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Challenge 4
Assessment
In Challenge 4, you are asked to put yourself into the position of a member of a collaborative project team tasked with providing a detailed report to the individual who has charged your group. Think of this not as a report to an instructor in an academic course, but as a professional report (though based on advanced study of homeland security) to a high level-policy decision maker, substantiated by original research to be conducted in this challenge. Consider the following questions, thinking beyond this course and actively using your educational experience throughout the iMPS-HLS program:
- What is the nature of the problem around which the case and related scenario center? Is it a simple or complex problem? Does it reflect both ethical/value issues and issues of factual information?
- What methods are appropriate to research the problem?
- What resources are needed to deal with the problem?
- How best can the problem be solved or dealt with, given the nature of the problem, the resources available to the decision maker, and the context in which the decision is made?
Challenge 4 Assessment Instructions:
The work in Challenge Four falls into several specific tasks, as identified in the syllabus. To review these, you will proceed in this manner:
You have already chosen yuor team's point-of-departure case from the DHS Significant Cases collection, following the instructions given on the previous page, and acquainted yourselves individually and as a group with the concept and practice of scenario foresight, using the information as well provided on the previous page.
- Watch the following video that explains research-based policy options analysis:
- Share with your group your individual 2-3-page, single-spaced report contributing initial scenario foresight information and analysis, based on distilling hazard-specific principles and preparedness/response requirements from your chosen case and extrapolating on them in a 5-10 years time frame. This report also needs to include a draft contribution to the comprehensive scenario description that your group will need to develop.
- You can share your report with your group members through the Team Files component in the Communication link in the left sidebar menu. Under the link of your group, any of your group members can add/upload files to the team's folder and read, edit, or delete any team file.
- Your group should duly consider and integrate all individual contributions from its members as it collectively works to meet the Challenge 4. The reports will not be graded individually.
- Develop a Group Plan for a Scenario Foresight Study, developing a futuristic (5-10 years time frame) scenario out of the case. You must use the provided Model group work plan (GANTT chart) template (Excel download).
- As a group, accomplish an integration of the scenario information and write a group paper of 4 pages, single-spaced, in length, (1) explaining your group's approach to (including information used and method[s] of scenario foresight and policy option analysis, as reviewed in Challenge 4, applied) and main results of your scenario foresight study and integration of its findings (2-3 pages), and (2) providing a coherent description of your scenario in the form of a scenario narrative (1-2 pages), including a title for your scenario; a list of recommended resources in addressing the scenario; and a list of criteria you would apply to assess how well your peer team analyzes your scenario in its subsequent Scenario Preparedness Report (see below). You will later on be using those criteria to assess the quality of your peer group's response to your scenario. Therefore, the criteria should be kept at a more general level so to be able to support evaluation of whatever course of action your peer group chooses in responding to your scenario.
No additional re-narration or analysis of the particular case please. Isolate the hazard-specific challenge from the case, then forget the case an develop a scenario in an approx. 5-10 years time-frame from now, centered around how the hazard may hypothetically materialize in the world and the U.S. of 5-10 years from today. Include as context what homeland security and the National Preparedness may look like then. The point is to write a scenario that enables identification of hazard-specific preparedness gaps, including education and training.
- You will then be provided a scenario that was developed by a different group. Analyze that scenario and develop a recommended course of action how to successfully address it. As a first step, develop a Group Plan for Scenario Analysis. Once again, you must use the provided Model group work plan (GANTT chart) template.
- Explain and summarize the results of your group's analysis in a collectively Written Scenario Preparedness Report – a 35-40 page, double-spaced document analyzing the scenario provided from another group, including identification of main required capabilities to optimize preparedness for the type of incident assumed in the scenario, as well as education and training requirements to prepare relevant homeland security workforce sectors (in a whole-community perspective) to successfully cope with the scenario.
- This report needs to meet the academic and professional standards for a research report as well as to be crafted to the needs of the policy maker/decision maker. Each group member should participate in its production. It should be clearly written and organized, free of production errors, and divided into major sections as required of any effective professional research-based report. This will at least include a clear statement of the topic or issue; relevant background information; a brief review of the facts in the case and analysis of important issues; description of method used to analyze the scenario; research results of the scenario analsyis; and recommendations or alternative courses of action presented in a detached and analytical way for the decision maker to consider. A bibliography is required. Appendices and references are also useful, as are graphic displays of relevant data or matrices that clearly show the relationship of variables. A one-page executive summary should precede the report and provide a synopsis of the overall report. The report should also include a title page, a table of contents, tables, and figures, and sub-titles.
- Use the APA style for your report.
- Use the Homeland Security Research Resources Guide for help with identifying academic resources to support your report, including databases of journal articles and lists or relevant journals. If you can benefit from a brush-up on how to select and assess literature to support your research, watch the following video:
- In preparing your report, you may also find it useful to consider the following advice on term papers.
- Optional Google Documents spaces are available for each team under Supporting Resources in the Activities folder for Challenge 4.
- This report needs to meet the academic and professional standards for a research report as well as to be crafted to the needs of the policy maker/decision maker. Each group member should participate in its production. It should be clearly written and organized, free of production errors, and divided into major sections as required of any effective professional research-based report. This will at least include a clear statement of the topic or issue; relevant background information; a brief review of the facts in the case and analysis of important issues; description of method used to analyze the scenario; research results of the scenario analsyis; and recommendations or alternative courses of action presented in a detached and analytical way for the decision maker to consider. A bibliography is required. Appendices and references are also useful, as are graphic displays of relevant data or matrices that clearly show the relationship of variables. A one-page executive summary should precede the report and provide a synopsis of the overall report. The report should also include a title page, a table of contents, tables, and figures, and sub-titles.
- Deliver a joint narrated PowerPoint presentation of 12-15 slides in total, disseminating main findings and recommendations from your Written Scenario Preparedness Report - each group member is charged with at least two slides.
- As the paper, calibrate your presentation to the information and advising needs and attention span of a high-level policy maker/decision maker.
- In developing the Power Point, be sure you match the oral component with the bullet points on each slide.
- One individual will be the narrator for the first and last slides; other group members will narrate at least two slides (unless the numbers need to be adjusted due to the size of groups).
- Provide comments to other group's PowerPoint presentations. Each group member must at least make one comment.
- Submit your group’s Evaluation of your Scenario User Group: a peer review of how well the group that was given your scenario responded to it. One group member will submit a consensus assessment on behalf of the group. Give a fair rating and propose a score from 0 to 100% for that group’s overall accomplishment in addressing your group’s scenario, applying the evaluation criteria you listed in the assignment:
- Scenario Integration,
- Description, and
- Assessment Criteria.
- Submit a 2-page individual reflective paper - this carefully written scholastic paper should include your comprehensive personal and professional assessment of the challenges in the collaborative group projects in this course, throughout the semester. Think of it as a group process management report, based on your personal experience and individual expert/professional considerations and conclusions as a group member. Identify and assess the way in which your group went about its work during the semester:
- how the group divided work among members,
- how the group communicated throughout the process,
- how effective the group process was,
- where risks were and how they were managed,
- how you would assess each of the group members, including yourself, and
- any other relevant observatinos and conclusions.
The subsequent page submmarizes all deliverables for the assessment.