The NYC Board of Correction (BOC) is a nine-person, non-judicial oversight board that regulates, monitors, and inspects NYC correctional facilities. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the BOC modified its oversight model to document the public health crisis in jails. Priorities included monitoring the system’s evolving response, facility adherence to agency plans, and general operations and compliance with BOC Minimum Standards. With over a year’s worth of data, the BOC engaged a Capstone team to create a comprehensive report on the impact of COVID-19 in jails. The team analyzed the data, conducted a literature review, and coded interviews held with incarcerated people. Based on its findings, the team compiled a final report that outlines areas for improvement and tangible recommendations to address existing gaps in the system.

The Panel of National Pathology Leaders (PNPL) is a think tank established in 2019 that advances best practices in pathology and laboratory medicine. Steadily increasing membership engagement and retention is essential for long-term success. The team was tasked with recommending strategies to increase membership engagement and retention with improved value offerings. The Capstone team conducted extensive market research into the membership offerings of comparable think tanks and professional medical membership organizations. The team also surveyed and interviewed multiple members, panelists, and advisors to better understand perceived and desired membership value. The final report outlines market research, survey and interview results, quick wins, and long-term recommendations to improve membership engagement and retention.

How should healthcare systems in the US navigate physician shortage? The COVID-19 pandemic drew attention to this shortage, but other long-term challenges, such as an aging baby-boomer population and climate change, may further stress physician supply. These shortages are occurring at uneven rates across the US, especially in relation to geographic region and practice. A team studied relevant peer-reviewed literature and industry and government reports from the past ten years, and explored a variety of operational and technological solutions that healthcare systems can leverage to manage local physician shortages. However, in this uncertain and evolving environment, organizational strategies alone cannot remediate the national shortage. The team recommends a push for federal and state policy changes to enhance clinical worker pipelines, incentivize the equitable geographic distribution of clinical workers, and increase access to telehealth solutions.

Médecins du Monde (MdM) is a medical and humanitarian organization providing care to the most vulnerable populations in the world. For over 30 years, MdM has supported Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) projects, and is especially committed to providing SRH services in crisis and development settings. MdM engaged a Capstone team to identify telehealth approaches to improve SRH education and promote accessibility to SRH services for adolescents in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. In order to assess SRH interventions and specific needs in Kinshasa, the team conducted qualitative and literature-based research, created an environmental scan, and interviewed youth and institutional stakeholder groups. Using its research, the team created two digital survey tools and developed an annotated bibliography with existing scientific and operational studies on SRH interventions in low-resource settings. Based on its findings, the team proposed contextualized recommendations for MdM to guide future SRH strategy and efforts.

Queens Public Library (QPL) is one of the largest public libraries in the country, providing over 8,000 programs and circulating over twelve million items per year to serve Queens’ two million residents. However, QPL lacks a diverse funding stream as most of its budget comes from New York City government funding. In an effort to expand upon its programs and services and improve its financial security, QPL enlisted a Capstone team to provide critical recommendations for increasing corporate fundraising efforts. The team conducted a literature review, expert interviews, an environmental scan, and case study profiles. Based on its research, the team developed a final report providing the client with the necessary tools to implement a successful corporate partnership strategy.

The Office of the Mayor of Providence, Rhode Island includes a Research and Development team that provides research, analysis, and recommendations to support and implement policies and program initiatives across city departments. The Office of the Mayor engaged a Capstone team to develop a strategic plan to increase resident utilization of Providence Police Department’s online system for non-emergency calls for service. The team conducted a literature review, stakeholder interviews and focus groups, and a survey of Providence residents to determine best practices and key features of online reporting systems. Having identified perceived barriers to online reporting, the team developed persuasive messaging about the reporting system to encourage its utilization. The team’s final report includes recommendations to improve the accessibility of the online system and guidance on public education and outreach strategies to support increased use of the system.

Citizens Committee for Children of New York (CCCNY) is a New York City-based nonprofit that advocates for policies that enhance the lives of young people. CCCNY enlisted a team to develop strategies to enhance its civic engagement techniques, widen the reach of its impact, and inform the development of an online advocacy hub. The team conducted a literature review to research best engagement practices, including digital usage, and performed a field scan to gain insight into the current civic engagement landscape. The team provided CCCNY with a final report that includes recommendations on techniques for overall and online civic engagement, as well as sample systems and content to guide CCCNY in the launch of its advocacy hub.

Pro Mujer is a nonprofit social enterprise that provides access to financial and digital inclusion, healthcare services, and entrepreneurship support to empower low-income women and promote gender equality in Latin America. As part of its commitment to the Partnership for Central America—an initiative launched by US Vice President Kamala Harris to address the root causes of irregular migration from the Northern Triangle (Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador)—Pro Mujer is developing a series of financing vehicles and projects to expand into these three countries. The organization engaged the Capstone team to conduct initial scoping and market mapping to inform such expansion efforts. The team reviewed the literature on impact investing strategies; researched the social, economic, and political contexts of the Northern Triangle; and developed market intelligence on Pro Mujer’s programmatic offerings in each country. The team also identified potential partnership opportunities with donors, investors, and in-country organizations to facilitate Pro Mujer’s entry and strategic growth in the region.

Land to Learn is a nonprofit organization dedicated to growing food justice and community wellness through education. Its SproutEd Program brings garden education to students in grades K-2 in the Newburgh, Beacon, Kingston, and Garrison areas of New York State. Lacking easy-to-use and adaptable assessment tools to measure the program’s impact, Land to Learn engaged a team to construct effective and efficient impact assessment tools for its limited staff to use and sustain over time. To gather data in support of the organization’s short- and long-term goals, the team conducted educator interviews, researched case studies and best practices in garden education, and piloted tools with participating school districts. The team created a final report that includes a case study analysis, literature review, logic model, and recommendations for usable impact assessment tools that meet the organization’s needs.

The Milbank Memorial Fund (MMF) is an endowed foundation that works to improve population health by connecting leaders and decision makers with the best available evidence and experience. MMF’s Emerging Leaders Program (ELP), launched five years ago, seeks to cultivate leaders who can address the challenges and opportunities in today’s complex health policy environment by developing practical, hands-on leadership skills in future public service officials. In anticipation of a future redesign with a more virtual program model, MMF solicited a team to conduct ELP’s first formal program evaluation. The team designed and conducted interviews and surveys with past ELP participants and mentors, and analyzed the results using both qualitative and quantitative methods to identify key themes. With this evaluation, the team generated specific recommendations for improving program monitoring and data collection and implementing mechanisms to improve ELP’s mentorship, networking, curriculum, activities, and program format.