GV4B3
MPA Capstone Project (1.5 units)
This information is for the 2009/10 session.
Course code
This course is also coded DV4B3, EC4B3, and EU4B3. Teachers responsible
Dr Joachim Wehner (H410), plus others. Availability
This is a compulsory course for all 2nd Year MPA students.
Pre-requisites
There are no pre-requisites, but students should attend the MPA 2nd Year Induction Meeting and the Capstone Information Meeting (held in the week before MT).
Course content
Students will undertake a group project (in teams usually of 3 to 6 people) relating to a public policy problem faced by an external organization. The client will be a government department, part of a legislature or a parliamentary agency, a company operating in the public management or public policy sector, an international organization or a think tank/NGO. The group will have approximately 10 weeks of term time to work on an issue defined by the client, investigating the issues and developing a workable solution to the problem.
Teaching
Based on the project allocated, students will be allocated a supervisor, who will provide overall guidance on the project’s development and assistance with client liaison. Other members of staff will also advise on methods etc. Students must additionally:
- participate fully in the ‘group working’ module of GV4D5 Group Working and Leadership;
- attend a capstone review session to be held in MT.
Assessment
The project work is conducted in teams, and the assessment is based on a collective group mark for each component except in exceptional circumstances.
1) A report to the client organization, usually in the form of a group presentation to a meeting at the client’s offices, with an accompanying PowerPoint set. The deadline for the presentation will be set with the client organization but must take place by week 8 of the Lent term. 20% of the marks are assigned by the client organization after receipt of this presentation.
2) An underlying group project report of approximately 12-15,000 words (and no more than 20,000 words) to be submitted by Thursday of week 9 of LT. The report is read by external readers and their assessment accounts for 60% of the final grade. In addition, there are marks for two other components, assigned by the group supervisor in consultation with the other capstone teachers:
3) 10 % for scoping and project development (including coping with difficulties); and
4) 10% for group working and self-management as a team. ^
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