Private Vendors Research Articles

Yosemite Regional Transportation Strategy: Creating a Public-Private Partnership

In 1992 the Yosemite Area Regional Transportation Strategy (YARTS) group began meeting to discuss access and transportation needs of visitors to the Yosemite region. The group included representatives of the five rural counties surrounding Yosemite National Park, the National Park Service, the state department of transportation, and eventually the U.S. Forest Service and other state and federal agencies. Urgency increased after the park instituted a program of gate closures to address congestion and parking problems within Yosemite Valley. Although the closures lasted only a matter of hours, the impact was felt for months to come as visitors changed their plans in the face of potential closures. Two years later, a flood permanently removed infrastructure within the park, including parking spaces and camping sites, making access from the surrounding communities even more critical. After 8 years of planning, YARTS has implemented the first regional transit service ever focused on the 4 million annual visitors to Yosemite. The 2-year demonstration service plan is not intended to replace automobile access to the park but rather to provide an alternative mode of access. The plan is creating a unique partnership between YARTS and private vendors who will provide the service and assume much of the start-up risk. The plan provides a working outline of the service, including anticipated service levels and fares. All of these plan highlights are discussed, along with a history of the YARTS organization, which describes the technical and political challenges to implementation.

Home Modifications: Enabling Environments, LLC, a Fee-Based Service

Enabling Environments, LLC, is a for-profit corporation that provides environmental home evaluations, prepares recommendations and secures home modifications for elderly and mobility-impaired individuals. The partnership was created based upon a recognized unmet need for home modification that takes into consideration issues of safety, independence, and quality of life. We have the ability to provide these needed services more efficiently, compassionately, and at lower cost than governmental agencies or most nonprofit entities, due to our organizational structure and process. Current statistics and trends predict that the largest population to be served in the next 30 years is the elderly. However, it is clear that as a nation we are currently ill equipped to meet the needs of frail older persons and others who are mobility impaired. The experience derived from our partnership demonstrates that the community at large has little knowledge of the needs of elderly and handicapped individuals; rather, society often stigmatizes, isolates, or unconsciously punishes persons for their disabilities or what others perceive as a lack of ability to be active. While our knowledge tells us that the vast majority of elderly individuals prefer to live at home rather than move to a communal facility, many family members and caregivers are not aware of the methods by which their existing homes or living units can be modified for better safety. Individuals usually become aware of elder care needs when they experience the need to provide care for loved ones, firsthand. It is the goal of Enabling Environments to maintain environmental conditions that will enable individuals to be as safely independent as possible, with dignity, and a recognition of other family needs where appropriate. Another aims is providing access to the community. Enabling Environments places a continuum between the client, family, health care practitioners, manufacturers, vendors, and contractors, coordinating all services and disciplines necessary to accomplish the needed home modifications. The professionals in our firm have extensive experience with governmental, nonprofit organizations, manufacturers, and vendors. This includes working for and having contracts with city and state agencies. OBSTACLES AND IMPEDIMENTS Unfortunately, governmental programs that provide appropriate and cost-effective home modifications are few. Many programs that can assist individuals are not well publicized and thus difficult for individuals to access. Those that are in existence, for the most part, are overregulated with inappropriate requirements for compliance; thus little work can be accomplished in reasonable time. The costs of individual projects are increased dramatically by these imposed regulations with the monies available for modifications instead going toward administrative expense. Many of the requirements mandated are for large multiple dwellings or subsidized housing rather than for individual homes, coops, condos, adn small rental units. Private manufacturers and vendors often have tunnel vision in the belief that their product is the best and only product on the market to solve an individual's needs. The lack of knowledge of other products and the need for increasing profit margins may result in the provision of a product that does not meet client needs in the most appropriate manner. Vendors of multiple products also may fall into a similar error, with a sole concern about profit margin or product availability. We also recognize a general disdain for products of foreign manufacture and design, despite the relative lack of appropriate products in our own country. Healthcare professionals, sometimes, have a tendency to be focused on either the patient or the illness, thus fragmenting care. This situation is less likely to manifest itself in a multidisciplinary environment, but it still is a common occurrence. THE ENABLING TEAM Enabling Environments comprises a team of occupational therapists, architects, elder care planners, accessibility specialists, engineering services, product developers, social workers, and home evaluators. …

PRIVATIZING GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS A SYSTEMS APPROACH

AbstractThe Hanford Area is a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) reservation in Southeastern Washington, where the primary mission for nearly fifty years was production of nuclear weapons materials. It is now the nation's largest superfund site and its sole mission is environmental remediation of the mixed wastes generated during plutonium production. A large fraction of these wastes are stored in 177 underground tanks and are the subject of the DOE's Tank Waste Remediation System (TWRS) Program. Since its inception the TWRS Program has been managed by a Maintenance and Operations (M&O) contractor.The DOE is now considering the privatization of a portion of this program and has recently issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) seeking new, qualified, private vendors. Successful bidders will be expected to build waste processing facilities with their own financial resources and to recover their costs by charging fixed prices for the various products delivered to the DOE. Because the TWRS Program is such a large, complex, and expensive undertaking, the privatization initiative will be conducted in two phases: a small proof‐of‐concept phase, followed by full‐scale production. A primary objective of the proof‐of‐concept phase is to test this new contracting approach by determining the interest of private companies and demonstrating their technical capabilities.The key to a successful demonstration is establishing the right set of requirements to be satisfied by the private vendors. These requirements must be consistent with the existing requirements set developed over the past three years by the M&O contractor. This paper presents the results of a systems engineering effort that was conducted in support of the RFP preparation and had to be coordinated with an ongoing program. Much of the effort was focused on the specification of new proof‐of‐concept requirements that are directly traceable to corresponding requirements in the M&O's RDD‐100® database. A new functions and requirements database was created for this first privatization phase using CORE®, a systems engineering support tool, produced by Vitech Corporation.

The Role of the Private Sector in Health Services: Lessons for ASEAN

Developed and developing country governments look to privatization as a mechanism for increased efficiency in health services and as an avenue to financial relief for public-sector health programmes. Privatization takes the form of rational public pricing policy, contract ing of private vendors, transfer of ownership to private and quasi-public entities, and termi nation of public activities. The provision of curative services, medical education, and the production of medical supplies are prime areas for private-sector expansion. The public sec tor should continue to take primary responsibility for financing and delivery of key preven tive and promotive services, including maternal and child health care, immunization services, and general control of contagious diseases. In addition, developing country governments must lead also lead in providing public health education, health information, and health sector regulation. Moreover, the public sector must continue and increase its efforts to safe guard the welfare of underprivileged and low-income beneficiary populations while pursuing a privatization policy. In critical areas such as the control of human immunodeficiency virus and treatment of conditions related to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, broadly based co-operative efforts involving the public sector, the private sector, and non-governmental organizations are necessary to meet the health needs of developing member countries.

An Overview of State-Published Local Government Financial Data

See appendix for an extensive list state-published local government financial data which are the subject this report. Governmental bureaucracies, private sector groups, and the general public often have a need for revenue, expenditure, and debt statistics concerning county and municipal (i.e., city, town, village, and borough) governments. A number publishers this information currently include: the federal government, various states, the Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations, and private vendors. The U. S. Bureau the Census, the primary data source, publishes annual compilations this financial information in summary and component form in several documents: Government Finances, County Government Finances, City Government Finances, and Local Government Finances in Major County Areas. However, comprehensive and comparative data coverage localities in these publications is relatively limited (e.g., individual counties are assumed to have a population 100,000 or more residents and individual cities to have at least 50,000 inhabitants). Nonetheless, every five years the U.S. Census Bureau does provide comprehensive data collection for all localities as part its Census Government series. A notable advantage both the annual and quinquennial reports is that categorical uniformity facilitates financial comparisons by type government within and among the states. On the other hand, federal budgetary restrictions in recent years have often limited the timely availability the data. Alternatively, a somewhat more limited and lesser known data source exists. Currently, 15 state governments annually publish revenue, expenditure, debt, and additional supplementary statistical information for every county and municipality within their borders in a timely manner. Historical Background Recognizing the chaotic state local government accounting practices in the late 19th century, the National Municipal League recommended in 1898 that states begin supervising counties and municipalities by prescribing and installing uniform accounting systems, inspecting local accounting offices, and collecting and publishing comparative financial statistics (Kilpatrick, 1913, p. 249). It was hoped, the availability such data would be of immeasurable importance in promoting efficient internal administration municipal affairs as well as direct service to the economist and student political science in its larger aspects (Gettemy, 1913, p. 353). Ohio became the first state to use a standard format for reporting comparative financial statistics localities by initially publishing data for cities in 1905 (for counties in 1908). New York (1907), Massachusetts (1908--cities and towns only), Iowa (1908--cities and towns only), Indiana (1909), California (1912), Wisconsin (1918), New Jersey (1919), and Michigan (1919-counties only) began their publication efforts shortly thereafter. New Jersey issued only two reports between 1919 and 1928, but resumed continuous publication in 1939. Georgia has provided such data annually since 1982--in summary form by type local government, but not for individual localities. Six states, including five the early pioneers, stopped publication several years ago. Indiana and Iowa--both with intermittent publishing records--curtailed their efforts in 1967 and 1971, respectively, for unknown reasons. Illinois (1979), Massachusetts (1981), and Ohio (1981) suspended publication due to budgetary difficulties--but state agencies currently make it available through computer printout or disk form. A similar format is currently available through the University Michigan and the University Utah covering all the localities in those states. The University Oregon made computer printouts this data available for a brief period (1984-92). The remaining 28 states have never published financial data for their individual counties and municipalities. …

Valuing long-term leases: The option to redevelop

Long-term leases on property are popular in many jurisdictions, both with private vendors and with local governments who want to retain future control over land use. A puzzling issue for vendors and purchasers has been how to value these leased properties relative to fee-simple properties. Simple present-value models suggest that there should be little difference between the price of fee-simple land and the price of long-term leases. Transaction prices in Canada on 80-year to 100-year residential leases, however, are 20 percent to 40 percent less than comparable fee-simple properties. We outline a financial model for valuing leased properties. The value of the option to upgrade or redevelop is considered. We show that the large part of the discount of leased properties from fee-simple properties can be explained by this option to redevelop.

Data archivists: The intermediaries the Census Bureau forgot: A review essay of “The role of intermediaries in the interpretation and dissemination of census data now and in the future”

“ The Role of Intermediaries in the Interpretation and Dissemination of Census Data Now and in the Future” is a Census Bureau report written by Sandra Rowland of the Bureau's “21st Century” staff. The report was written to describe the importance of intermediaries in providing census data to the general public and to specialized researchers. Intermediaries are recognized for their part in linking census information and users. Each of the intermediaries (Government Printing Office, Federal Depository Libraries, State Data Centers, and private vendors) is described as a distributor of census information. The report also suggests the future role each intermediary is expected to play given changes in technology and development of electronic format information. This article reviews the report and suggests that the role of the intermediary has been oversimplified and that scenarios presented for handling electronic information discourage cooperation among information disseminating agencies. This article also discusses the role of a Data Archive as an intermediary.

'What's in a Name?' The Paperwork Reduction Act

"Paperwork Reduction Act." Music to the ears of every American taxpayer. And certainly to physicians inundated by Medicare forms. Who could oppose legislation with such a noble name? Well, I could. Not because I advocate paperwork proliferation, but because a proposal within the House of Representatives to renew this Act (first enacted in 1980) contains a clause that would damage an institution that most physicians have long depended on for reliable information—the National Library of Medicine (NLM). This institution represents the largest and finest collection of biomedical publications, papers, and documents in the world. The quality of information products derived from the Library's databases will be at serious risk if HR 3695, The Paperwork Reduction and Federal Information Resources Management Act of 1989, is enacted. This Act, sponsored by Rep John Conyers, Jr, of Michigan, would prohibit the Library from entering into formal agreements with private vendors, thus effectively banning

'What's in a name?' The Paperwork Reduction Act

"Paperwork Reduction Act." Music to the ears of every American taxpayer. And certainly to physicians inundated by Medicare forms. Who could oppose legislation with such a noble name? Well, I could. Not because I advocate paperwork proliferation, but because a proposal within the House of Representatives to renew this Act (first enacted in 1980) contains a clause that would damage an institution that most physicians have long depended on for reliable information—the National Library of Medicine (NLM). This institution represents the largest and finest collection of biomedical publications, papers, and documents in the world. The quality of information products derived from the Library's databases will be at serious risk if HR 3695, The Paperwork Reduction and Federal Information Resources Management Act of 1989, is enacted. This Act, sponsored by Rep John Conyers, Jr, of Michigan, would prohibit the Library from entering into formal agreements with private vendors, thus effectively banning

The Promise and Pitfalls of Purchase-of-Service Contracts

Dr. Sharfstein's Introduction: A critical issue in the economics of mental health care is how we structure the financing of services and who becomes empowered to deliver those services. The quality and accountability of psychiatric care is thus caught in issues other than the level or degree of support for psychiatric care. The case of purchase-of-service contracting in Massachusetts is an important lesson on the interaction of public and private resources and settings and the pitfalls that can occur when public agencies contract with private vendors to provide mental health services.

Management Information Systems for Local Government

For some time private firms have used computer-based comprehensive management information systems. Local governments also have used computers to process data, but local governments lack comprehensive management information systems-for several reasons: (a) they have not had or have not allocated resources to develop such systems; (b) the nature of local governments make such development difficult; (c) interstate differences in local governments make it difficult to design systems that can be used nationally; (d) local governments lack incentives to acquire such a system; and (e) private vendors have not developed and marketed such systems as they have for private businesses. Here we discuss local governments' need for assistance to develop management information systems, constraints that keep them from adopting such systems, and how adoption might affect local governments' capacity. We describe briefly the management information system we developed for and instituted in county governments in Kansas and conclude by discussing the role of economists in system design.

The expenditure effects of alternative public supply institutions

Most of the literature on the economics and politics of state and local government takes public provision of a service by a jurisdiction to be synonymous with production by the same government agency.' Empirically, this characterization is not far from the mark. In the case of municipalities, the only major service that is supplied by the private sector to a significant degree is refuse collection, and even here, public supply is dominant.2 In general, local governments tend to be local monopolies for the services they provide. Although this institutional arrangement is typical, alternatives are clearly conceivable. In fleshing out the role of the public sector, the reasons most often given for collective decision-making focus upon economies from joint consumption by more than one individual and upon costs associated with exclusion of potential nonpaying consumers. However, this reasoning offers a basis only for collectivizing consumption decisions and sheds no light upon how supply or production should be organized. A natural alternative to the conventional public supply mode is one in which a public entity registers a collective demand for various services and then arranges to purchase these services from whatever supply sources are available. Ideally, each public purchaser would face a range of supply options including, perhaps, both public and private enterprise vendors. In the remainder of this paper, the allocative consequences of these two alternative public supply institutions are compared.