As Hurricane Katrina roared towards the Louisiana and Mississippi coasts on August 28, 2005, the public sector-ranging from local law enforcement to the Federal Emergency Management Agency-feverishly prepared for what was expected to be a devastating hit. At the same time, the private sector was undergoing its own exhaustive preparations. At its Bentonville, Arkansas, headquarters, giant retailer Wal-Mart had already launched a comprehensive emergency response that included stocking stores in the storm zone with special merchandise; stationing teams to evaluate stores as soon as the hurricane passed; and gathering representatives of all major functional areas in a centralized emergency operations center in order to find displaced employees, re-open stores, and help stricken communities. After Hurricane Katrina caused catastrophic flooding that overwhelmed the government's response, though, Wal-Mart found itself playing a larger role than it had anticipated. The following chaotic weeks raised important questions about whether the public sector could take full advantage of the retailer's strengths and capabilities, and whether it was ready to accept a larger role for Wal-Mart and other companies in responding to national emergencies. The case should be useful for those interested in emergency preparedness; inter-agency collaborations; public-private partnerships; and organizational behavior. Revised September 2008. HKS Case Number 1876.0
As Hurricane Katrina roared towards the Louisiana and Mississippi coasts on August 28, 2005, the public sector-ranging from local law enforcement to the Federal Emergency Management Agency-feverishly prepared for what was expected to be a devastating hit. At the same time, the private sector was undergoing its own exhaustive preparations. At its Bentonville, Arkansas, headquarters, giant retailer Wal-Mart had already launched a comprehensive emergency response that included stocking stores in the storm zone with special merchandise; stationing teams to evaluate stores as soon as the hurricane passed; and gathering representatives of all major functional areas in a centralized emergency operations center in order to find displaced employees, re-open stores, and help stricken communities. After Hurricane Katrina caused catastrophic flooding that overwhelmed the government's response, though, Wal-Mart found itself playing a larger role than it had anticipated. The following chaotic weeks raised important questions about whether the public sector could take full advantage of the retailer's strengths and capabilities, and whether it was ready to accept a larger role for Wal-Mart and other companies in responding to national emergencies. The case should be useful for those interested in emergency preparedness; inter-agency collaborations; public-private partnerships; and organizational behavior. Revised September 2008. HKS Case Number 1876.1
In a gradual but profound transition, New York's park system had become dependent on private partners. The private sector's involvement was pervasive by 2003, but came in very different forms. This case, a companion to "Adrian Benepe's Challenge," highlights specific items to map the spectrum of engagement ranging from contracts where government is clearly in control, to philanthropy where government is mostly passive, to a range of complex collaboration in between. The five points of focus are: ·Outsourcing much of the maintenance of the Parks Department's fleet of vehicles; ·The evolution of the Central Park Conservancy from an informal group of volunteers to a sophisticated and well-funded non-profit with full responsibility for managing New York's flagship park; ·Bryant Park's transformation from a drug market to a glittering landmark, under the auspices of a private corporation subject to only limited Parks Department influence; ·The emergence of the Bronx River Alliance, comprising dozens of public and private organizations, as steward for the troubled river and the lands on its banks; ·The single-minded (and almost single-handed) campaign of the entertainer Bette Midler to realize her unique vision for a public park in a rough area of Harlem. HKS Case Number 1744.0
In early 2002, world attention turned to the upcoming election in the southern Africa nation of Zimbabwe. Once viewed as a model of relative prosperity and potential, as well as democracy in sub-Saharan black Africa, the nation faced political violence, an AIDS epidemic, and food and fuel shortages, under the rule of long-time president Robert Mugabe, the one-time revolutionary leader in what was once white-ruled Rhodesia. This case focuses on the political strategy and campaign of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), an opposition party led by former labor leader Morgan Tsvangirai. The MDC faced the daunting challenge of waging a peaceful and successful campaign notwithstanding what were widely viewed around the world as increasingly anti-democratic steps taken by Mugabe-including land seizures of white-owned farms and potential vote-rigging. Tsvangirai must balance a desire for victory with concern for his personal safety, concern for stability in Zimbabwe, and the long-term prospects for the MDC and democracy in Zimbabwe. HKS Case Number 1655.0
The March 2002 decision by President George W. Bush to impose tariffs on some imported steel capped a long-running campaign by the US steel industry and its unions for assistance in dealing with surges of low-priced imported steel, often said to be sold in the US below its cost of manufacture. The Bush decision came as a surprise to many convinced that a free trade-oriented administration would not adopt measures likely to be viewed as protectionist. This case provides definitive historical context for those seeking to understand the Bush decision. It uses the long-running dispute over whether steps should be taken to limit the quantity of steel imported by the US as a window on the wide range of laws, factors, and players who influence the making of American trade policy. The case traces the steel dispute through the late 20th century, with particular focus on the Clinton administration. It provides a primer on trade laws-particularly the roles of the Commerce Department, which determines whether illegal "dumping" (selling below cost of production or home market price) of imported goods has occurred, and the International Trade Commission, the quasi-judicial federal agency which rules on whether imports have injured a domestic industry. HKS Case Number 1651.0
The idea that the introduction or expansion of urban light rail systems could ease traffic congestion and air pollution has caught the imagination of many in American cities in recent decades. Yet, at the same time, questions about the efficiency and benefits of rail, compared with other transportation systems, have also arisen. This series of cases describes a long-running political and analytic battle in Seattle between rail transit proponents-including some of its leading planners and citizens-and opponents who believe the costs of a proposed new system, to be financed through a $3.9 billion bond package, will exceed its benefits.
The mass killings at Columbine High School in suburban Denver, in April 1999, inspired deep soul-searching across the United States. The search for lessons to be learned from the tragedy has extended, as well, to the law enforcement and emergency response communities. This case provides a dramatic account of the details of police, fire, and emergency medical response to the reports of carnage at Columbine. It is designed to raise the central questions relevant for any such emergency: why did the response take the form it did and could matters have been handled better? In the process, the case illuminates the manner in which the decentralized United States law enforcement system functions under conditions of extreme pressure and minimal information.
When a jury acquitted four Los Angeles police officers in the famous, videotaped beating of a black motorist stopped for speeding, the decision sparked shock, outrage and, in short order riot in the city's African-American South Central section. The six days of unrest that ensued left a staggering toll: 54 dead, more than 2,000 injured, and property damage of almost $1 billion. This case describes the law enforcement response to the riot, raising, in effect, the question of whether, through a different type of response, the unrest could have been controlled more quickly and damage and casualties minimized. The case provides, in some instances for the first time, a detailed look at both the plans and responses of specific law enforcement and emergency response units including the LAPD and fire department, the LA County Sheriff's office, and the California National Guard. It describes key assumptions which proved faulty, problematic inter-agency coordination, as well as heroic individual efforts by some within those departments, which helped restore order.
This human services contracting case describes an innovative system launched by the Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitative Services when faced with what it viewed as skyrocketing costs and ineffectual assistance for citizens with severe disabilities. Under fiscal pressure, the Department decided on a drastic change in its historic approach to contracting--which had reimbursed service providers for their billable hours. The new, "milestones" approach would reward vendors, instead, for specific results, on the road toward employment for the disabled. The case describes the virtues of the milestones system, as seen by the state; the fears of service providers and advocates that the new incentive system would cause a deterioration in the nature of assistance and therapy; and the early results of the program. Supported by a grant from Innovations in American Government Program; written for the Hauser Center for Nonprofit Institutions. HKS Case Number 1477.0
When teachers at a Madison, Wisconsin elementary school announce plans to mount a photo exhibit featuring families with gay or lesbian parents, school system superintendent Cheryl Wilhoyte faces a vexing decision. She knows well that the exhibit will be controversial and will likely offend members of the community, especially a group of conservative Christian parents. She knows, too, that liberal teachers will view the issue as one involving academic freedom, keyed to the school's system's "anti-bias" curriculum. In this leadership case, the superintendent must decide, in effect, whether and/or how to decide. Should this be a school-level decision? Or does it demand her own intervention? She must even decide on what grounds she should base her decide about whether to become involved. The case is useful for discussions of leadership in a decentralized environment, as well as issues of how authorities must deal with cultural conflict in a public sector context. HKS Case Number 1440.0
When teachers at a Madison, Wisconsin elementary school announce plans to mount a photo exhibit featuring families with gay or lesbian parents, school system superintendent Cheryl Wilhoyte faces a vexing decision. She knows well that the exhibit will be controversial and will likely offend members of the community, especially a group of conservative Christian parents. She knows, too, that liberal teachers will view the issue as one involving academic freedom, keyed to the school's system's "anti-bias" curriculum. In this leadership case, the superintendent must decide, in effect, whether and/or how to decide. Should this be a school-level decision? Or does it demand her own intervention? She must even decide on what grounds she should base her decide about whether to become involved. The case is useful for discussions of leadership in a decentralized environment, as well as issues of how authorities must deal with cultural conflict in a public sector context. HKS Case Number 1442.0
This microeconomics case examines the pricing issues related to the sale of inexpensive vaccines for use in developing countries. The case describe the historic success of the United Nations' so-called "tiered pricing" policy. This policy had allowed the World Health Organization to purchase large volumes of vaccines at the marginal price of vaccine production-often just a few cents per dose-while developed nations paid the full average cost-often many times more. Changing political circumstances and the cost structure of new vaccines threaten the decades-old arrangement, however. HKS Case Number 1450.0
This microeconomics case examines the pricing issues related to the sale of inexpensive vaccines for use in developing countries. The case describe the historic success of the United Nations' so-called "tiered pricing" policy. This policy had allowed the World Health Organization to purchase large volumes of vaccines at the marginal price of vaccine production-often just a few cents per dose-while developed nations paid the full average cost-often many times more. Changing political circumstances and the cost structure of new vaccines threaten the decades-old arrangement, however. HKS Case Number 1450.0
In July 1991, South African president F.W. de Klerk announced the appointment of Hermanus Kriel to the cabinet post of minister of law and order. As the official responsible for oversight of the controversial national police force, the South African Police (SAP), Kriel would perhaps have the hardest job in a rapidly changing South Africa: a job made all the more daunting by recent revelations of a police role in fanning the flames of factional strife among blacks. The growing scandal had reinforced the SAP's reputation among black South Africans as one of the most hated symbols of white rule. For over four decades, the South African Police had been entrusted with enforcing the country's notorious and iniquitous system of apartheid--a task it had performed with what many regarded as excessive zeal and brutality. All this had been done by the SAP in the name of the apartheid system, which it was sworn to uphold. Yet as the 1980s drew to a close, the underpinnings of that system began to change dramatically and SAP's mission was no longer in force. This case details the changes that took place within SAP during the post-apartheid period. It should be paired with HKS829 (Part A). HKS Case Number 1095.1.
The road to the breakthrough Dayton Peace Accords, which ushered in the prospect of a stable peace in the war-torn former Yugoslavia, is built through an intricate, high-pressure negotiation brokered by the United States and involving Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and the western European powers. This case focuses on the dynamics of those negotiations as led by US State Department chief negotiator Richard Holbrooke and members of his negotiating team. It raises strategy issues (When would it be wise to push for a ceasefire?); ethics issues (Is it moral to negotiate with those accused of war crimes?); and personality issues (Is it strategy or the force of Holbrooke's personality which ultimately brings the parties to the table?). Based on extensive interviews with Mr. Holbrooke, this case brings to light new details about one of the highest-stakes negotiations of the post-Cold War era. HKS Case Number 1356.0
The Gulf War-the US led effort to oust Iraq's armed forces from neighboring, oil-rich Kuwait-may be best remembered for the sheer effectiveness of the tactics and power which achieved the US military objectives in short order. But between the time of the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait and the subsequent US-led counter-offensive, there ensued a series of delicate negotiations through which the Bush administration put together the political building blocks which allowed Operation Desert Storm to commence. This case is the first history focused specifically on the details and dynamics of those negotiations-with regional Arab powers, members of the UN Security Council and key members of Congress-and the variety of tactics which were employed. The case is based on original interviews with a number of key players, including then-Secretary of Defense Richard Cheney, US Ambassador to the United Nations Thomas Pickering, and National Security Advisor Brent Scowcroft. It is part of a series about US military interventions and negotiations against a backdrop of military threats. All are useful for those interested in negotiations theory, diplomacy and the politics of military interventions. See also Carrots, Sticks, and Question Marks: Negotiating the North Korean Nuclear Crisis (C18-95-1297.0 and 1298.0; and A `Seamless' Transition: United States and United Nations Operations in Somalia, 1992-1993 (C16-96-1324.0 and 1325.0). HKS Case Number 1264.0
AT&T's Universal Card Services (UCS) has been extremely successful during its short lifetime. Dedicated to improving service quality and customer satisfaction, chief quality officer Rob Davis and his quality team have designed and put into place an unusual measurement and compensation system based on more than 100 performance measures monitored and communicated daily.