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NEW YORK UNIVERSITY ROBERT F. WAGNER GRADUATE SCHOOL OF PUBLIC SERVICE CAPSTONE SYLLABUS Spring 2009

International Public Policy and Management

P11.3126.002.SP09 Lucille B. Pilling, EdD, MPH, RN Mondays 6:45-8:25PM [email protected] Location: Room Silver Office hours are 4:00-6:00PM on Monday or by appointment; students are encouraged to email the professor as needed.

COURSE SUMMARY AND OBJECTIVES

Capstone is learning in action. Part of the core curriculum of the Masters program at the Wagner School, it provides students with both a critical learning experience and an opportunity to perform a public service. Over the course of an academic year, students work in teams -- either to address challenges, solve problems and identify opportunities for a client organization or to conduct research on a pressing social question. Ultimately, Capstone contributes not only to the students’ education, but is a university resource for the public good.

In architecture, the capstone is the crowning piece of an arch, the center stone that holds the arch together, giving it shape and strength. Wagner’s Capstone program plays a similar role, by integrating and enhancing student learning in several different arenas: a content or issue area, key process skills including project management and teamwork, and methods for gathering, analyzing and reporting data. Capstone requires students to interweave their learning in all these areas, and to do so in real time, in an unpredictable, complex real world environment. Although each student will be assigned to a team, the class will work as a learning community dedicated to the success of all the projects.

We have identified an array of potential projects. Students will be assigned to a project team based on a number of factors including student preference and expertise as well as team size. Teams are usually comprised of 3-5 students who bring a mix of skills and experience and have expressed an interest in the project. To the degree possible, students will get their first or second choice of project.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Capstone integrates and enhances learning in several arenas: a content or issue area, process skills including project, client and team management, and research methods for gathering, analyzing and reporting data. Learning objectives are:

1 A. CONTENT

Students should:  understand the policy context for their project;  be familiar with specialized vocabularies required to perform the project successfully;  be aware of critical research related to their content area;  be capable of positioning and evaluating their project within its broader policy context.

B. PROCESS  Overall, students should demonstrate a capacity for flexibility and resilience, as shown by adapting to changing and complex circumstances, balancing competing demands and accepting uncertainty and lack of clarity when necessary. 1. Project Management Students should demonstrate the ability to:  assess the client organization and its environment;  frame and refine the problem presented by the client;  develop a work agreement with the client for the project  develop a project work plan with timelines and deliverables;  monitor their progress against the work agreement and workplan;  revise the workplan as necessary;  develop well supported and realistic recommendations.

2. Client Management Students should demonstrate the ability to:  develop and sustain their relationship with the client;  negotiate a project work plan with timelines and deliverables (the “contract”);  maintain regular and productive contact with the client;  solicit and integrate feedback on progress against the contract and modify as necessary;  deliver final product to client’s satisfaction.

3. Team Management Students should demonstrate the ability to:  understand group formation and development;  understand the importance of interpersonal dynamics and team norms;  create and periodically review their team charter;  develop clear role descriptions for team members;  manage team assignments and accountability;  advocate points of view and negotiate differences of opinion;  solicit and offer feedback;  appreciate and learn from cultural differences.

2 C. RESEARCH

Students should demonstrate the ability to:  identify and carry out data collection methods appropriate for their particular project, potentially including surveys and questionnaires, individual interviews, focus groups, and access to already existing datasets;  follow established sampling procedures to create appropriate samples for their particular project;  identify and implement appropriate quantitative and/or qualitative data gathering and analysis methods for their particular project;  situate their findings in the broader related literature;  draw conclusions based on their findings;  communicate their work effectively both orally and in writing.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

The class will involve presentations from the instructor and guest speakers, class discussion and team meetings. Course requirements include: o enrollment in both semesters o attendance and participation in class activities and team meetings o completion of assignments on time o participation in field work o participation in meetings with clients o participation in preparation and presentation of findings

Because this course will focus on international projects, some client organizations may not be US based. This will necessitate use of teleconferencing/televideo conferencing for client meetings, depending on the facilities available to the client. Some projects may require international field work which will usually take place during January or Spring break. We will make every effort to secure financial support for travel and subsistence if such work is necessary, but it may not cover the full costs.

EVALUATION CRITERIA

Final grades are assigned at the end of the second semester. Students are graded on both the products they deliver to their clients and evidence of progressive learning compared to course objectives through the process. The course has a series of milestones that will serve as interim work products.

COURSE MILESTONES

Students are encouraged to set learning goals for themselves at the beginning of the course; these can be modified at the beginning of the second semester based on feedback from faculty, peers and their own self-assessment.

3 In addition, there are a consistent set of milestones (activities and products) that are required of students. Some suggested time frames for selected milestones are found in parenthesis, though actual timing during the course of the year may vary depending on the specific situation of each team and client.

These milestones include:

 development of team norms/team charter (September 29)  “entry conference” with client and faculty to explain the process of the course, establish relationship, assess the client organization, and gain data to clarify the presenting problem or issue and client’s initial vision of a successful project (September 30- October 10)  summary by team of first meeting with client and clear statement of the problem (October 20)  development of preliminary work agreement and workplan; presentation to class/faculty for feedback prior to client presentation (October 27)  submit application request for supplemental funding October 27  meeting with client to finalize work agreement and workplan (November 1-14)  submit final written workplan signed by clients November 24  submit a one paragraph summary of your project November 24  have proposed questions for interviews and focus groups ready for discussion December 01  end of first semester self, team/peer, and course evaluation; discussion of team process and progress (December 15)  submit second semester learning goals February 7  outline of final project report to faculty March 16  oral presentation of final report to class/faculty for feedback before presentation to client (April 13-20)  final report and presentation to client with faculty (April 27)  end of course self, team /peer and course evaluations (April 27)  presentation for end event (May)

GRADING

Students will be given two credits for the fall semester and two for the spring semester of capstone. It is the custom in capstone to report end of first semester grades as IP to reflect the “work in progress” nature of the year long project.

Grading Criteria: Students will be graded on both the products they deliver to their clients and evidence of progressive learning throughout the course, based on the Learning Objectives. 50% is based on work products identified in the milestones as well as any interim deliverables to the client or assigned by the faculty member. 50% is based on evidence of the individual student’s learning during the course through participation in the team’s work and class activities and his/her ability to act on peer and faculty feedback (team norms/charter and any revisions during the course; individual and team preparation

4 for and performance at client entry and meetings on their work agreement; end of semester faculty, peer and self evaluations and demonstration of progress over the course; individual and team performance on final presentation to client and evaluation of the project and team by the client)

5 READINGS

Readings will be assigned throughout the course. Important references and health and development data include:

Garrett, Laurie “The Challenge of Global Health,” Foreign Affairs Jan/Feb 2007 http://www.foreignaffairs.org/20070101faessay86103/laurie-garrett/the-challenge-of- global-health.html

Making Measures Work for You: Outcomes and Evaluations, Grant Craft. http://www.grantcraft.org/

Managers Who Lead, 2005, Management Sciences for Health

Milller, Clara. The Looking-Glass World of Nonprofit Money: Managing in For-Profits’ Shadow Universe. The Nonprofit Quarterly, Spring 2005 http://www.nonprofitfinancefund.org/docs/Looking%20Glass,%20NPQ%20website.pdf

Reaching the Poor with Health, Nutrition and Population Services, the World Bank. http://www.worldbank.org/povertyandhealth.html.

United Nations Family Planning Association (UNFPA) annual State of the World Report (http://unfpa.org/)

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Human Development Reports (http://undp.org/)

The Millennium Development Status Report 2005 (http://unstats.un.org/unsd/mi/pdf/MDG%20Book.pdf)

McDavid, James C, Hawthorn, Laura R.L. Program Evaluation & Performance Measurements, an introduction to practice.

Websites of interest: Bridgestar https://www.bridgestar.org/Resources/Library/Lead/EDCOOPartner.aspx Science and Development Network www.scidev.net Center for Corporate Citizenship, Boston College. http://www.bcccc.net/ Global Health Council. http://www.globalhealth.org/ OnPhilanthropy http://www.onphilanthropy.com/ UN Millennium Development Goals (http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/); Venture Philanthropy Partners. http://venturephilanthropypartners.org/ World Health Organization (WHO) (http://www.who.int/en/); WHO Statistical Information System (WHOSIS) (http://www3.who.int/whosis/menu.cfm)

6 CLASS SCHEDULE- SECOND SEMESTER

The second semester will be structured to allow for regular scheduled check-ins and consultation among teams and between teams and faculty on progress in meeting project objectives and milestones. We also will have instructional presentations to meet needs we identify to address problems or skill building. The main emphasis is on time spent working with teams and final products, and we can be flexible about the need for formal class meeting times as the semester progresses. For planning purposes, please use the following schedule.

WEEK 1: 1/19/2009 - Martin Luther King Day

WEEK 2: 1/26/2009

Class meeting for team report on progress over the break including field work activities; identification of potential needs for instructional sessions during the second semester. Revision of team charter/norms.

Assignment for February 2 – students submit second semester learning goals.

WEEK 3 2/2/2009

Review and revision of team charter/norms. Review and discussion of team peer evaluations.

WEEK 4: 2/9/2009

Team meetings.

Presidents’ day – Jan 16 – no class

WEEK 5: 2/23/2009

No formal class meeting, but room will be available for team meetings

WEEK 6: 3/2/2009

Group presentation skills session - all students are expected to attend. Will Carlin will conduct a Group Presentation Skills workshop

WEEK 7: 3/9/2009

No formal class meeting, but room will be available for team meetings.

Assignment due for March 16 session: Preliminary outlines for final report.

7 Spring Break 3/16-21

WEEK 8: 3/23/2009

Class meeting to check in post break

WEEK 9: 3/30/2009

No formal class meeting, instructor available to meet with teams as requested.

WEEKS 10, 11, 12 and 13: 4/6, 4/13, 4/20, 4/27, 2009

Class will meet each week.

Each team should schedule their final presentations to the clients during the period from April 13 through April 20. Teams sign up for dress rehearsal presentation to the class on the 6th or 13th of April. The balance of class time will be used for team meetings.

Assignment due for April 28 class: Final Project Report, Final Team and Self Evaluations.

WEEK 14: 4/27/2009

Report back on client response to final presentations. Hand in final reports with any changes suggested by client. Review of class and lessons learned.

Assignment in class: completion of course and instructor evaluations.

May 4, 2009: Last day of classes