Policy analysts not only engage in problem definition and making recommendations

Policy analysts not
only engage in problem definition and making recommendations, they ultimately
write policy. In this assignment, you have two choices. You can write a policy
for the National Park Service on the Yellowstone bison controversy or write a policy
for a school district on school safety. The assignment involves both learning
how to technically craft a policy as well as the process that would be involved
in vetting a policy with stakeholders (and of course, doing so in a policy
environment that increasingly appears polarized and contentious).
Option
#1: Policy Development for Bison, Yellowstone National Park (25 pts)
Scenario: The
Superintendent of Yellowstone National Park (part of the National Park Service
or NPS) has asked you to develop a short policy statement regarding the park’s
policy toward bison. The annually contentious issue has taken an administrative
and political toll on the NPS and on Yellowstone National Park in particular.
The NPS has relied upon the Interagency Bison Management Plan (http://www.ibmp.info/)
for policy but has been criticized for not having clear policy. Some have
argued that the NPS’s lack of clear policy toward bison management has made it
appear that the agency is simply caught between warring political factions (the
State of Montana, ranchers, environmental groups). This will be the first attempt
to put together a draft policy articulating NPS policy (specifically
Yellowstone National Park policy) toward bison management. There are, however,
several guiding documents that will be helpful in drafting this policy.
As a new employee of the NPS, you have been given the
assignment of starting the policy draft process.
Your supervisor has asked you to draft a policy
where you include the following:
1-Introduction.
The policy should provide a succinct but correct
background of the problem. Provide citations for where you found the
information used in your response.
2-The Policy Statement
This includes an articulation of the intended
audience. Questions to consider in the policy statement include:
a-The policy statement (a clear and concise
articulation of NPS policy toward bison management).
b-Who is the primary audience? (Who needs to follow
the policy?)
c-Are there any exceptions to the policy?
3-Process of Policy Development
a-How will the draft policy be vetted for policy
comment? (will you use traditional Administrative Procedures Act, comment
periods or other forms of stakeholder input)? Will you reach out to specific stakeholders,
if so who?
Some Sources for draft policy development.
https://www.nps.gov/policy/DOrders/thingstoknow.htm
https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/management/bison-management.htm
Note. Please provide any other cites for information
that you use, including consulting any existing NPS bison policies. Use APA
style.
REMEMBER
YOUR REFLECTION (5 pts).
Reflect upon what you learned in this assignment.
How it differed or was similar to previous assignments? Where did you struggle?
Could you see yourself developing a policy in the future?