School of Public Policy Capstones

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https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14394/366

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PartnerSTAT? Performance Measurementand Management forInter-Municipal Partnerships
(2012-01-01) Mills, Christina
In April of 2010, the Massachusetts Regionalization Advisory Commission issued its findings advocating for inter-local partnerships in eleven specific areas. The study found that “as the costs of government services rise faster than available revenues and cities and towns struggle to provide essential services, regionalization and collaboration become more palatable to municipalities wishing to deliver essential local services more economically and efficiently” (Massachusetts Regionalization Advisory Commission, 2010, p. 43). 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.
Chief Jolly Project: Creatingan Arts and Culture Nonprofit/Social Enterprise
(2012-01-01) Neville, Kristin
The Chief Jolly Project seeks to use music and cultural arts to improve the opportunities for youth growing up amidst poverty and violence in the city of New Orleans; supporting personal expression and empowerment, skill development, intergenerational connection, and community building and transformation. The Project will also share the living history of this musical culture in order to preserve this heritage and promote it to broader audiences. This study explores the significance of culture in the life and economy of New Orleans, social needs that especially pertain to youth, examples and insights from other organizations and community members, and the potential for working with and among existing cultural nonprofits and enterprises. From this, a vision for the Chief Jolly Project is created. The richness of cultural expression exists alongside the economic poverty in New Orleans’ neighborhoods; it has always been the music, a sense of community identity and the creative spirit that has lifted people up. It is through the arts as an entry point for personal discovery and empowerment, as well as knowledge of and experience in the business of the arts that the Chief Jolly Project will foster hope and opportunity.
How does a socially-driven for-profit balance mission and profit?: The Case of Joya Bride
(2012-01-01) Muehlke, Marcelia
Socially-driven businesses straddle the line between non-profits and for-profits with their dual goals of mission and profit. These goals will sometimes come into conflict—therefore a social enterprise must have policies in place to ensure a balance between profit and mission. This paper explores this topic through the case of Joya Bride, a socially-driven for-profit wedding dress company. The paper begins with a description of Joya Bride and then introduces the key research question: How does a socially-driven for-profit balance mission and profit? Next is a literature review on social enterprise, problems in the clothing industry, and women and development. A description of research methods follows. Research methods employed are a literature review, interviews with industry experts, a review of existing social enterprises, and producer interviews/visits. 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.
Toward an Electric Vehicle Policy for the University of Massachusetts Amherst
(2012-01-01) Nuñez, Noeleen
Electric vehicles (EVs) are vehicles that use electric motors for propulsion and have the potential for significant environmental impact with regard to reducing Carbon Dioxide (CO2) emissions, the largest contributor to global warming. With a heightened attention on “energy independence” and awareness of the effects of transportation on global warming, demand for electric vehicles is projected to rise rapidly over the next several decades. Researchers have found various ways to understand the “well-to-wheels” impact, which despite involving emissions at the source of electricity generation, still show environmental advantages over conventional fuel vehicles. Given the early lifecycle stage of this technology, the uncertainty of climate implications, and political support behind industry growth, some questions in this landscape are: What are the critical factors that will help encourage consumer adoption of electric vehicles? How do public entities marry their own climate action goals with what is happening in the marketplace for EV infrastructure? What can institutions like the University of Massachusetts Amherst learn from those who are paving the way? This paper seeks to identify the ideal Electric Vehicle policy for UMass to adopt to align with the goals of its Climate Action Plan. Pursuing a pilot program on campus requires an assessment and integration of the opportunities and barriers to installing electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE), the various options for equipment ownership and operations, and the policies that the University could adopt in order to encourage and enable the use of electric vehicles by faculty, staff, students and visitors. The evaluation elements necessary to determine a scalable solution for affordable charging stations at UMass can also be useful for successful rollouts on other campuses. Undergirding the recommendations for UMass are an analysis of sales and usage models for electric vehicles to project adoption rates on campus and interviews with representatives from universities and municipalities about what they have learned from their investment in EV infrastructure. Understanding state laws about the resale of electricity as well as what consumers might pay for it direct how to charge consumers for the use of a charging station. Assessing commute patterns and comparing emissions with and without EVs help situate whether or not deploying EV stations are on par with other sustainability efforts on campus to meet the goals of the Climate Action Plan. The findings show that EV growth will be steady, but still only make up between .36% and .66% of all light duty vehicles on U.S. roads by 2020. While battery technology is expected to decline, the high upfront cost of an EV will drive consumers to seek the lowest cost to “plug in;” private and public entities looking to deploy EVSEs for environmental and political reasons must balance the desire to encourage adoption with the price they will charge. Further, many public entities face the challenges that involve forgoing premium parking space revenue and negotiating internally who pays for the installation, maintenance and operations. The recommendations of this analysis include UMass purchasing, installing and operating an EV charging station. For EVSEs located in public access lots, UMass could reasonably charge $1-2 per hour. Parking Services should offer a 20-50% discount on permits for EV drivers, in addition to premium parking spaces.
The Coin of the Realm: Identifying the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Skill Requirements of Twenty-First Century Occupations
(2016-01-01) Thiemann, Drew
This report presents the findings from a novel survey instrument developed for a clientbased project completed in Spring 2016 with the nonprofit educational organization ACT, Inc. The pilot study collects and analyzes survey data from 482 workers in the U.S. labor force, who were asked to identify the likelihood that their current job would require specific information and communication technology skills (ICTs) on day one, with no on-the-job training. Drawing from the literature in education, communications theory, sociology and economics, the study seeks to test the strength and direction of the relationship between ICT skills and respondents’ specific jobs. The motivation for this research is to understand the importance of these data and its potential role in the development of curricular frameworks that teach twenty-first century skills. Within the education policy arena, the theory of action for such frameworks is that they are typically designed to improve college- and career-readiness via compulsory schooling during the K-12 years and into one’s career. Using descriptive statistics, the findings from the pilot study indicate a mean composite score across all ICT sub-skills and Bureau of Labor Statistics/O*NET job zones as 2.88 out of 4. Using inferential measures of association, a statistically significant and positive correlation between the average ICT skill required in jobs and job zone category is found, with a particular emphasis on the higher ICT skills expected by employers of workers in certain “in-demand” jobs, typically found in job zones 3 and 4: accountants, computer scientists, educators, engineers and paralegals. Lower than average ICT skills are also found among workers in other in-demand jobs, such as nurses and members of the military. These findings, and the survey model developed, have the potential to inspire further research (by ACT and other organizations) into the role that technology and information literacy plays in equipping the U.S. workforce for twenty-first century job requirements. While the deployment of this pilot survey on Amazon Mechanical Turk suggests limited generalizability to full U.S. population, it also invites a perspective on implications for public policy and management. Two of these recommendations are to provide more effective and earlier training and curricular programming related to ICT skills for K-12 students, and to consider ways to refine and test the O*NET job zones for possible improvement to the alignment between the ICT skill requirements listed and real-world expectations by employers.
Curating Heritage in the Digital Age: An Exploration of How America’s National Heritage Areas Are Using Technology to Share Their Stories
(2018-01-01) Demski-Hamelin, Desiree
Research Question This capstone project answers the following two primary research questions: 1) how are America’s National Heritage Areas (NHAs) using technology to share their stories, and 2) what types of information are NHAs using technology to share? Additional secondary research questions are outlined in the Methodology section. Data Source Primary data was collected from the websites and social media accounts of each of the forty-eight active NHAs in the United States as of April 2018. Methodology Systematic observational content analysis of the websites and social media accounts was conducted by the author. Two rating schemes were developed to assess the level of activity on four social media platforms. The number of followers/subscribers to each account was also recorded. Additionally, website content was examined to determine which, if any, of ten pre-determined technologies each NHA uses to share its stories. Basic quantitative analysis was conducted using Microsoft Excel. Key Findings Analysis of the data resulted in the the following key findings: All but one NHA have Facebook pages; however, only 48% (23) of them use it ‘very actively’; There is a positive correlation between an NHA’s level of activity on Facebook or Instagram and the number of followers each account has; Eighty-five percent of NHAs use at least one of the ten pre-determined technologies to share their stories; and, The three most common technologies are photo galleries, interactive maps, and videos. Recommendations The following management recommendations are offered to NHAs: create accounts on all four social media platforms, stay active, grow audiences on each; cross-promote content and share others’ content; there is no need to reinvent the wheel; invite community participation through photo contests, sharing personal stories, etc.; use other technologies to engage new audiences that are less inclined to read at length; seek partnerships with tourism agencies and educational institutions to share resources; assess costs and intended uses of a technology before embarking on a project; and, develop marketing strategies for any content created.
Promoting Healthy Diets: Challenges and Opportunities of Nutrition Policy Implementation in Food Banks
(2018-01-01) Brown-Anson, Sarah; Leibinger, Elizabeth; Masudi Minga, Hadassah
In recent years, food banks have grown increasingly aware of the role diet plays in wide-spread public health issues such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity. Food banks already purchase healthy foods directly and select nutritious items distributed by government programs such as The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP). Recently, some banks have implemented nutrition policies to regulate donations made by businesses and individuals to further decrease the volume of less healthy options in their warehouses. This study explores the challenges and opportunities associated to the implementation of nutrition policies for donated food items by Food Banks in the USA. An area of special focus is the possible deterioration of donor relations after the implementationof nutrition policies. We collected information by designing and implementing a survey targeting twenty-one food banks across the United States.. Fourteen respondents had nutrition policies, and were asked to discuss how they created, implemented, communicated, and evaluated those policies. Six respondents had no nutrition policy, and one had reversed its policy. These food banks were asked to describe the barriers to creating or implementing a policy and any current practices that promote the distribution of nutritious foods.
Food Insecurity at a Four-Year College Campus
(2018-01-01) Corrado, Danielle
This paper, through an adaption of the United States Department of Agriculture Adult Food Security survey tool, aims to identify food insecurity rates at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, the demographic characteristics associated with food insecurity, potential financial factors that contribute and predict food insecurity rates, and the relationship between food insecurity and academic performance. Lastly, this paper examines on and off campus resources available to students and students perception of food insecurity before college as compared to actual food security status in college.
Alcohol Policy Best Practices in Franklin and Hampshire Counties, Massachusetts
(2018-01-01) Coakley, Lauren; Connaughton, Reily; EL-Banna, Ghida
Research question: What are "efficient" policies and best practices to reduce youth alcohol consumption in Franklin and Hampshire counties, Massachusetts? Motivation: Excessive alcohol consumption leads to monetary and societal costs. Methodology: A hybrid of quantitative (multiple linear regression) and qualitative (policy evaluation, case studies, phone and in-person interviews) methods.
Massachusetts School Discipline Policy Change: Exclusion, Alternatives, and Inequality in Public District and Charter Schools
(2018-01-01) Richardson, Aster
School discipline reform is of growing interest to policymakers as ongoing research reveals the negative effects of current school discipline policies. In the U.S., the most popular models of school discipline use exclusionary practice, which includes suspension and expulsion. Studies have shown that exclusionary discipline contributes to undesired social outcomes such as poor academic performance, school drop out, unemployment, and even incarceration. Additionally, exclusionary discipline and its negative consequences disproportionately affect racial minorities and other vulnerable groups of students. Reform of current state policy is a necessary first step toward implementing alternative discipline practice in schools. In 2012 Massachusetts legislature passed Chapter 222 with the intent to reduce overall use of exclusion and disparities associated with its inequitable use. In the summer of 2014 the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education implemented regulations based on the law change. Regulations include changes in due process for exclusion for emergency removal for part of a school day, changes in reporting that designate exclusion as long term more rapidly, required educational service for students serving long term suspension, and interventions for schools that consistently report inequitable rates of discipline between groups of students. This study explores the policy’s early impact on discipline rates, particularly disparate rates between white and racial minority students and between the general student population and students with disabilities. It also investigates possible disparity in discipline rates of public charter and district schools and seeks evidence of whether schools are moving away from exclusionary models to alternative discipline models. Statistical analysis of annual state and case studies of school handbook policies are the two methods used in the study. Results show that downward trends in some exclusions started before the policy change, some exclusions increased immediately after the policy change, inequitable rates between student groups are persistent, and the rates of discipline in charter and district schools are very disparate. Given the inconsistent results and lack of apparent evidence that schools are practicing alternatives to exclusion, it is recommended that Massachusetts bolster its new regulations to better achieve its equity goals.
Outsmart Invasive Species
(2012-01-01) Piche, Evan
This paper asserts that social media may be an effective supplement to traditional media in a volunteer recruitment campaign. I conduct a detailed study to assess the impact of various social media interventions, and offer a detailed analysis of the findings. I conclude with recommendations for organizations interested in using social media to promote a cause. The results of this study support the idea that social media outlets, like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and blogs can be used to supplement – but not supplant – traditional forms of marketing in a volunteer recruitment campaign.
Access to Technology and Student Academic Achievement: Empirical Evidence from Nepal
(2018-01-01) Kharel, Palista
My research explores the linkage between access to technology and student academic achievement in Nepal. I measure access to technology using four proxies: availability of electricity, radio, TV and computer at home. I measure academic achievement using student test scores in the Grade 10 national level examinations. My results indicate that students with access to electricity, radio, TV and computer at home, have higher average test scores overall. Particularly, access to a computer has the largest positive effect on a student’s academic achievement. Simple OLS regression results suggest that those with access to a computer score 64 points higher than those without a computer at home. Matched OLS regression estimates show that the impact of access to computers is still positive when we match students within a given socioeconomic strata based on the likelihood of owning a computer. I also find that access to a computer has a larger positive impact on student populations who are less likely to own a computer. In light of these findings, I recommend the government of Nepal to make technology more affordable for student use, increase public accessibility to computers by establishing local public computer stations, and provide general computer literacy and training programs in public schools and spaces. I also recommend the governmental of Nepal to promote educational radio programs since most households have easy access to radio. I additionally recommend the government of Nepal to begin a program focused on improved electricity, radio, TV and computer access by selecting a pilot project launch site where majority of the students attend public schools, belong to poor households and live far away from the district headquarters. The program can subsequently be launched at a larger scale by incorporating policy and implementation lessons at various stages.
The Abandoned Shipwrecks Act in Florida
(2018-01-01) Wolanin, Tyler
The Abandoned Shipwrecks Act is a 1988 federal law that grants states jurisdiction over abandoned shipwrecks in their territorial waters. The intention of the law is to allow states to form historic preservation regimes to protect historic shipwrecks from looters and salvagers. One of the most important beneficiaries of this law is the state of Florida, with the longest coastline in the continental United States and a history of attempts to protect historic shipwrecks. This law has been criticized since inception for removing the profit incentive for salvors to discover new shipwrecks. The Act has been subjected to a considerable amount of legal criticism for the removal of jurisdiction over shipwrecks from federal admiralty courts, but it has not received attention from policy scholars. The purpose of this study is to test the Abandoned Shipwreck Act against criticism from prominent Florida treasure hunter Mel Fisher: that the legal change would lead to the discovery of fewer shipwrecks by salvors. It accomplishes this by investigating the timeline of Florida’s grants of salvage permits, known as Exploration and Salvage Contracts prior to the 1980s and known as 1A-31 permits in the past few decades. These permits are charted on a yearly basis. Additionally, this study interviews archaeologists, salvors, and state officials in Florida, asking them to evaluate the effectiveness of the Act. This study finds that there has been a decline in the number of permits issued by the State of Florida subsequent to the Act’s passage, in comparison to the number issued in years prior to its passage. Interview data shows that practitioners, though having some criticism of the Act, do not think that it has led to any reduction in wreck discovery. They offer other explanations for the fluctuation in wreck discovery, including technological advances. Though the reduction cannot definitively be traced back to the passage of the Abandoned Shipwreck Act, it does mark the issue for further policy study, to determine the effects of the Act on the ocean floor and not merely in the courtroom.
Adolescents’ Soda Consumption in Mexico Before and After the Sugar-Sweetened Beverages Tax: Results from National Health and Nutrition Surveys
(2018-01-01) Martí Malvido, Estefania
In 2014 Mexico implemented a national tax on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) as a public health strategy. Over the last decades, obesity has significantly increased among adolescents (12-19 years). In addition, the consumption of high-energy beverages among adolescents more than doubled from 1999 to 2006. The current study investigates the relationship between the SSBs tax and the caloric soda consumption in the Mexican adolescent population utilizing cross-sectional data from two nationally representative nutrition surveys. One from 2012 which took place before the tax was implemented and one conducted in 2016, two years after tax implementation. Results show a positive association between the SSBs tax and the caloric intake among Mexican adolescents. Descriptive statistics show that within the physical state categories, only normal weight adolescents cut their soda intake by an average of 29.3 mL or 11.3 percent per day relative to the 2012 survey. When analyzed by gender, only normal weight female adolescents show a statistically significant drop in soda consumption of 17.2 percent relative to 2012. Although male adolescents consume larger volumes of soda per day, a soda consumption plunge was only significant for the overall female population. The average female soda consumption was found to be 189.4 mL per day after tax implementation, a decline of 33.3 mL or 15 percent relative to the 2012 survey. The only geographical region that showed a statistically significant decrease in soda consumption was the south, suggesting that geographical location has an impact on the tax effectiveness. In addition, a statistically significant decrease in soda consumption was observed in the urban areas but not in the rural areas. Importantly, the biggest drop in daily soda intake was observed among the adolescents in the lowest socioeconomic status group by quintiles. Adolescents in this group cut their soda consumption by an average of 67.7 mL per day or by 30 percent relative to the 2012 survey (99% CI; 33.1-102.3, p 0.0001). A differences-in-differences (DD) estimator utilizing milk (untaxed product) as a control finds a drop in caloric soda intake among the very low socio-economic quintile group of 49 mL or 22 percent relative to the 2012 survey. Key policy recommendations include increasing the transparency and accountability of the tax revenue in order to focus more resources on the treatment and prevention of overweight, obesity and diabetes, particularly among male adolescents who appear to be less responsive to the tax. Additionally, healthy foods subsidies and rebates should be evaluated as a companion to the SSBs policy, considering that study results show that the lower income groups are most impacted by the tax. Further dietary evaluations among different age groups and demographics are necessary to observe the casual relationship between the SSBs Tax, the Mexican dietary patterns and long-term population health outcomes.
Best Practices for Creating and Sustaining Engagement with Urban Communities: Recommendations for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
(2016-01-01) Kaplan, Mimi
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service launched its Urban Wildlife Conservation Program in 2012 in order to increase the relevancy of the service to urban communities, as well as to connect urban communities with nature and environmental conservation. As part of this initiative, the USFWS has designated certain urban centers as Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership Areas. The main goal of the Urban Wildlife Refuges is to engage urban communities in wildlife conservation, often with the help of community partners. These are eight "Standards of Excellence" that serve as a framework to support this goal. While these Standards of Excellence are in place, there is still work to be done in taking these rather broad standards and operationalizing them, so there is guidance and an understanding of best practices related to the standards at the individual refuge level. For our project, we were tasked by our client at the USFWS with operationalizing the standards related to the broad goal of creating community connection and engagement. In order to assess these best practices, USFWS asked us to examine the practices of other federal land-management agencies and conservation-oriented non-profits that have urban programs, in addition to well-established and effective Urban Refuge Partnerships within the agency. We conducted a literature review of research on urban and minority population views of nature and wildlife, as well as their use of natural areas, and barriers to this use. We also interviewed staff from land-management agencies and conservation organizations about their urban programs. From our research we found that there are socio-economic and socio-demographic factors that influence urban and minority participation in conservation activities, and there are also consistent barriers that have prevented them from participating in conservation activities. From our interviews we found that it is essential for refuges to build strong relationships with urban community members in order to gain their trust and to solicit their participation in programs and activities. In doing so, refuge staff must initiate contact by coming off the refuge and into the community, and reach out to community organizations and leaders as potential partners and allies. Refuges must also address and work to overcome barriers urban and minority communities have historically encountered in participating in conservation activities, and pursue activities that increase their relevancy in the urban environment. Soliciting community input in designing refuge programs and activities, and then acting on this input, is also critical to increasing relevancy. Doing these things may require a paradigm shift for refuge staff who traditionally have focused on conservation activities only on the refuges, and waited for the public to come to them, rather than reaching out to communities. However, this shift is necessary in order for the USFWS to create a broader conservation constituency and to truly engage the 80% of the U.S. population that lives in urban areas.
The Financial Health of Massachusetts Nonprofit Arts Organizations (2009-2014)
(2016-01-01) Krevat, Derek
This report analyzes the extent to which nonprofit arts organizations in Massachusetts have recovered from the financial recession of 2009. There are a number of ways to measure financial health, but amid recent concerns surrounding the diversification of revenue streams, long-term financial stability, and the availability of cash on hand among nonprofit organizations in Massachusetts, the analysis focuses primarily on these factors. Specifically, it uses four overarching measures to gauge financial health and recovery: surplus margins (as an indication of profitability), diversification of revenue streams, asset mixes, and months cash on hand (as an indication of liquidity).
MotherWoman and the Massachusetts Pregnant Workers Fairness Act: The Role of Community Organizations in Education and Outreach for State Employment Laws
(2016-01-01) Demers, Christoph; Sylvester, Laura
Since 2013, MotherWoman has been leading the drive to pass the Massachusetts Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA), which is likely to be voted on within the current legislative session. While a full vote on the bill has not yet been scheduled, there appears to be significant support for the bill from legislators, coalition members, and the general public, and little public pushback from potential opponents. While MotherWoman continues to help move the legislation through the legislature, they must look to the next phase: implementation. Once passed, it will be up to the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD) to implement and enforce the PWFA. How can MotherWoman positively impact implementation of the PWFA, specifically through outreach and education? The following analysis examines family policy-issue nonprofits who have conducted or aided in outreach and education efforts of similar legislation in other states. From our analysis of the planning, actions, and outcomes of these education and outreach efforts, we offer outreach and education recommendations for MotherWoman to facilitate Massachusetts workers and employers learning about the bill and their rights and responsibilities, including key information to be included in educational toolkits for various stakeholders.
Wellspring Waste to Energy Feasibility Study
(2015-01-01) Clinton, Andrew; Hajjar, Emily; Nakashian, Frank
This study was conducted by the University of Massachusetts Amherst public policy masters students for Springfield based Wellspring Cooperative, a nonprofit focused on cooperative job creation and training. The project assesses three potential scale options for Wellspring in order to use organic material to heat and/or generate electricity to power its hydroponic greenhouse. Though the greenhouse is not constructed as of yet, its source of energy is an important element for Wellspring. Motivations for utilizing organic waste to power the greenhouse are due in part to the influx of food waste sources being diverted due to the new Massachusetts Food Waste Ban. Indeed, new Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) restrictions on commercial food waste entering into landfills (CMR 310 19.017(3)) has created a conducive environment for composting and associated organic waste processing technology growth. Moreover, the commercial organic waste ban was a catalyst for Wellspring to contact the Center for Public Policy and Administration to determine what types of waste to energy technology could be incorporated to power their greenhouse and subsequent associated job growth. In assessing potential energy generation sources, we researched the technological aspects for a compost-to-heat system, a small scale anaerobic digester, and a large scale anaerobic digester. We then evaluated the relevant financial and implementation factors involved. we determined Wellspring's goals of waste to energy generation should be framed through the context of a short term and long term lens. The recommended short term strategy is to utilize composting systems to heat the greenhouse and connect the greenhouse to the electrical grid. The recommended long term strategy includes partnering with the City of Springfield to develop an organic waste processing facility that would generate electricity from food, animal, and human waste and/or contract with the city as a food waste hauler. With these recommendations we believe that Wellspring will achieve its goals and lead the way in sustainable energy generation.
Socioeconomic Assessment of the EPIC Sustainable Road Infrastructure Program in Nepal
(2015-01-01) Fernandez, Maria; Ristvedt, Trista
Roads are being constructed in rural Nepal at a rapid pace. Due to a number of factors many of these roads are poorly built, often without any oversight or planning provided by an engineer; this causes a multitude of problems including roads that are not safe to travel in the rainy season, and damages to property and agricultural lands due to risk of landslide and increased erosion. IUCN's EPIC project in Nepal is intended to showcase an attainable option for local communities to construct and repair roads in such a way to improve their reliability and safety, while also decreasing erosion and the potential for road-related landslides. The project consists of three intervention sites, which are each located on small sections of rural mountain roads in the Phewa watershed. These sites consist of a combination of civil engineering practices, such as the construction of drainage ditches, and bioengineering practices, such as the planting of specialized plants above and below roadways intended to hold the fragile soil in place. Each project site measures less that 300 m in length, and is very newly constructed. The most recent site was completed approximately six months ago, and the researchers associated with this project are still determining which are the best plants to use for the bioengineering aspect of the interventions; more results will be available following the monsoon season of the current year. It is important to note that these three sites are intended only to provide a demonstration to show local communities and government officials the benefits that can be gained through this type of road construction. Our goal was to determine what socioeconomic impacts could be measured in relation to engineered roads. Because the intervention sites are both new and very small it was not possible to measure the impact created by these sites in particular. Instead our focus was to identify potential benefits and costs that could be associated with the expansion of eco-engineered roads, and to project the relative magnitude of these benefits and costs in comparison to other types of roads. We collected data through focus group interviews in the field at intervention sites, in communities without interventions, and in communities without a road in order to provide a comparison to the eco-engineered roads. We then created an analytical framework in which we have included all benefits and costs that we were able to identify that could be associated to the roads, along with strategies to measure these impacts. We also provide recommendations for how the practice of constructing eco-engineered roads might be expanded in Nepal.
Consulting with Public About Undergrounding Power Lines for Downtown Revitalization: The Case of Hockanum Road and Manhan Rail Trail at Pleasant Street in Northampton, MA
(2015-01-01) Goldstein, Noam
This research is about a particular form installation of electric cables known as Undergrounding. The term undergrounding is associated to the fact that this type of infrastructural installation consists in burying the electrical cables beneath the surface instead of leaving these cables on top of poles that are spread throughout the landscape. Before moving to the research question, it helps to understand why it may be desirable for public administrators to promote undergrounding of power lines. Although the literature on undergrounding is mostly for engineers' perspectives, the case studies reveal the positive and negative aspects of undergrounding--with the pros being related to aesthetic gains, as well as enhanced safety due to more resistance to inclement weather and clearer rights of way, while the cons are basically related to the costs. This paper investigates the possibilities for financing the works to change existing overhead electric power lines into underground wires. Considering the higher costs of undergrounding, it becomes necessary to search for alternatives to raise the funds necessary for these works. A potential way to direct the funding options to finance undergrounding, while fostering the public participation onto the budgetary decision-making process, can be reached through willingness to pay experiments. And this option was explored with the participation of a group of residents from Northampton, MA. Recently, the Planning Department of the City of Northampton promoted a series of studies to determine the best allocations for a grant made available by the State of Massachusetts for infrastructural investments called MassWorks. This process included a workshop to consult with the local population about their priorities for the proposals from the grant application--with this project assisting with workshop's preparation where undergrounding was concerned. The proceedings from Northampton to promote public participation in the decision-making process of determining the grant's destination will be described in methods session. Hopefully, the results from this workshop will serve to help guide future public consultations seeking popular support to finance undergrounding.

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