NEW YORK UNIVERSITY
ROBERT F. WAGNER GRADUATE SCHOOL OF PUBLIC SERVICE
Advanced Projects-Public/Nonprofit Management I – CAP-GP 3116(002) (4936)
Syllabus - Fall 2012 & Spring 2013
Instructor: Rona Affoumado
Phone: 212-529-1205
FAX: 212-529-3145
Email: rna1@nyu.edu
Office Hours: By Appointment
Day/Time: Mondays, 6:45 to 8:25 p.m.
Place: - BOBS – Room: LL146
COURSE SUMMARY
Capstone is learning in action. Part of Wagner’s core curriculum, 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 to address challenges, solve problems and identify
opportunities for a client organization. Students will design the approach, conduct the data
collection and analysis, and present findings, both orally and in writing, to the client.
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
building on students’ previous coursework and expertise, while also enhancing student learning
on policy and management issues, key process skills and research skills. 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 divided into teams, the class will
work as a learning community dedicated to the success of all the projects.
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. The specific learning objectives are:
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 an internal project work plan with timelines and deliverables;
 monitor their progress against the work agreement and workplan;
 revise the work plan 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 work agreement with timelines and deliverables;
 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.
C. RESEARCH
Students should demonstrate the ability to:
 Identify appropriate quantitative and/or qualitative data gathering and analysis methods
for their particular project;
 Follow established sampling procedures to create appropriate samples for their particular
project;
 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;
 Situate their findings in the broader related literature;
 Draw conclusions based on their findings;
 Effectively communicate their work both orally and in writing.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Potential clients will present their projects to the class in the first 2-3 weeks of the semester.
After the presentations, you will be asked for your preferences. The teams will be created by the
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professor not only based on your preferences but also on your previous coursework, work and
life experience and any specific expertise you have that is applicable to the project. Teams are
comprised of 3-5 students.
The class will involve presentations from the instructor and guest speakers, class discussion and
team meetings. Course requirements include:
 Enrollment in both semesters;
 Attendance and participation in class activities and team meetings;
 Completion of assignments on time;
 Participation in field work;
 Participation in meetings with clients;
 Participation in writing the final report to the client;
 Participation in preparation and presentation of findings.
EVALUATION and GRADING
Students will be given two credits for the fall semester and two for the spring semester. At the
end of the first semester, students will receive a grade of “IP” to reflect the “work in progress”
nature of the year long project. I will assign final grades at the end of the second semester for
both of the semesters. 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.
GRADING CRITERIA
Students will be graded individually on both the projects they deliver to their clients and
evidence of progressive learning throughout the course Learning Objectives.
1. Sixty percent (60%) is based on work products identified in the milestones as well as
any interim deliverables to the client or assigned by the faculty member.
2. Forty percent (40%) 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 for any 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 clients.
COURSE MILESTONES
The course has a series of milestones – both activities and products -- that will serve as interim
deliverables. The time frames in parentheses may vary during the course of the year depending
on the specific situation of each team and client.
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These milestones include:
 Individual learning goals (September/October);
 “Entry conference” with client and faculty to explain the process of the course, establish
relationship, assess the client organization, and gather data in order to clarify the
presenting problem or issue and client’s initial vision of a successful project
(September/October);
 Summary by team of first meeting with client and clear statement of the problem
(October);
 Preliminary client-team work agreement; presentation to class/faculty for feedback prior
to client presentation (October/November);
 Meeting(s) with client to negotiate work agreement (October/November);
 Final, signed client-team work agreement and detailed team work plan (November);
 Team charter (November);
 End-of-first semester evaluations: self, team/peer, and course; discussion of team process
and progress; refine individual learning goals (December);
 First draft of final project report to faculty (February);
 Second draft of final project report to faculty (March);
 Oral presentation of final report to class/faculty for feedback before presentation to client
(March/April);
 Final report and presentation to client (April);
 End-of-second semester reflection, positioning project in larger issue context (May);
 End-of-course evaluations: self, team /peer, client and course (end April);
 Presentation for end event (May).
Suggested Text: Block, Peter. 2000. Flawless Consulting, 2nd edition. Jossey-Bass/Pfeiffer.
Suggested Reference Text: Bryson, John M. 1995. Strategic Planning for Public and Nonprofit
Organizations, Revised Edition. Jossey-Bass Publishers.
Other readings may be assigned or recommended during the year.
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CLASS SCHEDULE
The list weeks and topics that follow are preliminary and subject to change. Please note that the
first term has more class instruction and the second term has more project tracking. In general,
class time will be mainly used for skill building sessions, which will help the teams produce the
highest quality projects on a timely basis. It is likely that we will not meet as a full class each
week as the year goes on, to allow teams a chance to use class time to meet. It is also likely that
some weeks will be used for faculty-team consultation. Therefore, students should expect to
meet weekly, whether as a class or as a team.
FALL 2012, CLASS SCHEDULE
Week 1: September 10
Overview and introductions. Students and faculty will meet each other. Review of the syllabus
and clarification of course expectations. Present projects that are under consideration and review
with students. Representatives of proposals will present their projects to the class for
consideration.
Assignment Due: one page statement of experience, skills and interests. Copy of CV.
Week 2: September 17 – NO CLASS
Week 3: September 24
Representatives of proposals will present their projects to the class for consideration.
Week 4: October 1
Class discussion of projects.
Students submit preferences to professor with a short memo on why they are qualified to work
on the projects they chose as well as their interest in the project. Preferences should be sent via
email to professor no later than Friday, October 5.
Week 5: October 8
1. Make project team assignments.
2. Present information regarding the establishment of team standards.
3. Teams will hold their first organizational meeting to discuss projects, set team standards and
establish a communication process.
4. Class discussion will include the following:


How to assess the project and define the scope of services.
How to prepare for the initial meeting with the client including putting together a meeting
agenda.
Assignment: Schedule an initial client meeting during the period of Oct. 15–Oct. 26.
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Email professor list of five team standards and team contact information no
later than Friday, October 12.
Week 6: October 15 – NO CLASS
Week 7: October 22
Class discussion will include the following:
1. The consultant relationship;
2. Organizational assessment techniques;
3. Dealing with organizational culture.
Week 8: October 29
Class discussion will include the following:
1. How to develop a letter of agreement.
2. How to develop a project work plan.
Assignment Due: each team prepares a 2 page summary report of the initial client meeting.
Week 9: November 5
Class discussion: how to prepare a work plan.
Faculty meets with teams to review projects and results of initial client meetings and to assist
them with developing work plan and letter of agreement.
Week 10: November 12
Faculty meets with teams to review draft work plan and letter of agreement.
Assignment Due: draft work plan and letter of agreement.
Week 11: November 21 – Guest Speaker -TBD
Assignment Due: final draft letter of agreement and work plan.
Week 12: November 26
Team meetings/faculty consultation.
Distribute mid-year evaluation forms to students.
Assignment Due: signed letter of agreement.
Week 13: December 3 – Guest Speaker -TBD
Discuss fall semester progress report.
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Week 14: December 10
Presentation of fall semester progress report and discussion of approaches/modifications for
semester break and spring semester.
Assignment Due: Mid-Year evaluations and fall semester progress report.
SPRING 2013 – PRELIMINARY CLASS SCHEDULE
The second semester will be structured to allow for regularly scheduled check-ins and
consultation among teams and between teams and faculty on progress in meeting project
objectives and milestones. Out of these consultations, faculty will develop instructional
presentations based on common problems and skills-building activities suggested by the teams’
experiences. What follows is a tentative structure for the second semester.
Week 1: January 28
Teams report on their progress.
Week 2: February 4
Team meetings/faculty consultations.
Week 3: February 11
Class discussion: How to structure and write the final report.
Week 4: February 18 – NO CLASS
Week 5: February 25
Presentation Skills – Will Carlin
Kimmel Center for Student Life
60 Washington Square South – 4th Floor Auditorium
Students attend this session instead of class.
Week 6: March 4
Team meetings/faculty consultations
Assignment Due: preliminary outline of final report.
Week 7: March 11
Team meetings/faculty consultation.
Week 8: March 18 – Spring Break – NO CLASS
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Week 9: March 25
Team meetings/faculty consultation
Assignment Due: first draft of final report
Week 10: April 1
Work in teams.
Week 11: April 8
Work in teams.
Assignment Due: second draft of final report
Weeks 12, 13 & 14: April 15, 22, & 29
Presentation of final projects to class as dress rehearsal for client presentation.
Distribute final evaluation forms to students on April 15.
Assignment Due: Set date for final presentation to client during the weeks of April 15 and
26.
Week 15: May 6
Students report to class on their final presentation.
Week 16: May 13
Discussion with students on the Capstone experience.
Final report due. Final evaluations due.
CAPSTONE END EVENT – May 14, 2013 – 5:00pm – 6:30pm
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