Whitehair, Norman V.

English

Research Papers in Economics

LETHARGY  IN PUBLIC AFFAIRS?
Norman V.  Whitehair, State Leader
Marketing, Management, and Public Affairs
Kansas State University
We  at  Kansas  State  University have  shrugged  off our lethargy
and have  done  some  things  for the first  time  in  our public  affairs
program.  Our educational  program in  "Financing  State  and Local
Governments"  was  successful because  we  knowingly used neces-
sary  action-creating  principles,  methods,  and  leadership  involve-
ment techniques  in  the  development  of an action-oriented  public
affairs program. In the  development  of this program,  we also  had
to mesh the public affrairs problem-solving process with the princi-
ples  and  leadership  involvement  techniques  taught  in  the social
action process. Our experience  commands  us  to recommend  that
you  do the  same.
The  tried  and  proven  public  affairs  problem-solving  process
includes:  (1) professional  perception  of the  problem;  (2)  bringing
together facts and principles relating to the  problem, its alternative
solutions,  and their  consequences;  (3)  creating  viable  alternatives
for solving a public problem; (4) placing each problem in a decision-
making  framework;  (5)  diffusing  information  among  the  people;
and  (6)  encouraging  and  organizing  interaction  among  individuals
and groups  concerned  with solution of the problem.
The  principles  and  leadership  involvement  techniques  taught
in  the social action  process include:  (1) the  elements of the actual
process  when  ideas  start  on  their  way  to  becoming  action  pro-
grams,  (2)  the critical order in which these elements  occur,  (3)  the
people  involvement  techniques  required  to  make  things  happen,
and (4)  the planning and organization involved  in bringing the  ele-
ments  and the  people  together for program action.
All action-oriented  public affairs  programs must have a desired
educational  outcome  or result.  Our  aim was  to  increase  the  level
of understanding  of public problems  and issues  among  the  people
of  Kansas,  so  that  they  and  their  leadership  acquire  a  broader
knowledge  base  from which  to  make public  decisions.
A suggested  comprehensive plan which combines the principles
and  techniques  of the public  affairs  problem-solving  process  and
the  social  action  process  into  one  blueprint  for  the  development
of an action-oriented  public  affairs  program  is  as  follows:
1.  Know  the  main  principles,  techniques,  elements,  steps,  and
procedures  in the development  of an action  program:
99a.  Define the target audience and relevant clientele groups.
b.  Benefit from past successful  and unsuccessful public affairs
program experiences-in  and out of state.
c.  Develop  a  consensus  identification  of  the  public  affairs
problem  situation.
d.  Motivate  key  influentials  in  the  university  and  in  relevant
clientele groups  to recognize  that  a problem exists  and that
something must be done  to  solve  it.
e.  Obtain  commitment  of key  leaders  in  the university  and in
relevant  clientele  groups  to  take  action  to  initiate  the
program.
f.  Obtain  formal  and  informal  power structure  legitimization
of  the  program  in  the  university  as  well  as  in  relevant
clientele  groups.
g.  Obtain acceptance  of the program by key leaders of relevant
clientele  groups.
h.  Commit  sufficient and essential university time,  money, and
resources  to action.
i.  Develop the plan of work:
(1)  Program goals  and objectives
(2)  Data collection  and back-up  information  system
(3)  Teaching  method  to  be used
(4)  Specific target  audiences
(5)  Channels  of communication
(6)  Appropriate  techniques
(7)  Needed  publications  and  visuals
(8)  Time schedules
(9)  Facilities required
(10)  Promotional requirements
(11)  Evaluation
j.  Launch the program.
2.  Know the critical order of the principles,  techniques,  elements,
steps,  and procedures  in a public  affairs  program.
3.  Become  acquainted  with and  contact  opinion  leaders,  key  in-
100fluentials, and legitimizers  to get things accomplished at various
stages  in  the  development  of an  action-oriented  public  affairs
program.
4.  Prepare  a plan for each element  or step including  the organiza-
tion of the  people involved.
TARGET  AUDIENCE  AND  PRIOR PROGRAM  EXPERIENCES
It is important to recognize that an action-oriented public affairs
program  involves  people  from  both  the  university  and  relevant
clientele groups before, during, and after the fielding of a program.
Key  leaders  are  involved  in developing  various  steps  of the pro-
gram. They are also recipients of facts and information flowing from
the program.
Kansas  chose  to  conduct  its  program  with  the  kingmakers,
kings,  and  key  interested  citizens  in  all  105  counties  and  also  at
the  state  level.  The  statewide  key  influentials  and  university
administration  and program  leaders were contacted  personally to:
(1)  get program commitment  and (2)  convince the leaders that  the
public  affairs  problem-solving  process  would  work  and  that  we
were not  advocating any specific  solution or espousing any cause.
Our  educational  philosophy,  our  methodological  approaches,
and  our  program  planning  procedures  have  all  been  molded  by
our belief in the  land-grant university  system.  This  system  insists
that we administrators,  program leaders,  and public affairs special-
ists take  the leadership  in  program development.
Commitment  to  program  action  was  achieved  by the  College
of  Agriculture  administrators  through  a  joint  research-teaching-
extension  advisory  group.  Thus,  we had  agreement  among inside
and outside  program initiators  that  a  public affairs  issue  did exist
and that something had to be done about it educationally.  The pro-
gram was  formally legitimized by presenting the entire plan to the
President of the University.
The success  of a public  affairs  education  program  depends  on
how  well  it  is  taken  from  the  source,  carried  to  a  point  where
it  is approved,  and finally put  into operation.  Sufficient time  must
be  allowed  to  plan  and  organize  each  step  before  launching  the
program.  All administrators,  program leaders,  and specialists  con-
nected  with the program must try to make  sure that  all principles,
techniques,  elements,  steps,  and procedures of an action program
are  considered.  They  must  know  who  should  be  involved  in  the
program  from  the  time  it  is  conceived  until  it  is  completed  and
finally evaluated,  and must see that  the right people  are contacted
at the right time.
101

LETHARGY IN PUBLIC AFFAIRS?

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

Research Papers in Economics