CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY LONG BEACH
PPA 696--RESEARCH METHODS
BINGHAM & FELBINGER CH. 18
  1. BIBLIOGRAPHIC INFORMATION
    1. Author: R. S. Fukuhara
    1. Title: Improving Effectiveness: Responsive Public Services
    1. Source: F. S. Knight & M. D. Rancer, eds, Tried and Tested: Case Studies in Municipal Innovation. ICMA, 1978, Special Report No. 3

    2.  
  1. SUMMARY OF THE RESEARCH
    1. PROBLEM STATEMENT:
1) To measure the effectiveness of city services against a city standard; 2) identify areas with deficient services; 3) develop plans to improve service delivery to an acceptable quality; 4) determine the resources needed to achieve equitable service.
    1. BACKGROUND:
The Responsive Public Services Program of Savannah, GA.
    1. HYPOTHESIS:
n/a
    1. MEASUREMENT OF VARIABLES
      1. Dependent variable: litter
      1. Independent variable(s): neighborhood
      1. Control variable(s):
    1. RESEARCH DESIGN:
Non-experimental one-shot case study design; descriptive study of litter in neighborhoods
T1
O1
 
    1. SAMPLING:
Sample of city streets and alleys in neighborhoods
    1. INSTRUMENTATION:
Observers are trained to visually inspect neighborhoods and to either write or dictate their observations into tape recorders; photographs of different litter conditions are provided as are sample data collection forms
    1. DATA COLLECTION/ETHICS:
Field inspections are performed by trained observers driving around the area in cars, with spot re-checks of 10% of areas by supervisors; inspectors are re-trained annually; observation is monitored to detect inconsistencies or decay in quality, and corrective action is taken.
    1. DATA ANALYSIS:
An index of littering is constructed, and neighborhoods below the index average are targeted for special action
    1. CONCLUSIONS:
The method is useful for assessing city services and providing data for policy decision-making. However, more work is needed on the methodology of evaluation of the effectiveness of public services.
  1. CRITIQUE
    1. Possible Threats to Internal Validity
      1. History:
n/a
      1. Maturation:
n/a
      1. Testing:
n/a
      1. Instrumentation:
Difficult to quantify impressions of littering; observers tend to become less efficient over time;
      1. Regression Artifact:
n/a
      1. Selection bias:
Selection of blocks to observe may lead to over- or under-estimation of the litter problem in each neighborhood
      1. Experimental Mortality:
n/a
      1. Design contamination:
n/a
    1. Possible Threats to External Validity
      1. unique program features:
      1. experimental arrangements:
      1. other threats: