inflation and Price Change
Safety and Environmental Needs in the Public or Private Sector.
Application: Case Study:
100 Points
· Proposal of Case Study; Explain the Issues or concerns and report
10 points
· Apply various Engineering Economy techniques (at least 3-methods)
20 points
· Apply relevant formulas and Assumption for financial analysis.
10 points
· Explanation in Detail economy analysis in the Private or Public sector
20 points
· Apply economic analysis in managerial decision and recommendations
20 points
· With are alternatives and future risk, factor?
10 points
· Conclusion and Recommendations with alternative options
10 points
Course Objectives
To Offer Framework for cost management in engineering Projects.
· To offer assistance in managerial decision making
· To introduce fundamentals of Personal, Private and Public-sector Financing Engineering Project
· Apply Mathematics of finance to engineering and managerial decision making.
· Introduce the fundamentals of economic analysis used in engineering decision making.
· To introduce Economic Analysis of Replacement and Retention Decisions
· To prepare students for PE/FE Examinations
Course Learning Outcomes:
This course is one of many that you will take towards your degree in Civil, Construction or Environmental Engineering. Each of our courses are designed as part of your career development in your respective Engineering profession. Program Outcomes are intended to provide a broad base of knowledge to find your career. However, each course in the curriculum emphasizes particular aspects of that overall body of knowledge. Although other outcomes may also be ad.
Document title Assessment 3 Version 1.0 Page 1 of 10 Reso.docxastonrenna
Document title: Assessment 3 Version 1.0 Page 1 of 10
Resource ID: FNSACC624
FNSACC624
Monitor corporate governance
activities
Assessment 3
LA023832
Document title: Assessment 3 Version 1.0 Page 2 of 10
Resource ID: FNSACC624
What you have to do
This assessment consists of five (5) tasks. All tasks are compulsory.
The OLS learning resource together with suggested reading, research and web tutorials will
assist you with completing this assessment.
Competency requirements
Students must achieve a satisfactory result in each task.
If you do not satisfactorily complete any of the tasks, you will be required to do a gap assessment
or a resubmit of the entire assessment. Please note you will not be able to attempt the
assessment more than twice without approval.
To achieve a satisfactory result in these topics you must achieve the following results for each
task:
Task Element of competency
Satisfactory/Non
Satisfactory
1
1.1 Establish corporate governance standards and practices
2.1 Analyse organisational practices to identify corporate
governance obligations and performance
2.2 Examine queries from statutory and other regulatory
authorities for corporate governance failure to assess
change effects on internal control procedures
2.3 Assess content and structure of reports, returns and
processes for review to evaluate policies being followed by
organisation
3.3 Establish management processes to support corporate
governance
3.4 Establish reporting plans to ensure completion of
compliance requirements within scheduled time frames
Satisfactory/Not
Satisfactory
Document title: Assessment 3 Version 1.0 Page 3 of 10
Resource ID: FNSACC624
Task Element of competency
Satisfactory/Non
Satisfactory
2
1.1 Establish corporate governance standards and practices
2.1 Analyse organisational practices to identify corporate
governance obligations and performance
2.3 Assess content and structure of reports, returns and
processes for review to evaluate policies being followed by
organisation
3.1 Analyse and monitor internal control procedures to
determine performance indicators for compliance with
corporate governance requirements
3.2 Evaluate information technology systems to determine
their use and suitability for recording data from operations
and transactions for corporate governance obligations
3.3 Establish management processes to support corporate
governance
Satisfactory/Not
Satisfactory
3
3.2 Evaluate information technology systems to determine
their use and suitability for recording data from operations
and transactions for corporate governance obligations
Satisfactory/Not
Satisfactory
4
1.1 Establish corporate governance standards and practices
2.1 Analyse organisational practices to identify corporate
governance obligations and performance
2.2 Examine queries from statutory and other regulatory
authorities for c ...
PurposeThis project is the third of three projects. You will g.docxmitziesmith74
Purpose:
This project is the third of three projects. You will generate a pool of alternative strategies, evaluate these alternative strategies, and select the best strategy using the tools and concepts learned throughout the course. You will develop implementation plans, evaluative plans to control the implementation process, and plan for post-evaluation measures. You will also draw from previous business courses to develop an understanding of how organizations develop and manage strategies to establish, safeguard and sustain its position in a competitive market.
Skill Building:
In this project, you are building many different skills including research, critical thinking, writing and developing analytical skills related to various financial analysis tools and strategy tools used in business. You will select optimal strategies, design how to implement and evaluate the implementation process of the optimal strategies.
Outcomes Met With This Project:
· Examine the impact of ethical decision making, social responsibility, stakeholder analysis, and corporate governance on organizations and society
· Utilize a set of useful analytical skills, tools, and techniques for analyzing a company strategically;
· Integrate ideas, concepts, and theories from previously taken functional courses including, accounting, finance, market, business and human resource management;
· Analyze and synthesize strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) to generate, prioritize, and implement alternative strategies in order to revise a current plan or write a new plan and present a strategic plan;
· Evaluate the outcomes of identified strategies to determine their success and impact on short-term and long-term objectives.
Instructions:
Step 1: Research
In completing the report, you will use the chapters in the eBook as a guide and perform research on the same company as in Projects 1 and 2, answer the required elements below in narrative form following the steps.
Note: Your report is based on the results of the research performed and not on any prepared documentation. What this means is that you will research and draw your own conclusions that are supported by the research and the course material rather than the use any source material that puts together any of the tools or techniques whether from the Internet, for-pay websites or any document, video or source material. A zero will be earned for not doing your own analysis.
Library Resources
You will be using scholarly material and Mergent Online to research privately held and private companies. On the main navigation bar in the classroom select, Resources and then select Library. Select Databases by Title (A - Z). Select M from the alphabet list, and then select Mergent Online.
UMUC library is available for providing resources and services. Seek library support for excellence in your academic pursuit.
Library Support
Extensive library resources and services are available online, 24 hours a d.
Week 10 Term Paper SubmissionIf you are using the Blackboard Mobil.docxsheronlewthwaite
Week 10 Term Paper Submission
If you are using the Blackboard Mobile Learn IOS App, please click "View in Browser."
Click the link above to submit your assignment.
Students, please view the "Submit a Clickable Rubric Assignment" in the Student Center.
Instructors, training on how to grade is within the Instructor Center.
Term Paper Project: Designing a Secure Network
Due Week 10 and worth 190 points
This term paper involves putting together the various concepts learned throughout this course. You are tasked with designing the most secure network possible, keeping in mind your goal of supporting three (3) IT services: email, file transfer (centralized), and VPN. Your first step is to design a single network capable of supporting there three (3) different services. Once you have fully designed your network, you will need to provide three (3) workflow diagrams explaining how your designed network handles the three (3) different transactions. The first is an internal user sending an email using his / her corporate email address to a user on the Yahoo domain with an arbitrary address of
[email protected]
The second workflow diagram should show a user initiating an FTP session from inside your network to the arbitrary site of ftp.netneering.com. The third workflow is an externally located employee initiating a VPN session to corporate in order to access files on the Windows desktop computer, DT-Corp534-HellenS, at work.
Write a ten to fifteen (10-15) page paper in which you complete the following three (3) Parts. Note: Please use the following page breakdown to complete your assignment:
Overall network diagram: One (1) page
Datapath diagrams: Three (3) pages (one for each diagram)
Write-up: six to ten (6-10) pages
Part 1
Using Microsoft Visio or its open source alternative, create a diagram showing the overall network you’ve designed from the user or endpoint device to the Internet cloud, and everything in between, in which you:
Follow the access, core, distribution layer model.
Include at a minimum:
Authentication server (i.e. Microsoft Active Directory)
Routers
Switches (and / or hubs)
Local users
Remote users
Workstations
Files share (i.e. CIFS)
Mail server
Web servers (both internal and external)
Firewalls
Internet cloud
Web proxy
Email proxy
FTP server (for internal-to-external transport)
Explain each network device’s function and your specific configuration of each networking device.
Design and label the bandwidth availability or capacity for each wired connection.
Part 2
Using Microsoft Visio or its open source alternative, create a Datapath Diagram for the following scenario:
Local user sends email to a Yahoo recipient. Local (corporate) user having email address
[email protected]
sends an email to
[email protected]
Document and label the diagram showing protocols and path of the data flow as data traverses through your network from source to destination.
Include path lines with arrows showing directions and layer 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, .
Week 11 Question SetRoper v. SimmonsREAD THE ENTIRE CA.docxsheronlewthwaite
Week 11 Question Set:
Roper v. Simmons
:
READ THE ENTIRE CASE otherwise the sections I picked may not make complete sense to you!!!
Brief these sections of Justice Kennedy’s majority opinion:
III A
III B
Miller v. Alabama:
READ THE ENTIRE CASE otherwise the sections I picked may not make complete sense to you!!!
Brief these sections of Justice Kagan’s majority opinion:
II
IV
.
Week 11 (On the day you have class during this week) Population .docxsheronlewthwaite
Week 11 (On the day you have class during this week): Population
Select topic # 1 or topic # 2 below and write one page in which you briefly provide your answer: Topic # 1: Do you think rapid global population growth is cause for alarm? If not, why not? If so, what aspects of global population growth are specifically worrisome? What should be done about them? Answers will vary by student and may include references to Malthus and theory (pp. 502
–
504), demographic transition theory (pp. 505
–
507), population and social inequality (pp. 507
–
508), class inequality and overpopulation (p. 509), and urbanization (pp. 510
–
519).
Topic # 2: Do you think of the city mainly as a place of innovation and tolerance or mainly as a site of crime, prejudice, and anomie? Where does your image of the city come from? Your own experience? The mass media? Your sociological reading?
Answers will vary by student and may include references to text information on urbanization (pp. 510
–
519).
1 page 500 words
.
Week 10 Assignment 3 - Submit Here
Students
, please view the "Submit a Clickable Rubric Assignment" in the Student Center.
Instructors
, training on how to grade is within the Instructor Center.
Assignment 3: Cultural Activity Report
Due Week 10 and worth 100 points
As a way of experiencing the Humanities beyond your classroom, computer, and textbook, you are asked to do a certain type of “cultural activity” that fits well with our course and then report on your experience. Your instructor will require you to propose an activity and get instructor approval before you do it and report on it (students should look for any instructions in that respect). Every effort should be made to ensure that this is a hands-on experience (not a virtual one), that this activity fits the HUM111 class well, and that the activity is of sufficient quality for this university course. The two key types of activities are a museum visit or a performance. NOTE: This must not be a report on the same activity (and certainly not the same report) as done for another class, like HUM112. For instance, one might go to the same museum as done for HUM112, but this HUM111 report will focus on entirely different works and displays.
Visit a museum or gallery exhibition or attend a theater or musical performance before the end of Week 10. The activity (museum or performance) should have content that fits our course well. Have fun doing this.
Write a two to three (2-3) page report (500-750 words) that describes your experience.
Clearly identify the event location, date attended, the attendees, and your initial reaction upon arriving at the event.
Provide specific information and a description of at least two (2)
pieces
(e.g. art, exhibits, music, etc.).
Provide a summary of the event and describe your overall reaction after attending the event.
Use at least the class text as a reference (additional sources are fine, not necessary unless required by your content). Your report should include connections you make between things observed in your activity and things learned in the course and text.
Note
: Submit your cultural activity choice to the instructor for approval before the end of Week 5 (earlier is even better). Look for guidance from the instructor for how or where to make your proposal. You may also seek advice from your instructor (provide your town/state or zip code) for a good activity in your general area.
Visiting a Museum
It makes sense to approach a museum the way a seasoned traveler approaches visiting a city for the first time. Find out what there is available to see. In the museum, find out what sort of exhibitions are currently housed in the museum and start with the exhibits that interest you.
If there is a travelling exhibition, it’s always a good idea to see it while you have the chance. Then, if you have time, you can look at other things in the museum.
Every effort should be made ahead of time to identify a museum that has items and works one can e.
Week 1 - Discussion 2
The Industrial Revolution
Background: In the last quarter of the 19th Century, the Industrial Revolution was in full swing; however, with the business boom came a number of concerns, including corporate influence in politics and waves of immigration, as well as a middle class in apparent decline. These developments seemed to threaten to alter the character of American society as new technologies introduced new social problems, as well as offering new opportunities. The rise of captains of industry (or robber barons), with their sway of politicians, created a widespread feeling among common Americans that they had had lost control of their government.
Required Source:
The American Industrial Revolution
from the Films on Demand database in the Ashford University Library.
Instructions: Based on your textbook and the assigned video, analyze how the revolutionary nature of this period impacted either Native Americans, immigrants, or farmers, using the following questions as the basis of your analysis:
What were the most revolutionary social and economic developments of the last quarter of the nineteenth century?
How did the group of Americans you chose to examine respond to those changes, and how effective were their responses?
What role did government play in these developments?
Your initial post should be at least 250 words in length. Support your claims with examples from the required material(s) and properly cite any references. You may use additional scholarly sources to support your points if you choose. Your references and citations must be formatted according to APA style as outlined by the Ashford Writing Center.
.
Week 1 System and Application Overview An overview of the system.docxsheronlewthwaite
Week 1: System and Application Overview:
An overview of the system or software application an intended users
Week 1: Requirements Specification:
Detailed requirements specification with both functional and nonfunctional requirements
Week 2: System and Application Design:
A high-level design in the form of use cases and detailed design models utilizing computer-aided software engineering (CASE) tools to represent the data, processes, and interfaces
Week 3: Test and Quality Assurance Plan:
A test and quality assurance plan that included the various tests and quality control measures that need to be taken into consideration
Week 4: Development Strategy:
A development strategy that weighs make versus buy or insourcing versus outsourcing acquisition strategies
Integration and Deployment Plan
Develop an overall work breakdown structure (WBS) for the 7 system development life cycle (SDLC) phases:
Preliminary Analysis
System Analysis or Requirements Definition
System Design
Development
Integration and Testing
Acceptance, Installation, and Deployment
Operation Support and Maintenance
.
Week 1 DQOne objective of this course is learning how to cor.docxsheronlewthwaite
Week 1 DQ
One objective of this course is learning how to correctly interpret statistical measures. This includes learning how to identify intentionally misleading statistics. For this week's activity create your own example of a misleading statistic. Explain the context of the data, the source of the data, the sampling method that you used (or would use) to collect the data, and the (misleading) conclusions that would be drawn from your example. Be specific in explaining how the statistic is misleading.
500 hundred words one page
.
Week 1 - AssignmentDo the followingA corporation is created b.docxsheronlewthwaite
Week 1 - Assignment
Do the following:
A corporation is created by state issuing a charter upon the application of individuals known as incorporators. As a creature of state legislative bodies, the corporation is more complex to create and operate than other forms of businesses.
Write a one page essay describing the advantages and disadvantages of forming a corporation. Also, outline the complexities of creating a corporation.
In a Word document, you will want to save your essay file as ‘Week 1_Assignment_Your Name’ and submit the file for grading.
.
Weather Forecast Assignment Objective create a weather map.docxsheronlewthwaite
Weather Forecast Assignment
Objective: create a weather map and
entertaining weather forecast for 4 areas. Be as creative as possible with
your dialog. Assume this map/weather is late summer.
Criteria for your weather map:
1.
Draw two midlatitude cyclones. One occluding over the
Great Lakes and one mature over the Colorado region
2.
Write a weather forecast for the areas along the warm front
(1), cold front (2), cut off low (3), and (4) occlusion (number
1,2,3,4 and write forecast on the back)
3.
Show station models for at least 8 cities (dew point, temp,
wind vane, cloud cover, wind speed, and pressure)
4.
Draw isobars around each midlatitude cyclone and across
the US
.
More Related Content
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FIN 330 Final Project I Guidelines and Rubric OvervChereCheek752
FIN 330 Final Project I Guidelines and Rubric
Overview
Corporate financial managers must have a business-wide perspective to successfully navigate the corporate environment. The skills you will develop in this
course will support you in your future business career and set the foundation for the concepts that will be covered in the next course, Multinational Corporate
Finance. Your final project for FIN 330 will allow you to showcase your mastery of the varied skills a finance professional must obtain: It will require you to
analyze a real-world corporation from a quantitative perspective while also investigating the challenges and decisions a manager must face.
To accomplish this, your final assessment will be broken up into two separate but related projects. For your first project,, a corporate valuation report, you will
choose one of the U.S. corporations from the provided list, analyze the historical financials of your chosen corporation using the provided Excel template, and
estimate the value of your corporation in a brief report.
The second final project is a risk management and ethical analysis that will focus on the same corporation, highlighting the management and leadership
considerations and decisions required of top-level financial managers. In this written report, you will discuss ethics, corporate social responsibility, and the
challenges related to attaining short-term and long-term goals.
Combined, these two projects will assess your knowledge regarding the quantitative and qualitative concepts of corporate finance and leadership.
The first final project is divided into two milestones, which will be submitted at various points throughout the course to scaffold learning and ensure quality final
submissions. These milestones will be submitted in Modules Two and Five. The final corporate valuation report is due in Module Seven, and the final risk
management and ethical analysis is due in Module Eight.
In this assignment, you will demonstrate your mastery of the following course outcomes:
Estimate the value of corporations based on quantitative and qualitative analysis of financial history, industry trends, and projections of future
performance
Analyze the relationships between capital structure, risk, and cost of capital for informing financial decisions that can optimize the value of corporations
Analyze challenges financial managers face regarding short-term and long-term planning for informing decision making
Prompt
Your corporate valuation report should analyze your chosen corporation from the provided list and estimate its overall value.
Throughout this assignment, you will use a provided Excel template. To complete this assignment, you will submit both a written paper and the completed Excel
template with the “Financial History,” “Capital Structure,” and “Valuation” tabs filled in.
https://learn.snhu.edu/d2l/lor/viewer/view.d2l?ou=6606&loIdentId=24406
https://lear ...
FIN 330 Final Project I Guidelines and Rubric Overv.docxcharlottej5
FIN 330 Final Project I Guidelines and Rubric
Overview
Corporate financial managers must have a business-wide perspective to successfully navigate the corporate environment. The skills you will develop in this
course will support you in your future business career and set the foundation for the concepts that will be covered in the next course, Multinational Corporate
Finance. Your final project for FIN 330 will allow you to showcase your mastery of the varied skills a finance professional must obtain: It will require you to
analyze a real-world corporation from a quantitative perspective while also investigating the challenges and decisions a manager must face.
To accomplish this, your final assessment will be broken up into two separate but related projects. The first, a corporate valuation report, will focus on a U.S.
corporation of your choice. You will analyze the historical financials of your chosen corporation using the provided Excel template, and estimate the value of
your corporation in a brief report.
The second final project is a risk management and ethical analysis that will focus on the same corporation, highlighting the management and leadership
considerations and decisions required of top-level financial managers. In this written report, you will discuss ethics, corporate social responsibility, and the
challenges related to attaining short-term and long-term goals.
Combined, these two projects will assess your knowledge regarding the quantitative and qualitative concepts of corporate finance and leadership.
The first final project is divided into two milestones, which will be submitted at various points throughout the course to scaffold learning and ensure quality final
submissions. These milestones will be submitted in Modules Two and Five. The final corporate valuation report is due in Module Seven, and the final risk
management and ethical analysis is due in Module Eight.
In this assignment, you will demonstrate your mastery of the following course outcomes:
Estimate the value of corporations based on quantitative and qualitative analysis of financial history, industry trends, and projections of future
performance
Analyze the relationships between capital structure, risk, and cost of capital for informing financial decisions that can optimize the value of corporations
Analyze challenges financial managers face regarding short-term and long-term planning for informing decision making
Prompt
Your corporate valuation report should analyze your chosen corporation and estimate its overall value.
Throughout this assignment, you will use a provided Excel template. To complete this assignment, you will submit both a written paper and the completed Excel
template with the “Financial History,” “Capital Structure,” and “Valuation” tabs filled in.
http://snhu-media.snhu.edu/files/course_repository/undergraduate/fin/fin330/fin330_spreadsheet_template.xlsx
Specifically, th.
MBA 504 Module Four Power BI Assignment User Manual MAbramMartino96
MBA 504 Module Four Power BI Assignment User Manual
MBA 504 Module Four Power BI Assignment User Manual ...................................................... 1
Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 1
Accessing Power BI via the VDI .............................................................................................. 1
Importing Files to Power BI .................................................................................................... 2
Working on the Module Four Power BI Assignment ............................................................. 3
Creating a Pie Chart 3
Creating a Column Chart 8
Exporting Files From Power BI ............................................................................................. 12
Introduction
Power BI is a tool that enables its users to visualize data and present it in a manner that is easy to
understand and analyze.
Accessing Power BI via the VDI
1. Open the virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) on your machine.
2. In the VDI home screen, select Power BI.
2
Importing Files to Power BI
1. Once Power BI opens, close out of any message windows that may pop up. On the Power BI
homepage, you can select the type of file you want to import.
2. Go to File, then Get Data, and select Text/CSV.
Note: For the steps to access Power BI tool via the VDI, refer Accessing Power BI via the
VDI.
3
3. The Open window is displayed.
4. Go to Desktop, then Business Analytics Course Content Folder, and then MBA-504. Select
the CSV file to be imported and click Open.
5. Click Load. The data is imported in Power BI. You can now perform your analysis.
Working on the Module Four Power BI Assignment
In MBA 504, you will access Power BI using the VDI in the Module Four Power BI assignment. In this
assignment, you will create a pie chart and a column chart for your analysis.
Creating a Pie Chart
1. Access Power BI and import the required CSV file.
4
Note: To learn the process for how to access and import files into Power BI, refer Importing
Files to Power BI.
2. In the displayed right pane, under Visualizations, click the pie chart icon.
In the center pane, the pie chart placeholder is displayed.
5
Note: To view the name of the icon, place your cursor over the icon. For example, to view
the name pie chart, place your cursor over the following icon.
3. Using the resizing tool, resize the pie chart placeholder so that it fits the screen.
The placeholder is resized. You can now move ahead and plot the pie chart per the required
attributes.
6
4. To add an attribute, in the right pane, under Fields, drag an attribute and place it under
Visualizations and Legend/Details/Values/Tooltips.
For example, let’s move the attributes Order Date and Product Name from Fields to Axis
and Values ...
Case Study Research paper- report Spring 20201) Total points.docxzebadiahsummers
Case Study Research paper- report Spring 2020
1) Total points 100 and Optional Presentation =10 points must be 5-6 Power points 4-5 Minutes.
2) So, expectation is to submit a Research Paper (13-14 PAGES) + PowerPoint Presentation on the Research Paper.
2) All Case Study Assignment due: Must post on Black Board; before the beginning of the class
: Thursday 5/04/2020 No Email attachments the late work will not be accepted
3) Individual work. All written submissions must be typed in 12-point font and double spaced.
4) The papers should be logically organized, reflect a theoretical or research foundation where applicable.
5) On Cover Page. a) Title of your Case Study Report and Make sure that b) Last Name c) First name,
d) Class row number e) Professor Hemati f) Spring 2020
Select a Case Study to cover 3-4 topics We discussed and apply in your field of your Major-Program of study (MY MAJOR is ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING); related to Process developments or Services, of Application and Implementation of capital equipment’s Selections and Replacements, and/ or Future needs.
Interest and Equivalence Economic; Present Worth and Annual Cash Flow Analysis
Choosing the Best Alternative; Income Tax; Replacement Analysis; Inflation and Price Change
Safety and Environmental Needs in the Public or Private Sector.
Application: Case Study:
100 Points
· Proposal of Case Study; Explain the Issues or concerns and report
10 points
· Apply various Engineering Economy techniques (at least 3-methods)
20 points
· Apply relevant formulas and Assumption for financial analysis.
10 points
· Explanation in Detail economy analysis in the Private or Public sector
20 points
· Apply economic analysis in managerial decision and recommendations
20 points
· With are alternatives and future risk, factor?
10 points
· Conclusion and Recommendations with alternative options
10 points
Course Objectives
To Offer Framework for cost management in engineering Projects.
· To offer assistance in managerial decision making
· To introduce fundamentals of Personal, Private and Public-sector Financing Engineering Project
· Apply Mathematics of finance to engineering and managerial decision making.
· Introduce the fundamentals of economic analysis used in engineering decision making.
· To introduce Economic Analysis of Replacement and Retention Decisions
· To prepare students for PE/FE Examinations
Course Learning Outcomes:
This course is one of many that you will take towards your degree in Civil, Construction or Environmental Engineering. Each of our courses are designed as part of your career development in your respective Engineering profession. Program Outcomes are intended to provide a broad base of knowledge to find your career. However, each course in the curriculum emphasizes particular aspects of that overall body of knowledge. Although other outcomes may also be ad.
Document title Assessment 3 Version 1.0 Page 1 of 10 Reso.docxastonrenna
Document title: Assessment 3 Version 1.0 Page 1 of 10
Resource ID: FNSACC624
FNSACC624
Monitor corporate governance
activities
Assessment 3
LA023832
Document title: Assessment 3 Version 1.0 Page 2 of 10
Resource ID: FNSACC624
What you have to do
This assessment consists of five (5) tasks. All tasks are compulsory.
The OLS learning resource together with suggested reading, research and web tutorials will
assist you with completing this assessment.
Competency requirements
Students must achieve a satisfactory result in each task.
If you do not satisfactorily complete any of the tasks, you will be required to do a gap assessment
or a resubmit of the entire assessment. Please note you will not be able to attempt the
assessment more than twice without approval.
To achieve a satisfactory result in these topics you must achieve the following results for each
task:
Task Element of competency
Satisfactory/Non
Satisfactory
1
1.1 Establish corporate governance standards and practices
2.1 Analyse organisational practices to identify corporate
governance obligations and performance
2.2 Examine queries from statutory and other regulatory
authorities for corporate governance failure to assess
change effects on internal control procedures
2.3 Assess content and structure of reports, returns and
processes for review to evaluate policies being followed by
organisation
3.3 Establish management processes to support corporate
governance
3.4 Establish reporting plans to ensure completion of
compliance requirements within scheduled time frames
Satisfactory/Not
Satisfactory
Document title: Assessment 3 Version 1.0 Page 3 of 10
Resource ID: FNSACC624
Task Element of competency
Satisfactory/Non
Satisfactory
2
1.1 Establish corporate governance standards and practices
2.1 Analyse organisational practices to identify corporate
governance obligations and performance
2.3 Assess content and structure of reports, returns and
processes for review to evaluate policies being followed by
organisation
3.1 Analyse and monitor internal control procedures to
determine performance indicators for compliance with
corporate governance requirements
3.2 Evaluate information technology systems to determine
their use and suitability for recording data from operations
and transactions for corporate governance obligations
3.3 Establish management processes to support corporate
governance
Satisfactory/Not
Satisfactory
3
3.2 Evaluate information technology systems to determine
their use and suitability for recording data from operations
and transactions for corporate governance obligations
Satisfactory/Not
Satisfactory
4
1.1 Establish corporate governance standards and practices
2.1 Analyse organisational practices to identify corporate
governance obligations and performance
2.2 Examine queries from statutory and other regulatory
authorities for c ...
PurposeThis project is the third of three projects. You will g.docxmitziesmith74
Purpose:
This project is the third of three projects. You will generate a pool of alternative strategies, evaluate these alternative strategies, and select the best strategy using the tools and concepts learned throughout the course. You will develop implementation plans, evaluative plans to control the implementation process, and plan for post-evaluation measures. You will also draw from previous business courses to develop an understanding of how organizations develop and manage strategies to establish, safeguard and sustain its position in a competitive market.
Skill Building:
In this project, you are building many different skills including research, critical thinking, writing and developing analytical skills related to various financial analysis tools and strategy tools used in business. You will select optimal strategies, design how to implement and evaluate the implementation process of the optimal strategies.
Outcomes Met With This Project:
· Examine the impact of ethical decision making, social responsibility, stakeholder analysis, and corporate governance on organizations and society
· Utilize a set of useful analytical skills, tools, and techniques for analyzing a company strategically;
· Integrate ideas, concepts, and theories from previously taken functional courses including, accounting, finance, market, business and human resource management;
· Analyze and synthesize strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) to generate, prioritize, and implement alternative strategies in order to revise a current plan or write a new plan and present a strategic plan;
· Evaluate the outcomes of identified strategies to determine their success and impact on short-term and long-term objectives.
Instructions:
Step 1: Research
In completing the report, you will use the chapters in the eBook as a guide and perform research on the same company as in Projects 1 and 2, answer the required elements below in narrative form following the steps.
Note: Your report is based on the results of the research performed and not on any prepared documentation. What this means is that you will research and draw your own conclusions that are supported by the research and the course material rather than the use any source material that puts together any of the tools or techniques whether from the Internet, for-pay websites or any document, video or source material. A zero will be earned for not doing your own analysis.
Library Resources
You will be using scholarly material and Mergent Online to research privately held and private companies. On the main navigation bar in the classroom select, Resources and then select Library. Select Databases by Title (A - Z). Select M from the alphabet list, and then select Mergent Online.
UMUC library is available for providing resources and services. Seek library support for excellence in your academic pursuit.
Library Support
Extensive library resources and services are available online, 24 hours a d.
Week 10 Term Paper SubmissionIf you are using the Blackboard Mobil.docxsheronlewthwaite
Week 10 Term Paper Submission
If you are using the Blackboard Mobile Learn IOS App, please click "View in Browser."
Click the link above to submit your assignment.
Students, please view the "Submit a Clickable Rubric Assignment" in the Student Center.
Instructors, training on how to grade is within the Instructor Center.
Term Paper Project: Designing a Secure Network
Due Week 10 and worth 190 points
This term paper involves putting together the various concepts learned throughout this course. You are tasked with designing the most secure network possible, keeping in mind your goal of supporting three (3) IT services: email, file transfer (centralized), and VPN. Your first step is to design a single network capable of supporting there three (3) different services. Once you have fully designed your network, you will need to provide three (3) workflow diagrams explaining how your designed network handles the three (3) different transactions. The first is an internal user sending an email using his / her corporate email address to a user on the Yahoo domain with an arbitrary address of
[email protected]
The second workflow diagram should show a user initiating an FTP session from inside your network to the arbitrary site of ftp.netneering.com. The third workflow is an externally located employee initiating a VPN session to corporate in order to access files on the Windows desktop computer, DT-Corp534-HellenS, at work.
Write a ten to fifteen (10-15) page paper in which you complete the following three (3) Parts. Note: Please use the following page breakdown to complete your assignment:
Overall network diagram: One (1) page
Datapath diagrams: Three (3) pages (one for each diagram)
Write-up: six to ten (6-10) pages
Part 1
Using Microsoft Visio or its open source alternative, create a diagram showing the overall network you’ve designed from the user or endpoint device to the Internet cloud, and everything in between, in which you:
Follow the access, core, distribution layer model.
Include at a minimum:
Authentication server (i.e. Microsoft Active Directory)
Routers
Switches (and / or hubs)
Local users
Remote users
Workstations
Files share (i.e. CIFS)
Mail server
Web servers (both internal and external)
Firewalls
Internet cloud
Web proxy
Email proxy
FTP server (for internal-to-external transport)
Explain each network device’s function and your specific configuration of each networking device.
Design and label the bandwidth availability or capacity for each wired connection.
Part 2
Using Microsoft Visio or its open source alternative, create a Datapath Diagram for the following scenario:
Local user sends email to a Yahoo recipient. Local (corporate) user having email address
[email protected]
sends an email to
[email protected]
Document and label the diagram showing protocols and path of the data flow as data traverses through your network from source to destination.
Include path lines with arrows showing directions and layer 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, .
Week 11 Question SetRoper v. SimmonsREAD THE ENTIRE CA.docxsheronlewthwaite
Week 11 Question Set:
Roper v. Simmons
:
READ THE ENTIRE CASE otherwise the sections I picked may not make complete sense to you!!!
Brief these sections of Justice Kennedy’s majority opinion:
III A
III B
Miller v. Alabama:
READ THE ENTIRE CASE otherwise the sections I picked may not make complete sense to you!!!
Brief these sections of Justice Kagan’s majority opinion:
II
IV
.
Week 11 (On the day you have class during this week) Population .docxsheronlewthwaite
Week 11 (On the day you have class during this week): Population
Select topic # 1 or topic # 2 below and write one page in which you briefly provide your answer: Topic # 1: Do you think rapid global population growth is cause for alarm? If not, why not? If so, what aspects of global population growth are specifically worrisome? What should be done about them? Answers will vary by student and may include references to Malthus and theory (pp. 502
–
504), demographic transition theory (pp. 505
–
507), population and social inequality (pp. 507
–
508), class inequality and overpopulation (p. 509), and urbanization (pp. 510
–
519).
Topic # 2: Do you think of the city mainly as a place of innovation and tolerance or mainly as a site of crime, prejudice, and anomie? Where does your image of the city come from? Your own experience? The mass media? Your sociological reading?
Answers will vary by student and may include references to text information on urbanization (pp. 510
–
519).
1 page 500 words
.
Week 10 Assignment 3 - Submit Here
Students
, please view the "Submit a Clickable Rubric Assignment" in the Student Center.
Instructors
, training on how to grade is within the Instructor Center.
Assignment 3: Cultural Activity Report
Due Week 10 and worth 100 points
As a way of experiencing the Humanities beyond your classroom, computer, and textbook, you are asked to do a certain type of “cultural activity” that fits well with our course and then report on your experience. Your instructor will require you to propose an activity and get instructor approval before you do it and report on it (students should look for any instructions in that respect). Every effort should be made to ensure that this is a hands-on experience (not a virtual one), that this activity fits the HUM111 class well, and that the activity is of sufficient quality for this university course. The two key types of activities are a museum visit or a performance. NOTE: This must not be a report on the same activity (and certainly not the same report) as done for another class, like HUM112. For instance, one might go to the same museum as done for HUM112, but this HUM111 report will focus on entirely different works and displays.
Visit a museum or gallery exhibition or attend a theater or musical performance before the end of Week 10. The activity (museum or performance) should have content that fits our course well. Have fun doing this.
Write a two to three (2-3) page report (500-750 words) that describes your experience.
Clearly identify the event location, date attended, the attendees, and your initial reaction upon arriving at the event.
Provide specific information and a description of at least two (2)
pieces
(e.g. art, exhibits, music, etc.).
Provide a summary of the event and describe your overall reaction after attending the event.
Use at least the class text as a reference (additional sources are fine, not necessary unless required by your content). Your report should include connections you make between things observed in your activity and things learned in the course and text.
Note
: Submit your cultural activity choice to the instructor for approval before the end of Week 5 (earlier is even better). Look for guidance from the instructor for how or where to make your proposal. You may also seek advice from your instructor (provide your town/state or zip code) for a good activity in your general area.
Visiting a Museum
It makes sense to approach a museum the way a seasoned traveler approaches visiting a city for the first time. Find out what there is available to see. In the museum, find out what sort of exhibitions are currently housed in the museum and start with the exhibits that interest you.
If there is a travelling exhibition, it’s always a good idea to see it while you have the chance. Then, if you have time, you can look at other things in the museum.
Every effort should be made ahead of time to identify a museum that has items and works one can e.
Week 1 - Discussion 2
The Industrial Revolution
Background: In the last quarter of the 19th Century, the Industrial Revolution was in full swing; however, with the business boom came a number of concerns, including corporate influence in politics and waves of immigration, as well as a middle class in apparent decline. These developments seemed to threaten to alter the character of American society as new technologies introduced new social problems, as well as offering new opportunities. The rise of captains of industry (or robber barons), with their sway of politicians, created a widespread feeling among common Americans that they had had lost control of their government.
Required Source:
The American Industrial Revolution
from the Films on Demand database in the Ashford University Library.
Instructions: Based on your textbook and the assigned video, analyze how the revolutionary nature of this period impacted either Native Americans, immigrants, or farmers, using the following questions as the basis of your analysis:
What were the most revolutionary social and economic developments of the last quarter of the nineteenth century?
How did the group of Americans you chose to examine respond to those changes, and how effective were their responses?
What role did government play in these developments?
Your initial post should be at least 250 words in length. Support your claims with examples from the required material(s) and properly cite any references. You may use additional scholarly sources to support your points if you choose. Your references and citations must be formatted according to APA style as outlined by the Ashford Writing Center.
.
Week 1 System and Application Overview An overview of the system.docxsheronlewthwaite
Week 1: System and Application Overview:
An overview of the system or software application an intended users
Week 1: Requirements Specification:
Detailed requirements specification with both functional and nonfunctional requirements
Week 2: System and Application Design:
A high-level design in the form of use cases and detailed design models utilizing computer-aided software engineering (CASE) tools to represent the data, processes, and interfaces
Week 3: Test and Quality Assurance Plan:
A test and quality assurance plan that included the various tests and quality control measures that need to be taken into consideration
Week 4: Development Strategy:
A development strategy that weighs make versus buy or insourcing versus outsourcing acquisition strategies
Integration and Deployment Plan
Develop an overall work breakdown structure (WBS) for the 7 system development life cycle (SDLC) phases:
Preliminary Analysis
System Analysis or Requirements Definition
System Design
Development
Integration and Testing
Acceptance, Installation, and Deployment
Operation Support and Maintenance
.
Week 1 DQOne objective of this course is learning how to cor.docxsheronlewthwaite
Week 1 DQ
One objective of this course is learning how to correctly interpret statistical measures. This includes learning how to identify intentionally misleading statistics. For this week's activity create your own example of a misleading statistic. Explain the context of the data, the source of the data, the sampling method that you used (or would use) to collect the data, and the (misleading) conclusions that would be drawn from your example. Be specific in explaining how the statistic is misleading.
500 hundred words one page
.
Week 1 - AssignmentDo the followingA corporation is created b.docxsheronlewthwaite
Week 1 - Assignment
Do the following:
A corporation is created by state issuing a charter upon the application of individuals known as incorporators. As a creature of state legislative bodies, the corporation is more complex to create and operate than other forms of businesses.
Write a one page essay describing the advantages and disadvantages of forming a corporation. Also, outline the complexities of creating a corporation.
In a Word document, you will want to save your essay file as ‘Week 1_Assignment_Your Name’ and submit the file for grading.
.
Weather Forecast Assignment Objective create a weather map.docxsheronlewthwaite
Weather Forecast Assignment
Objective: create a weather map and
entertaining weather forecast for 4 areas. Be as creative as possible with
your dialog. Assume this map/weather is late summer.
Criteria for your weather map:
1.
Draw two midlatitude cyclones. One occluding over the
Great Lakes and one mature over the Colorado region
2.
Write a weather forecast for the areas along the warm front
(1), cold front (2), cut off low (3), and (4) occlusion (number
1,2,3,4 and write forecast on the back)
3.
Show station models for at least 8 cities (dew point, temp,
wind vane, cloud cover, wind speed, and pressure)
4.
Draw isobars around each midlatitude cyclone and across
the US
.
Weak ties are valuable parts of a social network becausea.it is.docxsheronlewthwaite
Weak ties are valuable parts of a social network because:
a.
it is easier to sever them if a friendship doesn't blossom smoothly.
b.
it is easier to exert power over those to which we have such ties.
c.
they are more likely to introduce us to new information and ideas.
d.
we do not have to invest as much energy in maintaining them.
.
We have read and watched, in the two You Tube clips from the.docxsheronlewthwaite
We have read and watched, in the two You Tube clips from the Judaism and Christianity chapters, that monotheistic proselytizing religions have often been blamed for colonizing or destroying indigenous and foreign religions. Today, most of the world's monotheists live in countries that were once colonized by Portugal, France, Britain, Spain, Germany or other European countries. Because of this history, some critics of monotheism have argued that monotheistic religions are bad neighbors to other religions. Your task in this prompt is to reflect on this critique in light of what we have read about the history, practice, and teachings of Monotheistic faiths.
Writing Prompt:
Based on the readings and the YouTube clips we have watched explain whether or or not the teachings and practices of monotheistic faiths are helpful resources for becoming neighbors with the other non-monotheistic faiths we have studied? Explain why or why not.
Organizational Guidelines:
Introduction:
Introduce the position you are taking and clearly explain in a sentence or two why you are taking the position.
Paragraph One:
Discuss the historical events, practices or teachings that you think make monotheistic religion a good neighbor or a bad neighbor. (Be sure to use information from Brodd text and YouTube clips.)
Paragraph Two:
Expound on what you have articulated in paragraph one or present other relevant historical, events, or teachings.
*Note: You may not see a need to take two paragraphs here if not continue to the next point.
Paragraph Two or Three:
Discuss what monotheist stand to learn from other religions, which we have read, that could make them better neighbors. Or, if you think Christians are good neighbors discuss what you think the other religions we have read could learn from monotheism.(Expound on this point as you see fit.)
*Note: Choose only one or two religions here. You do not need to discuss all of the religions we have read. You also could choose to group the religions if you find they hold one thing in common that is distinct from monotheistic faith.
Paragraph Four: Conclusion
Restate and summarize your argument. Discuss what you think is the future for monotheism as it is faced with coming to terms with an awareness of religious diversity.
Word Processing Guidelines
1. 12pt font
2. 1 inch margins
3. 800 words maximum
4. For referencing please use the parenthetical format
Examples: (Brodd, 23); (YouTube, Judaism); or (YouTube, Christianity).
Helpful Guiding Questions:
What events or concepts in the history and practice of monotheism do you think make it susceptible to dominating the religions of its neighbors?
What events or concepts in the history and practice of monotheism make it the ideal neighbor to other religions?
What might monotheists learn, from the religions we have read, that might make Christians better neighbors to the world's religions? Or, what can Christians teach practitioners of the religions we have read so far that might make.
Web Site Project 1 Purpose The purpose of this project is to .docxsheronlewthwaite
Web Site Project 1
Purpose:
The purpose of this project is to demonstrate the ability to implement basic HTML code to create a simple three-page web site that displays text and links, and to properly validate the code and publish the site to the Web.
Instructions:
Create a three-page website about your favorite city. The home page should introduce the user to the city and why it is your favorite; then, briefly explain what the rest of the site contains. Page two should give general information about the city – a brief history/general information and current demographical statistics. Finally, the third page should display information about attractions, tourism, etc.
Requirements:
Your web site must demonstrate effective use of the basic HTML code from chapter 2. In order to complete
Web Site Project 1
, each page must include, at a minimum:
a properly coded head section
o
include an appropriate title to display in the title bar
a body section that demonstrates effective use of
o
heading 1 and heading 2 elements
o
paragraph and/or blockquote elements
o
line break element
o
unordered, ordered, or description lists
at least
two
different lists should be used, but not necessarily on
the same page
o
div and anchor elements
divs should be used to indicate “divisions” between sections of a web page, and create white space; for example, between the heading, navigation, content, and footer
anchor elements should be used to construct relative, absolute, and email links
o
bold and italicize phrase elements
navigation and external links
o
create navigation links to link your web pages
o
link to at least four other web sites that pertain to your favorite city
NOTE:
the external links do not have to be on every page and
cannot
include the site(s) you used for research
•
email and copyright information
o
include the text
Questions? Contact
with a link to your email address
o
include the word
Copyright
and the copyright symbol (note: the symbol
must use the appropriate code)
o
must include links to at least two online sources
o
this information must display on every page
.
Web QuizAssignment Name Web Field Trip Military Industrial Com.docxsheronlewthwaite
Web Quiz
Assignment Name:
Web Field Trip: Military Industrial Complex
Title:
Military Industrial Complex
Introduction:
World War II and then the Cold War increased the annual budget of the United States dramatically in the two decades from 1940 to 1960. During this period, the United States went from a reluctant participant in Western European culture to the military protector of Western Europe. The increase in the money spent on the military had enormous implications not only for the role of the United States in geopolitics, but also for the viability of democratic institutions within the United States. As members of congress became increasingly beholden to military contractors who supplied jobs in their congressional districts, the nature of politics in the United States changed significantly. In 1960, republican president Dwight Eisenhower called attention to what he originally labeled the military-industrial-congressional complex, a phrase that he later shortened to simply the military industrial complex.
To read Eisenhower's warning, see the following site.
Activity
Visit this URL:
Military-Industrial Complex Speech, Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1961
Instructions:
Answer the following questions in the fields below.
1.
Why was Eisenhower a particularly well informed person on this subject?
2.
How did Eisenhower feel about the escalating costs of warfare?
3.
What were the implications of leaving this issue alone?
Web Quiz
Assignment Name:
The Port Huron Statement of the Students for a Democratic Society (1962)
Title:
The Port Huron Statement of the Students for a Democratic Society (1962)
Introduction:
The Port Huron statement was issued by a meeting of the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) convention in Port Huron, Michigan, held on June 11-15, 1962. Largely written by Tom Hayden, the statement proclaims that young people are breaking away from the conservatism bred by the Cold War, frightened by the prospect of nuclear war, and alienated from American society by the falsehoods they have been told. The statement lays out the ways the New Left movement will create a grass-roots "participatory democracy," able to reconnect the public with American politics.
Visit URL:
The Port Huron Statement of the Students for a Democratic Society (1962)
Instructions:
After reading the introduction and the primary source provided, answer the questions below.
What does the statement say about African Americans and civil rights?
What concerns are raised about poverty in the United States?
What economic changes are called for?
What are the key components of participatory democracy?
Why are the demands of the Port Huron Statement considered on the liberal/left end of the political spectrum?
.
Web Technology PresentationSubmit a presentation for the CIO. Your.docxsheronlewthwaite
Web Technology Presentation
Submit a presentation for the CIO. Your presentation should address in detail the requirements for changing the database to a web-based architecture. Your CIO is interesting in knowing whether it is cost effective to use the cloud as an alternative for storing data. Explore additional options such as hosted SQL servers, SaaS providers, cloud deployment models, and the security implications.
To help the CIO make an informed decision, discuss the steps required to determine whether a web solution is appropriate and viable.
it should be 3-4 pages and tunitin free
.
We normally think of the arts as very different from technologies in.docxsheronlewthwaite
We normally think of the arts as very different from technologies in spite of the fact that art (with perhaps a few exceptions) is practiced with the help of technology. This practice creates interdependence between technology and art. To what extent does art respond to, or is shaped by, the technology that enables it? To what extent have advanced and accessible digital technologies, such as websites, digital photography, and YouTube, changed the relationship between art and technology? Are these technologies reshaping our attitudes toward artists?
.
Web Discussion and Assignment #41 page is Web Discussion with this.docxsheronlewthwaite
Web Discussion and Assignment #4
1 page is Web Discussion with this requirements.
2 page assignment #4 more later send info.
1 page Web Discussion Post
Take Christian Smith's subcultural identity theory and discuss it in terms of some example from your own life. Think of the sub-cultures in your own life that you belong to. It can be anything -- any kind of group or collective identity. Examples include fans of a particular sub-genre of music or fiction or art or sports team, participation in a sorority or fraternity, a religious group, a political group, etc. It doesn’t have to be a group that you belong to explicitly, just other people that you might identify with in some way or another.
Once you have a group in mind, talk about the symbolic things about this group that create a sense of collective identity. Smith talks about evangelical Christianity as creating strong symbolic boundaries through the unique beliefs and practices of their religion. But you could also think of this as much more simple practices. For example, if I wanted to write about being a University of Arizona football fan, I could talk about the practice of wearing clothing that identifies me as part of that group. Or I could talk about going to pep rallys or tailgating events where I can interact socially with other members of that group.
The key to applying the subcultural identity theory to understand culture, is to identify the ways in which different sub-cultures create symbolic boundaries that enable collective identity.
.
Web Application SeurityAs the Information Systems Security Offic.docxsheronlewthwaite
Web Application Seurity
As the Information Systems Security Officer for your large health care company, you have been assigned the task of implementing Web security. Determine how you would implement security to eliminate single points of failure.
Describe the implementation of Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) in support of Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS). Assess how you are assured that your browser is secure. Determine if the user data truly is protected or this is a false sense of security. Give an example of SSL being compromised.
.
We use computers and electronic systems to run and store just about .docxsheronlewthwaite
We use computers and electronic systems to run and store just about everything. Personal computers and the Internet are now included as part of the Department of Homeland Security's cybersecurity issues.
Cybersecurity involves protecting the information by preventing, detecting, and responding to attacks on information that is housed in technology.
There are many levels of risks in cybersecurity, some more serious and damaging than others. Among these dangers are:
Viruses erasing the entire system.
Individuals breaking into personal computer systems and altering the systems' files.
Individuals using personal computers to attack others' computer systems.
Individuals stealing credit card information and making unauthorized purchases.
Unfortunately, there is no 100% guarantee that even with the best precautions some of these things won't happen. Risk reduction steps exist to minimize vulnerability to information.
Tasks:
Create a PowerPoint Presentation containing 6–8 slides to address the following:
Analyze and discuss the vulnerabilities and recommend what security management can do to minimize the potential of a government or private organization being at risk for cybersecurity damage.
Outline the steps you recommend and identify any impediments to successfully implementing the suggested cybersecurity program.
Support your presentation with at least three outside scholarly resources using APA in-text citations. Add detailed speaker notes for each of the slides.
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we need to understand all six project feasibility factors. Its true.docxsheronlewthwaite
we need to understand all six project feasibility factors. It's true we need to consider all of them when beginning to plan for a system change. Why is the process of assessing project feasibility so important? What are the various methods for assessing project feasibility? When would one of them take precedence over the others
.
we have to write an essay 2 pages about Gustave Whitehead and the Wr.docxsheronlewthwaite
we have to write an essay 2 pages about Gustave Whitehead and the Wright brothers and we have to write an opinion on who do we think flew the first plane.
Did he fly before the wright brothers? You have to write both sides of the debate and then decide who is telling the truth . two pages due Thursday
Sorry I just realize I forgot to write the guys name . Gustave whitehead
Did Gustave whitehead flew before the right brothers.
.
Introduction to AI for Nonprofits with Tapp NetworkTechSoup
Dive into the world of AI! Experts Jon Hill and Tareq Monaur will guide you through AI's role in enhancing nonprofit websites and basic marketing strategies, making it easy to understand and apply.
Synthetic Fiber Construction in lab .pptxPavel ( NSTU)
Synthetic fiber production is a fascinating and complex field that blends chemistry, engineering, and environmental science. By understanding these aspects, students can gain a comprehensive view of synthetic fiber production, its impact on society and the environment, and the potential for future innovations. Synthetic fibers play a crucial role in modern society, impacting various aspects of daily life, industry, and the environment. ynthetic fibers are integral to modern life, offering a range of benefits from cost-effectiveness and versatility to innovative applications and performance characteristics. While they pose environmental challenges, ongoing research and development aim to create more sustainable and eco-friendly alternatives. Understanding the importance of synthetic fibers helps in appreciating their role in the economy, industry, and daily life, while also emphasizing the need for sustainable practices and innovation.
Francesca Gottschalk - How can education support child empowerment.pptxEduSkills OECD
Francesca Gottschalk from the OECD’s Centre for Educational Research and Innovation presents at the Ask an Expert Webinar: How can education support child empowerment?
Macroeconomics- Movie Location
This will be used as part of your Personal Professional Portfolio once graded.
Objective:
Prepare a presentation or a paper using research, basic comparative analysis, data organization and application of economic information. You will make an informed assessment of an economic climate outside of the United States to accomplish an entertainment industry objective.
Honest Reviews of Tim Han LMA Course Program.pptxtimhan337
Personal development courses are widely available today, with each one promising life-changing outcomes. Tim Han’s Life Mastery Achievers (LMA) Course has drawn a lot of interest. In addition to offering my frank assessment of Success Insider’s LMA Course, this piece examines the course’s effects via a variety of Tim Han LMA course reviews and Success Insider comments.
June 3, 2024 Anti-Semitism Letter Sent to MIT President Kornbluth and MIT Cor...Levi Shapiro
Letter from the Congress of the United States regarding Anti-Semitism sent June 3rd to MIT President Sally Kornbluth, MIT Corp Chair, Mark Gorenberg
Dear Dr. Kornbluth and Mr. Gorenberg,
The US House of Representatives is deeply concerned by ongoing and pervasive acts of antisemitic
harassment and intimidation at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Failing to act decisively to ensure a safe learning environment for all students would be a grave dereliction of your responsibilities as President of MIT and Chair of the MIT Corporation.
This Congress will not stand idly by and allow an environment hostile to Jewish students to persist. The House believes that your institution is in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, and the inability or
unwillingness to rectify this violation through action requires accountability.
Postsecondary education is a unique opportunity for students to learn and have their ideas and beliefs challenged. However, universities receiving hundreds of millions of federal funds annually have denied
students that opportunity and have been hijacked to become venues for the promotion of terrorism, antisemitic harassment and intimidation, unlawful encampments, and in some cases, assaults and riots.
The House of Representatives will not countenance the use of federal funds to indoctrinate students into hateful, antisemitic, anti-American supporters of terrorism. Investigations into campus antisemitism by the Committee on Education and the Workforce and the Committee on Ways and Means have been expanded into a Congress-wide probe across all relevant jurisdictions to address this national crisis. The undersigned Committees will conduct oversight into the use of federal funds at MIT and its learning environment under authorities granted to each Committee.
• The Committee on Education and the Workforce has been investigating your institution since December 7, 2023. The Committee has broad jurisdiction over postsecondary education, including its compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, campus safety concerns over disruptions to the learning environment, and the awarding of federal student aid under the Higher Education Act.
• The Committee on Oversight and Accountability is investigating the sources of funding and other support flowing to groups espousing pro-Hamas propaganda and engaged in antisemitic harassment and intimidation of students. The Committee on Oversight and Accountability is the principal oversight committee of the US House of Representatives and has broad authority to investigate “any matter” at “any time” under House Rule X.
• The Committee on Ways and Means has been investigating several universities since November 15, 2023, when the Committee held a hearing entitled From Ivory Towers to Dark Corners: Investigating the Nexus Between Antisemitism, Tax-Exempt Universities, and Terror Financing. The Committee followed the hearing with letters to those institutions on January 10, 202
Read| The latest issue of The Challenger is here! We are thrilled to announce that our school paper has qualified for the NATIONAL SCHOOLS PRESS CONFERENCE (NSPC) 2024. Thank you for your unwavering support and trust. Dive into the stories that made us stand out!
Model Attribute Check Company Auto PropertyCeline George
In Odoo, the multi-company feature allows you to manage multiple companies within a single Odoo database instance. Each company can have its own configurations while still sharing common resources such as products, customers, and suppliers.
Home assignment II on Spectroscopy 2024 Answers.pdf
I. Project 3 Financial Statement Analysis ProjectII. Introduct.docx
1. I. Project 3: Financial Statement Analysis Project
II. Introduction:
This project is designed to assess your ability to research
corporate data, analyze and interpret financial statements and
make a presentation to your boss and colleagues.
The project provides opportunities for you to further develop
the following competencies:
Graduate School Core Competencies:
1. Communication
2. Critical thinking
Accounting Competencies:
3. Measurement, analysis, and interpretation
4. Reporting
5. Research
6. Technology and tools
Business Competencies:
7. Global and industry perspective
Professional Competencies:
8. Professional behavior
Scenario:
You graduated with a MS in accounting from UMGC and have
recently been hired by a large accounting firm in Washington,
D.C. You report directly to the senior accountant, Kathryn
Cowgal, who is originally from Colorado and loves to ski when
she’s not riding horses. Fortunately, you and Kathryn hit it off
right away and you’re excited to be part of her team.
It’s Monday morning, you’re at your desk with a cup of coffee
and a Danish staring at your long list of emails wondering how
2. you’ll ever have time to catch up on last week’s projects. Your
boss Kathryn briskly enters your office, sits down, and
says, you’re going to love this assignment. I have hand-picked
you to prepare a financial analysis for a new client in the retail
industry. Kathryn goes on to say your report will be part of a
company-wide analysis of the retail business sector in the US.
For the analysis, she instructs you to choose from a list of
paired public retail companies that are among the Fortune 500
and to be prepared to present your findings to the
client. Kathryn hands you the list of paired public retail
companies, suggested steps to follow, and a list of deliverables.
She strongly encourages you to submit drafts, which she refers
to as milestones. The purpose of the milestones is to receive
Kathryn’s constructive feedback on your deliverables to give
you an opportunity to improve your final versions before her
deadline.
Further, Kathryn informs you that she and the CFO will also be
attending your presentation to the client. They plan to
use your presentation as part of the first quarter review all new
employees undergo during the probation period with the
company. Realizing this project could make or break your
opportunity to stay employed beyond the probation period, you
decide to review financial analyses techniques, interpreting SEC
10-K reports, and other resources to prepare the report and
make a stellar presentation (Appendix A).
III. Steps to Completion:
Step 1: Select two companies to analyze
Selectany pair of companies found in the Project 3 Fortune 500
Paired Companies List (Excel). Post your selection in the
Subject Line of the Week 8 discussion topic. Each paired-
company can only be selected by one student. Before making
your selection, check the discussion to learn which paired-
companies have already been selected by a colleague, and
therefore no longer an option for you.
3. Step 2: Conduct research
Click Edgar to search for the SEC filings of your chosen paired
corporations. Download and review the SEC Forms 10-K for
the most recent year.
If you are unfamiliar with the corporations you selected, learn
more about each company by reading Part I of its SEC Form 10-
K. To learn more about the corporations, the following
resources will be helpful:
· UMUC Library: Research Guide for Business and
Management: Resources
· Browse all databases in this guide to find the most relevant
resources
· Hoovers will be used for the industry averages
· Academic journals
· ABI/Inform is the best starting point
· Click Peer Reviewed
· Federal government Websites
· Big 4 Accounting firm articles published within the last 3
years
Step 3: Using technology and tools to measure, analyze, and
interpret
· In Excel:
1. Perform a horizontal analysis of the Balance Sheet and
Income Statement for the most recent 2 years in Excel using
formulas. Reference different sheets in your formulas when
necessary.
2. Perform a vertical analysis of the Balance Sheet and Income
Statement for the most recent 2 years in Excel using formulas.
Reference different sheets in your formulas when necessary.
3. Perform ratio analyses using 20 ratios for each corporation
using formulas in each cell that contains an answer. Reference
different sheets in your formulas when necessary.
4. Compare the horizontal analysis, vertical analysis, financial
ratio analysis of both corporations and the industry averages,
4. which can be found in Hoovers, to detect trends and outliers, if
any.
Milestone 1: Optional opportunity to receive feedback in
advance of submitting your final version for a grade. Submit
your excel file in the Assignment folder for Milestone 1.
Step 4: Reporting, communication, critical thinking, and
professional behavior
Reporting
Prepare one Excel file with multiple sheets labeled as follows:
Sheet #
Label
Contents
Notes
1
Corp A
BS & IS of Corp A
Copy & paste from Edgars
Cite all sources
2
Corp B
BS & IS of Corp B
Copy & paste from Edgars
Cite all sources
3
Ind Avgs
Industry averages
Copy & paste from Hoovers
Cite all sources
4
Horizontal
Side-by-side horizontal analyses
Both Corp A & B, must use formulas
5
5. Vertical
Side-by-side vertical analyses
Both Corp A & B, must use formulas
6
Ratios
20 relevant financial ratios
Same ratios for both
Corp A & B
7
Ind Avgs
Compare same 20 financial ratios to the industry averages
Compare Corp A to Corp B & to the Industry averages
(in Hoovers)
Cite all sources
8
Summary
Side-by-side comparison
Corp A & B and
Industry Averages
Cite all sources
Communication
Prepare a Power Point presentation that includes the following:
· Graphs, tables, and other data visualization tools to explain
your findings
· A summary side-by-side comparison of the two corporations
and the industry averages completed in step 8 above
· Speaker’s notes must be placed under each slide. Use the
speaker’s notes to create either a/an:
· Audio-enhanced PPT presentation with accurate transcription
(or accurate Closed Captioning) that you will present to your
boss and colleagues,
· Video of yourself presenting the content of your slide to your
boss (professor) and colleagues (classmates).
· Your recommendations to improve profitability in Company A
and B
6. Critical thinking and communication
A Word document summarizing your analyses and
recommendations for both Corporation A and B.
· Approximately a 3-4-page report, (not including the cover
sheet and reference list) in APA format.
IV. Deliverables:
1. Original SEC Forms 10-K for each corporation used for the
analyses
· Highlight figures on the Form 10-K’s used in your analyses
2. One Excel workbook with 8 tabs (Sheets) as described above
· Note: all computations must be computed via an Excel formula
that references other sheets when necessary. The Excel file
must be prepared by you.
3. Power Point presentation as described above. All slide
content and speaker’s notes must be in your own words.
4. A 3-4-page Word report as described above and written in
your own words.
V. Hints and Tips:
· As your professor, please note that I have very little interest in
reading what others in the field have written. It is fine to quote
sources to illustrate or support your own thoughts, however,
every graded assessment in graduate accounting courses will be
based on the content you have thought about and you have
written in your own words. To properly guide you, I need to
read your thoughts and interpretations and observe you making
presentations which demonstrate your comprehension of the
learning goals and ability to perform the competencies.
· Read the grading rubric before beginning the project to fully
understand the requirements; ask questions about the
requirements if needed.
7. · Review and refresh your memory of APA style formatting 3-4
weeks before the assignment is due.
· Writing a Research Paper:
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/658/01/
· APA: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/2/10/
· Developing your graduate level writing skills:
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/1/2/
· What Constitutes Graduate Level Writing; source unknown. In
LEO, Content, Week 9.
· Seek feedback for submitting your final version for a grade.
· Ask a classmate, friend or family member to read your report,
watch your presentation, and share constructive feedback to
help improve your final version.
· Submit your draft Word document to the Graduate Writing
Center at least 1 week before the project due date. This FREE
resource can be accessed in your LEO classroom. Make edits to
your report after reviewing feedback from the writing center
tutors.
· Submit milestones to your professor to receive constructive
feedback and use the feedback to improve your work before
submitting a final version for grading.
· Submit all required files on or before the due date. Late
assignment policies can be found in the syllabus. No
assignments are accepted after the last day of class.
· Ask questions as needed in the weekly Ask the Professor
forums. Students may discuss questions about the project in
LEO.
VI. Rubric:
You will find the rubric in LEO under Contents>Course
Resources>Projects & Rubrics.
1
8. Public Administration and Information
Technology
Volume 10
Series Editor
Christopher G. Reddick
San Antonio, Texas, USA
[email protected]
More information about this series at
http://www.springer.com/series/10796
[email protected]
Marijn Janssen • Maria A. Wimmer
Ameneh Deljoo
Editors
Policy Practice and Digital
Science
Integrating Complex Systems, Social
Simulation and Public Administration
in Policy Research
2123
10. now known or hereafter developed.
The use of general descriptive names, registered names,
trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication
does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that
such names are exempt from the relevant
protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general
use.
The publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume
that the advice and information in this book
are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication.
Neither the publisher nor the authors or the
editors give a warranty, express or implied, with respect to the
material contained herein or for any errors
or omissions that may have been made.
Printed on acid-free paper
Springer is part of Springer Science+Business Media
(www.springer.com)
[email protected]
Preface
The last economic and financial crisis has heavily threatened
European and other
economies around the globe. Also, the Eurozone crisis, the
energy and climate
change crises, challenges of demographic change with high
unemployment rates,
and the most recent conflicts in the Ukraine and the near East or
the Ebola virus
disease in Africa threaten the wealth of our societies in
different ways. The inability
11. to predict or rapidly deal with dramatic changes and negative
trends in our economies
and societies can seriously hamper the wealth and prosperity of
the European Union
and its Member States as well as the global networks. These
societal and economic
challenges demonstrate an urgent need for more effective and
efficient processes of
governance and policymaking, therewith specifically addressing
crisis management
and economic/welfare impact reduction.
Therefore, investing in the exploitation of innovative
information and commu-
nication technology (ICT) in the support of good governance
and policy modeling
has become a major effort of the European Union to position
itself and its Member
States well in the global digital economy. In this realm, the
European Union has
laid out clear strategic policy objectives for 2020 in the Europe
2020 strategy1: In
a changing world, we want the EU to become a smart,
sustainable, and inclusive
economy. These three mutually reinforcing priorities should
help the EU and the
Member States deliver high levels of employment, productivity,
and social cohesion.
Concretely, the Union has set five ambitious objectives—on
employment, innovation,
education, social inclusion, and climate/energy—to be reached
by 2020. Along with
this, Europe 2020 has established four priority areas—smart
growth, sustainable
growth, inclusive growth, and later added: A strong and
effective system of eco-
12. nomic governance—designed to help Europe emerge from the
crisis stronger and to
coordinate policy actions between the EU and national levels.
To specifically support European research in strengthening
capacities, in overcom-
ing fragmented research in the field of policymaking, and in
advancing solutions for
1 Europe 2020 http://ec.europa.eu/europe2020/index_en.htm
v
[email protected]
vi Preface
ICT supported governance and policy modeling, the European
Commission has co-
funded an international support action called eGovPoliNet2. The
overall objective
of eGovPoliNet was to create an international, cross-
disciplinary community of re-
searchers working on ICT solutions for governance and policy
modeling. In turn,
the aim of this community was to advance and sustain research
and to share the
insights gleaned from experiences in Europe and globally. To
achieve this, eGovPo-
liNet established a dialogue, brought together experts from
distinct disciplines, and
collected and analyzed knowledge assets (i.e., theories,
concepts, solutions, findings,
and lessons on ICT solutions in the field) from different
13. research disciplines. It built
on case material accumulated by leading actors coming from
distinct disciplinary
backgrounds and brought together the innovative knowledge in
the field. Tools, meth-
ods, and cases were drawn from the academic community, the
ICT sector, specialized
policy consulting firms as well as from policymakers and
governance experts. These
results were assembled in a knowledge base and analyzed in
order to produce com-
parative analyses and descriptions of cases, tools, and scientific
approaches to enrich
a common knowledge base accessible via www.policy-
community.eu.
This book, entitled “Policy Practice and Digital Science—
Integrating Complex
Systems, Social Simulation, and Public Administration in Policy
Research,” is one
of the exciting results of the activities of eGovPoliNet—fusing
community building
activities and activities of knowledge analysis. It documents
findings of comparative
analyses and brings in experiences of experts from academia
and from case descrip-
tions from all over the globe. Specifically, it demonstrates how
the explosive growth
in data, computational power, and social media creates new
opportunities for policy-
making and research. The book provides a first comprehensive
look on how to take
advantage of the development in the digital world with new
approaches, concepts,
instruments, and methods to deal with societal and
computational complexity. This
14. requires the knowledge traditionally found in different
disciplines including public
administration, policy analyses, information systems, complex
systems, and com-
puter science to work together in a multidisciplinary fashion
and to share approaches.
This book provides the foundation for strongly multidisciplinary
research, in which
the various developments and disciplines work together from a
comprehensive and
holistic policymaking perspective. A wide range of aspects for
social and professional
networking and multidisciplinary constituency building along
the axes of technol-
ogy, participative processes, governance, policy modeling,
social simulation, and
visualization are tackled in the 19 papers.
With this book, the project makes an effective contribution to
the overall objec-
tives of the Europe 2020 strategy by providing a better
understanding of different
approaches to ICT enabled governance and policy modeling, and
by overcoming the
fragmented research of the past. This book provides impressive
insights into various
theories, concepts, and solutions of ICT supported policy
modeling and how stake-
holders can be more actively engaged in public policymaking. It
draws conclusions
2 eGovPoliNet is cofunded under FP 7, Call identifier FP7-ICT-
2011-7, URL: www.policy-
community.eu
[email protected]
15. Preface vii
of how joint multidisciplinary research can bring more effective
and resilient find-
ings for better predicting dramatic changes and negative trends
in our economies and
societies.
It is my great pleasure to provide the preface to the book
resulting from the
eGovPoliNet project. This book presents stimulating research by
researchers coming
from all over Europe and beyond. Congratulations to the project
partners and to the
authors!—Enjoy reading!
Thanassis Chrissafis
Project officer of eGovPoliNet
European Commission
DG CNECT, Excellence in Science, Digital Science
[email protected]
Contents
1 Introduction to Policy-Making in the Digital Age . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . 1
Marijn Janssen and Maria A. Wimmer
2 Educating Public Managers and Policy Analysts
in an Era of Informatics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
16. . . . . . . . . . . 15
Christopher Koliba and Asim Zia
3 The Quality of Social Simulation: An Example from Research
Policy Modelling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Petra Ahrweiler and Nigel Gilbert
4 Policy Making and Modelling in a Complex World . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . 57
Wander Jager and Bruce Edmonds
5 From Building a Model to Adaptive Robust Decision Making
Using Systems Modeling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . 75
Erik Pruyt
6 Features and Added Value of Simulation Models Using
Different
Modelling Approaches Supporting Policy-Making: A
Comparative
Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Dragana Majstorovic, Maria A.Wimmer, Roy Lay-Yee, Peter
Davis
and Petra Ahrweiler
7 A Comparative Analysis of Tools and Technologies
for Policy Making . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . 125
Eleni Kamateri, Eleni Panopoulou, Efthimios Tambouris,
Konstantinos Tarabanis, Adegboyega Ojo, Deirdre Lee
and David Price
8 Value Sensitive Design of Complex Product Systems . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . 157
17. Andreas Ligtvoet, Geerten van de Kaa, Theo Fens, Cees van
Beers,
Paulier Herder and Jeroen van den Hoven
ix
[email protected]
x Contents
9 Stakeholder Engagement in Policy Development: Observations
and Lessons from International Experience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . 177
Natalie Helbig, Sharon Dawes, Zamira Dzhusupova, Bram
Klievink
and Catherine Gerald Mkude
10 Values in Computational Models Revalued . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . 205
Rebecca Moody and Lasse Gerrits
11 The Psychological Drivers of Bureaucracy: Protecting
the Societal Goals of an Organization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . 221
Tjeerd C. Andringa
12 Active and Passive Crowdsourcing in Government . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . 261
Euripidis Loukis and Yannis Charalabidis
13 Management of Complex Systems: Toward Agent-Based
Gaming for Policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . 291
Wander Jager and Gerben van der Vegt
18. 14 The Role of Microsimulation in the Development of Public
Policy . . . 305
Roy Lay-Yee and Gerry Cotterell
15 Visual Decision Support for Policy Making: Advancing
Policy
Analysis with Visualization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . 321
Tobias Ruppert, Jens Dambruch, Michel Krämer, Tina Balke,
Marco
Gavanelli, Stefano Bragaglia, Federico Chesani, Michela
Milano
and Jörn Kohlhammer
16 Analysis of Five Policy Cases in the Field of Energy Policy .
. . . . . . . . 355
Dominik Bär, Maria A.Wimmer, Jozef Glova, Anastasia
Papazafeiropoulou and Laurence Brooks
17 Challenges to Policy-Making in Developing Countries
and the Roles of Emerging Tools, Methods and Instruments:
Experiences from Saint Petersburg . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . 379
Dmitrii Trutnev, Lyudmila Vidyasova and Andrei Chugunov
18 Sustainable Urban Development, Governance and Policy:
A Comparative Overview of EU Policies and Projects . . . . . . . .
. . . . . 393
Diego Navarra and Simona Milio
19 eParticipation, Simulation Exercise and Leadership Training
in Nigeria: Bridging the Digital Divide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . 417
Tanko Ahmed
19. [email protected]
Contributors
Tanko Ahmed National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies
(NIPSS), Jos,
Nigeria
Petra Ahrweiler EA European Academy of Technology and
Innovation Assess-
ment GmbH, Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler, Germany
Tjeerd C. Andringa University College Groningen, Institute of
Artificial In-
telligence and Cognitive Engineering (ALICE), University of
Groningen, AB,
Groningen, the Netherlands
Tina Balke University of Surrey, Surrey, UK
Dominik Bär University of Koblenz-Landau, Koblenz, Germany
Cees van Beers Faculty of Technology, Policy, and
Management, Delft University
of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands
Stefano Bragaglia University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
Laurence Brooks Brunel University, Uxbridge, UK
Yannis Charalabidis University of the Aegean, Samos, Greece
Federico Chesani University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
20. Andrei Chugunov ITMO University, St. Petersburg, Russia
Gerry Cotterell Centre of Methods and Policy Application in the
Social Sciences
(COMPASS Research Centre), University of Auckland,
Auckland, New Zealand
Jens Dambruch Fraunhofer Institute for Computer Graphics
Research, Darmstadt,
Germany
Peter Davis Centre of Methods and Policy Application in the
Social Sciences
(COMPASS Research Centre), University of Auckland,
Auckland, New Zealand
Sharon Dawes Center for Technology in Government,
University at Albany,
Albany, New York, USA
xi
[email protected]
xii Contributors
Zamira Dzhusupova Department of Public Administration and
Development Man-
agement, United Nations Department of Economic and Social
Affairs (UNDESA),
NewYork, USA
Bruce Edmonds Manchester Metropolitan University,
Manchester, UK
21. Theo Fens Faculty of Technology, Policy, and Management,
Delft University of
Technology, Delft, The Netherlands
Marco Gavanelli University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
Lasse Gerrits Department of Public Administration, Erasmus
University
Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Nigel Gilbert University of Surrey, Guildford, UK
Jozef Glova Technical University Kosice, Kosice, Slovakia
Natalie Helbig Center for Technology in Government,
University at Albany,
Albany, New York, USA
Paulier Herder Faculty of Technology, Policy, and Management,
Delft University
of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands
Jeroen van den Hoven Faculty of Technology, Policy, and
Management, Delft
University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands
Wander Jager Groningen Center of Social Complexity Studies,
University of
Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
Marijn Janssen Faculty of Technology, Policy, and
Management, Delft University
of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands
Geerten van de Kaa Faculty of Technology, Policy, and
22. Management, Delft
University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands
Eleni Kamateri Information Technologies Institute, Centre for
Research &
Technology—Hellas, Thessaloniki, Greece
Bram Klievink Faculty of Technology, Policy and Management,
Delft University
of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands
Jörn Kohlhammer GRIS, TU Darmstadt & Fraunhofer IGD,
Darmstadt, Germany
Christopher Koliba University of Vermont, Burlington, VT,
USA
Michel Krämer Fraunhofer Institute for Computer Graphics
Research, Darmstadt,
Germany
Roy Lay-Yee Centre of Methods and Policy Application in the
Social Sciences
(COMPASS Research Centre), University of Auckland,
Auckland, New Zealand
Deirdre Lee INSIGHT Centre for Data Analytics, NUIG,
Galway, Ireland
[email protected]
Contributors xiii
Andreas Ligtvoet Faculty of Technology, Policy, and
23. Management, Delft Univer-
sity of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands
Euripidis Loukis University of the Aegean, Samos, Greece
Dragana Majstorovic University of Koblenz-Landau, Koblenz,
Germany
Michela Milano University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
Simona Milio London School of Economics, Houghton Street,
London, UK
Catherine Gerald Mkude Institute for IS Research, University of
Koblenz-Landau,
Koblenz, Germany
Rebecca Moody Department of Public Administration, Erasmus
University
Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Diego Navarra Studio Navarra, London, UK
Adegboyega Ojo INSIGHT Centre for Data Analytics, NUIG,
Galway, Ireland
Eleni Panopoulou Information Technologies Institute, Centre
for Research &
Technology—Hellas, Thessaloniki, Greece
Anastasia Papazafeiropoulou Brunel University, Uxbridge, UK
David Price Thoughtgraph Ltd, Somerset, UK
Erik Pruyt Faculty of Technology, Policy, and Management,
Delft University of
24. Technology, Delft, The Netherlands; Netherlands Institute for
Advanced Study,
Wassenaar, The Netherlands
Tobias Ruppert Fraunhofer Institute for Computer Graphics
Research, Darmstadt,
Germany
Efthimios Tambouris Information Technologies Institute, Centre
for Research &
Technology—Hellas, Thessaloniki, Greece; University of
Macedonia, Thessaloniki,
Greece
Konstantinos Tarabanis Information Technologies Institute,
Centre for Research
& Technology—Hellas, Thessaloniki, Greece; University of
Macedonia, Thessa-
loniki, Greece
Dmitrii Trutnev ITMO University, St. Petersburg, Russia
Gerben van der Vegt Faculty of Economics and Business,
University of Groningen,
Groningen, The Netherlands
Lyudmila Vidyasova ITMO University, St. Petersburg, Russia
Maria A. Wimmer University of Koblenz-Landau, Koblenz,
Germany
Asim Zia University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA
[email protected]
25. Chapter 1
Introduction to Policy-Making in the Digital Age
Marijn Janssen and Maria A. Wimmer
We are running the 21st century using 20th century systems on
top of 19th century political structures. . . .
John Pollock, contributing editor MIT technology review
Abstract The explosive growth in data, computational power,
and social media
creates new opportunities for innovating governance and policy-
making. These in-
formation and communications technology (ICT) developments
affect all parts of
the policy-making cycle and result in drastic changes in the way
policies are devel-
oped. To take advantage of these developments in the digital
world, new approaches,
concepts, instruments, and methods are needed, which are able
to deal with so-
cietal complexity and uncertainty. This field of research is
sometimes depicted
as e-government policy, e-policy, policy informatics, or data
science. Advancing
our knowledge demands that different scientific communities
collaborate to create
practice-driven knowledge. For policy-making in the digital age
disciplines such as
complex systems, social simulation, and public administration
need to be combined.
1.1 Introduction
Policy-making and its subsequent implementation is necessary
27. deal with societal and
computational complexity. This requires the use of knowledge
which is traditionally
found in different disciplines, including (but not limited to)
public administration,
policy analyses, information systems, complex systems, and
computer science. All
these knowledge areas are needed for policy-making in the
digital age. The aim of
this book is to provide a foundation for this new
interdisciplinary field in which
various traditional disciplines are blended.
Both policy-makers and those in charge of policy
implementations acknowledge
that ICT is becoming more and more important and is changing
the policy-making
process, resulting in a next generation policy-making based on
ICT support. The field
of policy-making is changing driven by developments such as
open data, computa-
tional methods for processing data, opinion mining, simulation,
and visualization of
rich data sets, all combined with public engagement, social
media, and participatory
tools. In this respect Web 2.0 and even Web 3.0 point to the
specific applications of
social networks and semantically enriched and linked data
which are important for
policy-making. In policy-making vast amount of data are used
for making predictions
and forecasts. This should result in improving the outcomes of
policy-making.
Policy-making is confronted with an increasing complexity and
uncertainty of the
28. outcomes which results in a need for developing policy models
that are able to deal
with this. To improve the validity of the models policy-makers
are harvesting data to
generate evidence. Furthermore, they are improving their
models to capture complex
phenomena and dealing with uncertainty and limited and
incomplete information.
Despite all these efforts, there remains often uncertainty
concerning the outcomes of
policy interventions. Given the uncertainty, often multiple
scenarios are developed
to show alternative outcomes and impact. A condition for this is
the visualization of
policy alternatives and its impact. Visualization can ensure
involvement of nonexpert
and to communicate alternatives. Furthermore, games can be
used to let people gain
insight in what can happen, given a certain scenario. Games
allow persons to interact
and to experience what happens in the future based on their
interventions.
Policy-makers are often faced with conflicting solutions to
complex problems,
thus making it necessary for them to test out their assumptions,
interventions, and
resolutions. For this reason policy-making organizations
introduce platforms facili-
tating policy-making and citizens engagements and enabling the
processing of large
volumes of data. There are various participative platforms
developed by government
agencies (e.g., De Reuver et al. 2013; Slaviero et al. 2010;
Welch 2012). Platforms
can be viewed as a kind of regulated environment that enable
29. developers, users, and
others to interact with each other, share data, services, and
applications, enable gov-
ernments to more easily monitor what is happening and
facilitate the development
of innovative solutions (Janssen and Estevez 2013). Platforms
should provide not
only support for complex policy deliberations with citizens but
should also bring to-
gether policy-modelers, developers, policy-makers, and other
stakeholders involved
in policy-making. In this way platforms provide an information-
rich, interactive
[email protected]
1 Introduction to Policy-Making in the Digital Age 3
environment that brings together relevant stakeholders and in
which complex phe-
nomena can be modeled, simulated, visualized, discussed, and
even the playing of
games can be facilitated.
1.2 Complexity and Uncertainty in Policy-Making
Policy-making is driven by the need to solve societal problems
and should result in
interventions to solve these societal problems. Examples of
societal problems are
unemployment, pollution, water quality, safety, criminality,
well-being, health, and
immigration. Policy-making is an ongoing process in which
issues are recognized
30. as a problem, alternative courses of actions are formulated,
policies are affected,
implemented, executed, and evaluated (Stewart et al. 2007).
Figure 1.1 shows the
typical stages of policy formulation, implementation, execution,
enforcement, and
evaluation. This process should not be viewed as linear as many
interactions are
necessary as well as interactions with all kind of stakeholders.
In policy-making
processes a vast amount of stakeholders are always involved,
which makes policy-
making complex.
Once a societal need is identified, a policy has to be formulated.
Politicians,
members of parliament, executive branches, courts, and interest
groups may be
involved in these formulations. Often contradictory proposals
are made, and the
impact of a proposal is difficult to determine as data is missing,
models cannot
citizen
s
Policy formulation
Policy
implementation
Policy
execution
Policy
enforcement and
32. There is a large uncertainty concerning the outcomes.
Policy implementation is done by organizations other than those
that formulated
the policy. They often have to interpret the policy and have to
make implemen-
tation decisions. Sometimes IT can block quick implementation
as systems have
to be changed. Although policy-making is the domain of the
government, private
organizations can be involved to some extent, in particular in
the execution of policies.
Once all things are ready and decisions are made, policies need
to be executed.
During the execution small changes are typically made to fine
tune the policy formu-
lation, implementation decisions might be more difficult to
realize, policies might
bring other benefits than intended, execution costs might be
higher and so on. Typ-
ically, execution is continually changing. Evaluation is part of
the policy-making
process as it is necessary to ensure that the policy-execution
solved the initial so-
cietal problem. Policies might become obsolete, might not work,
have unintended
affects (like creating bureaucracy) or might lose its support
among elected officials,
or other alternatives might pop up that are better.
Policy-making is a complex process in which many stakeholders
play a role. In
the various phases of policy-making different actors are
dominant and play a role.
Figure 1.1 shows only some actors that might be involved, and
33. many of them are not
included in this figure. The involvement of so many actors
results in fragmentation
and often actors are even not aware of the decisions made by
other actors. This makes
it difficult to manage a policy-making process as each actor has
other goals and might
be self-interested.
Public values (PVs) are a way to try to manage complexity and
give some guidance.
Most policies are made to adhere to certain values. Public value
management (PVM)
represents the paradigm of achieving PVs as being the primary
objective (Stoker
2006). PVM refers to the continuous assessment of the actions
performed by public
officials to ensure that these actions result in the creation of PV
(Moore 1995). Public
servants are not only responsible for following the right
procedure, but they also have
to ensure that PVs are realized. For example, civil servants
should ensure that garbage
is collected. The procedure that one a week garbage is collected
is secondary. If it is
necessary to collect garbage more (or less) frequently to ensure
a healthy environment
then this should be done. The role of managers is not only to
ensure that procedures
are followed but they should be custodians of public assets and
maximize a PV.
There exist a wide variety of PVs (Jørgensen and Bozeman
2007). PVs can be
long-lasting or might be driven by contemporary politics. For
example, equal access
34. is a typical long-lasting value, whereas providing support for
students at universities
is contemporary, as politicians might give more, less, or no
support to students. PVs
differ over times, but also the emphasis on values is different in
the policy-making
cycle as shown in Fig. 1.2. In this figure some of the values
presented by Jørgensen
and Bozeman (2007) are mapped onto the four policy-making
stages. Dependent on
the problem at hand other values might play a role that is not
included in this figure.
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1 Introduction to Policy-Making in the Digital Age 5
Policy
formulation
Policy
implementation
Policy
execution
Policy
enforcement
and evaluation
efficiency
efficiency
35. accountability
transparancy
responsiveness
public interest
will of the people
listening
citizen involvement
evidence-based
protection of
individual rights
accountability
transparancy
evidence-based
equal access
balancing of interests
robust
honesty
fair
timelessness
36. reliable
flexible
fair
Fig. 1.2 Public values in the policy cycle
Policy is often formulated by politicians in consultation with
experts. In the PVM
paradigm, public administrations aim at creating PVs for society
and citizens. This
suggests a shift from talking about what citizens expect in
creating a PV. In this view
public officials should focus on collaborating and creating a
dialogue with citizens
in order to determine what constitutes a PV.
1.3 Developments
There is an infusion of technology that changes policy processes
at both the individual
and group level. There are a number of developments that
influence the traditional
way of policy-making, including social media as a means to
interact with the public
(Bertot et al. 2012), blogs (Coleman and Moss 2008), open data
(Janssen et al. 2012;
Zuiderwijk and Janssen 2013), freedom of information (Burt
2011), the wisdom
of the crowds (Surowiecki 2004), open collaboration and
transparency in policy
simulation (Wimmer et al. 2012a, b), agent-based simulation
and hybrid modeling
techniques (Koliba and Zia 2012) which open new ways of
37. innovative policy-making.
Whereas traditional policy-making is executed by experts, now
the public is involved
to fulfill requirements of good governance according to open
government principles.
[email protected]
6 M. Janssen and M. A. Wimmer
Also, the skills and capabilities of crowds can be explored and
can lead to better and
more transparent democratic policy decisions. All these
developments can be used for
enhancing citizen’s engagement and to involve citizens better in
the policy-making
process. We want to emphasize three important developments.
1.3.1 The Availability of Big and Open Linked Data (BOLD)
Policy-making heavily depends on data about existing policies
and situations to
make decisions. Both public and private organizations are
opening their data for use
by others. Although information could be requested for in the
past, governments
have changed their strategy toward actively publishing open
data in formats that are
readily and easily accessible (for example,
European_Commission 2003; Obama
2009). Multiple perspectives are needed to make use of and
stimulate new practices
based on open data (Zuiderwijk et al. 2014). New applications
and innovations can
38. be based solely on open data, but often open data are enriched
with data from other
sources. As data can be generated and provided in huge
amounts, specific needs for
processing, curation, linking, visualization, and maintenance
appear. The latter is
often denoted with big data in which the value is generated by
combining different
datasets (Janssen et al. 2014). Current advances in processing
power and memory
allows for the processing of a huge amount of data. BOLD
allows for analyzing
policies and the use of these data in models to better predict the
effect of new policies.
1.3.2 Rise of Hybrid Simulation Approaches
In policy implementation and execution, many actors are
involved and there are a
huge number of factors influencing the outcomes; this
complicates the prediction
of the policy outcomes. Simulation models are capable of
capturing the interdepen-
dencies between the many factors and can include stochastic
elements to deal with
the variations and uncertainties. Simulation is often used in
policy-making as an
instrument to gain insight in the impact of possible policies
which often result in
new ideas for policies. Simulation allows decision-makers to
understand the essence
of a policy, to identify opportunities for change, and to evaluate
the effect of pro-
posed changes in key performance indicators (Banks 1998; Law
and Kelton 1991).
Simulation heavily depends on data and as such can benefit
39. from big and open data.
Simulation models should capture the essential aspects of
reality. Simulation
models do not rely heavily on mathematical abstraction and are
therefore suitable
for modeling complex systems (Pidd 1992). Already the
development of a model
can raise discussions about what to include and what factors are
of influence, in this
way contributing to a better understanding of the situation at
hand. Furthermore,
experimentation using models allows one to investigate
different settings and the
influence of different scenarios in time on the policy outcomes.
[email protected]
1 Introduction to Policy-Making in the Digital Age 7
The effects of policies are hard to predict and dealing with
uncertainty is a key
aspect in policy modeling. Statistical representation of real-
world uncertainties is
an integral part of simulation models (Law and Kelton 1991).
The dynamics asso-
ciated with many factors affecting policy-making, the
complexity associated with
the interdependencies between individual parts, and the
stochastic elements asso-
ciated with the randomness and unpredictable behavior of
transactions complicates
the simulations. Computer simulations for examining,
explaining, and predicting so-
40. cial processes and relationships as well as measuring the
possible impact of policies
has become an important part of policy-making. Traditional
models are not able to
address all aspects of complex policy interactions, which
indicates the need for the
development of hybrid simulation models consisting of a
combinatory set of models
built on different modeling theories (Koliba and Zia 2012). In
policy-making it can
be that multiple models are developed, but it is also possible to
combine various
types of simulation in a single model. For this purpose agent-
based modeling and
simulation approaches can be used as these allow for combining
different type of
models in a single simulation.
1.3.3 Ubiquitous User Engagement
Efforts to design public policies are confronted with
considerable complexity, in
which (1) a large number of potentially relevant factors needs to
be considered, (2) a
vast amount of data needs to be processed, (3) a large degree of
uncertainty may exist,
and (4) rapidly changing circumstances need to be dealt with.
Utilizing computational
methods and various types of simulation and modeling methods
is often key to
solving these kinds of problems (Koliba and Zia 2012). The
open data and social
media movements are making large quantities of new data
available. At the same time
enhancements in computational power have expanded the
repertoire of instruments
41. and tools available for studying dynamic systems and their
interdependencies. In
addition, sophisticated techniques for data gathering,
visualization, and analysis have
expanded our ability to understand, display, and disseminate
complex, temporal, and
spatial information to diverse audiences. These problems can
only be addressed from
a complexity science perspective and with a multitude of views
and contributions
from different disciplines. Insights and methods of complexity
science should be
applied to assist policy-makers as they tackle societal problems
in policy areas such
as environmental protection, economics, energy, security, or
public safety and health.
This demands user involvement which is supported by
visualization techniques and
which can be actively involved by employing (serious) games.
These methods can
show what hypothetically will happen when certain policies are
implemented.
[email protected]
8 M. Janssen and M. A. Wimmer
1.4 Combining Disciplines in E-government Policy-Making
This new field has been shaped using various names, including
e-policy-making,
digital policy science, computational intelligence, digital
sciences, data sciences,
and policy informatics (Dawes and Janssen 2013). The essence
42. of this field it that it
is
1. Practice-driven
2. Employs modeling techniques
3. Needs the knowledge coming from various disciplines
4. It focused on governance and policy-making
This field is practice-driven by taking as a starting point the
public policy problem and
defining what information is relevant for addressing the
problem under study. This
requires understanding of public administration and policy-
making processes. Next,
it is a key to determine how to obtain, store, retrieve, process,
model, and interpret the
results. This is the field of e-participation, policy-modeling,
social simulation, and
complex systems. Finally, it should be agreed upon how to
present and disseminate
the results so that other researchers, decision-makers, and
practitioners can use it.
This requires in-depth knowledge of practice, of structures of
public administration
and constitutions, political cultures, processes and culture and
policy-making.
Based on the ideas, the FP7 project EgovPoliNet project has
created an inter-
national community in ICT solutions for governance and policy-
modeling. The
“policy-making 2.0” LinkedIn community has a large number of
members from dif-
ferent disciplines and backgrounds representing practice and
academia. This book
is the product of this project in which a large number of persons
43. from various dis-
ciplines and representing a variety of communities were
involved. The book shows
experiences and advances in various areas of policy-making.
Furthermore, it contains
comparative analyses and descriptions of cases, tools, and
scientific approaches from
the knowledge base created in this project. Using this book,
practices and knowl-
edge in this field is shared among researchers. Furthermore, this
book provides the
foundations in this area. The covered expertise include a wide
range of aspects for so-
cial and professional networking and multidisciplinary
constituency building along
the axes of technology, participative processes, governance,
policy-modeling, social
simulation, and visualization. In this way eGovPoliNet has
advanced the way re-
search, development, and practice is performed worldwide in
using ICT solutions
for governance and policy-modeling.
Although in Europe the term “e-government policy” or “e-
policy,” for short, is
often used to refer to these types of phenomena, whereas in the
USA often the term
“policy informatics” is used. This is similar to that in the USA
the term digital
government is often used, whereas in Europe the term e-
government is preferred.
Policy informatics is defined as “the study of how information
is leveraged and efforts
are coordinated towards solving complex public policy
problems” (Krishnamurthy
et al. 2013, p. 367). These authors view policy informatics as an
44. emerging research
space to navigate through the challenges of complex layers of
uncertainty within
[email protected]
1 Introduction to Policy-Making in the Digital Age 9
governance processes. Policy informatics community has
created Listserv called
Policy Informatics Network (PIN-L).
E-government policy-making is closely connected to “data
science.” Data science
is the ability to find answers from larger volumes of
(un)structured data (Davenport
and Patil 2012). Data scientists find and interpret rich data
sources, manage large
amounts of data, create visualizations to aid in understanding
data, build mathemat-
ical models using the data, present and communicate the data
insights/findings to
specialists and scientists in their team, and if required to a
nonexpert audience. These
are activities which are at the heart of policy-making.
1.5 Overview of Chapters
In total 54 different authors were involved in the creation of
this book. Some chapters
have a single author, but most of the chapters have multiple
authors. The authors rep-
resent a wide range of disciplines as shown in Fig. 1.2. The
focus has been on targeting
45. five communities that make up the core field for ICT-enabled
policy-making. These
communities include e-government/e-participation, information
systems, complex
systems, public administration, and policy research and social
simulation. The com-
bination of these disciplines and communities are necessary to
tackle policy problems
in new ways. A sixth category was added for authors not
belonging to any of these
communities, such as philosophy and economics. Figure 1.3
shows that the authors
are evenly distributed among the communities, although this is
less with the chapter.
Most of the authors can be classified as belonging to the e-
government/e-participation
community, which is by nature interdisciplinary.
Foundation The first part deals with the foundations of the
book. In their Chap. 2
Chris Koliba and Asim Zia start with a best practice to be
incorporated in public
administration educational programs to embrace the new
developments sketched in
EGOV
IS
Complex Systems
Public Administration and
Policy Research
Social Simulation
46. other (philosophy, energy,
economics, )
Fig. 1.3 Overview of the disciplinary background of the authors
[email protected]
10 M. Janssen and M. A. Wimmer
this chapter. They identify two types of public servants that
need to be educated.
The policy informatics include the savvy public manager and
the policy informatics
analyst. This chapter can be used as a basis to adopt
interdisciplinary approaches and
include policy informatics in the public administration
curriculum.
Petra Ahrweiler and Nigel Gilbert discuss the need for the
quality of simulation
modeling in their Chap. 3. Developing simulation is always
based on certain as-
sumptions and a model is as good as the developer makes it.
The user community is
proposed to assess the quality of a policy-modeling exercise.
Communicative skills,
patience, willingness to compromise on both sides, and
motivation to bridge the
formal world of modelers and the narrative world of policy-
makers are suggested as
key competences. The authors argue that user involvement is
necessary in all stages
of model development.
47. Wander Jager and Bruce Edmonds argue that due to the
complexity that many
social systems are unpredictable by nature in their Chap. 4.
They discuss how some
insights and tools from complexity science can be used in
policy-making. In particular
they discuss the strengths and weaknesses of agent-based
modeling as a way to gain
insight in the complexity and uncertainty of policy-making.
In the Chap. 5, Erik Pruyt sketches the future in which different
systems modeling
schools and modeling methods are integrated. He shows that
elements from policy
analysis, data science, machine learning, and computer science
need to be combined
to deal with the uncertainty in policy-making. He demonstrates
the integration of
various modeling and simulation approaches and related
disciplines using three cases.
Modeling approaches are compared in the Chap. 6 authored by
Dragana Majs-
torovic, Maria A. Wimmer, Roy Lay-Yee, Peter Davis,and Petra
Ahrweiler. Like in
the previous chapter they argue that none of the theories on its
own is able to address
all aspects of complex policy interactions, and the need for
hybrid simulation models
is advocated.
The next chapter is complimentary to the previous chapter and
includes a com-
parison of ICT tools and technologies. The Chap. 7 is authored
by Eleni Kamateri,
Eleni Panopoulou, Efthimios Tambouris, Konstantinos
48. Tarabanis, Adegboyega Ojo,
Deirdre Lee, and David Price. This chapter can be used as a
basis for tool selecting
and includes visualization, argumentation, e-participation,
opinion mining, simula-
tion, persuasive, social network analysis, big data analytics,
semantics, linked data
tools, and serious games.
Social Aspects, Stakeholders and Values Although much
emphasis is put on mod-
eling efforts, the social aspects are key to effective policy-
making. The role of values
is discussed in the Chap. 8 authored by Andreas Ligtvoet,
Geerten van de Kaa, Theo
Fens, Cees van Beers, Paulien Herder, and Jeroen van den
Hoven. Using the case of
the design of smart meters in energy networks they argue that
policy-makers would
do well by not only addressing functional requirements but also
by taking individual
stakeholder and PVs into consideration.
In policy-making a wide range of stakeholders are involved in
various stages
of the policy-making process. Natalie Helbig, Sharon Dawes,
Zamira Dzhusupova,
Bram Klievink, and Catherine Gerald Mkude analyze five case
studies of stakeholder
[email protected]
1 Introduction to Policy-Making in the Digital Age 11
49. engagement in policy-making in their Chap. 9. Various
engagement tools are dis-
cussed and factors identified which support the effective use of
particular tools and
technologies.
The Chap. 10 investigates the role of values and trust in
computational models in
the policy process. This chapter is authored by Rebecca Moody
and Lasse Gerrits. The
authors found that a large diversity exists in values within the
cases. By the authors
important explanatory factors were found including (1) the role
of the designer of
the model, (2) the number of different actors (3) the level of
trust already present,
and (4) and the limited control of decision-makers over the
models.
Bureaucratic organizations are often considered to be inefficient
and not customer
friendly. Tjeerd Andringa presents and discusses a
multidisciplinary framework con-
taining the drivers and causes of bureaucracy in the Chap. 11.
He concludes that the
reduction of the number of rules and regulations is important,
but that motivating
workers to understand their professional roles and to learn to
oversee the impact of
their activities is even more important.
Crowdsourcing has become an important policy instrument to
gain access to
expertise (“wisdom”) outside own boundaries. In the Chap. 12,
Euripids Loukis
and Yannis Charalabidis discuss Web 2.0 social media for
50. crowdsourcing. Passive
crowdsourcing exploits the content generated by users, whereas
active crowdsourcing
stimulates content postings and idea generation by users.
Synergy can be created by
combining both approaches. The results of passive
crowdsourcing can be used for
guiding active crowdsourcing to avoid asking users for similar
types of input.
Policy, Collaboration and Games Agent-based gaming (ABG) is
used as a tool
to explore the possibilities to manage complex systems in the
Chap. 13 by Wander
Jager and Gerben van der Vegt. ABG allows for modeling a
virtual and autonomous
population in a computer game setting to exploit various
management and leadership
styles. In this way ABG contribute to the development of the
required knowledge on
how to manage social complex behaving systems.
Micro simulation focuses on modeling individual units and the
micro-level pro-
cesses that affect their development. The concepts of micro
simulation are explained
by Roy Lay-Yee and Gerry Cotterell in the Chap. 14. Micro
simulation for pol-
icy development is useful to combine multiple sources of
information in a single
contextualized model to answer “what if” questions on complex
social phenomena.
Visualization is essential to communicate the model and the
results to a variety
of stakeholders. These aspects are discussed in the Chap. 15 by
51. Tobias Ruppert,
Jens Dambruch, Michel Krämer, Tina Balke, Marco Gavanelli,
Stefano Bragaglia,
Federico Chesani, Michela Milano, and Jörn Kohlhammer. They
argue that despite
the significance to use evidence in policy-making, this is
seldom realized. Three
case studies that have been conducted in two European research
projects for policy-
modeling are presented. In all the cases access for nonexperts to
the computational
models by information visualization technologies was realized.
[email protected]
12 M. Janssen and M. A. Wimmer
Applications and Practices Different projects have been
initiated to study the best
suitable transition process towards renewable energy. In the
Chap. 16 by Dominik
Bär, Maria A. Wimmer, Jozef Glova, Anastasia
Papazafeiropoulou,and Laurence
Brooks five of these projects are analyzed and compared. They
please for transferring
models from one country to other countries to facilitate
learning.
Lyudmila Vidyasova, Andrei Chugunov, and Dmitrii Trutnev
present experiences
from Russia in their Chap. 17. They argue that informational,
analytical, and fore-
casting activities for the processes of socioeconomic
development are an important
52. element in policy-making. The authors provide a brief overview
of the history, the
current state of the implementation of information processing
techniques, and prac-
tices for the purpose of public administration in the Russian
Federation. Finally, they
provide a range of recommendations to proceed.
Urban policy for sustainability is another important area which
is directly linked
to the first chapter in this section. In the Chap. 18, Diego
Navarra and Simona Milio
demonstrate a system dynamics model to show how urban policy
and governance in
the future can support ICT projects in order to reduce energy
usage, rehabilitate the
housing stock, and promote sustainability in the urban
environment. This chapter
contains examples of sustainable urban development policies as
well as case studies.
In the Chap. 19, Tanko Ahmed discusses the digital divide
which is blocking
online participation in policy-making processes. Structuration,
institutional and
actor-network theories are used to analyze a case study of
political zoning. The
author recommends stronger institutionalization of ICT support
and legislation for
enhancing participation in policy-making and bridging the
digital divide.
1.6 Conclusions
This book is the first comprehensive book in which the various
development and disci-
53. plines are covered from the policy-making perspective driven by
ICT developments.
A wide range of aspects for social and professional networking
and multidisciplinary
constituency building along the axes of technology,
participative processes, gover-
nance, policy-modeling, social simulation, and visualization are
investigated. Policy-
making is a complex process in which many stakeholders are
involved. PVs can be
used to guide policy-making efforts and to ensure that the many
stakeholders have
an understanding of the societal value that needs to be created.
There is an infusion
of technology resulting in changing policy processes and
stakeholder involvement.
Technologies like social media provides a means to interact
with the public, blogs
can be used to express opinions, big and open data provide
input for evidence-based
policy-making, the integration of various types of modeling and
simulation tech-
niques (hybrid models) can provide much more insight and
reliable outcomes, gam-
ing in which all kind of stakeholders are involved open new
ways of innovative policy-
making. In addition trends like the freedom of information, the
wisdom of the crowds,
and open collaboration changes the landscape further. The
policy-making landscape
is clearly changing and this demands a strong need for
interdisciplinary research.
[email protected]
54. 1 Introduction to Policy-Making in the Digital Age 13
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[email protected]
Chapter 2
Educating Public Managers and Policy Analysts
in an Era of Informatics
Christopher Koliba and Asim Zia
Abstract In this chapter, two ideal types of practitioners who
may use or cre-
ate policy informatics projects, programs, or platforms are
introduced: the policy
informatics-savvy public manager and the policy informatics
analyst. Drawing from
59. our experiences in teaching an informatics-friendly graduate
curriculum, we dis-
cuss the range of learning competencies needed for traditional
public managers and
policy informatics-oriented analysts to thrive in an era of
informatics. The chapter
begins by describing the two different types of students who
are, or can be touched
by, policy informatics-friendly competencies, skills, and
attitudes. Competencies
ranging from those who may be users of policy informatics and
sponsors of policy
informatics projects and programs to those analysts designing
and executing policy
informatics projects and programs will be addressed. The
chapter concludes with
an illustration of how one Master of Public Administration
(MPA) program with a
policy informatics-friendly mission, a core curriculum that
touches on policy infor-
matics applications, and a series of program electives that
allows students to develop
analysis and modeling skills, designates its informatics-oriented
competencies.
2.1 Introduction
The range of policy informatics opportunities highlighted in this
volume will require
future generations of public managers and policy analysts to
adapt to the oppor-
tunities and challenges posed by big data and increasing
computational modeling
capacities afforded by the rapid growth in information
technologies. It will be up
to the field’s Master of Public Administration (MPA) and
61. students who are, or can
be touched by, policy informatics-friendly competencies, skills,
and attitudes. Com-
petencies ranging from those who may be users of policy
informatics and sponsors of
policy informatics projects and programs to those analysts
designing and executing
policy informatics projects and programs will be addressed. The
chapter concludes
with an illustration of how one MPA program with a policy
informatics-friendly
mission, a core curriculum that touches on policy informatics
applications, and a
series of program electives that allows students to develop
analysis and modeling
skills, designates its informatics-oriented competencies.
2.2 Two Types of Practitioner Orientations to Policy
Informatics
Drawn from our experience, we find that there are two “ideal
types” of policy infor-
matics practitioner, each requiring greater and greater levels of
technical mastery of
analytics techniques and approaches. These ideal types are:
policy informatics-savvy
public managers and policy informatics analysts.
A policy informatics-savvy public manager may take on one of
two possible roles
relative to policy informatics projects, programs, or platforms.
They may play instru-
mental roles in catalyzing and implementing informatics
initiatives on behalf of their
organizations, agencies, or institutions. In the manner, they may
work with technical
62. experts (analysts) to envision possible uses for data,
visualizations, simulations, and
the like. Public managers may also be in the role of using policy
informatics projects,
programs, or platforms. They may be in positions to use these
initiatives to ground
decision making, allocate resources, and otherwise guide the
performance of their
organizations.
A policy informatics analyst is a person who is positioned to
actually execute
a policy informatics initiative. They may be referred to as
analysts, researchers,
modelers, or programmers and provide the technical assistance
needed to analyze
databases, build and run models, simulations, and otherwise
construct useful and
effective policy informatics projects, programs, or platforms.
To succeed in either and both roles, managers and analysts will
require a certain set
of skills, knowledge, or competencies. Drawing on some of the
prevailing literature
and our own experiences, we lay out an initial list of potential
competencies for
consideration.
[email protected]
2 Educating Public Managers and Policy Analysts in an Era of
Informatics 17
2.2.1 Policy Informatics-Savvy Public Managers
63. To successfully harness policy informatics, public managers
will likely not need to
know how to explicitly build models or manipulate big data.
Instead, they will need
to know what kinds of questions that policy informatics projects
or programs can
answer or not answer. They will need to know how to contract
with and/or manage
data managers, policy analysts, and modelers. They will need to
be savvy consumers
of data analysis and computational models, but not necessarily
need to know how to
technically execute them. Policy informatics projects, programs,
and platforms are
designed and executed in some ways, as any large-scale,
complex project.
In writing about the stages of informatics project development
using “big data,”
DeSouza lays out project development along three stages:
planning, execution, and
postimplementation. Throughout the project life cycle, he
emphasizes the role of
understanding the prevailing policy and legal environment, the
need to venture into
coalition building, the importance of communicating the broader
opportunities af-
forded by the project, the need to develop performance
indicators, and the importance
of lining up adequate financial and human resources (2014).
Framing what traditional public managers need to know and do
to effectively
interface with policy informatics projects and programs requires
an ability to be a
64. “systems thinker,” an effective evaluator, a capacity to integrate
informatics into
performance and financial management systems, effective
communication skills,
and a capacity to draw on social media, information technology,
and e-governance
approaches to achieve common objectives. We briefly review
each of these capacities
below.
Systems Thinking Knowing the right kinds of questions that
may be asked through
policy informatics projects and programs requires public
managers to possess a “sys-
tems” view. Much has been written about the importance of
“systems thinking” for
public managers (Katz and Kahn 1978; Stacey 2001; Senge
1990; Korton 2001).
Taking a systems perspective allows public managers to
understand the relationship
between the “whole” and the “parts.” Systems-oriented public
managers will possess
a level of situational awareness (Endsley 1995) that allows them
to see and under-
stand patterns of interaction and anticipate future events and
orientations. Situational
awareness allows public mangers to understand and evaluate
where data are coming
from, how best data are interpreted, and the kinds of
assumptions being used in
specific interpretations (Koliba et al. 2011). The concept of
system thinking laid out
here can be associated with the notion of transition management
(Loorbach 2007).
Process Orientations to Public Policy The capacity to view the
65. policy making and
implementation process as a process that involves certain levels
of coordination
and conflict between policy actors is of critical importance for
policy informatics-
savvy public managers and analysts. Understanding how data
are used to frame
problems and policy solutions, how complex governance
arrangements impact policy
implementation (Koliba et al. 2010), and how data visualization
can be used to
[email protected]
18 C. Koliba and A. Zia
facilitate the setting of policy agendas and open policy windows
(Kingdon 1984) is
of critical importance for public management and policy
analysts alike.
Research Methodologies Another basic competency needed for
any public manager
using policy informatics is a foundational understanding of
research methods, par-
ticularly quantitative reasoning and methodologies. A
foundational understanding of
data validity, analytical rigor and relevance, statistical
significance, and the like are
needed to be effective consumers of informatics. That said,
traditional public man-
agers should also be exposed to qualitative methods as well,
refining their powers of
observation, understanding how symbols, stories, and numbers
66. are used to govern,
and how data and data visualization and computer simulations
play into these mental
models.
Performance Management A key feature of systems thinking as
applied to policy
informatics is the importance of understanding how data and
analysis are to be
used and who the intended users of the data are (Patton 2008).
The integration of
policy informatics into strategic planning (Bryson 2011),
performance management
systems (Moynihan 2008), and ultimately woven into an
organization’s capacity to
learn, adapt, and evolve (Argyis and Schön 1996) are critically
important in this
vein. As policy informatics trends evolve, public managers will
likely need to be
exposed to uses of decision support tools, dashboards, and other
computationally
driven models and visualizations to support organizational
performance.
Financial Management Since the first systemic budgeting
systems were put in place,
public managers have been urged to use the budgeting process
as a planning and eval-
uation tool (Willoughby 1918). This approach was formally
codified in the 1960s
with the planning–programming–budgeting (PPB) system with
its focus on plan-
ning, managerial, and operational control (Schick 1966) and
later adopted into more
contemporary approaches to budgeting (Caiden 1981). Using
informative projects,
67. programs, or platforms to make strategic resource allocation
decisions is a necessary
given and a capacity that effective public managers must
master. Likewise, the pol-
icy analyst will likely need to integrate financial resource flows
and costs into their
projects.
Collaborative and Cooperative Capacity Building The
development and use of pol-
icy informatics projects, programs, or platforms is rarely, if
ever, undertaken as
an individual, isolated endeavor. It is more likely that such
initiatives will require
interagency, interorganizational, or intergroup coordination. It
is also likely that
content experts will need to be partnered with analysts and
programmers to com-
plete tasks and execute designs. The public manager and policy
analyst must both
possess the capacity to facilitate collaborative management
functions (O’Leary and
Bingham 2009).
Basic Communication Skills This perhaps goes without saying,
but the heart of any
informatics project lies in the ability to effectively
communicate findings and ideas
through the analysis of data.
[email protected]
2 Educating Public Managers and Policy Analysts in an Era of
Informatics 19
68. Social Media, Information Technology, and e-Governance
Awareness A final com-
petency concerns public managers’ capacity to deepen their
understanding of how
social media, Web-based tools, and related information
technologies are being em-
ployed to foster various e-government, e-governance, and
related initiatives (Mergel
2013). Placing policy informatics projects and programs within
the context of these
larger trends and uses is something that public managers must
be exposed to.
Within our MPA program, we have operationalized these
capacities within a four-
point rubric that outlines what a student needs to do to
demonstrate meeting these
standards. The rubric below highlights 8 of our program’s 18
capacities. All 18 of
these capacities are situated under 1 of the 5 core competencies
tied to the accred-
itation standards of the Network of Schools of Public Affairs
and Administration
(NASPAA), the professional accrediting association in the USA,
and increasingly in
other countries as well, for MPA and MPP programs. A
complete list of these core
competencies and the 18 capacities nested under them are
provided in Appendix of
this chapter.
The eight capacities that we have singled out as being the most
salient to the role
of policy informatics in public administration are provided in
Table 2.1. The rubric
69. follows a four-point scale, ranging from “does not meet
standard,” “approaches
standard,” “meets standard,” and “exceeds standard.”
2.2.2 Policy Informatics Analysts
A second type of practitioner to be considered is what we are
referring to as a “policy
informatics analyst.” When considering the kinds of
competencies that policy infor-
matics analysts need to be successful, we first assume that the
basic competencies
outlined in the prior section apply here as well. In other words,
effective policy in-
formatics analysts must be systems thinkers in order to place
data and their analysis
into context, be cognizant of current uses of decision support
systems (and related
platforms) to enable organizational learning, performance, and
strategic planning,
and possess an awareness of e-governance and e-government
initiatives and how they
are transforming contemporary public management and policy
planning practices.
In addition, policy analysts must possess a capacity to
understand policy systems:
How policies are made and implemented? This baseline
understanding can then be
used to consider the placement, purpose, and design of policy
informatics projects
or programs. We lay out more specific analyst capacities below.
Advanced Research Methods of Information Technology
Applications In many in-
stances, policy informatics analysts will need to move beyond
meeting the standard.
70. This is particularly true in the area of exceeding the public
manager standards for re-
search methods and utilization of information technology. It is
assumed that effective
policy informatics analysts will have a strong foundation in
quantitative methodolo-
gies and applications. To obtain these skills, policy analysts
will need to move beyond
basic surveys of research methods into more advanced research
methods curriculum.
[email protected]
20 C. Koliba and A. Zia
T
ab
le
2.
1
P
ub
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222. n
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2 Educating Public Managers and Policy Analysts in an Era of
Informatics 23
Competencies in advanced quantitative methods in which
students learn to clean and
manage large databases, perform advanced statistical tests,
develop linear regression
models to describe causal relationship, and the like are needed.
Capacity to work
across software platforms such as Excel, Statistical Package for
the Social Sciences
(SPSS), Analytica, and the like are important. Increasingly, the
capacity to triangu-
late different methods, including qualitative approaches such as
interviews, focus
groups, participant observations is needed.
Data Visualization and Design Not only must analysts be aware
of how these meth-
ods and decision support platforms may be used by practitioners
but also they must
know how to design and implement them. Therefore, we suggest
that policy infor-
223. matics analysts be exposed to design principles and how they
may be applied to
decision support systems, big data projects, and the like. Policy
informatics analysts
will need to understand and appreciate how data visualization
techniques are being
employed to “tell a story” through data.
Figure 2.1 provides an illustration of one student’s effort to
visualize campaign
donations to state legislatures from the gas-extraction (fracking)
industry undertaken
by a masters student, Jeffery Castle for a system analysis and
strategic management
class taught by Koliba.
Castle’s project demonstrates the power of data visualization to
convey a central
message drawing from existing databases. With a solid research
methods background
and exposure to visualization and design principles in class, he
was able to develop
an insightful policy informatics project.
Basic to Advanced Programming Language Skills Arguably,
policy informatics ana-
lysts will possess a capacity to visualize and present data in a
manner that is accessible.
Increasingly, web-based tools are being used to design user
interfaces. Knowledge
of JAVA and HTML are likely most helpful in these regards. In
some instances,
original programs and models will need to be written through
the use of program-
ming languages such as Python, R, C++, etc. The extent to
which existing software