Case Study and Risks

¶ … Bullen's (n.d.) case study on the Red Hook initiative, Dayal's (2014) "Surfacing Innovative Solutions Through Public-Private Partnerships," and also the World Economic Forum's (2016) Global Risks Report. Although these articles address different subject areas, they all tie into public administration, public planning, and public policy. Dayal (2014) shows how resources from the private sector can be harnessed to bolster the power of public sector aid agencies to provide infrastructure development and community resilience in communities around the world. Broader in scope, The Global Risks Report 2016 shows how multiple challenges, from poverty and unemployment to terrorism and political instability, intersect with one another. The Red Hook case study offers a more narrow focus on one community, revealing the importance of community engagement in communications network development.

I selected the latter case study because it shows how overarching principles of community planning, infrastructure development, and public policy are all related. In the case of the Red Hook initiative, community engagement enhanced partnerships between technology industry stakeholders and members of the community. The case study demonstrates the importance of taking into account end-user needs, rather than on imposing an end-user experience that is irrelevant to the actual daily or logistical requirements of residents. Wifi and connectivity concerns are also addressed, showing how communications services become essential for community resilience during times of crisis. As resilience is a major theme in the Dayal (2014) and World Economic Forum (2016) documents I read, I included this case study to show how one small community reveals the global issues and trends in building resilience and mitigating risks. Moreover, this case study was unique in that it showed me how public administration and planning budgets are worked out.

The World Economic Forum (2016) Global Risks Report document is remarkably thorough and provides a resource of information for different types of risks, how those risks can be measured, and how these risks vary according to geographic and cultural constraints. The authors refer to "risk clusters," as some regions will be impacted by more than one specific risk or group of risks. As with the Red Hook paper, the goal of The Global Risks Report is to improve resilience through effective public policy. I especially appreciated The Global Risks Report because of the judicious use of infographics, such as the cluster chart (Figure Four) that displays risk-trend interactions. This chart effectively visualizes much of the data included in the report, allowing readers to quickly glance at the topics being covered and the connections between various issues. For example, risks for water crises, urban planning failures, and food crises are all linked with urbanization, as well as environmental degradation. Risks are divided into five main categories including economic risks, environmental risks, geopolitical risks, societal risks, and technological risks. After reading the report, I feel better equipped to strategize possible solutions targeted to specific regions. I am therefore less prone to overgeneralizing, because not all regions face the same risks or possess the same resources.

The Dayal (2014) paper on public-private partnerships proposes viable solutions to some of the risks described in The Global Risks Report, which is why I thought these two documents linked up. Dayal (2014) concentrates primarily on environmental crises and their human and economic costs. The private sector is being called upon increasingly as a strategic partner in predicting risk, minimizing risk, mitigating risk, and also responding to crises when they do occur. For example, several technology companies are developing applications that can be used to detect the presence and spread of contagious diseases. As the application has a low profile and is relatively inexpensive, it offers a meaningful solution to critical problems. Apps like these empower healthcare workers, first responders, and community leaders alike. Other initiatives Dayal (2014) addresses include providing loans to at-risk communities specifically for the construction of low-cost storm-resistant housing. With relatively small investments, private companies can offer the opportunity to improve the resilience of communities around the globe.

Each of these three documents successfully describes global risks and crises and how to respond effectively to those risks. I appreciate how the authors present their material for a general audience without unnecessary jargon, and yet intelligently and with reference to primary sources. I learned about how public administrators and policy developers can work together to create more resilient communities. Moreover, I learned how strategic responses, policies, and programs need to be designed within budgetary constraints and concerns for local sensibilities and needs.