Prof Patrick Dunleavy CON5.19 and Dr Rafael Hortala-Vallve CON4.16

This course is compulsory on the MPA Dual Degree (LSE and Columbia), MPA Dual Degree (LSE and Hertie), MPA Dual Degree (LSE and NUS), MPA Dual Degree (LSE and Sciences Po), MPA in European Public and Economic Policy, MPA in International Development, MPA in Public Policy and Management, MPA in Public and Economic Policy and MPA in Public and Social Policy. This course is not available as an outside option.

Students will undertake a group project (in teams usually of 3 to 6 people) relating to a public policy problem faced by an external organisation. Typical clients include public sector bodies, companies operating in the public management or public policy sector, international organisations or think tanks and NGOs. The group will have from October to February to work on an issue defined by the client organisation, investigating and developing a workable solution to the problem.

2 hours of lectures in the MT.

Each Capstone group will be allocated a supervisor, who will provide overall guidance on the project's development and assistance with client liaison. Other members of staff may also advise as required

Feedback will be provided on presentations of work-in-progress during MT.

Useful preliminary reading: Charles E. Lindblom and David K. Cohen, Social Science and Social Problem Solving (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1979; Martha S. Feldman, Order Without Design: Information Production and Policy-making (Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 1989); Ray Pawson, Evidence-based Policy: A Realist Perspective (London: Sage, 2006); Office for Government Commerce Common Causes of Project Failure (London: OGC, 2004); Strategy Survival Guide (London: Prime Minister's Strategy Unit. July 2004; C. R. Cook, Just Enough Project Management (McGraw-Hill, 2004); J. E. McGrath and F. Tschan, Dynamics in Groups and Teams: Groups as Complex Action Systems, chapter three in M. S. Poole and A. H. Van de Ven (eds) Handbook of Organizational Change and Innovation (Oxford University Press, 2004).

Project (100%, 15000 words) in the LT.

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 presentation and submission of the project report to the client organisation. The presentation must take place by week 8 of the Lent term, on a date agreed with the client organisation. 20% of the marks are assigned by the client organisation after receipt of the presentation and project report.

2) A group project report will be submitted during the Lent Term. The main body of the report may not exceed 15,000 words and will be read by academic markers whose assessment will count for 60% of the final grade.  Appendices to the project may be included but would normally consist only of technical data or supplementary analysis.

Additionally, each group member must write a personal reflection on their contribution to the group's work, to be submitted alongside the report. The reflection should be no more than 600 words, and should include specific details of the student's contributions to the project. The reflections should not be included in the report submitted to the client.

3) The final 20% of the marks are allocated by the Capstone supervisor on the basis of the group's performance in terms of (i) scoping and project development (including coping with difficulties) and (ii) group working and self-management as a team.