The Concept of Program Reengineering - Case Study Example

The Concept of Program Reengineering Analyze Four (4) Policy Choices of Mayor Schell That Were Made As Part of the Strategy for the Homeless On 2 June 1998, Mayor Paul Schell made a pledge “that there will be no homeless families with children or homeless single women on the streets of Seattle by Christmas 1998” (The Electronic Hallway, 2006, p1). He made policy choices as part of the strategy to end homelessness in Seattle. He requested for support from the City Council in offering immediate emergency help to the homeless single women and families as an important step in offering lasting housing solutions to the affected families and individuals. He asserted that the problem is constantly growing and there was need to find better ways to assist the people to find and keep housing. The plans made by Mayor Schell emphasized services to the homeless individuals rather than just offering beds and they stressed the need for the other jurisdictions to assist in funding the homeless services (The Electronic Hallway, 2006). The City Council passed a resolution that allocated $500,000 [it was financed by Human Services Program funds, United Way, City of Seattle Community Development Block Grant, federal Home Funds, individual contributions, private foundations and miscellaneous support (US Conference of Mayors, 1999)] to finance the Schell’s plan for the homeless women and families. Schell’s $500,000 pledge was to build 20 new shelter beds for the women (however, 50 of them were needed), and it was to put up 100 families in the hotels (however, 250 more who needed the voucher could not get it). The plan included homeless-service providers – that is, those working in shelters or other agencies that assist those on the streets; it also included provision of emergency shelter (Fahrenthold, 1998). The plan was to (a) offer new shelters, and (b) temporary accommodation to the homeless women and families [through the homeless service providers], (c) rally for financial support of homeless services from other jurisdictions, and (d) find better ways and offer lasting solutions to the problem of homelessness. Analyze the Pre-Implementation and Design Strategies of Mayor Schell and Interpret Four (4) Practical Outcomes of His Choices The first thing that Mayor Schell did was to look for financial support from the City Council and other jurisdictions. In order to prevent the problem of homelessness, the plan was to offer emergency rent help coordinated by the Salvation Army; this plan was expected to assist close to 600 households to keep their housing that winter. To assist families already on the streets, the plan was to pay for motel or hotel vouchers for approximately 100 homeless families – a good stay for a night to 3 weeks – the plan was to be effected by Traveler’s Aid. Traveler’s Aid – a section of the private Family Services agency - was also to offer counseling that was aimed at assisting the families get into affordable housing (Fahrenthold, 1998). To assist single women, the plan was to fund 20 new bed emergency shelters; the shelters were to be run by Compass Center, a Lutheran charity. The center was to be situated downtown and it has to the capacity to expand and house 40 women in a span of 6 months (Fahrenthold, 1998). The following are the practical outcomes of the Mayor Schell’s strategy; (a) only a few of the homeless individuals got assistance [20 out of the 70 homeless single women and 100 out of the 350 homeless families got assistance], (b) the number homeless single women and families that did not get assistance were likely to get back on the streets, (c) in order to fulfill the pledge (reduce homelessness to zero), more funds were required to assist those who did not get assistance from the initial money allocated to the plan, and (d) increasing shelter capacity was likely to stretch out the resources. Reconstruct Four (4) Steps Taken By Mayor Schell to Reengineer the Program In Order To Fit the New Objectives As stated earlier, the plan was to (a) offer new shelters to homeless families and women (b) offer temporary accommodation to the homeless women and families, (c) look for financial assistance from other jurisdictions, and (d) find better ways and offer lasting solutions to the problem of homelessness. These steps could not satisfactorily solve the problem and they were likely to bring in new problems. In order to fulfill the pledge, Mayor Schell needed to reengineer the program and follow the given steps: (a) Instead of getting new shelters for the homeless; he could have instead maintained the existing shelter capacity. This would permit additional resources to go to other required housing and services (Fahrenthold, 1998). This step will cater for the first and the second Mayor Schell’s plans. (b) Although the program has focus on finding lasting solutions to the problem of homelessness, community indulgence in these matters was crucial. The community has to take note of the individuals offering housing and services that assist people regain long term stability. They should also address the causes of homelessness like transitional housing, employment services and other service that assist in making an effective transition into permanent housing (Fahrenthold, 1998). (c) Apart from looking for financial assistance, the program could have included other mechanisms such as directing resources towards the sub-groups of the underserved homeless such as inclusion of children in the homeless families, adults and young people leaving institutional settings, and single men (Fahrenthold, 1998). With these measures in place, it is possible to solve the problem of homelessness adequately. Analyze Four (4) Reasons for the Importance of Conducting Assessments Prior To New Program Implementation In this context, community assessment is crucial before the implementation of the new program. The reasons for conducting community assessment is that it helps those formulating the program to; (a) clearly understand the situation in which the families live and the issues that need to be addressed, (b) locate the hidden underutilized resources or strengths that can be developed, (c) determine the resources that can contribute to the comprehensive strategies, and (d) empower the community members and families by offering them a role in the design and implementation of the strategies (North Central Regional Educational Laboratory, 2004). References North Central Regional Educational Laboratory. (2004). Chapter 2: Conducting a community assessment. Retrieved from http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/envrnmnt/css/ppt/chap2.htm US Conference of Mayors. (1999). Coordinated strategy to prevent homelessness. Retrieved from http://www.usmayors.org/bestpractices/homeless/seattle_wa.htm The Electronic Hallway. (2006). Mayor Schell’s zero homeless family pledge. Retrieved from http://glennschool.osu.edu/faculty/brown/home/812%20Strategy/2010/schell.pdf Fahrenthold, D. A. (1998, Aug. 24). Christmas miracle for homeless? The Seattle Times. Retrieved from http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19980824&slug=2768241 Read More