The+Problem

__The Problem__

A government agency has been dissolved and only has 2 months to shut the doors.

There are 50 employees, 5 of whom are senior managers each with 15 years or more experience.

The other employees include classified workers as well as 7 program specialists.

Based on your knowledge as researchers, how would you assess the situation and propose a workable plan of action for this agency?

Identify the steps you would take and explain why.

Irene:

1. __What elements are useful__?

This scenario involves a government entity; therefore, a flag is up regarding complying with government regulations, employment laws, etc. The composition of the employees may reflect on contractual rights.

2. __What might not be relevant? Why?__

The “2 months to shut the doors” may be erroneous when considering this is a government agency. Government agencies must contend with labor relations issues: employment law and contractual rights (unions). This agency may be required to operate until a required period for employees to find other positions—or be laid off—has expired.

3. __State the problem__

We need to assess the situation: what has happened; and propose a workable plan of action: How does a public agency shut down? We need major data collection and a laundry list of ToDos.

4. __Pose the question(s)__

What steps are involved in closing a government agency? Is there an inventory of “plans of action” from other public agencies?

5. __Seek reference sources relevant to your question (s)__

Our Government Agency’s: Personnel, Human Resources, and Legal Department State Personnel Board Department of General Services Qualitative Research & Evaluation Methods (textbook—for data collection, interviews, etc.)

6. __Prepare 4 reference annotations (relevant to this problem)__

K. Humphrey (personal communication, September/October ___, 2011) [Note: cite in text only—not included in reference list.]

Patton, M. Q. (2002). //Qualitative research & evaluation methods// (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.

Martie

Analysis of "The Problem"

-- Agnes:
 * My questions:
 * Where is the work going to go that is produced by the agency?
 * Where are the workers going to go?
 * Should the program specialists go with the work to another agency?
 * Where does the office equipment/furniture go?

Task is to resolve the following problem:

A government agency is being dissolved in 2 months. There are 50 employees who will be impacted by this dissolution of the 50; five are senior mangers w/ 15 years or more of experience. The 45 employees left are; seven program specialists and 38 classified workers.

1) What elements are useful? 2) What might not be relevant? Why? 3) State the problem 4) Pose the question(s) 5) Seeks reference sources relevant to your question(s)
 * 1) It involves a government agency therefore there has to be some form of check and balances for employees and people they serve before the agency dissolved.
 * 1) The time line for dissolution of agency may be prolonged, I recall when our organization had dissolved a department where I work, and they placed a deadline when this was to take place and it happens six months later.
 * 1) Based on our knowledge as researchers, we are to assess the situation. The who, what, when, where, and why of what should happen to this agency
 * 2) Identify and evaluate relevant data, methods, or series of maneuvers for achieving the specific goal, which is the formation of a plan to dissolve an agency.
 * 1) What systematic workable plan will we as researchers put into action (framework)
 * 2) Who are our internal and external stakeholders
 * 3) Who will be responsible for existing government programs, employees transitional move, job preservation or lay offs.
 * 4) What labor/management law need to be followed (as it relate to reorganization)
 * 1) Government agency who have already resolved dissolution of agencies (ie. GED programs/ and adult education)
 * 2) Other agency with similar dissolutions (ie. Enron, Texaco, etc.…)

6) Prepare 4 reference annotations relevant to this problem Anonymous, . Improvement agency to be broken up. (2008, October). Community Care, (1744), 7. Retrieved September 29, 2011, from ABI/INFORM Trade & Industry. (Document ID: 1595311851). Patton, M. Q. (2002). Qualitative research & evaluation methods (3rd Ed.). D. C. Laughton (Ed.), Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.