In this paper five alternatives are examined: (1) status quo, remain with the current library, (2) the current library with ADA compliance measures, (3) the current library with ADA compliance measures and an expansion, (4) build a new library, and (5) build a regional library. All five alternatives were evaluated and compared to the following criteria: compliance with ADA regulations, equitable distributions, efficiency, costs, and political feasibility. After reviewing the analysis, it is the recommendation to build a new library. A new facility would be fully ADA compliant and would have modern conveniences and safety features. The library would have the ability to broaden its services. ADA accommodations increase social inclusion, which allows the library to create a more diverse community.

Political feasibility is going to be difficult, as this recommendation is the most expensive alternative. A new library is estimated at a cost of four million dollars. In order to obtain funding, the library should participate in the MBLC construction 50/50 or 60/40 matching grant. Even with the steep price tag, this is a better option, as the facility would meet the needs of the community for the next twenty years. To bring this recommendation to fruition, the residents need to be actively involved and need to have ownership in the process.

The National Labor Relations Act of 1935 governs labor relations in the private, non-agricultural sector (excluding the railway and airline sectors covered under the Railway Labor Act of 1926). After the NLRAʼs passage, millions of workers joined unions to negotiate improved compensation and working conditions with their employers. In the years before and immediately after the NLRAʼs passage, workers commonly joined unions by signing up for membership and collectively bargaining a contract with their employer that was applicable to only the members of the union.

The NLRA established an election system under Section 9(a) for determining which union would exclusively represent the entire group of workers if there were a conflict between multiple groups. Under this system, at least thirty percent of workers within a bargaining unit (a group of workers with similar community of interest) express support to hold a representation election, several weeks or months later an election is held to determine if the bargaining unit is represented by a union and which union would be the exclusive representative. The “members only” unions that were commonplace during the early years of the modern American Labor movement faded away as unions turned toward an exclusive, election-based model for determining labor union representation and abandoned members only representation as a strategy. Though the NLRA still protected the rights of minority unions, their formation became less common in post-war industrial relations. With the emphasis on representation elections and majority unionism, employers gained an enormous advantage by campaigning against unions and defeating them in a certification election, effectively barring their employees from collective bargaining.

With the vast majority of Americans employed in the private sector, policymakers should care about the health of the labor relations system as a means to mitigate disputes and ensure the socially fair distribution of economic gains. Unions are the primary institutions that democratically represent workers in the workplace and the economy at-large. Their weakness in recent years has been a substantial contributing factor in widening income inequality, decreasing aggregate demand, and stagnating wages (Buchele and Christiansen 1993; Glyn 2007). Ensuring the civil right to collectively bargain is essential to reversing these negative labor market trends. An effective labor relations system is the keystone of an inclusive and productive economy and reforming our current system should be a top priority for policy makers.

This analysis will look at factors that should be used to determine an appropriate funding model that UMass can adopt. Data was gathered via a survey sent to ten peer institutions and examination of the institution websites to gather additional information on general education requirements. UMass data was obtained and analyzed to determine who is taking general classes and also who is offering said classes. Additional analysis was done on the use of teaching assistants and their roles as it pertains to general education classes.

An analysis of four possible alternatives is presented for consideration. In addition criteria are identified for analyzing the alternatives. The four criteria include meeting the needs of undergraduate students, ease of administration, meeting the needs of graduate students for both teaching experience and financial assistance and the ability to support special projects and initiatives.

• Alternative 1: status quo, central funding of a fixed number of teaching assistants in designated schools and colleges, is easily administered but does not offer any meaningful support for the identified objectives.

• Alternative 2: funding per student goes to the school or college that sponsors a student’s major.

• Alternative 3: funding per seat provides that schools and colleges receive funding based on the number of students taught in classes offered through each academic organization.

• Alternative 4: distributed model where a percentage of funding, after certain administrative costs are covered, goes to schools and colleges based on the number of students in sponsored majors and the remaining funding goes to the academic organization offering classes.

After considering the alternatives in light of the four criteria, alternative four was chosen as most suitable to suit the evolving needs of UMass. This alternative provides funding to support the schools and colleges that sponsor majors as well as providing incentives to offer a sufficient quantity of classes to meet undergraduate student need for timely graduation. It is further expected that classes will meet student interests as departments will want to offer classes that attract students. The formulaic nature of the alternative, along with its ability to meet the unique needs of unaffiliated and honors students allows for ease of administration, reducing needed resources. While not guaranteed it is hoped that the funding for general education classes across all academic units will lead to increased opportunities for graduate students as well. Finally, by freeing up funding currently used for funding only select teaching assistant position, the central administration will have funds available for use in special projects and initiatives, specifically those being advocated by current best practices models.

Biochar advocates need to give a convincing argument to farmers about the benefits of biochar application in agronomy. Apart from the considerations of pure financial costs and benefits occurred to an individual farmer, it is necessary to be mindful of the social costs and/or benefits, risks and uncertainties that a new technology may impose on people and the environment.

The research aimed to review the available literature on biochar, conduct a cost-benefit analysis (CBA) of the biochar application in the US cereal crop cultivation and give a recommendation to farmers and policy-makers on biochar use. A mix of qualitative and quantitative research methods were sued to collect the data and carry out an analysis over the fall 2011 - spring 2012.

Specifically this research intended to answer the following questions: Do private and social benefits of biochar outweigh its private and social costs? Under what conditions? Is policy needed to promote biochar?

The study was informed by the interviews with farmers from the Amherst area; literature and document review, and personal communication with biochar researchers and stakeholders. A costbenefit analysis (CBA) of the biochar application in the US wheat crop cultivation was conducted to identify the biochar profitability. The CBA used the field data of the Washington State research and the data from biochar studies in the northerly and tropical climates, using the formula “Benefits - Costs > 0” as a criterion. Expert information and the existing literature were used to identify and fill in the gaps in the CBA. Based on the factual data and assumptions the private and social costs were compared to the total benefits ensuing from the biochar application.

Private costs are measured as total costs accrued to a farmer during the purchase and field application of one ton of biochar per ha. Private benefits are measured as financial revenues a farmer gains from the increased wheat yield as a result of biochar soil treatment. This analysis is based on the biochar crop yield effect during the 1st year. It does not consider the prolonged effect of biochar on the wheat yield in the following years. Hence, the private benefits include only the revenues gained in the 1st year with hypothetical revenues ensuing from the biochar yield effects over the following 10 years.

Social costs represent the risks and uncertainties of introducing biochar as a new agricultural technology. This research, though, does not include a specific value for social costs because of the difficulty in quantifying and monetizing the potential increase of soil temperature and loss of crops, biodiversity, and social tension the society may have to pay if biochar shows adverse effects. However, the considerations for social costs are included into the CBA analysis and conclusions. The blanks are identified and filled in with the appropriate use of bounds to manage uncertainty.

Social benefits are measured as benefits accruing from the CO2 sequestration. Benefits resulting from the higher nutritional value and better soil water retention, conservation of biodiversity and higher food security (better yield predictability in the face of weather change), benefits of waste management, and the reduction of methane emissions from landfills are not included in the analysis.

The CBA findings suggest that under the current costs the biochar application in the US cereal crop cultivation does not work privately in the first year because of the high costs of biochar. The 5 inclusion of a multi-year biochar effect on soil fertility and crop productivity, however, can add a significant value to biochar profitability, had the field research proved a positive yield effect.

The findings demonstrate that the CO2 sequestration payments can play a very important role in biochar profitability. The carbon markets are not set up yet, therefore one way to look at biochar promotion is to consider the feasibility of introducing a policy on carbon sequestration payments, or to think of ways of reducing the cost of biochar by increasing the production scale. Meanwhile, farmers may find it profitable to use biochar for cultivation of cash crops that give a high return on investment, or on a small-scale in specific settings (greenhouses, tree nurseries, florist shops, etc.)

Governmental investments in R&D and larger scale biochar applications are required to account for a vast heterogeneity of biochar systems. In the mean time the government should introduce an “incremental” biochar policy regulating current biochar application, while promoting the information exchange among the researchers, policy-makers and practitioners.

This research seeks to assess in what ways, to what extent and for what reason could and should a municipal performance measurement and management model, like the ‘Stat’ model, be adopted and amended to measure and improve the performance of inter-municipal partnerships?

Adopted in Springfield, Lowell and Somerville Massachusetts, the ‘Stat’ model is the process of holding “an ongoing series of regular, frequent, periodic, integrated meetings during which the chief executive and/or the members of the chief executive’s leadership team plus the individual director (the top managers) of different sub-units, use data to analyze the unit’s past performance, to follow-up on previous decisions and commitments to improve performance objectives, and to examine the effectiveness of its overall performance strategies” (Behn, Robert. 2008, p. 2).

In order to assess if a PMM can and should play a role in inter-municipal partnerships, this research first focuses on the extent to which inter-municipal partnerships have successfully been established in the Commonwealth. Three categories of inter-municipal partnerships were identified: 1) those with thorough integration; 2) those with moderate integration; and 3) those with moderate to low integration. A total of 5 cases of inter-municipal partnerships in the Commonwealth are examined and assessed for their compatibility and aptitude for continued or greater success with a PMM. Finally, a critical analysis and discussion of the findings yields a final recommendation of one of the considered alternatives.

The results showed that it is not, in fact, possible in most cases to adopted a performance measurement and management model designed for a single municipality to meet the needs of an inter-municipal partnership. Their needs and capacity are simply too different. Only in the cases where an inter-municipal partnership is working on a large-scale, long-term project and is working as a united front with a shared vision of success, can a PMM like ‘Stat’ be effective in an inter-municipal environment because it is centralized enough.

That said, in the vast majority of inter-municipal partnership cases where ‘Stat’ doesn’t work, performance evaluation is still conspicuously and unnecessarily absent. Therefore a coordinated effort to establish inter-municipal partnerships with ad-hoc PMMs, that are customized to fit the varying needs of counties, regions and partnerships across the Commonwealth, should be considered.

The analysis section of the paper presents the mission-driven documents and policies developed for Joya Bride as part of this capstone project. Each mission-driven aspect was researched through academic books and articles, expert interviews, and by examining existing examples from organizations similar to Joya Bride. With this research and these examples in mind, a version was created for Joya Bride. The first document created is mission and vision statements for the company. Joya Bride’s mission is to provide brides with a gorgeous wedding dress that matches their values of social justice, environmental sustainability, and empowering women. We accomplish our mission by partnering with women’s cooperatives and other ethical producers who offer safe, fair, and empowering work. By partnering with these groups we support women to help themselves, their families, and their communities.

The second document developed is a Code of Conduct for Joya Bride producer partners. The code of conduct is framed largely in the positive, stating what Joya Bride believes in and is working toward, rather than against. The third mission-driven aspect is internal governance structures including: (1) proposed membership for an advisory board including two seats reserved for mission-focused individuals, (2) a decision to give money to social and environmental causes, and (3) nine internal accountability principles taken from a fair trade governing body and applied to Joya Bride. The fourth mission-driven policy developed for Joya Bride is an evaluation proposal. Creating the evaluation proposal prompted many important questions and helped guide the creation of the mission. The evaluation can be used now and for many years in the future.

The paper concludes with broader a discussion of mission versus profit and the role the documents and policies described above will play in ensuring a balance between the two goals. Finally, the full text of the documents and policies described in the paper are included in the paper or the appendix for reference. This paper is intended not only as a Capstone project to conclude the master’s degree in public policy and administration, but also as a founding document for Joya Bride. Sections of this document could be presented to potential funders, employees, or other interested parties. Hopefully, this research and the documents created will also be useful to other socially-driven for profits as they consider how to balance mission and profit.