Sharpen public administration students’ critical analysis skills with ‘case memos’

The study of public administration often navigates the space between theoretical models and the complex, often messy, reality of governance. While core theories provide essential frameworks for understanding the issues of public administration, it is through the examination of concrete cases that these abstractions gain meaning and utility. A case memo is written with a clear purpose, which is to bridge this critical gap between theory and practice, by requiring students to analyse a specific case that exemplifies a significant public administration challenge.

In my advanced class on public administration in Hong Kong, each student is required to produce two short case memos on assigned topics. We invite them to discuss a particular case that reflects a significant location-specific issue. The case should address some arguments covered in lectures, class discussions and core readings.

Students have three days after the corresponding lecture to complete the memo, and we then invite three or four students to present theirs in the next class. The rest of the students ask questions and share comments on the presented work.

Rationale behind using case memos

The case memo exercise aims to help students demonstrate their ability to unpack public administrative processes or outcomes with reference to the theoretical debates and propositions around a related topic. For example, in my Hong Kong-specific course, a student might choose the Lantau Metropolis Plan in Hong Kong as a case to analyse. They can subsequently elaborate on the civic engagement and participation aspect of the plan using a framework from the civic engagement readings and then develop a theory-informed analysis of the participatory effectiveness of the exercise – such as why the overall participation is more or less favourably viewed – according to civic engagement theories we examine in the course.

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Questions to guide the case memos

We invite students to propose a meaningful question that leads to an analysis that illustrates critical aspects of the selected theoretical debate or challenge notions on the subject matter. For example, students can link the above case of the Lantau development to the discussion on the effectiveness of new citizen engagement strategies in Hong Kong. We find that this is a powerful exercise to train students to streamline their thoughts. It can also motivate students to reflect on the course materials in a more personal way.

Theoretical framework for the case memo

Because case memos focus on applying theory to a specific situation, a full literature review is not required. Instead, students must put together an overview that highlights the disagreement in the literature that prompts the analysis. The focus should mainly fall on the relevant perspectives, how they differ from one another and whether the theoretical expectations of each should align or contradict the observed outcomes or processes in the case. In a nutshell, students should set the stage for the reader, using the case memo to say something interesting about the theory behind the course material.

Consider the hypothetical project relating to Lantau. Civic engagement models often break down participatory exercises into a number of constituent attributes, such as:

• The decision-making method
• Scope of deliberation
• Duration of engagement. 

Students’ case memos can analyse a civic engagement case by examining key dimensions and explaining the causes behind the observed outcomes. In short, the writing of the memos should be governed by standard requirements that apply to social scientific writing, which allows much more room for critical analysis, rather than factual description. We want students to reflect on the concepts and debates covered in the class, rather than to simply paraphrase arguments.

How to structure case memos

We tell students that they are free to structure and outline their memo as they see fit. We encourage the use of section headers to provide readers with clear signposts. We also offer a brief template to guide them:

• Introduction: summarise the memo’s central argument. Offer a brief “roadmap” that succinctly tells the reader how the memo is structured
• Background: succinctly review relevant literature and arguments helpful for understanding the issue at hand. Assume the readers have no prior knowledge of the background and controversies of the issue involved
• Analysis: develop the core argument of the memo. Bring in relevant concepts, evidence and sources within and outside class materials to enrich the discussion
• Limitations and conclusion: summarise the memo’s main points and note potential limitations of the argument. Be aware of the scope and focus of the inquiry, and highlight the possible directions for future studies.

Presentation of case memos

Each week, we invite students to present their work to the class. As the memo itself is quite succinct, students can expand their analyses and share their insights. We aim to select memos with different approaches to a topic or different issues that reflect the controversies discussed in class, and adopt a student-led approach to enrich class learning. 

Students can submit their questions and comments via a Google Form, and the teaching team can screen the responses and select the most illustrative ones. We find that this is a very effective way to initiate class debates and improve student knowledge and workplace skills. 

Adrian Man-Ho Lam is a course tutor in the department of politics and public administration at the University of Hong Kong.

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