D&G Workshop

The Capstone Workshop in Sustainable Development Practice (DVGO IA9000) is a required course for second-year master’s degree students in the Development and Governance (D&G) concentration. The D&G Workshop provides students with an opportunity to apply what they have learned from their coursework, internships and prior work experience to consulting engagements in the broad field of international development. Students work in teams with a faculty advisor to assist clients on a wide variety of assignments in international development, humanitarian assistance and related fields. The D&G Workshop also fulfills the capstone requirement for students in SIPA’s MIA and MPA programs.

Workshop projects are developed over the summer based on discussions with potential clients and input received from students. Each year there are a number of returning clients who wish to do a follow-up project or who may propose a brand new topic. In the spring, the D&G concentration also surveys first-year students to learn about their interests in possible topics and clients. Students interested in developing a Workshop project should contact Jenny McGill, the D&G Workshop Director, at [email protected].

The D&G Workshop is a unique experience. It provides an opportunity for students to apply what they have learned from coursework and past experience directly to challenging, real-life development projects. It also provides experience in working with a team of diverse colleagues with a range of skills and experience. For faculty advisors of the Workshop, it is an opportunity to think about ‘teaching’ in different terms. Further, clients have consistently been pleased with the high quality of the work produced. A number of final reports have been published and circulated within the world of development policy and practice.

The Workshop aims to facilitate professional development and contacts. Among the skills emphasized are:

• problem identification and problem solving
• managing tasks/resources/time
• team management
• negotiation skills
• cross-cultural communication
• ability to assess organizational capacity
• data gathering (e.g., through interviews, focus groups, surveys and/or participatory techniques)
• data analysis
• presentation skills

Students generally participate in the D&G Workshop in their second year at SIPA. The D&G Workshop is technically a spring semester course, but initial work starts late in the fall semester and is done through the Methods for Sustainable Development Practice course (a required course for D&G concentrators). In the spring semester, Workshop sections meet weekly with their faculty advisor, and there are two joint sessions bringing all of the teams together to share experiences after the winter and spring breaks.  At the end of the spring semester, all Workshop teams present highlights of their work in a two-day hybrid workshop at SIPA. 

The D&G Workshop is a 3-point course that meets once a week in the spring semester. However, the course requires much more time than a typical course. Students selected for a Workshop team are expected to schedule their other courses, internships, personal travel and other commitments to accommodate their responsibilities in their Workshop project.

Applications for the D&G Workshop open in mid-October when the Workshop projects are announced. Students apply by the end of October, are assigned to teams by early November, and are registered in their Workshop section by the end of November.

Teams are assigned in early November based on students’ experience, skills and the needs of each project. There are typically 4-7 students on each team. In their Workshop application, students rank their top five workshop projects. We urge students to select workshop projects carefully, taking into consideration their past experience, skills, professional goals, and the specific requirements listed by the client in the preliminary terms of reference for the project. Although we make every effort to assign students to one of their higher-ranked projects, students may occasionally be placed in one of their lower-ranked choices.

Travel usually takes place over Columbia’s winter break (in early January) and/or spring break (in mid-March). The extent of travel is determined by the needs of the project in discussions among the client, faculty advisor, Workshop Director and student team. The number of students who travel from each team is determined by the demands of the project, although budgetary considerations may also affect this decision. Faculty advisors do not usually travel with their teams.

Yes. The D&G Workshop requires substantial funds for travel. Core funds are generously provided by SIPA, other Columbia University sources, and many clients. However, these funds do not cover all of students’ travel expenses. We expect students to economize on their expenses to the extent possible without jeopardizing safety, which is a foremost priority. For example, we expect students to stay in modest accommodations and to use phone cards for communications. A course fee of $450 is included in students’ spring tuition bill to help cover Workshop travel and other costs. (Only students who travel for their Workshop project pay the course fee.)

Grading is based on the quality of (1) individual contributions, (2) overall team performance, and (3) the team’s final report, final presentation and any other deliverables. Individual contributions include (a) performance of specific assigned roles (e.g., as project manager, budget officer, client or faculty contact, etc.), (b) individual written assignments (e.g., literature review, research tools or interview notes), and (c) contributions to team deliverables (e.g., sections of the workplan or final report). The faculty advisor assigns final grades to each team member, which also incorporates the results of mid-term and final peer reviews. Grades within groups vary, depending on the faculty advisor’s assessment of individual contributions.

Priority is given to students taking the Methods for Sustainable Development Practice course and other D&G concentrators. A limited number of students in other MIA/MPA concentrations and the MPA-DP program may also participate in the D&G Workshop, subject to approval of both the D&G Workshop Director and the Capstone Director. Students are asked to apply for either the D&G Workshop or the general Capstone program. 

A limited number of D&G students may participate in the general Capstone program, subject to approval of both the D&G Workshop Director and the Capstone Director. Because no D&G Workshop or general Capstone projects are offered in the fall semester, D&G students who expect to graduate in December must complete their capstone/workshop requirement in the previous spring semester.