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
lucille.pilling@nyu.edu
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-ofglobal-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
8