Case #1261.0

Addressing a Fractious Constituency: Andrew Mecca and California's Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs (A)

Publication Date: January 01, 1994
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Abstract:
When Andrew Mecca arrives as the new director of the California state agency responsible for disbursing funds to drug and alcohol rehabilitation programs, he finds his plans for the agency stymied by demands he hadn't anticipated. A hodgepodge of citizen boards representing an array of ethnic communities, as well as boards set up by the state legislature to monitor the agency, dominate his workday. They present dizzying demands for what appears to him to be special preference at a time when he must deal with an increasing scarcity of funds. This external political management case frames Mecca's problem as he considers how to bring order to this interest group chaos without offending key constituencies of all sorts. The sequel tells the story of what Mecca viewed as a successful effort to remake his "advice-giving" environment and a series of factors -- some fortuitous, some carefully-crafted -- which enabled him to change the system.

Other Details

Case Author:
Pamela Varley
Faculty Lead:
Mark Moore
Pages (incl. exhibits):
9
Setting:
United States
Language:
English
Funding Source:
Drug Abuse Information and Monitoring Project of the UCLA Drug Abuse Research Center