STATES’ PERSPECTIVE: ROLE OF THE POLICY ACADEMY
PLANNING COMMITTEE MEMBERS AT POLICY ACADEMIES

For a variety of reasons largely related to existing workload assignments, the members of the Policy Academy Planning Committee (PAPC) are compelled to maintain a more limited approach to our involvement with the States as they progress through the Policy Academy (PA) experience. The responsibility for tracking individual State progress and achievements, assessing TA requests and facilitating peer to peer networks will be accomplished through the involvement of other resources that would include consultants and Internet technology.

Notwithstanding these limitations, we have outlined below the roles in which the Planning Committee members will function and through which they will relate to the States. As future plans for the Policy Academies evolve, the responsibilities of the PAPC members may also be amended.

Interested Observers

PAPC members will act as Interested Observers (IO) in the individual State Action Plan drafting meetings. The duties of the IO are to listen, and take notes to assist in their review of the draft Action Plans or to share with the Facilitator. The IO may participate in the discussions or in response to questions put to them by the State Team members. The PAPC member will balance their comments as to be informative and helpful without dominating the process. The number of States the IO will actually observe depends on the programmatic expertise and availability of any particular PAPC member.

Lead Reviewer

Each draft State Action Plan will be assigned to a PAPC member who will serve as the Lead Reviewer of the State Action Plan. A Lead Reviewer will have also acted as an IO for the State Plan to which they are assigned, so that their comments will be informed by their observations. Additional PAPC members will be assigned to create Review Teams of 3 to 4 persons.

Management By Exception

Finally, it will be expected that PAPC members will serve in the Post-Academy Technical Assistance phase as Managers by Exception. This approach means that PAPC members with the relevant expertise will communicate directly with the State only if the consultants cannot provide the needed resource.

If you have any additional questions please contact Jamie Hart of HSR, Inc.