The heart of NYU Wagner's programs is our faculty. An amalgam of full-time, clinical/research/visiting, and adjunct professors, they are outstanding teachers, expert researchers and committed practitioners.
The heart of NYU Wagner's programs is our faculty. An amalgam of full-time, clinical/research/visiting, and adjunct professors, they are outstanding teachers, expert researchers and committed practitioners.
The Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service is home to research and policy centers, institutes, and initiatives that focus on solving urban problems and strengthening public policy and public service nationally and around the world.
Ranked #10 in Public Affairs by U.S. News & World Report, the Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service educates the future leaders of public, nonprofit, healthcare and private sector organizations addressing the world's critical issues.
Students arrive at NYU with the desire to serve the public. They leave with the skills and experience to bring about change. Combining coursework in management, finance and policy with cutting-edge research and work experience in urban communities, the NYU Wagner education will enable you to transform your personal commitment into public leadership.
Whether in their first or last semester, students at NYU Wagner have many resources to help them navigate their way to graduation.
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Read about news and ideas from NYU Wagner faculty and alumni and keep in touch with interesting and useful events at the school.
Since 1995, more than 2,600 students have participated in over 500 projects for approximately 400 organizations. Listed below is a sampling of projects NYU Wagner students have worked on during the 2008-2009 academic year.
Organizational Transition
Agricultural Missions, Inc. (AMI) is a 79-year old faith-based ecumenical organization that accompanies rural peoples around the world in their efforts to address the structural causes of impoverishment and injustice in their communities. AMI's leadership requested a Capstone team to assist in evaluating the organization's current capacity and future potential to fulfill its mission. This resulted in recommendations on how best to reach that potential in a changing world. Through interviews with AMI staff and an online survey of AMI partners around the world, it was determined that the critical areas of focus were board capacity, marketing, and fundraising. The Capstone team gathered data and compiled various resources for AMI in these areas of focus through literature reviews and examinations of similar organizations. The team thereby provided recommendations for next steps and a compendium of resources for AMI to consider as it strives to efficiently expand its impact, achieve financial security, and increase its public profile.
Asphalt Green Expansion
Asphalt Green is a nonprofit organization dedicated to assisting individuals of all ages and backgrounds achieve health through a lifetime of sports and fitness. Asphalt Green's programming has outgrown their 5.5 acre campus and the organization is looking to grow their program off-site in order to increase their impact on underserved communities. The goal was to develop a strategy for a new growth phase that includes additional off-site collaborations, space rentals, partnerships, and continued expansion of programs for underserved communities. This process involved considerable research, identification of potential stakeholders, relationship development, and planning. The team made recommendations on opportunities for collaboration based on ease of implementation, strategic relevance, and mission alignment. The Capstone team identified strengths and weaknesses that relate to program development and replication through a SWOT analysis. The team also provided a keen understanding of the political landscape in New York City and recognized the potential challenges and opportunities presented by collaboration with other organizations.
Evaluation Plan for Youth Development Training Center
The mission of Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) of New York City's Center for Training and Professional Development is to train organizations in developing formalized mentoring programs; to provide resources to assist youth-serving organizations in developing, expanding, and improving their organizations; and to provide professional workshops to enhance personal and organizational goals. BBBS asked a Capstone team to create an evaluation plan for three of its Training Center's programs: Professional Development Workshop Series, Borough Mentoring Networks, and Technical Assistance. In order to do this, the Capstone team first created definitions of success for each program through in-depth conversations with external capacity-building experts and BBBS staff. Next, the team conducted a literature review of evaluation models, with a particular focus on the Donald Kirkpatrick model and its criticism. The team also spoke with comparable training and technical assistance agencies about their best-practices. The final deliverable resulted in a viable evaluation plan that will enable BBBS to facilitate long-term program development while responding to funder needs.
Evaluation of an Adolescent Clinical Weight Loss Program
The Bronx Nutrition and Fitness Initiative for Teens (B'N Fit) is a comprehensive weight-loss intervention program within the Division of Adolescent Medicine at Montefiore Children's Hospital. The B'N Fit staff has initiated a program evaluation and requested that the Capstone team assess the progress of program participants and develop a model to evaluate improvements in risk of obesity-related co-morbidities. The staff also enlisted the team to perform a cost-effectiveness analysis to determine if the results seen thus far justify the current use of resources. The team compiled and analyzed changes in metabolic and anthropometric outcomes after the program intervention, and created a mediation model to evaluate the effect of these changes on overall risks for obesity-related co-morbidities. The team also organized financial data from the program and developed a ratio to compare total weight lost or maintained to program cost. A qualitative review was conducted of other adolescent weight-loss programs throughout the country to ascertain best practices. The results will be used by B'N Fit as part of its program evaluation, to continue funding sources, and to shape future program design.
Brooklyn Arts Council Through a Kaleidoscope: Assessing Perceptions From an Artistic Community
The Brooklyn Arts Council (BAC), a long-standing presence in the Brooklyn arts community, has recently experienced significant growth. Due to this development, BAC sought an impartial understanding of its role within the Brooklyn arts community, integrating perspectives of both internal and external stakeholders. The Capstone team provided BAC with insights concerning its role in the Brooklyn arts community by utilizing surveys and informal interviews targeted at BAC's current and untapped constituencies. The resulting data highlights BAC's strengths, constituents' unmet needs, and potential areas for organizational and programmatic development. This information will enable BAC to clarify its purpose and position itself effectively within the Brooklyn arts community.
Corporate Carbon Emissions: Recommendations for Increasing Disclosure and Evaluating the Changing Regulatory Framework
The Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) is a nonprofit organization which holds the world's largest database of corporate climate change information in the world. The data is obtained from responses to CDP's annual Information Requests, issued on behalf of institutional investors, purchasing organizations, and governmental bodies. CDP requested a Capstone team to investigate reasons for non-response in the United States and to conduct research surrounding governmental legislation and United States greenhouse gas registries. The Capstone team interviewed representatives from S&P 500 companies to ascertain how CDP can improve their yearly questionnaire. The legislative and registry research was obtained from scholarly journals, websites, and other current publications. The Capstone team's report issues recommendations for how CDP can improve the response rate to the yearly Information Request, and maintain its position at the forefront of environmental reporting as the United States considers new regulations to combat climate change.
Raising Residential Recycling Rates in Stamford, Connecticut
The Department of Solid Waste and Recycling in the city of Stamford, Connecticut is a municipal agency that manages waste collection and recycling. Despite efforts to increase participation in residential recycling, Stamford reached only a 9% recycling rate, far from Connecticut's statewide goal of 40%. The City of Stamford requested a Capstone team to assess barriers to recycling among residents and to make recommendations for improving rates. The Capstone team employed a grassroots data collection method, surveying hundreds of residents in community meetings, recycling centers, neighborhood business establishments, and through Stamford blogs. Concurrently, the team identified best practices for recycling through literary research and meetings with various neighboring municipalities and recycling organizations. The team matched this information with findings from the field surveys to compile a report of recommendations for the City. Additionally, each recommendation was paired with a suggested implementation plan, and the City will use this report to inform recycling policies.
Social Franchising: A New Pathway to Financial Independence for International NGOs
Long-term sustainability and financial security have become matters of grave concern for many nonprofit organizations as government support, private donations, and foundation grants declined. Community Wealth Ventures LLC (CWV) provides a solution to this pressing social problem through unique consultancy services currently offered to US-based nonprofit organizations. Entrepreneurial nonprofits can generate stable revenue streams by working with CWV and launching social franchises. These novel ?business-in-a-box' solutions can generate largely unrestricted funding streams and offer a pathway to long-term financial independence. The goal of the Capstone project was to investigate the feasibility of adapting CWV's domestic social franchise model to international settings in order to provide a potential new funding stream for international non-governmental organizations. The final deliverable was a findings report detailing the feasibility of international social franchising. The report will be available to organizations around the world and will serve as an assesment tool of the risks and benefits of entering the international social franchise marketplace.
Community Building Initiative
The Capstone team supported Congregation B'nai Jeshurun's Community Building Initiative, which was established in 2008, to create a more welcoming environment for the synagogue's membership. With over 3,000 members, the synagogue faces the challenge of promoting a strong sense of community for its large membership base. In partnership with B'nai Jeshurun staff, the team conducted external research, exploring relevant literature and interviewing other large congregations. The team also conducted internal research, including a synagogue-wide survey, house meetings, and one-on-one interviews. Results from the external and internal research helped the team propose infrastructural, programmatic and small adjustment changes to help the synagogue promote feelings of connection and community for its members.
The Environment and Security in Asia
The Congressional Research Service (CRS) requested that the Capstone team provide critical information and analysis to members of Congress in order to guide U.S. environment and security policy in the Asia region and beyond. The team collected and aggregated research and analysis on the major environmental issues and their corresponding drivers affecting five regions across Asia and the south Pacific. The background and context, scientific data, drivers, and responses involved in each environmental issue are presented through narratives, matrices and visual diagrams. After a survey of all conflict situations across the regions, the team analyzed specific cases within each sub-region, focusing on the intersection between three major components of each conflict: existing and potential human security dynamics, environmental issues and their drivers, and the governmental and non-governmental actors involved. The causal, compounding, and intervening relationships between the three major components of each case are analyzed and presented through graphic models and case reports. Cases with similar environmental or security characteristics across all sub-regions are also considered in comparison and contrast to the specific cases.
Current Trends in Veteran Disability Compensation
By July 2007, approximately 787,000 service members left active military duty and became eligible for benefits administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). As the veteran population ages, service-connected conditions may arise or worsen. Congressional Research Service (CRS), a support agency of the United States Congress, asked the Capstone team to investigate reports of veterans facing lengthy delays in the adjudication of their disability compensation claims. CRS intends to use this report to supplement their current research and analysis on public policy issues, which are distributed to Congressmembers and their staff. The Capstone team investigated trends in veteran populations and disability compensation using the Annual Benefit Reports compiled by the Department of Veteran's Affairs, interviews with key informants, and analyses of available veteran survey data. Areas of interest include the aging veteran population, medical innovation, and legislation pertinent to disability compensation.
Blueprint for Growth: Staff Transitions, Program Expansion and Enterprise Resource Planning at the CUNY School of Law
As a state-funded institution with an outstanding track record for graduating students who work in Public Interest Law, the growing success and planned expansion of CUNY School of Law will impact future staffing needs. The Law School asked the Capstone team to develop a staffing needs projection based on three major upcoming changes: the move to a newer, larger facility; the addition of an evening program that will add more students; and CUNY Law's implementation and maintenance of a new CUNY-wide administrative software system. The Capstone team's report provided the CUNY Law Administrators with staffing recommendations based on literature reviews as well as interviews and surveys conducted at CUNY Law, Queens College (the current administrative service provider for CUNY Law), CUNY Central, and other law schools relevant in size and structure.
Developing Short-Term and Long-Term Fundraising Strategies for DUMBO Improvement District
The DUMBO Improvement District is one of 60 Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) in the City of New York. The BID is funded by local commercial property owners, and its budget is used to provide improvements to DUMBO, Brooklyn, such as keeping the streets clean, advocating on behalf of the community to public and private stakeholders, helping DUMBO go green and bringing more public art to the neighborhood. The BID's provision of services and role in bringing capital improvements to the neighborhood exceeds the organization's primary revenue source ? the annual special assessment. Accordingly, the BID sought the assistance of the Capstone team in articulating a development and fundraising agenda. The team researched various corporate, foundation, and governmental grants suitable for the BID, analyzed the feasibility of increasing the annual assessment, and conducted a peer group analysis of New York City BIDs. The report details the Capstone team's findings and recommendations on how the BID could expand its fundraising strategies to achieve its goals.
Expanding Global UR's online presence
Global UR, developed by the Education Development Center (EDC), is an online learning network for international development practitioners all over the world. The website has several features including a quarterly magazine, job postings, a calendar of events, publications, links to related websites and book reviews. EDC aims to increase Global UR's online presence by expanding its membership and awareness among faculty and students in international development. The Capstone team's task was to assist EDC by making strategic recommendations to help Global UR to achieve its goals. This involved the team's involvement in: 1) identifying new university partners; 2) performing a needs assessment survey of potential new users; 3) identifying additional strategic marketing partnerships; 4) developing and facilitating an online teach-in to energize and attract Global UR members; and 5) designing fundraising strategies, materials and research potential funding sources to support the future growth of Global UR. In addition to this hands-on involvement, the team observed and evaluated the results of these activities in order to make recommendations for subsequent improvement of this initiative.
A Comprehensive Monitoring and Evaluation System
The Education for Employment Foundation (EFE) works in the Middle East and North Africa to provide disadvantaged youth with the skills needed to improve their economic future and that of their countries. EFE accomplishes this objective by providing unemployed youth with cutting-edge professional training that directly leads to job opportunities. The Capstone team was commissioned by EFE to test and refine a comprehensive monitoring and evaluation (M&E) framework. The team first undertook a review of the existing M&E techniques and elicited feedback from EFE staff as to its functionality and practicality. The Capstone team then conducted extensive research and traveled to Jordan and Morocco to interview key EFE staff and pilot the tools with students, alumni, employers, and partners. In its final written report, the team produced an updated series of M&E tools, a user's guide, and recommendations on how EFE can tailor the M&E system to individual program and country needs.
Assessing and Improving EGA's Efforts in Diversity and Inclusive Practices
The Environmental Grantmakers Association (EGA) provides its more than 220 member organizations with networking and learning opportunities to make them more effective in their work supporting environmental organizations and issues. For the past 10 years, EGA has been educating its members on issues around diversity and inclusive practices and created an Inclusive Practices Committee to implement organizational curriculum on these issues. The Capstone team worked with EGA and the Inclusive Practices Committee to design a member wide survey assessing EGA's efforts in this area from a member perspective. In addition, the team conducted interviews with Inclusive Practices Committee members, survey experts, organizations dealing with similar issues, and experts on the issues of diversity and leadership. The team also completed a literature review to investigate best practices in the field. Based on this research, the final report includes recommendations on how EGA can further enhance its efforts and serve its members in diversity and inclusive practices, as well as a communications plan and financial forecast for implementing these suggestions.
New York City Nonprofit Organizations: Fiscal Health Indicators Database
Fiscal Management Associates (FMA) provides fiscal consulting services to nonprofit organizations by enhancing knowledge and skills to successfully fulfill their missions. Currently FMA has a wealth of experience guiding its understanding of what works to achieve or maintain organizational fiscal health, but lacks hard data in some areas. FMA asked the Capstone team to launch a research project aimed at creating a database containing detailed financial and management information from local nonprofit organizations with annual budgets equal to $15 million or less, with particular focus on the areas of education, health and human services, and housing and settlement. The process of data collection included in-person interviews with several chief financial officers, online surveys, and the retrieval of information from F990 and financial statements. By collecting, organizing, and storing data in one centralized location, a powerful tool will be created for identifying specific best practices among effective and financially efficient nonprofit organizations.
Challenge of a Non-Billable Patient Ratio
The Floating Hospital (TFH) is a Federally Qualified Health Center, providing 57,000+ patient visits annually to homeless individuals and families from all New York City boroughs. Wherever possible, TFH bills the Medicaid program for medically necessary services; however, TFH provides services free of charge to patients not eligible for Medicaid or those covered under Medicaid managed care plans. The Capstone team analyzed TFH's reimbursement collection processes for homeless families with Medicaid fee-for-service coverage and discovered that TFH is unable to submit reimbursement claims for 48% of visits provided and is denied reimbursement for over 4% of submitted claims. To address these figures, the Capstone team identified factors contributing to TFH's 48% non-billable ratio, researched New York State Medicaid Policy, and conducted interviews with similar homeless healthcare providers. The team also conducted an assessment of intake and disenrollment processes to maximize workflow efficiencies at TFH clinics. Lastly, to enhance TFH's capacity to serve homeless patients, the team made recommendations to improve reimbursement through Medicaid.
Best Practices: Creating Diversity through Volunteer Recruitment and Retention
Free Arts NYC is an organization that delivers creative arts programs directly to low-income, homeless, abused, and neglected children. Volunteers act as mentors and create an environment for the children to express themselves through art projects. The Capstone team's goal was to advance Free Arts NYC's strategic plan of program expansion by growing and diversifying their pool of trained volunteers. The team conducted a demographic analysis of active Free Arts NYC volunteers; gathered volunteers' feedback through focus groups and interviews; analyzed best practices of similar organizations; and extensively researched new partnerships and volunteer sources in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and the Bronx. In a systematic process for recruitment and retention of a diversified volunteer base, the Capstone team will present a statistical report of existing volunteers, recommendations for recruiting new volunteers, and a list of potential new local partners in each of the operating areas.
Improving HIV/AIDS Workplace Policy Development and Implementation at Indian BPO Firms
The Global Business Coalition is a corporate membership organization helping corporations identify and implement programs within their businesses to address diseases such as HIV/AIDS. Many of these corporations utilize Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) firms to achieve maximum efficiency in their supply chain. The Capstone team discovered that BPO firms tend to employ a young, mobile workforce that is compensated significantly higher than the national average. Higher levels of disposable income can allow BPO employees to engage in high-risk behavior that can lead to an increase HIV/AIDS transmission. Due to the immense growth in BPO industries, the Capstone team examined the development and implementation of HIV workplace policies by multinational corporations operating offshore firms in India by focusing on HSBC and Standard Chartered Bank as two case studies. The team will deliver a comprehensive written report complete with data analysis, corporate policy analysis, best practices, and recommendations for HIV policy implementation.
Barriers, Budgets, and Batteries: Organizational Decision-Making When Adopting New Technologies
How does an organization decide to adopt a new technology in its field programs? Global Relief Technology, a producer of handheld data collection devices, asked the Capstone team to research the barriers for PDA adoption by emergency relief organizations. NGOs across sectors are increasingly weighing the tangible and intangible costs and benefits of new ways of collecting timely, mission-specific data. The team interviewed approximately a dozen organizations in varying fields to discover the financial, technical, and institutional barriers preventing organizations from incorporating such types of technology. The team also conducted case studies of two organizations (one domestic and one international) currently piloting different PDA devices to explore the decision making processes these groups followed in their technology acquisition decisions. The team identified common barriers and themes in purchasing decisions of the sampled organizations and compiled the information in a white paper for wider industry distribution.
Evaluation of ?Where Women Have No Doctor? and 'A Book for Midwives'
The Hesperian Foundation publishes books and educational materials that empower the world's poor to take greater control over their health and their lives. The Capstone team partnered with the Hesperian Foundation to evaluate two of their publications, ?Where Women Have No Doctor? and ?A Book for Midwives.? The evaluation consisted of an online survey distributed to book users, and a case study of midwives who use the books in rural and urban Guatemala. The data collected from both aspects of the evaluation provide a thorough picture of how Hesperian publications are used throughout the world, as well as information which will be used to inform the development of future publications.
Effective Water Management in Quito, Ecuador: Successes, Challenges, and Constraints
Looking to scale-up its funding of water and sanitation in Latin America, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) sought a case study of its work in the region to serve as an example from which to draw. ?The bank contracted the Capstone team to spend one month in Quito, Ecuador to evaluate its water and sanitation company, EMAAP-Q, and write such a case study. ?The Capstone team met with and interviewed various actors, including members of the city and national governments and community leaders in order to evaluate the historical precedents and current strategies that contributed to EMAAP-Q's successes and lessons learned. This information was used to create a case study outlining the story of the organization, including technical addenda, for both a lay audience and development practitioners. The case provides the IDB with information to help understand some of the factors that will be important to its future efforts to improve urban water management in Latin America.
Water and Sanitation Management in Cuenca: How Ecuador's Third Largest City Employs Strategic Partnerships and Local Ownership to Deliver Services to its Booming Population
The purpose of this Capstone project was to create a case study on water and sanitation development in Cuenca Ecuador, based on loans from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) to the Cuencan water utility company called ETAPA. To evaluate these interventions, interviews were conducted with IDB staff in Washington, DC and Quito, Ecuador. The project involved travel to Cuenca in order to conduct research, which included interviews with ETAPA engineers and managers, interviews with government officials, interviews with locals in urban and rural areas, as well as review of available documents. This case highlights the major accomplishments that ETAPA has made in managing its environment, building its infrastructure, and strengthening its business model as a result of the investments financed by the IDB. ETAPA has been able to achieve much by building local capacity and ownership and by forming strategic partnerships, and as the city's population continues to grow in the coming decades, the local capacity and partnerships will help shape the continued success of the city's water system.
Consumer Responses to Water Service Delivery in Accra: A Case Study of the Coping Mechanisms of Three Residential Areas
This Capstone project entailed exploring consumer and private sector responses to poor water supply service delivery in Accra, Ghana. Specifically, it compared various coping mechanisms of households in different water supply areas and income brackets and provided recommendations for the improvement of water service in Accra. Using both quantitative and qualitative research methods, the team collected and analyzed primary and secondary data including key stakeholder interviews and a survey of 103 households in three residential areas of Mega Accra ? East Legon, Madina, and Adenta. The team found that Accra's residents in different neighborhoods and income brackets have developed various and different ways to manage their water needs and cope with poor and unequal water supply service delivery. The team's research data showed that water source, storage, cost, and quality are all influenced by geographic location and income level. Also, piped water service, though unreliable, remains an important source of water for most residents.
Evaluation of the Fields of Caregivers' and Correctional Health Care
The Langeloth Foundation is a grant-giving organization centered on the concepts of health and well-being. Caregivers' and Correctional health have been priority funding areas for Langeloth since 2003 and 2006, respectively. The key question the Foundation wished to have answered is which direction they should take regarding future Caregivers' and Correctional health care grants. The Capstone team evaluated the impact that Langeloth-funded grants in these priority areas have had in their respective fields and worked to develop an overall strategy for future funding and recommendations on the most pressing policy issues of the respective fields.?The team conducted a literature review, an online survey, phone interviews, and focus groups of grantees and thought-leaders in the two fields. Finally, the team developed and recommended grant-funding goals with identified outcomes and objectives that serve as a guide to measure a grant's success.
Assessment of the Jamaica Center for Arts & Learning Community Workshop Program
Jamaica Center for Arts & Learning (JCAL) is a nonprofit organization that offers visual, performing and literary arts, arts education and artists' programs to encourage participation in the arts and to contribute to the cultural enrichment of the children and adults of Queens and the Greater Metropolitan area. JCAL charged the Capstone team with conducting an assessment of their largest education program, the Community Workshop series, which provides opportunities for people of all ages to participate in affordable arts education workshops. The team researched and analyzed trends in the arts, competitor offerings, program costs and structure, marketing practices, pricing strategy, enrollment trends, and client demographics. They also conducted surveys, focus groups, and interviews with workshop participants, instructors, and staff. Based on findings, the team outlined a series of recommendations on how JCAL can maximize the program's earning potential while improving the services provided to their constituencies.
Strategic Planning for a New York City Nonprofit Organization
Jewish Community Project Downtown (JCP) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to meeting the needs of Lower Manhattan's diverse Jewish population by encouraging them to connect to others through educational, cultural, social, and artistic programs. JCP's ultimate goal is to create a healthy and evolving community in which members have a strong sense of personal ownership, community connections, and Jewish identity. Now at a pivotal point in its development, JCP requested a Capstone team to determine how to strengthen and grow the organization. The Capstone team decided that a 6-step strategic planning process was the best option and facilitated this process in partnership with an eight member committee of JCP staff, board members, and donors. The 6-step strategic planning process involved: (1) developing an organizational profile; (2) reviewing mission and vision statements; (3) completing an environmental assessment and SWOT analysis; (4) developing strategies, goals, and objectives; (5) writing the strategic plan; and (6) implementing the strategic plan. The team utilized surveys, demographic studies, focus groups, interviews with key stakeholders and funders, and financial information to inform and guide the committee in developing the strategic plan.
Men's Programming: Creating a Program Model for Men's Engagement
The Jewish Outreach Institute (JOI) is dedicated to creating a more welcoming and inclusive North American Jewish community for all, including unaffiliated and intermarried families through outreach, advocacy, education, and support. In order to achieve its mission, JOI offers a myriad of innovative programming that spans across the United States and Canada. To address the widely known issue in the Jewish community of men's decreasing involvement, JOI requested that the Capstone team develop a model for men's programming with the intent of launching the program nationally. The Capstone team conducted an extensive literature review, researched existing programs, and interviewed Jewish leaders to identify the qualities of a successful program to engage unaffiliated or disengaged Jewish men or non-Jewish men married to Jewish women. The exploration stage of the project produced insights and best practices that the Capstone team used to develop its recommended program model and accompanying research report.
Preventing Cervical Cancer: Easy as 1, 2, 3?
Right now, young people ages 15-24 comprise almost half of the six million Americans who will become infected with human papillomavirus (HPV) this year. In addition, because of racial and economic disparities in health care, women of color and women in poverty are more likely to contract HPV, but are far less likely to receive treatment once they become infected. The Capstone team's client, Legal Momentum, a leader in establishing litigation and public policy strategies to secure equality and justice for women, is interested in examining ways to reduce and prevent HPV and cervical cancer. Through a multi-prong research approach, the Capstone team developed an advocacy strategy for Legal Momentum to pursue in New York City and nationwide.
Assessing the Costs to Employers of Domestic Violence Workplace Policies in New York City
Legal Momentum is the nation's oldest legal advocacy organization dedicated solely to advancing the rights of women and girls with the aim to establish litigation and public policy strategies to secure equality and justice for women. The goal of this Capstone project was to prepare a study to assess the costs that employers face in implementing reasonable accommodations for victims of domestic violence. In order to complete this assessment the team developed a valid framework for evaluating these costs and compared it with existing cost methodologies. The team also created a reliable employer survey to estimate the cost impact of domestic violence policies in the workplace. The results of the study will give Legal Momentum information that can inform policy decisions and provide a framework for future research.
Affordable Housing Monitor
Community Board 4 (CB4) serves the Chelsea, Hudson Yards and Clinton/Hell's Kitchen areas and involves community members in government decisions that affect their neighborhoods. The Capstone team assisted CB4 by developing a database of its affordable housing stock, particularly the number of units created through multi-jurisdictional public financing mechanisms in market-rate buildings. This information will be used to ascertain which affordable housing has been created, what will be created in the future, and how much more will be needed to meet the demands and needs of the community. The Capstone team collected data from various government agencies, real estate agencies/brokers, and the The Furman Center for Real Estate and Urban Policy at New York University. The team examined existing affordable housing stock and proposed new construction of affordable housing in the district.
Combating Payday Lending in Mississippi
Payday lenders can charge fees of $22 per $100 borrowed for a two-week short-term loan, which is the equivalent of a 572 annual percentage rate. Borrowers frequently cannot repay their original loan and have to take out additional loans, trapping the borrower into a cycle of debt. With the payday lending industry booming, Mississippi has one of the highest concentrations in the nation. Attacking the abusive nature of predatory payday lending in Mississippi requires a coalition of multiple stakeholders who can energetically work together to limit the use of payday lenders. The Capstone team developed a four-pronged strategic plan to meet both short- and long-term needs and includes strategies for legislation, community organizing, financial literacy, and identifying financial resources to support alternative loan products.
Soria City Commercial Revitalization Project
The Capstone team partnered with the Mississippi Center for Justice, a nonprofit, public interest law firm, in an effort to strengthen the commercial sector of Soria City, a small African American neighborhood of Gulfport, Mississippi that continues to struggle from the adverse impacts of Hurricane Katrina. The team provided essential tools for two aspiring entrepreneurs whose start-ups are expected to boost the neighborhood's overall vitality. Tools included a business plan, a market analysis, assistance with Minority/Women Business Enterprise certification, and a comprehensive guide of loan resources for each entrepreneur. For the broader community, the Capstone team coordinated with local business support organizations to plan a community workshop and networking event. The team also conducted a public survey and community meeting to identify local needs, and produced a community action guide to address broader development issues such as accessibility, street conditions, and zoning.
Citizen Engagement and Revenue Generation in Uganda
The Municipal Development Partnership for Eastern and Southern Africa (MDPESA) engages in capacity building to promote civic engagement and ensure effective self-governance in 25 African nations. The Capstone team was enlisted to study citizen engagement and local government revenue generation in Uganda. The abolition of Uganda's graduated tax coupled with limited implementation of participatory mechanisms has contributed to the inability of local governments to meet citizen demand for services. Because most citizen engagement studies have focused on the technical aspects of participatory expenditure budgeting and not on revenue generation, the team conducted fieldwork in Uganda to explore the links between citizen engagement, revenue generation, and service delivery. The team held interviews with local and central government officials, as well as informal focus groups with local opinion leaders. MDPESA will use the final report to enhance their knowledge of the ties between citizen engagement and local government revenue generation in Uganda and to develop an agenda for further work.
Building Public Art into Business Improvement Districts' Menu of Services
In New York City, property owners and commercial tenants have the opportunity to form a Business Improvement District (BID), a public-private partnership responsible for promoting local economic development and improving an area's quality of life. There are more than 60 BIDs citywide, and each supplements the City services for property and business owners within the BID boundary. These services include sanitation, security, sidewalk maintenance, and neighborhood marketing. Public art is increasingly viewed as an economic development tool that drives foot traffic to commercial corridors and cultural districts by creating a visually interesting streetscape. The New York City Business Improvement District Managers Association (NYCBA) ? the umbrella organization for the BID Executive Directors ? recognizes the nexus between public art and economic activity, and believes that incorporating public art programming into the BIDs' menu of services is in line with its mission. The NYCBA enlisted a Capstone team to create a framework, implementation strategy, and toolkit for the pilot public art program. The team designed the program based on key informant interviews and surveys on public art programming, economic impact studies, and existing public art programs within New York City agencies.
Exploring the Feasibility of Pursuing the Registration of Alternative School Leadership Training Programs
The New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE) is the largest public school system in the country and serves over 1 million students in nearly 1,500 schools. NYCDOE's Office of School Leadership asked the Capstone team to explore the feasibility of pursuing the registration of alternative school leadership training programs by the New York State Department of Education. The team researched which organizations provide alternative training/certification for school leaders in the United States and identified each state's rationale in granting alternative routes, and the challenges and lessons learned throughout the process., The team interviewed program administrators and evaluated best practices for achieving state recognition for alternative certification programs, including a description of the process to attain state recognition. The final paper includes recommendations on how NYCDOE and its partners can best pursue state recognition of alternative training programs for school leaders given this national context.
Evaluating Two Innovative Employment Programs for Individuals on Probation in NYC
This Capstone project is an implementation evaluation of two innovative employment programs for individuals on probation in New York City. The programs, Employment Works and the New York City Justice Corps, are mayoral initiatives funded through the Center for Economic Opportunity. Eligible probationers are referred to specialized services designed to help them obtain better paying and more meaningful employment. The project evaluates Department of Probation's role in the programs' assessment and referral process, and analyzes how closely this process matches the original design. The evaluation involves a series of key informant interviews with agency leadership, program managers, probation officers, and probationers, as well as an online survey, quantitative analysis, literature and document review, and in-person observations. The team will specify an audit protocol that outlines the procedures for replicating the program evaluation in the future, and will deliver a report that highlights successes and concerns, and makes recommendations for improvements.
Youth and Runaway Services TIL Program Assessment
The Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) funds programs designed to protect runaway and homeless youth and whenever possible, reunite them with their families. DYCD's Transitional Independent Living (TIL) Programs provide homeless youth (16-20 years of age) with support and shelter for up to 18 months, as they work to establish an independent life. The goal of the Capstone project was to examine youth who utilize TIL programs and evaluate circumstances after they are discharged from the programs. The team also provided recommendations for how DYCD can better tailor its discharge planning process in conjunction with the TIL sites to meet the needs of runaway and homeless youth. The Capstone team reviewed client files for youth discharged during Fiscal Year 2008 and interviewed TIL providers regarding their discharge policies and services utilized by clients. An in-depth assessment of this information, together with recommendations, will contribute to a better understanding of the outcomes for youth who participate in TIL programs, help DYCD to make informed policy decisions, and direct limited resources more effectively.
Marketing Strategy for Biosciences Industry in New York City or New York Metropolitan Region
The Capstone team partnered with New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) and the New York Biosciences Association to determine if New York City and the surrounding metropolitan region will benefit from uniting and marketing itself as a regional entity. Using existing biosciences clusters around the United States as case studies, the team researched and identified relevant successes and failures within the industry. The team also identified and interviewed key stakeholders who would need to be involved in such a regional strategy. In addition, the team conducted stakeholder analyses and identified barriers to collaboration both within New York City and throughout the region. Based on this comparative analysis and assessment of options, the team recommended a future plan of action for NYCEDC to effectively market the bioscience industry in New York City and the region.
Improving Community Patient Access to Specialty Healthcare Services
The New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC) is the largest public hospital system in the country, serving 1.3 million patients annually. The Capstone team was asked to identify barriers to specialty care access for community-referred patients at select HHC facilities (Bellevue, Elmhurst, Kings, Lincoln, and Woodhull) and to develop an implementation plan for strategies to improve access. Phase I of the project focused on interviewing stakeholders at the participating hospitals, root cause analysis, data analysis, and literature review. Phase I ended with recommendations and strategies that could be implemented across facilities to better manage the specialty care access. Phase II included interviewing stakeholders at the participating hospitals for best practices associated with the recommended strategies and the prioritization of identified strategies with HHC leadership. The final product was a customized implementation plan for each participating facility to address specialty care access and the development of metrics to measure efficacy of the recommended strategies.
Leveraging NYCHA's Purchasing Power: A Feasibility Study of a Purchasing Collaboration Among Public Housing Authorities
The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), along with other public housing authorities throughout the country, has seen a major decrease in subsidies from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development since 2001. Now, with a deficit of $198 million, NYCHA has requested a Capstone team to investigate the feasibility of a purchasing cooperative with the goal of creating a new revenue stream. An in-depth literature review and extensive research was conducted on the various models of purchasing partnerships, both in theory and practice, to see what best suits NYCHA's needs, size, and what can best leverage its sophisticated supply chain operations. The team designed and administered an online survey to 200 regional housing authorities to gauge interest and financial feasibility. Complementing the survey, the team conducted phone interviews with potential vendors and self-selected public housing authorities. Additionally, an evaluation of potential issues and barriers to implementation was also conducted with the team and NYCHA's legal department. The report synthesizes survey data and qualitative research yielding a detailed cost-benefit analysis and recommended next steps for NYCHA.
Analysis of the Current Print Media Coverage of Domestic Violence in the New York State Area
Media coverage of domestic violence cases has long been a source of concern for those who work to end domestic violence. In order to make stories attractive to readers, it is not unusual for cases to be sensationalized by reporters who have a limited knowledge of the dynamics of domestic violence. The New York State Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence (OPDV) is an executive level state government agency that was created by a provision of the New York State Executive Law in 1992, and the mission of OPDV is to reduce domestic violence in New York State by improving the State's local response to and prevention of domestic violence, ensuring that everyone can feel safe in their personal relationships. The three main objectives of this Capstone project are to research and analyze current print media coverage of domestic violence throughout New York State, conduct a literature review of other jurisdictions' findings, and to make recommendations as to how OPDV could improve the State's media coverage of this issue.
Car Sharing and Parking Management at NYU Abu Dhabi
New York University is developing a campus on Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. As part of the campus planning and development efforts, New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) tasked the Capstone team with researching and developing a plan to implement a car share program on the campus. The team researched car share programs and conducted interviews with leading businesses and service providers in the United States and around the world. The team also spent a week in Abu Dhabi talking with key stakeholders to learn about existing conditions in Abu Dhabi as well as regulatory and insurance issues, and cultural limitations for implementing a car share program on NYUAD's campus. The team will deliver a set of recommendations to NYUAD for implementing a car share program. Such recommendations will include a business analysis, advice on partnerships, necessary parking management requirements for the campus, and potential challenges and limitations.
Recycling in NYU Abu Dhabi
New York University is developing a full scale campus in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi that will admit its first class of students in the fall of 2010. The development and operation of New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) will embody the values of New York University, one of which is to be a responsible ecological citizen. The team was tasked with making recommendations for the creation of a comprehensive recycling program for both the permanent and interim campuses of NYUAD. NYUAD expects the recycling program to be broad in scope, attainable in nature, and emblematic of the innovative potential for recycling programs in the broader region. The plan addresses water, organic materials, disposable commodities (such as bottles and cans), and durable goods (such as furniture). The recommendations address both demand side management (sourcing, education) as well as the more traditional post-use issues of recycling (physical planning and operations).
NYU Abu Dhabi Bike Share and Supporting Infrastructure
New York University Abu Dhabi has enlisted a Capstone team to develop a set of recommendations to encourage non-motorized modes of transportation as viable and enjoyable mobility alternatives for students. NYU Abu Dhabi is in the process of planning both the physical and programmatic aspects of its campus and would like the sustainability ethos of the New York City campus to carry over to Abu Dhabi. Recently, the NYC-based University initiated a bike share pilot program to provide a form of recreation and fill gaps in public transport. The Capstone team is working to develop a bike program and set of policies for both the interim and permanent campus in Abu Dhabi, which could potentially be integrated with a larger citywide bike share program. The Capstone team conducted extensive research into existing bike share programs around the world and traveled to Abu Dhabi to study the existing infrastructure and plans for future development. The recommendations made by the Capstone team will guide University administrators in implementing such a program for both campuses.
Improving the Accuracy of Reporting Graduate Medical Education Reimbursements
New York University Langone Medical Center (NYULMC) is a top-tier medical institution that provides graduate medical education to residents and fellows. NYULMC receives graduate medical education (GME) funding from Medicare when residents train in licensed settings or in non-licensed provider settings if appropriate agreements are in place. NYULMC was concerned that time spent by residents in non-provider settings may not be entered accurately into its resident time tracking system. The role of the Capstone team was to determine whether residents were being trained in non-provider settings, establish the length and time of these rotations, and analyze the financial impact on GME reimbursement. The team evaluated 85 programs to determine resident training locations, summarizing the information into a comprehensive document. The team also made recommendations to improve the accuracy of resident reporting. Finally, the team worked with NYULMC to define criteria for letters of agreement with identified non-hospital providers.
Introducing the Allen Pavilion Nurses to Community Outreach
New York-Presbyterian Hospital (NYPH) is committed to serving the vast array of neighborhoods comprising its service area and recognizes the importance of preserving a local community focus. The Department of Nursing plans for its nurses to have a strong community presence through volunteerism. The Capstone team identified current community outreach efforts at NYPH by conducting surveys and interviews with internal and external stakeholders and identified a local community school as an institution requesting a partnership with a health care facility. The final report includes recommendations to achieve a community outreach program, responding to the community's needs and the Allen Pavilion nurses. In addition, a communication strategy is outlined to better market community programs and increase participation of Allen Pavilion nurses.
Improving Supply Procurement on Nursing Units
The Capstone team worked with a leadership team at New York-Presbyterian Hospital Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center to develop a process for improving the procurement of supplies on two adult inpatient oncology nursing units, one medical and one surgical. This project was triggered by a time and motion study done in 2006, which showed that nurses are spending significant time away from the bedside to obtain supplies needed for routine or more specialized care. To better assess the needs of the nurses, the team conducted surveys and focus groups with nursing staff. An evaluation of the flow of supplies both from the central supply source to the unit and from the unit supply area to the point of care was undertaken. The team initiated an evidence-based approach and considered limits in modifications to the patient unit. The results can be utilized by the hospital to transfer time spent on obtaining supplies to providing direct bedside care.
Streamlining the NYPH Restraint Data Monitoring Process
New York-Presbyterian Hospital (NYPH) Department of Nursing is committed to the provision of safe, quality care to its diverse patient population. The vision of the Department of Nursing is to be one of the nation's leaders in nursing best practices; quality, safety and outcomes; research; education; and service excellence. The Capstone team was entrusted to develop a streamlined monitoring process for patient restraint that is efficient, reliable, compliant with regulatory agency requirements, and replicable. The Capstone team reviewed current manual process flow of patient restraint monitoring, hard copies of monitoring tools, and performed an extensive literature review. Nursing Quality Assurance Governing Council members, Patient Care Directors of pilot units, front line staff, Nursing Informatics, clients, and individuals from peer organizations were interviewed to better understand the scope of the project. The information was mapped out, researched, analyzed and a report of initial findings was submitted to the client as a point of reference for NYPH as it moves toward building a more efficient and accurate quality monitoring process. The team's recommendation will provide a hand-off to the client that presents a streamlined process, which includes data mining, timelines and milestones. The recommendation also defines clear ownership and accountability of the specific campus-based Nursing Quality Assurance Governing Council that can be consistently and equally applied to other quality initiatives.
Patient Acuity Systems
The Capstone team formulated two research questions to assess the extent to which the New York-Presbyterian Hospital (NYPH) was utilizing evidence-based nursing sensitive patient acuity measures to manage nurse staffing: what are the current NYPH practices and how would a patient acuity system (at no significant extra cost) improve staffing decisions and patient care at NYPH? The Capstone team identified the current practices on two similar medical-surgical units in the NYPH system. Through a series of interviews and an evidence-based literature review, the team identified criteria to evaluate relevant patient acuity systems in the marketplace. Based on the findings, the Capstone team recommended next steps for the NYPH system with regard to acuity-based staffing.
Improving Supply Procurement on Nursing Units
For years, nurses have struggled with balancing bedside service, direct patient care, teaching, and an array of other daily tasks. Several studies have shown that nurses can spend seventeen percent or more of their shift administering medications, which can be equal to or greater than the amount of time they are able to devote to patient teaching and other interventions. New York-Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center requested the Capstone team to observe the medication administration process on several medical-surgical units, identify the barriers that impede a safe and efficient medication administration process and present opportunities for improvement. The recommendations are being developed through observation data analysis, focus group discussions with nurses working on the units studied, and evidence extracted from literature reviews. The recommendations presented to the nursing leadership of New York-Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center will identify opportunities to remove barriers that currently prevent nurses from spending quality time at the bedside.
Evaluation of Keep the Dream: A Refinance Program for Households Facing Foreclosure in New York State
In the wake of the sub-prime mortgage crisis and in an effort to reduce foreclosures, the State of New York Mortgage Agency (SONYMA) asked the Capstone team to evaluate their foreclosure prevention and refinance program Keep the Dream, fostered under New York Homes (?nyhomes?). SONYMA provides affordable home ownership opportunities to low and moderate income families in New York State. The Capstone team evaluated Keep the Dream, by creating and applying a custom program evaluation tool. The evaluation tool consists of a set of prioritized goals, a series of program metrics, and a proposed system for collecting and measuring said metrics. The team then used the tool to identify key goals, challenges, and successes of Keep the Dream. The team also interviewed agency personnel, key stakeholders and other state HFAs, and analyzed foreclosure and mortgage performance data to provide recommendations on improving foreclosure prevention programs in the future.
Achieving Sustainability: Financial Assessment and Recommendations for a Religious Order
The Order of St. Helena (OSH) is an Episcopalian order located in Augusta, Georgia that is comprised of 22 sisters. For the past several years, OSH has incurred an increasing budget deficit. Upon review of OSH's available financial data, the Capstone team created a comprehensive analysis of OSH's fiscal activities and decisions and identified OSH's strengths and deficiencies. In formulating recommendations, the team employed surveys, interviews, academic research, and data benchmarking methodology to determine possible sources of revenue and strategies to decrease expenses. Additionally, the team provided OSH with a feasible and practical framework that would allow the organization to overcome financial challenges and to remain sustainable.
A Framework for Longitudinal Program Evaluation
Many nonprofits are tasked with continually addressing and responding to issues of accountability, cost-effectiveness, program performance, and impact. One of the largest multi-service agencies in New York City whose services include a variety of substance-abuse treatment programs, Palladia wants to address the challenge of quantitatively demonstrating that their programs effectively improve and impact clients' behaviors over time. The Capstone project goal was to provide Palladia with a framework to conduct longitudinal program evaluation that will enable them to better track and understand the impact of their substance abuse interventions on client outcomes and to develop the operational infrastructure to track former clients and conduct such an evaluation. The Capstone team worked with Palladia to broaden the understanding of treatment and service provision by recommending mechanisms that appropriately assess the treatment success of clients.
Securing Revenue and Managing Financial Operations in an Expanding Organization
The Pike County Public Library (PCPL) sought to address the competing challenges of increased usage and insufficient capacity at its main branch and two satellite branches. Unable to meet the needs of the county's 60,000 residents, the PCPL has begun the process of building a new state-of-the-art headquarters facility with the goal of increasing capacity and expanding its programs. The Capstone team worked with the PCPL to identify a new and stable funding source that will help ensure the long-term sustainability of the PCPL, specifically a dedicated countywide library tax imposed by referendum. After examining the PCPL financial operations and researching library tax referenda results from other Pennsylvania counties, the Capstone team prepared a primer on planning for a referendum campaign, a case study of past referenda, a series of projected PCPL operating budgets based on varying revenue and expense forecasts, and an analysis of a public opinion survey about the library and a potential tax.
Determining Efficacy of Current Programs and Developing a Business Plan for Program Expansion Opportunities
The Rock School for Dance Education is one of the nation's premier schools for classical ballet training with a $4 million budget and an annual enrollment of more than 1,000 students at facilities in Philadelphia and West Chester, Pennsylvania. The School annually awards more than $500,000 in scholarships, maintains a year-round residence program in Philadelphia for 32 students, and provides a cutting-edge high school program for the most focused young dancers. The education component provides artists with a unique blend of pre-professional training, performance experience, and college-preparatory academics to ensure that they are both well trained and well educated. Faced with increased competition and a dynamic funding environment, The Rock School requested a Capstone team to develop a business plan to financially sustain the organization in the future. To inform this effort, the Capstone team conducted market research and undertook a five-year financial statement analysis.
An Inquiry into Administrative Operations and Process Flow at CERC
The Children's Evaluation and Rehabilitation Center (CERC) is one of the primary centers in New York City and New York State providing health care services to children with developmental disabilities. In 2004, President Bush mandated that all healthcare providers convert to an Electronic Medical Record (EMR) by the year 2014. To fulfill this mandate and streamline their quality customer and provider service, CERC asked the Capstone team to observe and analyze current processes and procedures at its facilities, identifying areas of similarity and convergence across units. To obtain a stronger understanding of procedure and workflow for each unit, the team interviewed administrative staff in various units and analyzed internal processes beginning with initial patient contact and ending with determination and execution of treatment (or end of contact, if the patient was moved to another CERC unit or outside of CERC). The team's observations and recommendations are intended to assist CERC with the implementation of its EMR system and to generate general improvements in process and operational flow.
Designing and Aligning Program Models and Organizational Outcomes: A Stakeholder Evaluation
Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation, a Brooklyn-based arts outreach organization, offers programming to underserved youth. After determining the need for comprehensive program assessments, Rush staff partnered with a Capstone team to develop an evaluation plan, tools necessary for implementation, and preliminary survey results. The first step of the project required the collaboration of Rush executives and the Capstone team to identify desired program outcomes, which were subsequently mapped into program theory models. Based on these models the team created surveys to be administered to the following Rush stakeholders: youth, teachers, teaching artists, and parents. Responses from the surveys were then compiled and presented to Rush in order to provide the organization with information necessary for program assessment, development, and funding applications. Finally, in order to promote the continued use and ultimate mastery of the survey tools, the Capstone team trained the Rush executives on survey implementation and maintenance, and provided an instruction manual for ongoing future evaluation.
Creating an Inclusive Green Collar Workforce: Opportunities for Building Service Workers in a Greening Economy
SEIU Local 32BJ is the largest building service workers union in the country, representing more than 100,000 cleaners, doormen, porters, maintenance workers, window cleaners, security guards, superintendents, and theater/stadium workers. Now entering a critical planning phase, Local 32BJ requested a Capstone team to analyze how the movement towards energy efficient green buildings can open up new job opportunities for workers, provide a career ladder for current workers via training for green industries, and secure higher wages and benefits. To accomplish this, the Capstone team researched green building technologies, forecasted potential changes in job responsibilities, analyzed current training programs, and identified legislation that would help the union accomplish its goals. This information was then compiled and analyzed to produce a report of findings and recommendations that Local 32BJ can use to prepare and position it to benefit from a greening of the United States' economy
Effects of the Industrialization of Tequila on Agave Workers in Arandas, Mexico
NAFTA and U.S. recognition of Mexico's regions of appellation for tequila brought a substantial presence of multinational corporations into Mexico's tequila industry. With this, agave - the principal ingredient of tequila - is no longer cultivated by small farmers who possess the knowledge of all aspects of production. Due to the influx of multinational corporations, orchard-type environments are now cultivated and harvested by a multitude of people, each performing a specialized task. These developments bring changes to the economic and social roles of those working with agave and create a potential loss of multi-generational knowledge and alienation from traditional lands. While there has been considerable study of the liquor tequila and of the agave plant, the impact of the changes in agave production on the agave field workers of today is not yet documented. Who are the people who work in the agave fields of the highlands of Jalisco, Mexico? What is their role in today's agave production? What is the impact of the changes in agave production on these workers? The Capstone team interviewed workers in the agave fields surrounding Arandas, Jalisco, Mexico to answer such pressing questions.
The Opportunity of Transition: Executive Leadership Services as a Framework for Change
The Support Center for Nonprofit Management provides services designed to increase the effectiveness of nonprofit leaders, enabling nonprofit organizations to better serve their clients and communities. Among their offerings, they provide Executive Leadership Services to guide organizations through periods of executive transition, an increasingly crucial juncture for organizations during this economic crisis. The Capstone team conducted an evaluation looking at both the academic perspective on leadership transition and the impact of the Support Center's transition services on the marketplace. A survey of Support Center clients and interviews with key leaders in the field were conducted in order to create an understanding of the services provided and their effectiveness. The final report's recommendations provide a point of reference for the Support Center as they look to expand their client base and position themselves as a leader in the field of transition management. The report will also highlight the overall benefits of Executive Leadership Services to the nonprofit sector.?
Evaluation of United Methodist Church Consumption Levels for a Pension Program in Angola
The United Methodist Church (UMC) has collected over $10 million dollars to support the expansion of pension programs for United Methodist Church Conferences in the 37 countries in which it functions around the world. The Central Conference Pension Initiative (CCPI) assists each of the UMC Conferences to build the best pension program for their community. In order to equitably and efficiently distribute funds around the world, CCPI asked the team to evaluate international poverty measurement tools, tailor a tool specifically for CCPI, and test this tool in Angola. The team went to Angola with the goal of interviewing 60 pastors and pensioners using a consumption questionnaire to determine a common standard of living before and after retirement. The results will assist CCPI in making informed decisions on how to distribute funds. Ultimately, based on field research, the Capstone team will produce an enhanced survey that CCPI can implement in all 37 countries in the future.
Assessing Health Care Priorities in C?te d'Ivoire
The primary focus of this project was to help the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) identify and assess the health care priorities of national and local governments, the Methodist Church, and other key actors in C?te d'Ivoire. In particular, the team was asked to assess Dabou Methodist Hospital, a former British colonial hospital now owned by the local Methodist church, and make recommendations for its improvement. These recommendations will be considered by hospital administrators as well as leaders in The Methodist Church of Texas, who have established a partnership with the Methodist Church of C?te d'Iviore. The team conducted an environmental scan of the healthcare system and infrastructure of C?te d'Ivoire using internet-based research and interviews with US-based experts in healthcare systems. The team also traveled to C?te D'Ivoire to visit the hospital and interview various stakeholders, including leaders in the Methodist Church, hospital administrators and staff, as well as government officials, to gain a deeper understanding of local health care issues and challenges. Deliverables include recommendations for the improvement of the hospital and the feasibility of establishing a community health worker program. The team's findings will be presented to the hospital staff, leaders from the Methodist Church in C?te d'Ivoire, and leaders from the Methodist Church in Texas.
Analyzing and Improving the Evaluation of Local Development Projects
The United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) seeks to reduce poverty in Least Developed Countries (LDC) through local development programs combining investment capital, capacity building, and technical advisory services. Its approach emphasizes government decentralization and local pilot projects. High quality evaluations are crucial for UNCDF to understand the effectiveness of innovative strategies employed in pilot projects and the merits of scaling them up. The organization's evaluation framework must be flexible and nuanced to capture the contextual differences of interventions in diverse countries around the world, yet also standardized to facilitate comparisons. The Capstone team created a framework to carefully analyze eight evaluations completed in 2007 and reviewed existing evaluation manuals and guidelines. The team produced conceptual structures, diagrams, and recommendations to assist UNCDF in further improving its evaluations in the future.
UNCDF Nicaragua Local Economic Development
The United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) engaged a Capstone group to assess interim strategic planning outcomes of PADETOM, a UNCDF program in Nicaragua. The program's objective is to build the capacity of municipalities in the Rio San Juan region to promote and support local economic development (LED) strategies and initiatives. The Capstone team conducted a document review, academic research on current methodologies and approaches to LED, and field interviews with program partners, beneficiaries, stakeholders, and other agencies. Its findings include an analysis of the municipal planning process for the program, the larger framework under which it will be executed, and the expected effect on focus towns. The team also made recommendations for a future planning model for LED projects and for UNCDF's work in particular, including the recognition of the need for a multi-faceted approach linking it to rural economic development efforts.
Civic Engagement in Adaptation to Climate Change
Despite a growing concern about the impact of climate change on local communities, there has been a heavy emphasis on mitigation and adaptation efforts at the global and national levels of government. Support for local efforts to adapt to the adverse impacts of climate change have only recently been studied and highlighted. The Capstone team worked with the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) to assess and expand knowledge on local level reactions to climate change in various countries. The team reviewed three cases from Jamaica, India, and Mozambique involving local action by civil society organizations to increase community preparedness and to cope with the consequences of climate change. The cases give examples of the type of support required from NGOs and governments to enhance the capacity of communities to prepare for major catastrophic events and to adapt to climate change.
Telecommuting Study for UN Department of Management
The Capstone team was enlisted by the United Nations Department of Management to develop recommendations for improving the existing policy and practice of telecommuting within the Secretariat and its field offices world-wide. The team carried out an online internal survey of global Secretariat employees on their knowledge of and experience with telecommuting at the UN. The team visited the UN office in Vienna, noted within the UN system for its exceptional work/life balance policy and implementation strategies, to conduct in-person interviews about telecommuting best practices. The team also conducted an external benchmarking study to identify telecommuting best practices amongst UN sister agencies, NGOs, and private sector companies.
Analyzing New York City's Nonprofit Sector
Increased service demand along with retrenchment by governments and donors make it critical that the City and nonprofits work together. The NYC United Way and the Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services, seeking to strengthen the nonprofit sector, confronted the problem that the sector is not well mapped. The Capstone team was given the task of identifying and appraising multiple publicly available data sources with the aim to develop a consolidated inventory needed to understand the scope and complexity of NYC's nonprofit sector. Past surveys began this process but were snapshots, not the continuing portrait needed for such a dynamic sector. Research included literature review, focus groups, and interviews analyzed to produce options for an online web portal, one tool in an expanding set of City resources. With additional data it can be used to analyze the functional and financial resiliency of NYC nonprofits.
Helping Homeless Families Achieve Stability: A Process Evaluation of the Junius Street and Liberty Street Family Residences
Women in Need (WIN) is a New York City-based nonprofit organization that offers residential shelter in conjunction with support services to help homeless families achieve residential stability. Social support services include employment services, domestic violence counseling as well as HIV education and prevention services, which are intended to help clients address the underlying factors that often contribute to a family becoming homeless. Two of these shelters, Junius and Liberty, provide shelter and support to the bulk of the families served by WIN and are the subject of this Capstone project. WIN requested that the Capstone team conduct a comprehensive process evaluation of the two shelters to determine whether the social support services have been implemented as designed. This evaluation included the construction of program logic models, a review of management information systems, extensive interviews of staff and clients, and a literature review of relevant research on programs similar to WIN. Additionally, the Capstone team designed a framework for an impact evaluation to be conducted at a later date by WIN or another Capstone team.
Exploring Informal Practices in Dakar's Water and Sanitation Sectors
Dakar, Senegal has recently achieved significant gains in water provision, as well as more measured gains in sanitation, with The World Bank providing major funding to both sectors. While prior attempts to understand Dakar's water and sanitation sectors have looked primarily at state-level institutional arrangements, this project asks what reforms have meant for households by examining the nuances of water delivery and waste management in three peri-urban neighborhoods: Dalifort, Hann, and Diokoul Kow. The Capstone team interviewed residents and local officials in the water and sanitation sectors, finding that communities employ a wide range of informal practices to supplement - and in some cases act in place of - formal services. The report draws lessons from these informal practices and provides recommendations for short-term solutions to inadequacies in waste management and water provision. The report's findings provide insight into how communities understand and relate to challenges in essential service provision, and its recommendations can help inform future policy decisions in both sectors.
Economic Effects of Women's Workforce Participation: Policy Drivers and Myths
When exploring women's workforce participation in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), questions of culture and religion often surface. These issues frequently become roadblocks in debating impacts of female labor force participation and methods of eliminating negative externalities while maximizing positive effects. In order to eliminate these barriers and enable discussion of real solutions for women's employment in MENA countries, the World Bank requested a Capstone team to evaluate policies and solutions that facilitate growth of the female labor force and are applicable to MENA countries. The purpose of the team's research was to explore the policies that countries outside of MENA have implemented to increase female workforce participation. The research examines transitional periods of women's workforce participation in the United States, Sweden, and Malaysia and the impact this increased participation had on GDP growth. Recommendations to MENA countries are based on this research and analysis.