SGIA40I15: Capstone Project in Public Policy

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• SGIA40L30 Public Policy

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• Allow students to study a public policy context in-depth by executing a project in response to a brief by a real-world organization;
• To advance students skills to in applying knowledge of the literature in public policy and skills in methods of data analysis (learned throughout the MSc Public Policy) to a real-world public policy context;
• To hone students ability to communicate to a policy audience;
• To advance students skill in group work;
• To advance students research skills in the context of public policy.

• During this module, students will write a group report, in response to a brief which will be set by a real-world policy organization. In response to this brief, students will formulate Terms of Reference for their group, which will define the scope of the Capstone project. Students will then work to fulfil the terms of reference, critically assessing different policy options in the process. Students will present the resulting report during a group presentation.

Subject-specific Knowledge:

• Advanced knowledge and understanding of how literature in public policy, public administration, comparative politics, and interdisciplinary literature can inform policy making;
• Advanced knowledge and understanding of a specific public policy context.

Subject-specific Skills:

• The ability to formulate an empirical question in a specific public policy context;
• The ability to apply methods of data analysis to answer this empirical question;
• The ability to critically weigh the merits of different policy options;
• The ability to effectively communicate to a public policy audience.

Key Skills:

• Research skills: the ability to conduct research;
• Problem-solving skills: the ability to identify and critically evaluate different solutions for a given problem;
• Communication skills: the ability to convey and argue in favour of a particular course of action;
• Group work skills: the ability to work effectively with others.

• Teaching and learning are through two 1-hour introductory lectures and a series of 1-hour group supervision sessions.
• Lectures will familiarize students with the structure and logistics of the course and instruct them how to formulate and negotiate Terms of Reference. Lectures will thus give students the knowledge needed to complete the formative assessment.
• Group supervision sessions will provide students with formative feedback and tailored guidance as they prepare their summative assessments.
• Summative assessment is a 5,000-word group report (accounting for 75% of the final grade) and a 20-minute group presentation of the group report, followed by a question-and-answer (Q&A) session (accounting for 25% of the final grade).
• Formative assessment is a 1,000-word Terms of Reference. This will define the empirical question the group report will answer, and the method used to answer it. Further formative feedback will be given during group supervision sessions.

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