IN-BASKET

HAMPSHIRE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

Revised 5/11/04

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IN-BASKET INSTRUCTIONS This exercise is intended to simulate the managerial and administrative problems of a government official working at the local level. The participant will be presented a scenario and a set of instructions indicating the task to be accomplished. The

participants responses in terms of actions taken for each of the in-basket items will be critiqued and returned. First, read the scenario which describes the setting, characters involved, and the nature of the administrators task to be completed. Participants should take some kind of action on each of the in-basket items. You may consult with anyone you wish about the proper disposition for each item. You may write on the in-basket item itself or attach notes to it. Indicate the people consulted, the time expended, the major action taken and a brief statement as to why that action was chosen. All the materials should be returned to your instructor.

Scenario

The city of Hampshire, in the State of Franklin, is situated in the north central part of the United States. There are nearly half a million residents in this industrial center, and both the black and Latin American minority populations have increased substantially in recent years. Your name is R. T. Now. During the past fifteen years you have held several posts in Hampshires city government. In January, you applied for and were selected to fill the newly created position of Assistant Director of Hampshires large Community Development Program. You were scheduled to begin in that new post on March 19, XXXX. Your last official act in your old job required that you attend a conference in Washington, D.C. from March 4 to March 15, XXXX. On February 19, you heard that Mr. C. L. Early, the Executive Director of the Community Development Program, had suffered a heart attack. On February 28, Mr. Early died. On March 1, the mayor of Hampshire called to ask if you would accept the position of Acting Executive Director of the Community Development Program. You agreed to accept the position, but explained to the mayor that you would be unable to take over the position until March 18 due to your scheduled trip to Washington, D. C. The mayor said that he understood, but that he had been contacted by Mrs. Ready, the Executive Secretary of the CDP, and that she had indicated that it was necessary for someone to handle some of the work that had accumulated on Mr. Earlys desk. You told the mayor that you would be willing to go to the CDP office on Saturday, March 2, and handle the items in Mr. Earlys in-basket. Mrs. Ready has left some reference materials in Mr. Earlys in-basket, along with those items which she felt needed your immediate attention. You have learned that the Community Development Program staff consists of a personnel director, director of research and planning, three social workers, five secretaries, and a general office staff of six, in addition to Mrs. Ready. The CDP also employs three nursery school supervisors, a thrift shop manager, four recreation directors, eight assistant recreation directors and the usual staffing for youth and senior citizen centers.

It is now 1:00 p.m., Saturday, March 2, XXXX, and you are in Mr. Earlys office at the CDP. No one else is in the office with you. In order to make a good initial impression on your supervisors and subordinates you must handle each of the items in the in-basket now and do so judiciously. You will be too busy in Washington, D. C. to deal with these matters by telephone. You will have to leave complete written instructions as to how you would like each of the items handled. Also, you will have to make notes to yourself about phone calls to be made or letters to be written when you return on March 18, XXXX.

__________________MEMO______________
March 1, XXXX TO: FROM: SUBJECT: R. T. Now Helen Ready CDP, Staff

Thought you might need the background information I can give you on the key personnel here in the office. Personnel Director: William H. Stanley He is forty-six, married, with two children in high school. His wifes maiden name was Hampshire but all that remains of her formerly wealthy background is her expensive tastes. Stanley came to Hampshire to join his uncles law firm but neglected his practice to keep up with the social whirl. Two disastrous campaigns for the state legislature left him broke, and he worked as a tax consultant before joining CDP. Stanley is reasonably effective in his job but has a great need for ego satisfaction. He was sure he would get the new position of Assistant Director before you were selected. Planning and Research Director: Henry Hank Snowell He is thirty-eight and unmarried. He has a B.A. in Sociology from Frankly State College. He also has sixteen hours of graduate credit in social work, which he completed during summers and evenings. Before his present position, he was the assistant manager for a shoe store, where he worked in his undergraduate days. His real interest, however, is in working for his church, the Pentecostal Tabernacle, and for the YMCA as a volunteer youth organizer. He has done a lot of work with Black and Mexican teenagers. He had molded several street gangs into productive project clubs. He would prefer to be working more closely with these groups than doing the research required for this office. Helen Ready: Executive Secretary, CDP I am fifty-seven years old and a widow for the past ten years. I have been the Executive Secretary for the CDP since its inception, fifteen years ago. As you know, executive secretaries are salaried and are considered executive rather than secretarial positions. I have excellent secretarial skills and, as Mr. Early always said, a sharp wit. I look forward to working closely with you, as I did with Mr. Early, whom we all shall miss. Item # 1

3/1

R. T. Now, The Community Development Program Womens Caucus welcomes you to your new post. While we are glad to have you in the Department, we regret that we did not have the opportunity to screen you before your acceptance of this important position. We are very interested in your views toward employment of women, blacks, and other minorities, and are interested in how you plan to increase the percentage of minorities employed in the Department. I have asked Mrs. Ready, one of the officers of our group, to schedule a meeting for us at 1:00 p.m. your first day on the job to discuss these and other matters with me and other representatives of the Womens Caucus.

Ms. Sandra Harding

Ms. Sandra Harding

Item # 2

CITY OF HAMPSHIRE
OFFICE OF THE MAYOR H. V. Pull INTEROFFICE MEMORANDUM March 1, XXXX Mr. R. T. Now Acting Executive Director Community Development Program Dear Mr. Now, Let this memorandum be your official welcome to your new post. It was indeed a pleasure to be able to appoint someone of your caliber to this interim position, even though it was occasioned by the untimely loss of C. L. Early, a dear friend. As you are undoubtedly aware, each of the city department heads makes a monthly report to the City Council. In your new position, you will assume the responsibility of making that report. Actually, you will be making two reports, since it has been my custom to ask department heads to give me a brief synopsis of the report they will be making to the City Council a day or two before their meeting. The next City Council meeting is scheduled for the 25th of March. Would you please contact my secretary; she will arrange an appointment for you in my office. Sincerely,

H. V. Pull
H. V. Pull Mayor HVP/pep Item # 3

326 Jackson Boulevard Hampshire, Franklin February 19, XXXX

Dear Mr. Early, I feel obliged to write to you concerning my niece, Miss Amelia Mae Dillon. One of your staff members at the McGeorge Street Recreation Center, Eddy Daniels, who is one of the big shot directors there, has taken liberties with Miss Dillon and now she finds herself going to have a baby. She has worked at the McGeorge Street Recreation Center for five months as table games assistant, and though shes in charge of those games, she isnt much more than a teenager herself. In fact, shes the same age as some of them. Is this the kind of man you are trusting teenagers with who would take advantage of a young girl after the Center was closed? I realize that it takes two and Amelia is not all innocent, but she said she loved him and now he is saying it was probably one of the boys who hang out there at the Saturday night dances. Amelia has turned nineteen and wouldnt be fooling around with those younger boys, even if some of them do look older. Mr. Early, Amelias mother is sick and cant work and her father is long since gone. If Amelia cant work with a baby coming, I dont know what theyll do as there are four other children younger in the family. Lord knows I cant take them all in with my husband only getting unemployment money. Her mother wouldnt write you, but I believe that something should be done and right now about that Eddy Daniels messing around with young girls. You make it clear to him that he has to support that child. Yours truly,

Lucy Jackson

Item # 4

MEMORANDUM Item #5 OF CALL ________________________________________________________________________ TO: Mr. Early ________________________________________________________________________

YOU WERE CALLED BY----YOU WERE VISITED BY---

Dan Thompson
______________________________________________________________________________________ OF (Organization)

Chief of Police ________________________________________________________________________

PLEASE CALL -----WILL CALL AGAIN RETURNED YOUR CALL PHONE NO. CODE/EXT 546-7708 ext. 236 IS WAITING TO SEE YOU WISHES AN APPOINTMENT

______________________________________________________________________________________ MESSAGE The old grafter wants to set a trap for some pot pushers he thinks are hanging around the McGeorge St. Rec. Center. Wants to plant young detectives among the kids: also has a kid whos going to point them out.

RECEIVED BY HR

DATE 2-21-XX

TIME 1 PM

STANDARD FORM 64 REVISED AUGUST XXXX GSA FPMR (41 CFR) 101-11 6

63-104

Item # 5

1919 Bedlow Street Hampshire, Franklin February 21, XXXX C. L. Early, Supervisor HCDP 120 E. State Hampshire, Franklin

Dear Sir: I am writing as a concerned Catholic mother. My son Anthony and my daughter Anna attend your recreation center on 8th Avenue after school and the Saturday night dances. Many of my friends children from St. Francis Parish also attend and they are behind me writing this letter. We feel that the recreation center idea is fine because it gives our children a place to go without running in the streets which is important to parents of teenagers. But what we want to know is why your recreation director, Mr. Glassing, and your assistant director, Miss Borden, as well as two pin setters in the bowling alley and the girl who is the snack bar waitress all have to come from the Pentecostal Tabernacle church. We know for a fact that these people invite our children to their church groups and even Sunday school. Miss Borden asked my daughter if she was saved. The parents of St. Francis parish call that religious bias and even though there arent as many Catholics who go to the recreation center as Protestants, we understood that CDP was trying to help minority groups, not to force them under the influence of holly rollers. The Catholic parents of St. Francis parish are asking that our civil rights of religious freedom be given to our children. Leave religion out of your recreation program and also who you hire to work there. Cant a Catholic girl serve hot dogs and Cokes as well as a Pentecostal Tabernacle girl? Sincerely yours,

Mrs. 0Neil
Item # 6

Wholesale Choice Foods----We go whole hog for our customers

3 Commercial Avenue, Hampshire, Franklin February 20, XXXX

C. L. Early Executive Director Community Development Program 120 E. State Street Hampshire, Franklin 11543 Dear Mr. Early: As a man who has a vital interest in the progress of Hampshire, I wish to express my admiration for the fine work you and your staff are doing for that unfortunate segment of our population who suffer the heavy load of poverty. Believe me, as a man who came to this country at age twelve with nothing in my pockets but one American dollar and my mothers picture, I can appreciate how much your program must mean to these people. I have been proud to be a part of your Hot Lunch program by supplying you with the most nourishing food at as reasonable a wholesale price as you would find anywhere in this country. Believe me, I get the pleasure of contributing something worthwhile, while at the same time increasing my volume of sales. I would like the opportunity of expressing my thanks to you in the best way an old neighborhood grocer knows how. Please drop by my office and pick up a nice Virginia ham for you and your wife. Sincerely yours,

Abe Strauss
Abe Strauss AS/jbc

Item # 7

Main Street Merchandise

____Serving Downtown Hampshire Since 1863____
Credit Department February 20, XXXX

C. L. Early Executive Director Community Development Program 120 E. State Street Hampshire, Franklin 11543 Dear Sir: We understand you employ a Mr. William H. Stanley as your Personnel Director. We feel you should call Mr. Stanleys attention to the fact that his account with Hampshire House is severely in arrears. There have been no payments of any amount paid to us since December 12, XXXX. At that time, we informed Mr. Stanley that any further charges to his account would not be authorized. In the past two months, Mrs. Stanley has made three unauthorized charge purchases totaling $473.00. This brings their account to $2,356.23, or $1,356.23 over their maximum authorization. As the Stanleys and Mrs. Stanleys family have been steady customers since this store was established, we have hesitated to embarrass them by taking the obvious steps; however, we now feel that we have gone beyond our capacity to accept further neglect of this financial responsibility. If substantial payment is not made by March 1, XXXX, we will be forced to turn over the account to a collection agency. Thank you for your cooperation. Yours truly,

Monroe J. Ruggles
Monroe J. Ruggles Credit Manager
MJR/tt

Item # 8

February 18, XXXX Box 285 Lukesville Dear Mr. Early, Youll probably think its funny, getting a letter from a guy in prison but Rev. Phillips our chaplain said it was worth a try. I have served three and a half years on a ten year sentence for armed robbery and am about to be put on parole. I was only in the car with the guys that done it but we all got busted and I guess it was my good luck as well as bad luck to go to prison. Rev. Phillips got a hold of me right after I got here and really showed me how to put myself together. I had really known I was headed the wrong way in high school when Hank Snowell who I heard works for you now was down at the Y all the time getting the guys together to do projects. He really knew what he was talking about, even the religion part, but I was too stubborn to let myself be talked into it. Anyway I have grown up a lot in the last three years and a half and I think I would now like to work with kids the way hank did and maybe show them how to get more out of their lives than prison. I have been a trustee for two years and have been in charge of basketball, baseball, and swimming here. I know all about handling equipment and how to run things for recreation. I am asking you to consider me for a job with HCDP when I get out on March 15, if you need any recreation people. I guess there is nothing Id rather do and could do a better job at. Yours truly,

Fred Klizer

Item # 9

CITY OF HAMPSHIRE
OFFICE OF THE MAYOR H. V. Pull March 1, XXXX C. L. Early Executive Director Community Development Program 120 E. State Street Hampshire, Franklin Dear C. L.: Millie and I were so pleased that you and Clairissa could make it to our Fourth of July Gala this year. It has become a real tradition for us in the past seven years and we were so disappointed last summer when you had to be out of town. Millie was terribly impressed with all you said about the workings of CDP. Shes very big on causes you know, and has really taken CDP to her heart since the Fourth. I might add that you and Bill Stanley make quite a team! Bill informs us that there will be an opening on the Advisory Board of CDP beginning in September. I neednt tell you that Millie sees that as an ideal way for her to help share in the projects that CDP is accomplishing so well. Of course, her associations with other leading civic groups, etc., provide a terrific liaison among Hampshirites who take their civic duties seriously and make CDP all the more effective. Bill may have already discussed this with you. Im sure Sara has put the bug in his ear since she and Millie are inseparable bridge partners. Let me know how you think that Advisory Board position is shaping up. You probably have a lot of well-qualified people in mind, but it never hurts to put in a plug for the little woman. She has an awful lot of influence as I discovered during two successful mayoral campaigns. Sincerely,

H.V. Pull
H. V. Pull, Mayor HVP/pep Item # 10

State of Franklin

March 1, XXXX Mr. R. T. Now Acting Executive Director Community Development Program Hampshire, Franklin 11543 Dear Mr. Now: Each year the national and international manufacturers of recreation equipment hold a convention in NYC to display their latest products. Tom Gage and I, your counterparts in Northtown and Southtown, have attended this meeting with Mr. C. L. Early for the past three years. We have felt that it was necessary to keep up on the latest products since we all purchase large quantities of them. This years convention will be held on Friday, March 22 and Monday, March 25, XXXX. I plan to hold Mr. Earlys reservation for you in hopes that you will be able to attend this year. I believe you will enjoy the convention as it is the only time we can see all of these products at one time. In addition, we have always enjoyed the expense-paid weekend in New York City, and I have already obtained thickets for the three of us for a couple of good Broadway shows. Hoping you will come. Sincerely,

Walter Tether
Walter Tether Executive Director Community Development Program Northtown, Franklin
dg

Item # 11

____________MEMO______________
March 1, XXXX To: From: Subject: Mr. Now H. Ready Mayors Aide Program

Next week the mayor plans to announce the Mayors Aide Program, which will allow up-and-coming young men the opportunity to work in a variety of positions in the city government starting on June 1. These men will work closely with the mayor. Nominations will have to be made by April 1. When this program was offered before, no one from our department was recommended, which made us look like we have no talent here. I dont want that to happen this time. I want you to write a letter that will get our people to apply for this opportunity and get them moving. I know youll be able to use the words which will get them to move; thats why Im delegating this job to you.

Item # 12

February 2, XXXX Mr. William Stanley Personnel Director Community Development Program Hampshire, Franklin Dear Mr. Stanley, I am writing to you because I heard that you are a fair and compassionate man. There is a terrible situation going on at the Hampshire Senior Citizens Center where I work. On our staff there are three young men in their twenties, who are homosexual. I know they are homosexual by the way they dress, walk, talk, and because they always hang out together. Their behavior is very offensive to the Senior Citizens and to the rest of the staff. They flaunt themselves in front of me and the others here and make working conditions unbearable. I have spoken to Mr. Walker, the director of the Center, but he refuses to do anything. In fact, I think he likes these men. As a city employee for fifteen years, I have never caused anyone any trouble before, but I have told my husband about the situation and he insists that I write this letter. He says that if something doesnt happen to these men, he will go to the newspapers with the story. I feel strongly about this situation and feel that something should be done to return some dignity and respectability to the Senior Citizens Center. Sincerely, Mrs. A. L. Fine P.S. Please dont tell Mr. Walker I wrote to you.

Item # 13

CITY OF HAMPSHIRE
CITY COUNCILMAN
Donald Hard February 23, XXXX Ms. H. Ready Executive Secretary Community Development Program City Office Building #2 Dear Ms. Ready: I am writing to you so that you can initiate some action on this matter, as I know Mr. Early is ill. I am in receipt of complaints on virtually a daily basis from my constituents regarding the Senior Citizens Center. Allow me to detail a few of them to you. (1) Sometimes it takes 10 to 15 minutes before the phone is answered at the Center. (2) When people are reached by phone at the Center, they can seldom give adequate information about activities and class schedules, which means that people have to go to the Center in order to get that information. (3) The printed schedules of activities and classes are not followed, but are changed without notifying anyone, thereby causing senior citizens to make time consuming and costly unnecessary trips to the Center, only to be disappointed when they arrive. I hope you will give your immediate attention to these matters. Sincerely,

Donald Hard
Donald Hard City Councilman DH:ma

Item # 14

MEMO

C. L.: I ran into a marvelous man from Florida who is a specialist in working with young people and potential delinquents. He is a university professor and operates as a private consultant to many organizations like ours. I felt we should hire him to do some in-service training with our people in the field and also I would like to be involved in such a meeting. I will be happy to make all the arrangements, which will involve shutting down all the recreation centers for most of one day. Even though we have very little money in the budget for consultants, I thought we shouldnt pass up the opportunity to hire this man to help us. He is willing to work with our staff now and work out a consulting fee arrangement later on. Since he will be in our area for only a short time, I would like to schedule him to consult with us on March 12. He has five degrees. Hank

Item # 15

Holiday Manor
2/21/XX

C. E. Early Sandy, our daughter, a stewardess for TWA, arranged a lovely surprise for her mother and mefree tickets for an airline trip to Africa. The tickets will be valid only for the period from the first of March through Mid-April. Mrs. Black and I have discussed the situation and are tentatively planning a photo safari in Africa from March 12 to April 2, a short three weeks. As you know, I have used up my vacation days for this year already, but we felt that this opportunity was too good to pass up. We are concerned that Sandy might get married and have to leave TWA someday. If this occurred, we might never have such an opportunity again. I hope that you will permit me to borrow some of my vacation time from 20xx so that Mrs. Black and I can take advantage of the trip this year. We will certainly plan to take some interesting pictures to show you when we get back. My best,

Sonny Black
____________22 Lexington Avenue, Marblehead, Massachusetts____________

Item # 16

State of Franklin
Office of the HONORABLE STATE SENATOR Gerry Mander February 26, XXXX Administrator Community Development Program City Office Building #2 Hampshire, Franklin Dear Administrator: As you may well be aware, I am the chairman of the States Commission on Youth and as such am responsible for the annual Conference for Youth held in our capitol each year. We have learned in our contacts with these young people that there is a growing disenchantment with the prospects of working in the agencies of our government. Several of my colleagues and I have assembled a subcommittee to study this problem first hand in hopes that we can dispel this view of negativism held by our youthful citizens. In this regard, we are requesting Administrators, such as yourself, to confer with our subcommittee in order to provide your insights into the problem and its potential solution. We would like very much to hear your views and have scheduled an appearance on March 21 at 2:00 p.m. in Conference Room C, on the third floor, State Capitol Building. Please do not feel that you should have to do a lot of preparation for this meeting. We would like to hear your off the cuff remarks and any ideas you might be able to provide us. We look forward to seeing you before the subcommittee. Sincerely yours,

Gerry Mander
Gerry Mander State Senator Item # 17

CITY OF HAMPSHIRE
MEMORANDUM

TO:

R. T. Now

FROM:

John Handy Building Operations Officer City Office Building #2 Disposal March 1, XXXX

SUBJECT: DATE:

Welcome aboard! Heard you would be in the office soon and thought Id better give you the bad news. The custodians union is planning to go out on strike on March 18, if their new contract isnt signed by then. The negotiations with the civil servants commission have broken down entirely at this point, so we may well have a strike on our hands on the 18th. Im informing all department heads that if we do have a strike they will be responsible for disposing of all refuse in their own offices. That means the whole floor that you and your staff occupy. Youd better be prepared to handle this problem somehow, just in case.

Item # 18