Bureau of Public Affairs Research Records, 1959-1987

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Bureau of Public Affairs Research
Title
Bureau of Public Affairs Research Records
Dates
1959-1987 (inclusive)
Quantity
6.5 cubic feet
Collection Number
UG047 (collection)
Summary
Grant applications and reports, information concerning seminars, workshops and institutes, correspondence and other material relating to publications, general correspondence, financial records and other papers concerning the Bureau of Public Affairs Research, a division of the Department of Political Science at the University of Idaho.
Repository
University of Idaho Library, Special Collections and Archives
Special Collections and Archives
University of Idaho Library
875 Perimeter Drive
MS 2350
Moscow, ID
83844-2350
Telephone: 2088850845
libspec@uidaho.edu
Languages
English
Sponsor
Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Historical NoteReturn to Top

The Bureau of Public Affairs Research was established at the University of Idaho in 1959 as a unit within the Department of Social Sciences. Its main purpose was to provide research, training, and consulting services for state and local government agencies in Idaho. It also worked closely with state agency personnel and city and county governmental associations in planning Bureau activities and identifying major problem areas for research and training.

In its first ten years of existence the Bureau completed seventeen major research studies: nine on city government, two on county government, two on the state legislature, and four compilations of election statistics. This level of activity continued until the retirement of Sidney Duncombe who directed the Bureau from 1973-1988.

The Bureau also published for elected city and county officials handbooks which contain descriptions of the responsibilities and duties of local officials in Idaho. Other publications reported the results of studies into specific problems in local government, such as municipal home rule for Idaho cities, centralized purchasing for local governments, and use of annexation and extraterritorial powers of cities in solving urban fringe problems.

In addition to its research function, the Bureau, using federal grant funds, sponsored training programs for state and local officials in Idaho. Among the institutes were those for mayors and councilmen, county commissioners and clerks, city clerks and treasurers, city fiscal officers, legislative budget staff, local law enforcement administrators, and tax assessors. The Bureau also provided consulting services to state and local agencies.

Regular state appropriations to the University paid for the director and other full-time staff members. The remaining income for the Bureau came from federal and foundation grants, consulting fees, and sale of publications.

Although still in existence, under the directorship of Florence Heffron, the Bureau no longer maintains its former level of activity.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The Records of the Bureau of Public Affairs Research span the years 1959 to 1987, with the bulk of the material covering the years 1960 to 1980.

Included in the records are grant applications and reports; information concerning seminars, workshops and institutes conducted by the Bureau; correspondence and other material related to Bureau publications; and other material including general correspondence, financial records, and the County Night presentation.

Approximately one cubic foot of material in this record group was transferred from the personal papers of bureau director H. Sydney Duncombe which are located in Manuscript Group 341.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

Although the bulk of the Bureau of Public Affairs Research Records were in labeled folders, the received order did not lend itself to a series arrangement, therefore the folders, but not their contents, were rearranged during processing. Original folder headings were retained.

The Bureau of Public Affairs Research was, for the most part, a self supporting organization which depended on federal or state grants to support its activities. The first series, Grant Applications and Reports, 1959-1979, contains applications to such organizations as the Association for the Humanities in Idaho, the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare, the Law Enforcement Planning Commission, the National Science Foundation, and the Idaho State Commission for Higher Education Facilities which administered the Title I grants of the Higher Education Act of 1965. In addition to the applications, the folders also contain periodic reports, correspondence, and some financial accounts related to the grants.

The second series, Seminars, Workshops, etc., 1967-1981, contains information about the activities funded by the grants in Series I. The seminars, which were held at various locations throughout the state, included budget presentation institutes, programs for city clerk and county assessor certification, commissioners and clerks workshops, law enforcement institutes and an institute for newly elected city officials. Included in the seminar and workshop papers are programs, records of attendance, notes used in presentations, and summaries of evaluations. Also included in this series are notes and other classroom material for Political Science 400.

As part of its mission the bureau also issued a number of publications. Series III contains correspondence, financial accounting material, input from reviewers of chapters, and drafts of several bureau publications and handbooks. Also included are the situation and character sketches for the Idaho Tomorrow game, an innovation role-playing activity developed by Sydney Duncombe, director of the bureau from 1973 to 1988. The University of Idaho funded STAR 17 grant (Short Term Applied Research), was used to prepare a report to the Idaho Legislative Fiscal and Budget Committee on public assistance programs in Idaho. Each section contains a draft of the report, notes, and information supplied by the agency concerned.

The final series contains general bureau correspondence, financial records including grant ledgers and budgets, minutes of bureau research meetings, project plans and progress reports, results of a national survey investigating the use of volunteers in county government, and finally, the script, slides, and taped narrative of the 1987 County Night program, which described the origin, history, services, and functions of counties in the United States, using Latah and Nez Perce counties as examples.

Printed material from states other than Idaho collected by the Bureau was discarded. Other types of material not retained include printed legislative bills, telephone bills and other invoices, store room orders, out of state county or city newsletters, and duplicates of printed material. Also discarded were University BTRs (Budget Transaction Reports). This reduced the quantity of material by 6 cubic feet.

Acquisition Information

The Records of the Bureau of Public Affairs Research were transferred to the University of Idaho library by the Bureau between June 1985 and March 1989.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

Series I. Grant Applications and Reports, 1959-1979Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
1/1
Association for the Humanities in Idaho. Community Futures Program
41 items
1973-1980
1/2
Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. Environmental workshops
29 items
1972-1973
1/3
Institutional development plan and fellowship program for public service education
19 items
1977-1978
1/4
Law Enforcement Planning Commission. Minorities and the police in rural Idaho
7 items
1972-1973
1/5
Proposal for evaluating statewide group homes
11 items
1977
1/6
National Science Foundation. The impact of public land ownership
1 item
1975
1/7
Governor's policy options for science and technology resources
31 items
1977-1978
1/8
Title I. Community service and continuing education program
36 items
1966-1975
1/9-15
Consulting services to state and local officials in Idaho
162 items
1969-1975
1/16-18
Consulting and management training services to state and local officials in Idaho
44 items
1975-1976
1/19-22
Consulting and training services to state and local officials in Idaho
48 items
1976-1979
1/23
Idaho-WICHE "Impact internship program"
1 item
1973
1/24
Training program for city councilmen
34 items
1966-1968
1/25
(Joint). Annual training academy for Idaho officials
16 items
1976
1/26
Title I-A. Consulting and training services to state and local officials
2 items
1978
1/27
Title I. State matching funds
13 items
1969-1972
1/28
U.S. Civil Service Commission. Development of a training program for local government officials and employees
10 items
1973
1/29
Comprehensive personnel management service for Idaho municipalities
8 items
1974
1/30
IPA (Intergovernmental Personnel Act) grant reports
6 items
1973-1974
1/31
University of Idaho. Research projects
18 items
1959-1968

Series II. Seminars, Workshops, etc., 1967-1981Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
1/32
Administrative and legal problems
17 items
1976
1/33
Administrative procedure act workshop
52 items
1979
1/34
Administrative regulatory process institutes
19 items
1977
1/35
Association of Idaho Cities. Contract
12 items
1978
1/36
Convention file
4 items
undated
1/37
Basic municipal accounting
30 items
1975
1/38
Benefit-cost analysis in program evaluation
6 items
1981
1/39
Budget presentation institute
16 items
1972
1/40
Bureau of Land Management May institute
21 items
1983
1/41
Citizen involvement in the governmental process
4 items
1978
1/42
City budgeting
7 items
1975
1/43
City clerks certification
64 items
1969-1974
1/44
City election administration workshops
17 items
1977
2/45
Commissioners and clerks workshop
52 items
1972-1973
2/46
County assessors school
20 items
1974
2/47
County cooperation workshops
31 items
1977
2/48-51
County officials seminars
279 items
1972-1976
2/52-53
Environmental workshops
32 items
1972-1973
2/54
Idaho county training needs survey
14 items
1973-1978
2/55
Innovations in teaching
18 items
1971-1973
2/56-62
Institute for city clerks and financial officers
259 items
1971-1978
2/63
Intergovernmental Personnel Act. Grant program
15 items
1972-1973
2/64
Basic county government seminar
19 items
1974
2/65
Communications seminar
6 items
1974
2/66
Interrelationship seminar
15 items
1974
2/67
Performance review session
8 items
1973
2/68-70
Training needs survey
32 items
1973-1975
2/71
Intermediate municipal accounting
12 items
1976
2/72
Local law enforcement institute
94 items
1970
2/73-80
Newly elected city officials institute
227 items
1967-1975
2/81
Police productivity workshops
19 items
1977
2/82
Policy analysis
12 items
1973
2/83
Political Science 400. Program implementation. Plans, outlines
9 items
1979
2/84
Units 1 & 2
19 items
1979
2/85
Games
16 items
1979
2/86
Program assembly process
33 items
1979
2/87
Policy design: Gas rationing
22 items
1979
2/88
Policy design and implementation
8 items
1979
2/89
Employment service
29 items
1979
3/90
Procedure simplification, notes
5 items
1975
3/91-92
Public Administration certification program
42 items
1972
3/93
Public relations for county officials
29 items
1977
3/94
Public relations in budgeting
25 items
1980
3/95
Records management seminar
23 items
1973-1974
3/96
Special district seminars
60 items
1973
3/97
Tax assessor institute
25 items
1970-1971
3/98
Teacher institute, notes and correspondence
68 items
1968-1970
3/99
Title I projects
36 items
1978

Series III. Publications, 1964-1987Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
3/100-101
Book sales
79 items
1970-1978
3/102
Distribution lists
9 items
1974
3/103
Requests
37 items
1979-1980
3/104
Games: Election game and book
60 items
1970-1975
3/105
Games: Idaho Tomorrow
79 items
1974
3/106
Masters
87 items
1974
3/107
Association for the Humanities in Idaho grant
14 items
1973-1975
3/108
Correspondence re: revised book
51 items
1975
3/109
Masters
120 items
1980
3/110
Characters
55 items
1980
3/111
Situations
8 items
undated
3/112
County modernization
7 items
1981
3/113
Draft and correspondence with reviewers
30 items
1979-1980
3/114
Development of a training program for local government officials and employees in Idaho
1 item
1974
3/115
The Coeur d'Alene tomorrow program: a new look at citizen input on community growth and development
17 items
1981
3/116
Handbook for county officials: Correspondence
100 items
1964-1966
3/117
Correspondence
50 items
1971-1972
3/118
Draft
16 items
1987
3/119
Correspondence with reviewers of chapters
31 items
1987
3/120
Publishing information
8 items
1987
3/121
Chapters 6-17
12 items
1988
3/122
Handbook on public budgeting and financial management
8 items
1980
3/123
Correspondence
61 items
1979-1981
3/124
Page proofs, Chapter 13
4 items
1982
3/125
Reviews of state legislature section
10 items
1980
3/126
Idaho Fiscal Sourcebook (1971), Title I application
5 items
1971
3/127
Notes, documents, reports
14 items
1971
3/128
Replies from agencies
56 items
1971
3/129
Original correspondence
98 items
1971
3/130
Idaho Fiscal Sourcebook (1972): Original correspondence
90 items
1972
3/131
Notes, documents, reports
20 items
1972
4/132
Idaho Fiscal Sourcebook (1973): Notes, documents, reports
2 items
1973
4/133
Cover letters and miscellaneous correspondence
92 items
1973-1974
4/134
Replies from agencies
51 items
1973
4/135
Financial Records
16 items
1972-1974
4/136
Innovative teaching newsletter
19 items
1971-1972
4/137-142
Modern County Government: Correspondence and information for the book
311 items
1976
4/143
Third draft notes
7 items
1976
4/144
Personnel classification, compensation policy, review draft
3 items
1976
4/145
Public works handbook, correspondence
8 items
1979
4/146
Social and economic characteristics of Idaho precincts, Correspondence
54 items
1973
4/147
Financial Records
18 items
1973
4/148
Reorganization
8 items
1974
4/149
Special district governments, Correspondence
1 item
1978
4/150
Special District Handbooks: General
15 items
1972-1973
4/151
Auditorium districts
3 items
1972
4/152
Cemetery districts
10 items
1972
4/153
Drainage districts; Fair districts
2 items
1972
4/154
Fire protection districts
12 items
1972
4/155
Flood control districts; Highway districts
28 items
1972
4/156
Hospital districts; Irrigation districts
9 items
1972
4/157
Library districts; Recreation districts; Regional airport authorities
10 items
1972
4/158
Soil conservation districts; Water and sewer districts; Watershed improvement districts
19 items
1972
4/159
Taxing districts
43 items
1972
4/160
STAR 17 (Short Term Applied Research): Public assistance programs in Idaho
30 items
1968
4/161
Report to fiscal and budget committee of the Idaho legislature, Correspondence
11 items
1968
4/162
Public assistance and procedures used in other states
1 item
1968
4/163
Education
14 items
1968
4/164
Effect of the work experience program
23 items
1968
4/165
Federal programs
28 items
1968
4/166
Health
9 items
1968
4/167
Interdepartmental relations (Public assistance)
31 items
1968
4/168
New public assistance programs
15 items
1968
4/169
Residency
25 items
1968
4/170
Statistical report
11 items
1968
4/171
Completed reports
25 items
1968
4/172-173
State and local government in Idaho: Masters for overhead projector transparencies
2 items
1972
4/174
Contributors
6 items
1969-1970
4/175
Law enforcement and corrections
8 items
1970
4/176
Interest group questionnaire
101 items
1969
4/177
Correspondence, reviews, and replies
54 items
1970

Series IV. Other Papers, 1960-1987Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
5/178-187
Correspondence
824 items
1962-1980
5/188
Idaho Humanities Commission
45 items
1979
5/189
League of cities
74 items
1974
5/190
Letters from national interest groups
34 items
1975
5/191
Letters on Bureau services
35 items
1961
5/192
National Association of Counties
40 items
1964-1978
os/193-194
Financial: Ledgers
2 items
1972-1980
5/195-204
Budgets and requisitions
367 items
1969-1981
5/205
Bureau inventory
8 items
1970-1972
5/206
Matching funds Records
32 items
1970-1973
5/207-209
Memos
92 items
1973-1978
5/210
Monthly financial reports
24 items
1971-1973
5/211
Association for the Humanities in Idaho
3 items
1979
5/212
Association of Idaho Cities
8 items
1974
5/213
Bureau Report
1 item
1978-1979
5/214
Census data
7 items
1970
5/215
City salary and sewer surveys
10 items
1970
5/216
Consulting services
6 items
1975-1976
5/217
County apportionment
7 items
1967
5/218-219
Eyre, John. Community power structure study and development Institute
67 items
1969
5/220
Idaho Association of Commissioners and Clerks
25 items
1966-1972
5/221
Newsletter
20 items
1965-1974
5/222
Idaho Survey Research Center. Statewide polling
35 items
1972-1973
5/223
Idea file
12 items
1973-1976
6/224
Instructional ideas
11 items
1967
6/225
Interagency committee drafts
4 items
1975
6/226
Personnel
29 items
1971-1985
6/227
Personnel: Assistant director recruitment
7 items
1974
6/228
Policy statements
19 items
1960-1971
6/229
Proctor proposal
5 items
1970
6/230
Project and progress reports
20 items
1968-1975
6/231-232
Publicity and news releases
70 items
1968-1979
6/233
Research meeting minutes
5 items
1972-1974
6/234
Status of projects
9 items
1972-1974
6/235
Survey of local party organization
102 items
1980
6/236
Transportation survey
6 items
1974
6/237-239
Volunteer surveys
296 items
undated
6/240
WICHE policy analysis
9 items
1973
6/241
County Night: Narrative script drafts with comments
9 items
1987
6/242
Cassette tapes of narrative
2 items
1987
6/243-244
Slides used for presentation
264 items
1987
6/245
Correspondence, memos, etc
15 items
1986-1987
6/246
Information of photos used
30 items
1987

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Other Creators

  • Corporate Names
    • University of Idaho. Bureau of Public Affairs Research