Assignment 5: Evaluation of the Agency’s Budgeting and Cumulative ReportDue Week 10 and worth 290 pointsAs a consultant, you need to develop an in-depth analysis and evaluation of the selected agency’s budgeting and then provide recommendations for improvement. Therefore, you will conduct interviews with agency representatives and research-related academic sources and Websites. The analysis will be read by the VP of Accounts and Client Support as well as by the leaders of the agency for whom you are working.Write a five to six (5-6) page paper in which you: Analyze the agency’s (or department’s) budget by following these six (6) steps and including the results of the analysis in your paper by: (a) identifying the agency’s budget as executive department or an independent agency; (b) determining which of the appropriation subcommittees has jurisdiction over each agency’s budget request; (c) determining where each agency’s operations fall in the functional classification of the federal budget; (d) determining the budget authority and outlays proposed for the agency; and (e) determining the actual outlays and budget authority for the agency in that year. (Title this section Budget Overview.) Analyze two (2) major political influences on and primary accountability areas required of program administrators after reviewing FY2012 regarding mandatory and discretionary budgets. (Title this section Budgeting Assessment.) Explain which intergovernmental agency, or agencies, contributes to and / or influences the budgetary decisions for the current and future budget over the next five (5) years. (Title this section Analysis of Budgeting Plans and Actual Expenditures.) Analyze the impact of international policy making on the current year’s budgets and possible impact on future budget line items. (Title this section Implications of Foreign Policy.) Recommend two (2) robust ways in which the agency could improve the budget for the next fiscal year. (Title this section Budget Request and Recommendations.)  Provide proof of one to two (1-2) interviews by submitting the completed interview form with a list of questions for and responses from each interviewee. (Put this in the Appendix under Interview Forms.) Provide four to five (4-5) relevant and credible outside resources that support the content of this assignment. (Include no more than one (1) non-government Website.)Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements: Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions. Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The sections must have appropriate titles. The cover page, interview forms, reference page, and the appendices are not included in the required assignment page length.The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are: Recommend ways to improve specific areas of public administration. Analyze the fundamental components of effective budgeting, including sources of revenue, political influences, purposes, types, and accountability of program administrators. Use technology and information resources to research issues in public administration. Write clearly and concisely about public administration using proper writing mechanics.Grading for this assignment will be based on answer quality, logic/organization of the paper, and language and writing skills, using the following rubric.Click here to view the grading rubric.

Introduction to Public Administration – Week 3 AssignmentPublic Administrator InterviewFor this assignment you will need to find a public administrator to interview. You may want to reach out to your local government and ask if you can interview your local City Manager or even the Parks & Recreation Manager. The interview could take anywhere from 15-60 minutes depending on the level of detail discussed. Below is a list of sample questions that you will want to ask in your interview. You will also need to develop your own questions to add to this list. Once the interview is complete you will submit a 3-4 page summary and reflection of the interview including a list of the questions discussed and a record of your interviewee’s answers. You may want to record the interview in order to provide an accurate record of your participant’s responses.In writing your reflection, consider what you learned from this experience and how it applies to your interests in public administration.Questions you will want to ask:1.Describe your current position. 2.What are your organizations goals, values, and/or mission statement? 3.How did you come to work as a public administrator?4.What is the most challenging aspect of your role?5.What do you find most enjoyable about this line of work?6.What do you find it the least enjoyable thing about this line of work?7.What are the typical issues/conflicts that you must deal with on a regular basis?8.We have discussed intergovernmental relations in class. How does your agency work with other governmental agencies?9.How do you approach decision-making in your role? Are there specific models or guidelines that your organization endorses? 10.How is your organization held accountable? What happens if the organizational goals are not met? If you were to give any advice to someone considering a career in public administration, what would you tell them?View your assignment rubric.

Assignment 1: LASA 2: Cultural Considerations  As a mental health worker in a large city, you have been asked to work with refugee children who have been relocated from central Nigeria to live with foster families in your city. The children are between the ages of 9 and 13, boys and girls. They were rescued from a refugee camp in Nigeria where conditions were very poor. People were cramped and slept in rudimentary shelters. Food was scarce, and disease was rampant. Prior to arriving in the camp, the children were exposed to brutal violence. They saw their families murdered, houses burned, and witnessed or experienced sexual assault. Some were also injured in the attacks on their villages. Utilize the Culturegrams database in the Argosy Online library, the Ethics and Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct (2010), and your readings to write a paper addressing the following: Describe the psychological effects of violence that the children from Nigeria might be experiencing? Be sure to consider issues such as gender and age. Design an intervention program to address the children’s exposure to violence. Remember to consider individual, family, and community needs. Describe the elements you would incorporate into a prevention program designed to foster resilience in the children from Nigeria, as well as break the cycle of violence that we learned can occur for children exposed to violence. You may research existing programs that utilize best practices as we have learned in this course, or design your own program. Reflect on the debate between “cultural universality” and “cultural specificity”. How would you reconcile this debate within the context of the ethics code for psychologists? Discuss why it is important to take into consideration cultural traditions when designing an intervention program. Describe at least two specific Nigerian cultural traditions and how you would use this knowledge in designing your intervention program. Briefly describe at least 2 ethical considerations that one would need to take into account when intervening with children as victims of violence in general, as well as pertaining to cultural issues specifically By Saturday, November 16, 2013, format your paper in APA style, using research gathered from the sources above (i.e., module readings, Culturegrams, and the ethics code) to support your response. Your paper should be between 4 and 5 pages in length and include a cover page, abstract, and reference list.Submit your assignment to the M5: Assignment 1 Dropbox.   Assignment 1 Grading Criteria Maximum Points Describe the psychological effects of violence that the children from Nigeria might be experiencing. Be sure to consider issues such as gender and age. 44 Design an intervention program to address the children’s exposure to violence. Consider individual, family, and community needs. 44 Describe the elements that would be incorporated into a prevention program designed to foster resilience in the children from Nigeria, as well as break the cycle of violence that we learned can occur for children exposed to violence. 44 Reflect on the debate between “cultural universality” and “cultural specificity”. Discuss how to reconcile this debate within the context of the ethics code for psychologists. 44 Discuss the importance of cultural traditions when designing an intervention program. Describe at least two specific Nigerian cultural traditions and how this knowledge would be used in designing an intervention program 40 Briefly describe at least 2 ethical considerations that one would need to take into account when intervening with children as victims of violence in general, as well as pertaining to cultural issues specifically 20 Style (8 points): Tone, audience, and word choice Organization (16 points): Introduction, transitions, and conclusion Usage and Mechanics (16 points): Grammar, spelling, and sentence structure APA Elements (24 points): In text citations and references, paraphrasing, and appropriate use of quotations and other elements of style 64 Total: 300