Find out more about the experiences of the MPA Capstone partners and participating students from the 2015 Capstone projects:
Feedback from Clients
Adrian Brown, Executive Director of Centre for Public Impact said:
"The Boston Consulting Group is a global management consulting firm and the world’s leading advisor on business strategy. This year, we established a new not-for-profit foundation called the Centre for Public Impact to provide a global forum for governments and their partners to help turn ideas into impact. The MPA Capstone project provided us an excellent opportunity to begin to explore some of the important issues associated with the challenges of improving government implementation and delivery.
As an internationally diverse group, the Capstone team could identify global case studies and interview experts around the world. They also brought fresh perspectives as they are approaching the topic without the baggage of years of working in the field. Each time I met the group I came away with new ideas and interesting questions which is testament to the fact that they were able to bring genuinely unique insights to the area we were exploring.
One of the most pleasing aspects of the collaboration this year came after the final report had been submitted when the group had the opportunity to present their paper and thinking to an international conference of global experts in London. Apart from providing some valuable experience presenting to such a high profile audience, it also allowed the group to hear direct (and positive) feedback from the delegates and to meet and discuss their ideas with them both in plenary and in small groups.
The Capstone report and recommendations have therefore not only provided BCG and the new Centre for Public Impact with a very valuable set of insights which we can build upon in the months ahead, they have also made a genuine contribution to the wider global debate on the topic of government effectiveness and have directly influenced stakeholders in the IMF, World Bank, OECD and government agencies around the world."
Feedback from Students
“I want to express how important is to be involved in a consulting project like this as a Masters student. Being able to participate in the Capstone Project improves your working skills and brings you closer to a real-world experience where there is a need of day-to-day collaboration, coordination and leadership to reach success. I have to say that my experience was very positive not only in terms of acquiring and developing new skills, but also for having the opportunity to work and learn from a motivated and experienced group of people.” Adriana Ornelas
“I can confidently say that my Capstone experience was an absolutely great one.” Natalia Skaloud
“The Capstone Project has been an enriching and positive experience. I have not only gained in-depth knowledge about deliverology, but I also acquired key tools to perform qualitative research. The project required major teamwork skills and included a comprehensive literature review, data collection, elite interviews and in-depth analysis of deliverology and its impact in public service delivery. Without any doubts these skills will be relevant for my future professional experience.” Anna Maria Ruiz Rivadeneira
“I can say that this Capstone was an outstanding learning experience, as no other academic project that I had undertaken so far involved this much teamwork and professionalism. I think this Capstone taught me more about the importance of communication, both within a team and with the client, as a pre-requisite for a “successful” project. It taught me about the importance of understanding each team member’s strengths in order to foster good working dynamics. It also taught me about the amount of effort and attention to detail that comes into producing a 15,000-word report, and how essential it is to understand how each section of the report comes together to build a coherent piece of analysis.” Amalia Valdez
“Overall I think that the Capstone was a great experience and it can be definitely considered one of the highlights of the MPA. I have shared my thoughts on the Capstone experience with lots of friends that study other programmes here at LSE. Everyone who hears about what we do in the Capstones thinks it gives us a great advantage in terms of applying what we have learnt during these two years. It is a nice way to apply acquired skills to real world problems that need solutions and policy recommendations. Thanks a lot for the opportunity.” Dayanna Velarde Rubalcava