Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Per syllabus:
Letter of Transmittal
Executive Summary
The Paper:
1) Show how the models are revealed in this topic: punctuated equilibrium,
network theory
2) Background of the Problem:
a. What is the problem, how is it defined: Defined since Katrina as a
interagency communication issue as well as a preparedness issue.
Specifically in regards to the populations that are transportation
disadvantaged, have special needs, or will not evacuate unless they
can take their pets. Katrina overwhelmed many people that did not
evacuate for these reasons.
b. Are all dimensions of the problem described?
c. Historical timeline in order to describe key events. Original
Stafford Act, Post Katrina Emergency Reform Act of 2006, and
subsequent federal, state and local plans created to comply
d. What are the arguments surrounding the policy? The capabilities
of the system to take care of those who cannot evacuate on their own
or will not based on fear of family being split or leaving pets behind
e. Describe key stakeholder groups with their advocacy arguments
and describe individual actors of major influence – and their
roles and positions.
f. Summarize principal laws, executive orders, and regulations of
relevance. See Lisa’s Federal summary
g. How does it appear to have become part of the political agenda?
Katrina mess
h. Identify useful major reports, academic journals, and newspaper
magazine articles, and highlight webenabled resources bearing
on the problem.
3) Assessment of Efforts to Resolve the Problem
a. What efforts have been undertaken: Post Katrina Act, creation of
many agencies at federal level, formal encouragement by federal
government to include all the needs in the local/state plans,
clarification by federal government of roles and responsibilities
b. What are the outcomes of these efforts: We need to see if the state
and local plans conform to the federal requirements. We need to see
if the agencies have reported as required. We need to see if
evacuation training and practice is taking place as required in post
Katrina act. We could also look at any responses since Katrina and see
if they have been better
c. How do you assess those efforts? I’d suggest looking at the relevant
literature for the answer to this question
d. Are goals and objectives of solutions clear or somewhat vague?
Why do you think so? Goals at federal level are clear, but specific
objectives are vague because all federal policy explicitly leaves plans
and decisions up to state and local governments, stating federal will
step in as needed and will coordinate efforts.
e. What seemed to be the major assumptions behind the major
efforts? Were there different definitions of the problem? What
causes of the problems were implied? Did the solutions seem to
relate to the definition of the problem and the “causes”?
f. What tools seem to be most often used in this policy arena?
Regulation by federal government over lower tiers of government
g. Does it seem that different types of alternatives have been
examined?
h. Demonstrate in your paper or in the Appendix, the ability to
display and discuss data related to the problem. … Perhaps a list
of those not evacuated during Katrina and any stats from state/local
studies listing those with special needs for evacuation or number of
households with pets – these are things recommended in the post‐
Katrina act
i. Recommendations/Conclusions: We should be able to conclude if
the post‐katrina acts and plans have developed and if they have been
implemented or tested/practiced, how well they worked. We should
be able to then make recommendations based on evaluations/reports
of the plans