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© 2012 Boise State University 1 The Politics of Homelessness or, The Road to Hell: why good intentions are not enough Dr. Stephanie Witt Professor of Public Policy and Administration
© 2012 Boise State University 1
The Politics of Homelessnessor, The Road to Hell: why good intentions are not enough
Dr. Stephanie Witt Professor of Public Policy and
Administration
© 2012 Boise State University 2
Homelessness is a “wicked problem”
© 2012 Boise State University 3
Some characteristics of wicked problems
• There is no definitive formulation of a wicked problem
• Wicked problems have no stopping rule• Solutions to wicked problems are not true-or-
false, but good-or-bad• Every wicked problem can be considered to be
a symptom of another problem
Horst W.J. Rittel and Melvin M. Webber “Dilemmas in a General Theory of Planning,” Policy Sciences (1973).
© 2012 Boise State University 4
Wicked problems require collaboration
Homelessness
Federal agencie
s
City government
s
Nonprofits and FBOs
State agencie
s
© 2012 Boise State University 5
Collaboration=goat rodeo
© 2012 Boise State University 6
Goat Rodeo• A chaotic situation, often one that involves
several people, each with a different agenda/vision/perception of what's going on; a situation that is very difficult, despite energy and efforts, to instill any sense or order into
© 2012 Boise State University 7
When collaborations fail• Services to clients are cut• Bad feelings result• Lawsuits are filed• Duplication of efforts• Confusion among clients and donors
© 2012 Boise State University 8
What makes collaborations work?• Governance: Who makes decisions? How are
costs and benefits distributed?• Administration: clear roles and responsibilities,
good communication• Autonomy of each participant protected• Mutuality of interests shared by participants• Trust and reciprocity: the participants trust each
other
© 2012 Boise State University 9
Mission control
© 2012 Boise State University 10
Mission un-control• HUD’s mission is to create strong, sustainable,
inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all.
• Boise Rescue Mission Ministries reaches out to the community by teaching the word of God and providing food, shelter, clothing, counseling, and education for the homeless and others in need
• IDHW: to promote and protect the health and safety of Idahoans.
© 2012 Boise State University 11
Accountability
© 2012 Boise State University 12
Accountability : what’s driving you?
$ AuditsPerformance Audits
Public hearingsPublic records
Elected officialsCitizens
GodDiocese/Stake
Souls savedMembers gainedExisting members
Board of DirectorsDonors
GrantorsClients
© 2012 Boise State University 13
Timing is everything: fiscal years
Fed: Oct 1State: July 1City: Oct 1County:
Jan. 1 (53%)July 1 (20%)Other (27%)
????
http://leadnet.org/blog/post/73_of_surveyed_churches_expect_to_meet_budget
© 2012 Boise State University 14
Time horizons
Electoral cycle Eternity? Board appointments
Fund drivesGrant duration
© 2012 Boise State University 15
Effective collaborators– Shift from command and control to cooperation
and persuasion– Understand the factors driving the point of view of
the other participants– Understand that collaboration will take more time
than doing something on one’s own
