Ivan Satterfield

OGL 481 Pro-Seminar I:

PCA-Politcal Frame Worksheet
Worksheet Objectives:
1. Describe the political frame
2. Apply the political frame to your personal case situation

Complete the following making sure to support your ideas and cite from the textbook and other
course materials per APA guidelines. After the peer review, you have a chance to update this and
format for your Electronic Portfolio due in Module 6.

1) Briefly restate your situation from Module 1 and your role.

The case study is about the challenges faced by the Public Works Department of a local
government, particularly within the Sanitation division. The department's objective is to
improve and maintain the city's infrastructure and environment to benefit its diverse
population. Unfortunately, the Sanitation division faces issues with an overwhelming
workload and inefficient service request processing. As a result, the department cannot
provide sufficient services to the public. Additionally, the quality and effectiveness of
supervision have been compromised due to the expansion of responsibilities and an increased
span of control. To tackle this challenge, the department introduced an additional supervisor
position. As a frontline supervisor in the Sanitation division, I was tasked with training the
new supervisor to ensure adequate supervision.
I am a frontline supervisor in the Public Works Department Sanitation division. My role
involves overseeing various tasks, such as scheduling and supervising work, responding to
service requests, ensuring safety protocols, maintaining records, and preparing reports. I am
responsible for a team of 19 employees, and with my decade of experience, I have witnessed
the department's growth and evolution. Due to an expanded span of control and
overwhelming workloads, I was assigned the crucial task of training the new supervisor to
help alleviate the workload and provide better service to the community.
2) Describe how the politics of the organization influenced the situation.

My workplace, a local municipality, has a mayor-council form of governance. As the elected

chief executive officer, the mayor is in charge of implementing city policies, managing
departments, and representing the city in various capacities. The council plays a crucial role
in the municipality's politics and organization. A legislative body drafts and passes city
ordinances, resolutions, and policies. Residents from specific districts elect eight council
members, while one council member is elected at large. Each council member represents a
specific district and its constituents.

1
Ivan Satterfield

For organizations to survive, they must rely on their environment for resources and consider
the expectations of external constituents (Bolman & Deal, 2021). This notion is particularly
true for government agencies. The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted the city I
work for, resulting in a projected $300 million deficit. It is always encouraged for
departments to cut, making it difficult to fill positions amidst the deficit. Filling vacant
positions is more challenging than just hiring because the department not only need founding
but council approval, which can take a long time. The municipality is subject to laws,
regulations, and policies that dictate its operations. When trying to fill positions, a majority
vote from the City Council is necessary, which can be time-consuming.

3) Recommend how you would use organizational politics for an alternative course of
action regarding your case.

To address the staffing issues in the Sanitation divisont, I suggest starting with lobbying and
discussions with the City Council and the mayor's office. We need to highlight how the
current budgetary and resource allocation directly impacts the department and its ability to
serve the constituents. By working closely with the council and different department heads,
we can come up with creative solutions to fill the must-needed positions.

In contract negotiations with the major unions for the municipality, we should prioritize
staffing over wage increases. This requires well-informed information gathering about the
challenges facing the sanitation department, including the impacts of the pandemic and the
specific resources needed to serve the community. Collecting data and evidence supporting
your alternative course of action is as important as strategically sharing this information with
decision-makers to build the case for more staff.

4) Reflect on what you would do or not do differently given what you have learned
about this frame.

To address the issue of understaffing in the Sanitation division, I recommend forming a

working group with individuals who share our concerns within and outside the organization.
Collaborating with influential colleagues and community groups can help amplify our voice
when advocating for change with the City Council and the mayor.

To effectively communicate our proposal, it's essential to align our needs with the goals of
the political parties of the mayor and the council. We should frame our argument to align
with their broader goals and objectives and emphasize how our alternative course of action
benefits the municipality and its residents overall well-being. To achieve this, address
pressing issues and show how our proposal is consistent with achieving the objectives of all
stakeholders. Being flexible and willing to adapt our recommendations as needed is crucial in
finding common ground and gaining support from the city's political leaders.

2
Ivan Satterfield

Reference

Bolman, L. G., & Deal, T. E. (2021). Reframing organizations: Artistry, Choice, and Leadership.

(7th ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.