Tag: Planning Public Policy and Management

So What? The Impact of Social Capital Created by the Ford Institute Leadership Program

Presenter: Aimee Fritsch

Mentor: Laura Leete

Oral Presentation

Major: Planning, Public Policy and Management 

This study investigates the impact of social capital, defined in this context as the personal or community benefits that come from social networks, that participants formed by being a part of the Ford Institute Leadership Program (FILP). FLIP is a community leadership class sponsored by the Ford Family Foundation designed to train emerging, existing and experienced leaders, and draws class members from individuals who live and/or work in the sponsored communities. The study asks the question, “What are people doing with the new or deepened relationships they formed because of these classes?” Research is being done primarily via in-person interviews with participants in three case study communities: Ontario, Hermiston, and Forest Grove, Oregon. The preliminary results of this research suggest that new connections are creating personal, professional, and community benefits, especially in increased access to resources. Findings from this study will be of primary use to the Ford Family Foundation, but would also be interesting and applicable to anyone interested in community development, rural studies, some sectors of sociology, and/or program evaluation.

The Environmental Integrity Group: Each Country’s Intended Nationally Determined Contribution Commitments

Presenter(s): Barbara Lombardi − Business

Faculty Mentor(s): Ronald Mitchell

Poster 166

Research Area: Policy

This research will explore the Environmental Integrity negotiating Group’s position on climate change and how that aligns with the five individual country’s stances. The primary research question is: despite the fact that Mexico, South Korea, Lichtenstein, Monaco, and Switzerland belong to the same negotiating group, did each country make the same Intended Nationally Determined Contribution commitments? The position of the Environmental Integrity Group will be examined and compared to each individual country’s previous activities, Greenhouse Gas emissions, and policy implementations. Primary research suggests that these countries have different emission patterns and mitigation targets. These five country’s all agreed to be apart of a common group adopting the same values, but do they individually all end up making the same individual contributions? Each country’s vulnerability to climate change may play a vital role in their decision to form a group. These questions are important to answer because if these vastly different country’s are able to agree on solutions to global warming, then possibly all country’s can reach an agreement to make a significant impact on reversing climate change.

Procedural Barriers to Health Care: Applying for Coverage through the Oregon Health Plan

Presenter(s): Harrison Jensen—Planning, Public Policy and Management Faculty

Mentor(s): Nicole Ngo, José Meléndez

Session 3: To Care and How Not to Care, that is the Question…

For low-income and disabled Americans, Medicaid, a joint federal-state program that provides health insurance coverage at low-or-no cost, is a lifeline . And yet, even as the benefits that Medicaid provides are in greater and greater need, nearly 6 million Medicaid-eligible adults aren’t covered . Studies on Medicaid participation rates frequently cite the complexity of the application process as being one of the main reasons why so many don’t enroll . However, relatively little research has been done on how applicants for Medicaid actually navigate through the application process . This study aims to address this gap in the existing body of research by asking individuals who applied for the Oregon Health Plan, Oregon’s state Medicaid program, about their experience applying . Preliminary interview data shows that applying for Medicaid can, in fact, be burdensome for applicants that are working and/or don’t receive any outside help during the application process .