Her Justice supports women living in poverty in NYC by recruiting and mentoring lawyers to provide pro bono legal services that address individual and systemic legal barriers in the civil justice system. A challenge that Her Justice encounters in its policy work is the lack of transparency in court data, including litigant demographics, availability of language interpretation services for litigants, caseloads, lead times, and outcomes. Her Justice engaged the Capstone team to a) conduct an environmental scan of currently available mechanisms for data sharing in New York courts and in family courts in other states, b) submit a data request to the Office of Court Administration, and c) identify organizations that would benefit from the effort to increase court transparency. In its final report, the team summarizes its research and findings, offers recommendations for Her Justice, and includes a guide outlining how its research can be used as a base for further advocacy.

New York City Emergency Management (NYCEM) is the emergency coordination agency responsible for coastal storm preparedness, evacuation, and shelter in NYC. NYCEM tasked the Capstone team to support the agency with two coastal storm preparatory challenges: (1) determining nationwide best practices for evacuating people who are homebound and (2) identifying commonalities among residents in need of emergency shelter in low-lying and flood-prone areas of the city. The team conducted a literature review, interviewed emergency management officials nationwide, and completed a needs-based census analysis. Based on its findings, the team recommended a heightened communications plan, additional exploration of modern resources, and renewed use of existing technology and data. The team’s final report provides evidence-based recommendations for evacuating the homebound and emergency shelter preparedness.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has been in Nigeria since the country became independent in 1960, providing capacity building and policy development support to the federal government of Nigeria in areas of governance and peace building, inclusive growth, and sustainable development. To help pinpoint areas and policies of interest, the Capstone team completed a literature review and time-series quantitative analysis around what factors motivate Nigerians to find work in the informal sector. The team then selected policy recommendations, addressing the most impactful motivators, in order to improve informal labor's social and economic growth in the long-term by providing incentives for workers to formalize their businesses and opportunities for employees to receive government benefits and support.

Bronx Community Health Network (BCHN) is a nonprofit, community-based organization and federally qualified health center (FQHC) with a mission to improve the health of individuals and families in the Bronx. BCHN has implemented evidence-based blood pressure control programs to improve its patients’ hypertension control and encourage self-management and healthy lifestyle goals. BCHN engaged a Capstone team to compile four years of data into a comprehensive report on the effectiveness of its blood pressure program at Bay Eden Senior Center. The team analyzed the data, conducted a literature review, and interviewed BCHN and Bay Eden staff members. Based on its findings, the team compiled a final report that includes comprehensive data analysis, outlines areas for improvement, and provides evidence-based recommendations to improve the existing screening program.

CDP, formerly known as the Carbon Disclosure Project, is a nonprofit organization that manages the global disclosure system that companies and cities use to manage their environmental impacts. CDP tasked a Capstone team with transforming data from its deforestation disclosure questionnaire supplied by public and private sector actors into a dynamic data visualization tool. The team explored climate initiatives at various companies to determine if those activities constitute landscape and jurisdictional approaches–defined as collaborative efforts by stakeholders with a common goal of sustainability to optimize resource use, in order to ensure an equitable distribution of benefits and the preservation of natural resources. The team produced a data visualization tool for the client that will be housed on the CDP website. This tool will serve as a resource for various stakeholders with aligned interests in sustainability, and will help identify partners for similar initiatives.