HARVARD KENNEDY SCHOOL PED-402Y Second Year Case Workshop Course Syllabus for 2012/13 Thursday 4:10 – 6:00 PM Faculty: Section A: Littauer 332 Faculty: Ishac Diwan Office: Rubenstein 406 E-mail: ishac_diwan@hks.harvard.edu Phone: 617-840-3200 Office hours: Friday 10:00a.m.-12:00p.m. Assistant: Marija Tesla Office: Rubenstein 301 E-mail: marija_tesla@hks.harvard.edu Phone: 617-495-2133 Section B: Littauer 382 Faculty: Petia Topalova Office: Rubenstein 119 E-mail: petia_topalova@hks.harvard.edu Phone: 617-388-7494 Office hours: Wednesday 10:00a.m.-12:00p.m. Assistant: Alison Barron Office: Littauer-211A E-mail: alison_barron@hks.harvard.edu Phone: 617-495-9455 Section C: Littauer 140 Faculty: Michael Walton Office: Littauer 108 E-mail: michael_walton@harvard.edu Phone: 202-251-8702 Assistant: Sarah Doyle Office: Littauer 207A E-mail: sarah_doyle@hks.harvard.edu Phone: 617-495-5994 Office hours: Wednesday 2:00-5:00p.m. or check on https://www.timetrade.com/book/PV7XP. 1. Course Description and Objectives of the Second Year Case Workshop The objectives of the second year case workshop can best be introduced with two analogies. Early medical training is made up of foundational courses like biology, anatomy, chemistry. The next stage of training is clinical practice. In clinical practice students engage with specific patients presenting with specific conditions and apply the foundational skills to the problems at hand. Or, if one were learning to be a carpenter one has to master the use of specific tools—hammer, saw, drill, etc.—and exercises are chosen to emphasize mastery of the tool. The next stage is a project in which one uses the tools to produce something, and which tools are used, in what order, is integrated by what needs to be produced. The first year case workshop was intended to supplement the rest of the first year curriculum, which is mainly about foundational courses and tools, and the cases were chosen to illustrate the use of the tools (with some emphasis on the problem, but more on using the case as a way of grounding understanding of the course material). In professional practice problems present themselves as problems and do not come with labels like “use game theory here” or “think about the problems of causal identification in interpreting existing evidence” or “this is a problem with institutions not policy.” Rather, they present themselves as goals to be accomplished, problems to be overcome, new opportunities that lead to positive movement. The practitioner has to select from their array of skills and tools and apply those to the context at hand. The second year case workshop does two cases in the fall. The objective of these cases is to help apply the skills/knowledge/tools from the core curriculum to a complex problem. These are also like a “mini-SYPA” that also helps students work through a structured approach to policy problems that they are tackling in their own SYPA topic. In addition the course design and assignments present opportunities to develop professional skills, including giving oral presentations (including handling questions), preparing persuasive policy presentations, writing memos, and working in teams. 3. Enrollment All second-year students in the MPA/ID Program must enroll in the PED-250 and PED402 combination. Each of these courses is worth one credit. These courses are restricted to MPA/ID students. 3. Course Design The Second Year Case Workshop runs parallel with PED 250 (SYPA seminar). In the fall semester the students will undertake two self-standing cases, working in teams. After the completion of the SYPA in the Spring term, a third task will comprise the preparation of a “policy brief”, based on their SYPA. This will be an individual activity (or, in the case of joint SYPAs, prepared with the same partner.) The two fall cases will each involve two sessions. The first session of each case introduces a specific development problem, with background material and gives an assignment. The materials will be provided at the first session and are intended to give a minimal background for the group to get started on the assignment, but are expected to be supplemented by the group’s work. The second session consists of student presentations of their work fulfilling the assignment. The assignments will be given to small groups (which will also be assigned) of around six students. Each assignment has two parts to be prepared as a group product: (a) preparing and giving a presentation; and (b) a short (3-5 page) policy memo. In the second session of each case students will present their work and recommendations in a “role play” situation in which a faculty member will represent the “client” for the work and students from other groups will be assigned to represent various stakeholders. The presentation will be 10 minutes, followed by 10-20 minutes of Q&A (as effective management of questions is part of the assignment), followed by de-brief and comments. Each group will also submit a written policy memo (specific guidelines on this will be provided in the course). For each group the student who will give the presentation will be chosen by drawing names just before the presentation (so each group member has to be ready to give the group’s presentation). All groups will also submit their powerpoint and policy memo via the drop box, by 9am on the morning of the second session. The drop boxes are on the second floor of Littauer behind the Forum Screen. Assignments will be returned via mail folders in the MPA/ID office area. The third task, in the Spring term, will involve the development of a policy brief (of about 4 pages, with selected graphs and figures to make it effective), that is explicitly designed to engage with the structure of interests and ideas in which the policy debate would (hypothetically or really) occur. Students will also prepare a note describing this structure. 4. Grading PED-402Y is worth one credit and will be graded on the usual HKS grade distribution. Each case will receive 30 percent of the overall grade and within each case the grading will be based on (a) the group memo, (b) the group’s presentation (both the “hard copy and the presentation and Q&A itself). In addition, to avoid “free-riding” (which a training in economics teaches you the private advantages of) 10 percent of the grade will be based on the student’s contribution to the group, based on anonymous feedback from other group members, so not every person in the group will necessarily get the same grade, to realign incentives. CLASS SCHEDULE Thursdays 4:10-6pm (SAME AS PED 250Y AS THE COURSES ARE INTEGRATED) Thursday, September 6th, 2012 PLENARY SESSION IN LITTAUER 140 Analyzing Policy Change and Elements of the SYPA: Michael Walton This session will also include an introduction to the SYPA process and the links to PED402 All students must submit a draft topic at this plenary session in a complete information form (that will be e-mailed to you before class) briefly stating your initial SYPA topic, identifying your putative client as well as the key policy issues to be addressed. Section assignments will be based on the topic you indicate and will be given to you by the next week’s plenary session. Thursday, September 13th, 2012 INDIVIDUAL SECTION MEETINGS The basic ingredients of a SYPA—guidelines on doing your terms of reference Read two SYPAs to be discussed in your section. Be prepared to discuss the following questions: on reserve at Kennedy School Library and on the MPA/ID web page. Past SYPAs will be discussed in the three sections. Section leaders will post these SYPAs on their class web sites after the first class. Thursday, September 20th, 2012 PED-402 First part of first case Friday, September 20th, 2012 Adviser selection. You have to submit your preference for an adviser, preferably with a mutually agreed deal. Thursday, September 27th, 2012 INDIVIDUAL SECTION MEETINGS Small group discussions on policy design for their SYPA topics Thursday, October 4th, 2012 PLENARY SESSION IN LITTAUER 140 Analyzing the political economy of policies: Ishac Diwan Thursday, October 11th, 2012 PED-402 Second part of first case Tuesday, October 16th, 2012: Terms of reference/human subjects forms due. All students must submit a draft terms of reference for their SYPA with a formal research question, explanation of methodology, ideas about data resource, etc., as well as the Human Subjects Forms (by Tuesday, October 16th). These should be submitted by email to your section leader. Thursday, October 18th, 2012 INDIVIDUAL SECTION MEETINGS Presentations of SYPA TORs. Thursday, October 25th, 2012 INDIVIDUAL SECTION MEETINGS Presentations of SYPA TORs. Thursday, November 1st, 2012 PED-402: First session of second case Thursday, November 8th, 2012 INDIVIDUAL SECTION MEETINGS Extended office hours may substitute for meeting. Thursday, November 15th, 2012 INDIVIDUAL SECTION MEETINGS Extended office hours may substitute for meeting. Thursday, November 22nd, 2012 -- Thanksgiving – No Class Monday, November 26th, 2012: SYPA outline due! Thursday, November 29th, 2012 PED-402: Second session of second case Thursday, December 6th, 2012 INDIVIDUAL SECTION MEETINGS Extended office hours may substitute for meeting. WINTER BREAK Thursday, January 31st, 2013: FIRST SYPA DRAFT DUE! Thursday, January 31st, 2013 PLENARY SESSION IN LITTAUER 140 Presentation on making effective presentations, plus discussion of expectations and plans for the final push to produce SYPA! Individual Section Arrangements for the Oral Presentations Using Class and Extra Time In order to give students time to present their SYPA recommendations and incorporate feedback, the section leaders will make arrangements for sessions using both the usually scheduled Thursday classes and additional class times. The goal is to allow us to complete all presentations by the third week of February, giving you a minimum of three weeks, and generally significantly more, to prepare your final SYPA. All students should attend all presentations, unless explicitly released, so this will require additional time commitments for this period. Monday, March 18th, 2013: Final SYPA due, no later than 5pm! Note that you must hand in ONE hard copy to your section leader; ONE hard copy to your adviser; and ONE hard copy (as well as electronic copy) to Carol Finney in the MPA/ID office. Of course you may turn in your final SYPA earlier than the deadline and take full advantage of the spring break. 15 Thursday, April 11th, 2013 PED-402 PLENARY SESSION IN LITTAUER 140 Preparing policy briefs aligned to prevailing interests and ideas. 16 Thursday, April 25th, 2013 PED-402. Deadline for submission of policy briefs