MPH Program in Health ServicesHealth Policy Capstone Project Handbook

OverviewThe 2nd year health policy capstone project is a major undertaking. It should be viewed as an opportunity for students 1) to work with a community setting or health-related agency of their choice, 2) to immerse themselves in solving a public policy problem, 3) to develop, expand and hone their analytic skills, and 4) to gain specialized, sophisticated experience in an area of particular interest. It is an individualized experience, a supervised component of the MPH curriculum that students can customize to meet their own learning and experiential goals.

Students can begin thinking about possible capstone projects at any time, but should plan to have a fairly well-formulated idea by the beginning of autumn quarter of the second year. Capstone projects can be crafted from a large range of venues. A minimum of 9 credit hours are required to conduct the project from conception and planning stages to the final oral and written presentations.

Students work closely with a capstone supervisory committee of two faculty members, at least one of whom (the chair) must be a member of the graduate academic faculty. Ideally, at least one will be a Health Services faculty member affiliated with the health policy track or concentration. The composition of the capstone committee must be approved by the MPH Director during the first quarter of the capstone. The committee will assist in planning the project, monitoring progress, reviewing project-related documents and products, and participating in project evaluation and grading.

The capstone project places an emphasis on critical thinking, stakeholder analysis, and effective communication. Broadly, it meets:

Experiential Goals: To contribute to solving a community health problem in a meaningful, effective, and culturally sensitive fashion; specifically,

To work to solve a public policy problem. To find and apply evidence-based solutions to a defined policy problem. To work productively with other people and to develop successful partnerships

and solutions. To explore problem-solving methods in the contexts of specific policy issues. To understand the organizational, political, economic, and social contexts that can

promote or constrain public policy interventions.

Academic Goals: Both the health policy class work and the capstone project are structured to assure that students achieve core public health competencies in such skill areas as assessment, communication, policy development, and cultural awareness. General academic goals for the capstone project are:

To develop advanced public health assessment and problem-solving skills.

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To develop comprehensive knowledge in an area or areas of special interest. To evaluate the successes and weaknesses of the project through either formal

evaluation and analysis or reflection. To hone communication skills and use them to summarize findings in

professional-quality written and oral presentations.

The capstone project is an individualized opportunity to apply and extend the health policy skills learned in other settings, develop new skills, expand professional networks, and gain specialized knowledge that can be used to advance the student’s career and effectiveness in health policy. Indeed, the experience, contacts, skills, and work products of the capstone project can be viewed as important components of each student’s “portfolio” and as major assets in the student’s resume.

What is a Capstone Project?The capstone project is a year-long activity. Many students will work with a community organization or public health or health policy agency, but it is not required. You will work to a) identify and contribute to the solution of a public health problem, and b) summarize, present, and evaluate this effort. Your criteria for choosing a capstone project are that it should:

1. Address a need and/or have direct, practical value to a community organization, a public health agency, or other health policy entity.

2. Involve an identifiable activity (or set of activities) with a clear endpoint and produce a specific product that can be described in detail and evaluated formally or through reflection. It is not sufficient to have an “experience”—that is, help with, work in, observe, or staff a public health project. The capstone project must result in a product that the student can point to as her/his own. Examples of products include: An implementation plan for a public health program An evaluation (report) A needs assessment (report) A policy analysis Policy development Proposed legislation

3. Provide an opportunity to apply and extend specific public health skills, knowledge, and experience in an area of special interest to the student.

4. Be relevant to improving the health of a community, advancing social justice, eliminating health disparities, or improving public health practice or policy.

5. Be evidence-based. It is NOT sufficient just to DO something for the capstone project. You must build on—or place in the context of—what is known (i.e.,

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“evidence”). It is poor practice to a) be unaware of the theory underpinning an intervention, b) “re-invent the wheel,” c) fail to apply the experiences of others in developing an intervention, or d) use methods and interventions that have been shown to be ineffectual. Therefore, project activities must be planned and based on the published literature and ad hoc research (e.g., talking to experienced public health professionals) that can inform you about relevant theory, experience, and evaluations.

6. Include an evaluation or self-evaluation component (described below).

7. Be summarized in a written report and orally in a rigorous, thoughtful, and professional manner.

Process and TimelineThe capstone project consists of four phases: 1) Planning, 2) Doing, 3) Evaluating and Reflecting, and 4) Summarizing and Presenting.

Planning the ProjectYou need to identify a project that meets your expectations, the program’s expectations, and is do-able. This is a process that can take weeks or months. It is good to start early, ideally in your first year. First, become clear about what kinds of projects, populations, or problems are of interest to you.

Are you interested in certain population groups, e.g., immigrants? Are you interested in a specific problem area, e.g., reproductive health? Do you want to work with a specific organization or type of organization (e.g., a

rural health department)? Do you want experience in a specific public policy challenge, e.g., developing a

media campaign, conducting a program evaluation, or performing epidemiologic analysis?

Then, aggressively search for opportunities in your areas of interest. Use all of your resources to identify individuals, agencies, and opportunities related to your interests: personal contacts (faculty, colleagues, etc.), the web, print resources. Be active. Ask around. Call people. Arrange to meet with people to let them know your interests and your needs (i.e., doing a 2nd year project), and also your skills and ability to help. Often, a person with whom you meet will give you names of others to contact. Follow up on these leads. Do not be shy. If you cannot arrange a meeting, try to talk on the phone, or worst of all, via email. Be energetic and persistent in seeking out as many potential projects as possible.

At some point, you must decide which of the potential projects you wish to pursue. This is truly one of the hardest parts of the process for many of us. Usually, there is no perfect choice and no obvious front-runner. But waiting for the perfect project can be disastrous.

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Many months later, you could be starting a project that should have been well underway. So please avail yourself of your advisers or other faculty if you find yourself stymied.

While you are selecting your capstone project, you should also be identifying a faculty member to be your primary adviser (chair) for its supervisory committee. This person should be someone with whom you feel comfortable and who has expertise in the area where you’ll be working. Although we prefer that you select a primary adviser from the Health Services policy faculty, you can choose someone else, provided that they are on the UW graduate faculty, have a faculty appointment in the School of Public Health (preferably in Health Services), and are willing to supervise the project.

In your second year, your primary project adviser is normally your program (academic) adviser as well. This faculty person can help you select a second UW faculty adviser to be the second member of your capstone project supervisory committee. The second faculty adviser can be from almost any department or school at the UW.

Remaining questions on supervisory committee formation can be directed to hservmph@uw.edu.

When you have chosen your project, you must prepare and submit a 4-5 page proposal (see Appendix A), describing:

what you plan to do why it is of importance where and with whom you will be doing it how you plan to go about doing it what you hope to get out of the experience

At this stage, we are not expecting a comprehensive background analysis, literature search, or detailed work plan, but those are important to prepare as soon into the project as possible. The work plan helps you and your advisers to plan and track your activities and is good practice in orienting yourself to both the local context of your project and the relevant scientific evidence base (both theory and experience) for what you plan to do. Appendix E contains a form that you might find useful to organize your background research about the community, organization, or agency involved in your work. A synthesis of your background research will be part of your final written report and is described in more detail in Appendix B.

One copy of your proposal should be given to the faculty advisers you have selected and one copy should be submitted to the MPH program office for general review. (Email it to hservmph@uw.edu). Once the proposal has been approved, a signed copy should be submitted to the MPH program office.

An University of Washington Human Subjects application must be submitted for many projects. Your faculty advisers should be able to tell you whether a Human Subjects application is necessary for yours. If it is needed, the Human Subjects Review (IRB)

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process must be completed before any actual research is undertaken. Because this process is often lengthy, it is imperative that you determine very early in the planning process if a Human Subjects application is needed.

Conducting the ProjectThis phase involves the actual conduct of your project. The details will vary; these may involve political action, data analysis, evaluation, program planning, program implementation—it depends on the purpose of your particular project. As a general guide, the work involved should amount to about 180-240 hours, or 9-12 hours per week during Autumn and Winter quarters, i.e., 3 credits per quarter (HSERV 599). You will also register for 3 credits in Spring quarter to work on the Evaluation and Presentation components. This represents simply the program’s minimal requirement. You may spend more time on this project. During this time, you should meet with your faculty adviser at least twice per quarter. It is important that the whole committee (faculty adviser, second faculty member, and student) meet together at least once a quarter, and more if helpful or needed. If you are doing an international project, you will likely need to complete all of your fieldwork in the summer between your first and second years. (If completing your fieldwork in the summer, there is usually no need to register and pay tuition to be eligible to work on the project; you may register for these credits in the ensuing academic year.)

Evaluation and ReflectionNothing that we do is perfect and we can all learn from our mistakes as well as our successes. Therefore, a critical aspect of the capstone project is a thoughtful evaluation. Some projects may involve a structured, formal evaluation, which will help provide information on the success of the project. In addition, we expect each student to reflect and comment on the experience, answering the questions below. It may be helpful to keep a journal or log to record and monitor your progress, difficulties, victories, and impressions.

What worked and what did not? What would you do differently if you could do it over? Did you meet your individual learning objectives? What was most (and possibly least) valuable about the experience? What did you learn about yourself from the project?

Summarizing and Presenting the ProjectAlthough the capstone project should be an activity (informed by scholarly background research), an essential part of the process is to summarize (in written, oral, and poster media) what you accomplished. The development of good communication and presentation skills are important aspects of your training. Therefore, the faculty place great importance on the summarization and presentation of your capstone project.

The program will ask for two, and possibly four, summaries from you.

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1. Written report: A formal, professional, detailed, and comprehensive written report on what you did and what you learned. Generally, this report will be between 20 and 40 pages. A complete first draft of the report should be submitted to the supervisory committee five weeks before the end of the quarter in which the student plans to graduate (generally Spring Quarter). If agreeable with the members of the committee, you may submit drafts of sections of the report individually. The final report is due one week before the end of that quarter. (An outline for the report is given in Appendix B.)

2. Agency presentation: If you worked with an agency, a summary/presentation of your project for—and to—the agency in which you worked. The format of this presentation should be determined in discussions with your on-site colleagues. It is possible that a summary of the report above or the program presentation (described below) will be satisfactory. But the agency may instead want a more focused, or perhaps more community-oriented report, such as a presentation at a staff meeting, town meeting, hearing, etc. In any case, this needs to be negotiated early in the project.

3. Oral presentation: There may be an opportunity to give an oral presentation during Spring Quarter, usually during the MPH seminar.

4. Poster presentation: Students are encouraged to produce poster presentations of their projects. These posters can be displayed at the time of the oral presentations/ Details and instructions on how to produce a poster presentation can be found at:

http://sph.washington.edu/practicum/ppposter.asp

There are many guides available—at the UW, on the Web, or in books—to assist you in developing a poster, e.g., Kelliher GJ, Sachdeva, AK. How to present a scientific poster. J of Cancer Ed. 1996; 11(1):11-16.

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Forms and DocumentsTo keep busy-work to a minimum -- and yet to provide a system for accountability, tracking, and feedback -- we want the following documents from you:

Document/ Milestone

Purpose When Due Submitted to Description found in

Project proposal

To summarize the proposed project; to enable faculty to evaluate the project’s feasibility and adequacy, and to make suggestions for enhancing its quality.

By the fifth week of Autumn Quarter in the 2nd year

Faculty adviser and MPH program office

Appendix A

Human Subjects (IRB) application

To assure, when necessary, that Human Subjects protections are not infringed by the work undertaken in the project

Three months before you need to contact subjects or access identifiable data

Human Subjects Office (need signature of primary faculty adviser)

http://depts.washington.edu/hserv/human-subjects

Project written product

To give an accounting of the goals, background, methods, accomplishments, and implications of the project; to provide a vehicle for evaluation and reflection on the project’s strengths and weaknesses

By the end of the 9th week of Spring Quarter

Three copies: faculty adviser, faculty member, MPH program office (final version)

Appendix B

Project presentation

To share the goals, background, methods, accomplishments, and implications of the project in oral and poster formats

Generally, during last week of Spring Quarter

Faculty, classmates, invited guests

Appendix C

Project evaluation form

To provide a mechanism for the student and faculty committee members to provide constructive feedback to one another

Last week of Spring Quarter

Faculty committee members, MPH program office

Appendix D

Community/ organization background outline

To organize background information about the community and/or agency in which your capstone project is situated

At the onset, or before the project begins

For student’s own use Appendix E

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TimelineBelow is a suggested timeline for your capstone project activities. You are encouraged to begin early. There is a range of months for each of these activities, but they should precede more or less in sequence (e.g., you submit your proposal before you start the project itself). The black cells represent important targets or deadlines. A complete draft of the final report must be submitted to both faculty committee members at least five weeks before the last week of the quarter in which you plan to graduate.

Year 1 Summer Year 2S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M

Think about what to do for your projectResearch possibilitiesFind a faculty adviserBackground researchSelect a project/siteSubmit proposalSubmit Human Subjects applicationConduct projectPrepare reports and presentationsSubmit draft of reportSubmit reportOral presentationEvaluation

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Evaluation and Feedback

A formal monitoring system to ensure satisfactory progress will be based on continuing dialogue between the faculty committee members and the student. The faculty guide the student throughout the project, and they evaluate the quality of the final product.

Informal meetings among the student and faculty should occur at least twice a quarter to discuss progress and problems and to get informal feedback. The student may choose to meet with faculty committee members separately, depending on topics, needs, and logistical considerations. But at least one in-person meeting per quarter between the advisers and the student is usually expected. The two faculty should talk at least twice per quarter to assure consonant expectations and perspectives, or at least to clarify these.

At the end of the Spring Quarter—during either the last week of the quarter or exam week—all three parties (student, faculty chair, and second faculty member) should complete a Capstone Evaluation Form (Appendix D) that will be shared with the others, with a copy going to the program files.

You will be evaluated on: the quality of your project the quality of your background research the professionalism with which you conducted your project the quality (in terms of both content and presentation) of your final written report

(Appendix B) and the final oral presentation (Appendix C) the degree to which you met your individual learning objectives

A measure of project quality relates to the clarity of thought process, beginning with the statement of the question or problem, through the final statement of conclusions or recommendations. An additional measure of the quality of a project may also be how effectively it contributes to carrying out the goals and objectives of the agency where the project was done. For example, an evaluation of a program activity could result in either confirmation of how the program is being carried out or point toward a set of recommendations that could significantly influence future program direction. Or a project involving the use of descriptive information and statistical evidence could provide an analysis on which to base significant public policy determinations. In both instances, the project could contribute significantly to the agency's mission and be appropriate as a scholarly effort to be presented in the format of a professional and/or scientific journal.

The grade for the Capstone Project will be determined jointly by the capstone supervisory committee and the on-site supervisor if applicable. The Capstone Project must be of sufficient quality to earn a grade of 3.0 to fulfill the program’s minimal requirements for graduation.

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Responsibilities for Students, Faculty Advisers, and On-site Mentors

Below we list the responsibilities of the student, faculty committee members, and on-site mentors if the capstone will be conducted in an organization.

Students: Initiate the capstone project by researching topics, prospective sites, making

community, organization, or agency contacts. Present options to their faculty advisers

Familiarize themselves with characteristics of the sites by contacting staff and identifying potential mentors if working at a site.

Develop meeting schedules for the duration of the capstone project with their faculty advisers. (Students are also encouraged to seek assistance from other faculty members who can offer expertise and guidance.)

Perform all of the tasks outlined in their project proposal and work plan, completing all forms, and producing all deliverables on schedule, including:

o Project Proposalo Work Plano Progress Reportso Draft Final Reports o Final Reporto Oral Presentationo Agency/Stakeholder Presentation

Formally evaluate the quality of their capstone project experience and make recommendations for improving it.

Faculty Advisers: Work with students to help choose their capstone project topics and sites. Advise students to assure that their projects have reasonable and appropriate aims

and are both rigorous and feasible. Work with students (and on-site mentors, if applicable) to develop a schedule of

regular meetings to monitor progress, problem-solve, and provide advice on background development, literature search, methods, and presentations.

Assist students in preparing, if necessary, Human Subjects applications. Have principal responsibility for project oversight, ensuring scientific quality, and

integrating project tasks with academic work, learning objectives, and students’ career objectives.

Review and critique all project deliverables, including proposals, work plans, progress reports, drafts, and final reports.

Submit grades (for HSERV 599) each quarter to the registrar. Usually, a grade of “N” (In Progress) will be given for all but the final quarter. These “N” grades will be replaced automatically when a final grade for the project is submitted.

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Evaluate student’s work. Assure consensus of the committee for assigning a final grade for the project.

On-site Mentors: Assist students in identifying community/agency needs and in formulating an

appropriate, feasible, and edifying project. Share expertise, experience, and organizational values. Meet with students and faculty advisers at the onset and occasionally during the

project. Orient students to their sites and serve as an advocate for the student, introducing

them to staff and familiarizing them with organizational procedures. Mentor the project, providing expertise on community and organizational ethos

and on appropriate public health approaches and practice skills. Help students to find appropriate working space and equipment. Assist students in obtaining access to necessary data. Establish a regular schedule of meetings with the student to monitor progress and

problem-solve together. Review and comment on written products. Attend the final oral presentation when feasible. Contribute to project evaluation and grading.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between a Capstone Project and a Masters Thesis?The Capstone Project should represent a scholarly effort of high quality that demonstrates the development of the student’s ability for independent, professional-quality work in a real-world, practice context. The project may answer a question of practical importance or develop and test an intervention, curriculum, or protocol for application within a particular setting. A project should address a clear statement of the problem and provide a literature review that covers the important work related to the problem, with content clearly relating to the statement of problem, goal(s) of the project, description of the conduct and outcomes of the project, commentary on the results, and statement of implications or conclusions, based on the results. The capstone project should also include an evaluation (formal and self-reflective) regarding the success of the project, as well as strengths and weaknesses of the approach used.

A thesis is a research effort explicitly directed at creating new knowledge of a generalizable nature. The thesis involves posing a question based on the current state of knowledge (or lack of knowledge) about an issue, reviewing the literature on that problem, developing hypotheses, planning a research design (usually a data analysis approach) to confirm or refute the hypothesis, conducting data analysis, clearly presenting the results of the analysis, carefully considering the strengths and weaknesses of the design, relating the results to previous evidence, and commenting on the implications of the work. A thesis may involve quantitative or qualitative research methods, or both. It usually involves analysis of data collected by someone else (e.g., vital statistics or data from a faculty research project).

The following table summarizes characteristics of the capstone project and a thesis:

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Capstone Project Master’s ThesisPrincipal intent To identify and solve a problem of

practical importance to a health policy agency or a defined community; to improve policy, public health practice or community health

To create new knowledge

Is the report/thesis a “scholarly” project?

Yes—the student must identify and synthesize evidence relevant to the project, in addition to identifying local historical, organizational, social, economic, policy and community contexts in which the project will occur

Yes—student must identify and synthesize evidence relevant to the research

Is this a research project?

It can be -- with direct, practical usefulness to a sponsoring agency, organization, or the community

Yes

Is data analysis involved?

It can be -- with direct, practical usefulness to a sponsoring agency, organization, or the community

Usually

Does the student critically evaluate the results and quality of the project/research?

Yes, including a self-reflective evaluation of the project

Yes

Principal audience Agency, organization, or community where the project is conducted; in some cases, the larger professional community

Larger professional community

Is the project/thesis report publishable in a professional journal?

Yes (most likely in practice-oriented journals)

Yes

Can I do a research project as a Capstone Project?As noted above, you can do what might be called a research project with direct, practical usefulness to the sponsoring agency, organization, or community. The project should serve a function to the sponsoring organization. Projects that are more purely research-based can be pursued using the masters thesis option.

Can people work in teams on the Capstone Project?Yes, but teams must be limited to two persons. The students must prepare individual proposals and contracts that should specify the specific activities and products for which each student will be responsible. In instances when students propose working as a team, the final written reports and oral presentations should address significantly distinct aspects or facets of the effort.

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Can I do my project using experiences that I have had—or will have—in a job or summer employment?Yes, providing that the project a) represents an extension of previous work or a new original effort, b) meets the criteria and requirements of a capstone project, such as a scholarly base, written and oral reports, etc., and c) is your own work.

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APPENDIX A

PROJECT PROPOSAL OUTLINE

The capstone project is a major undertaking. It is an opportunity for students to 1) immerse themselves in solving a public health problem, 2) develop, expand, and hone their policy analysis skills, and 3) gain sophisticated experience in an area of special interest.

To assure that each Capstone Project is appropriate, adequately rigorous, and feasible, we require that students prepare and submit for review a capstone project proposal that succinctly outlines the project (generally, fewer than 5 pages) before any major commitment or work is initiated. If the fieldwork will happen in the summer, this proposal should be submitted at the end of Spring quarter of the first year. A committee composed of the student’s faculty adviser and one other member of the UW faculty will review the proposal and will provide approval and/or feedback within two weeks of receipt. Once this proposal is approved, the student will be expected to develop an in-depth literature/background review and work plan as two of the first tasks of the project.

Outline1. What?

a. What are the objectives of the project? What do you hope to accomplish? b. What will be the product(s) of this project (e.g., an evaluation report, a

strategic plan, a policy analysis, an implementation plan for new programs, educational materials)?

c. How will this benefit the community or target audience?d. What are your learning objectives for this project (e.g., skills,

knowledge, perspectives, experiences that you hope to gain through this work)? List 5 to 10 Individual Learning Objectives for this experience.

e. How will you present or communicate a summary of your project results to the agency or community with whom you worked?

2. Where?a. Where will you conduct your project?

1. Provide a thumbnail sketch (about a paragraph) of the community or locale.

2. If you will work with an agency or organization, provide a thumbnail sketch (about a paragraph) of the organization with which you will be working. Include address, phone, and contact information.

3. Why?a. What is the problem you are addressing?b. Who are the stakeholders interested in this project, and what are their

interests?

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c. How does this project fit with the needs and mission of the community or agency where you will be working?

d. Why have you chosen this specific project/solution/approach—as opposed to other options—to address this problem?

e. Briefly, what evidence from the literature can you cite to justify this choice or approach? This should be fleshed out in the full project report.

4. Who?a. Name and contact information for the UW faculty committee chairb. Name and contact information for the second UW faculty committee

memberc. Name and contact information for site or agency mentor, if applicable

5. How?a. What methods (generally) will you use? (e.g., analysis of available data,

literature review, surveys, focus groups. This does not need to be detailed. Your work plan will describe your methods in more depth.)

b. What resources (data, access to human subjects, etc.) will you need to conduct this work?

c. Is it likely that you will need to get Human Subjects or other approvals or cooperation for this work?

6. When?a. Provide a timeline for this work, including the following tasks:

1. Literature review2. Development of work plan3. Human Subjects approval if required4. Conduct of project (may/should involve steps, tasks)5. Write-up of project6. Presentation to community or agency

Be sure to take time to think carefully about and articulate your Individual Learning Objectives for the Capstone Project. To a large extent, the Individual Learning Objectives are the definitive description of what you hope to get out of the project. These should be specific and expressed in such a way that you and/or your committee can assess whether you have met them. Examples include:

To develop content expertise by reviewing the literature on family planning programs for adolescentsTo (successfully) conduct focus groups of migrant farm workersTo (learn how to) do a (successful) program evaluation To develop a health education curriculum for middle school boys in bullying-preventionTo (successfully) analyze a data set, using SPSSTo plan a media campaign on obesity, using the most current thinking on health education mediaTo learn how to make a professional quality health-related videoTo conduct a stakeholder analysis To assist community boards to be more effective in their governance rolesTo practice community organizational skillsTo get involved in developing legislation

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APPENDIX B

WRITTEN PRODUCT

Final reportThe final written report for the Capstone Project (20-40 pages) should contain the following elements:

I. AbstractA. Maximum length: 300 words. Should have the following five titled

subsections: Specific Aims; Setting; Methods (or Intervention); Results; Conclusions.

II. Introduction:A. Specific Aims—What are the specific objectives of the project? Who will

benefit from it?

B. Problem statement—What is the significance, magnitude, and importance of the problem in both a national and local context? Who are the stakeholders and what are their interests?

C. A review of scientific knowledge, evidence, and experience and justification of motivation for your approach. (Students should search published information sources to understand the breadth of knowledge in their subject area, the historical and theoretical contexts of the work, and whether and how successfully similar work has been undertaken. This will involve searching academic articles as well as reports, news articles, and other non-traditional sources. The literature review will be part of the final written report.)

D. Local Background—Historical, demographic, epidemiologic, and organizational context in which this project is being conducted.

III. Methods/Project activities (what you did)A. Description of the approach and steps you used to achieve your aims.B. A description of any data analysis or evaluation that was involved.

1. Selection of study subjects 

i) Source 

ii) Sampling method/recruitment 

iii) Criteria for eligibility/exclusion of cases

2. Data collection

i) Source (e.g., questionnaire, interview, record review, vital records)

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ii) Variables and measures used

3. Data analysis

IV. Project results (accomplishments, learning)A. What was accomplished? This will generally be a description or summary

of the products or activities you produced or were responsible for. If the accomplishments involve the creation of a long document or lengthy materials, such as a curriculum, plan, or video, you may want to include them as an appendix in your report.

V. Discussion and reflection—A critical evaluation of the successes and deficiencies of the project.

A. What impact or effect did this work have on the target audience/community?

B. What worked and why?

C. What didn’t and why not?

D. How did the experience compare with your expectations and goals?

E. What were the strengths and weaknesses of your work?

F. What would you have done differently knowing what you know now?

G. How does your experience compare or contrast with others (e.g., from the literature)?

H. What are the implications of the project

i) For the agency

ii) For public health practitioners generally

I. Next steps?

VI. References (in a standard format)

VII. Appendices

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APPENDIX C

PROJECT PRESENTATION

Toward the end of Spring Quarter, each student will have an opportunity to give a presentation of their capstone project. There will be about 13 minutes (10 minutes for the presentation and 3 minutes for questions) for each presentation. All first- and second-year students, as well as faculty and invited guests, will attend.

A suggested outline for the presentation follows. The number in parentheses indicates an approximate number of slides for each section.

Title slide—Title, student (1)

IntroductionAims of the project (1)Local context and motivation for the project (1-2)National context—scientific, evidence base, other experience, motivation (1-2)

Methods —What you did (2)

Accomplishments and Impact —What you accomplished (2)

Lessons learned, implications, next steps (1-2)

Acknowledgments (1)

Presentation to agency or communityStudents should expect to prepare a product for their host agency or organization, if applicable, in a form (full report, summary paper, etc.) arranged with their on-site mentors. Students should determine the format of this presentation in discussions with their on-site colleagues. The MPH program presentation may be satisfactory. It is more likely, however, that the agency will want a more focused, tailored report, such as a town meeting or presentation to a staff meeting.

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APPENDIX D

PROJECT EVALUATION

Students will receive a grade (on a 4.0 scale) for their capstone credits based on the evaluation of the products of the capstone by the faculty advisor in consultation with the capstone committee. If there is an on-site mentor, s/he will be asked to complete the followed evaluation form that is intended to provide the student with additional feedback. The on-site mentor evaluation will not be used for the assignment of the formal course grade. Students will also complete the self-evaluation form that follows the on-site mentor evaluation form.

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On-site Mentor’s Evaluation of Capstone Project

Student: Date:Evaluation

(1=weak5=strong)

Comments

Project objectives

Planning, conduct, and communication

Contribution of project to organization or community needs

Working with colleagues

Working with stakeholders

Project productQuality

Helpfulness, appropriateness, impact

Originality, creativity

Presentation to agency/stakeholdersContent

Organization and clarity

Presentation style

Appropriateness and effectiveness

Strengths:

Areas for improvement:

Other General comments:

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Faculty Adviser’s Evaluation of Capstone Project

Student: Date:Evaluatio

n(1=weak5=strong)

Comments

Project objectives

Planning, conduct, and communication

Scholarship

Working with colleagues

Working with stakeholders

Written productContent

Organization, presentation

Writing

Oral presentationContent

Organization, clarity

Presentation style

Strengths:

Areas for Improvement:

Other General Comments:

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Criteria for Evaluating the Capstone Project

Area Unsatisfactory Satisfactory OutstandingProject objectives Did not meet project objectives Met project objectives Exceeded project objectivesContribution of project to organization/stakeholder needs

Project had or will have little impact

Project had or will have some impact

Project had or will have considerable impact

Planning and organization Did not adequately plan and organize work

Appropriately planned and organized work; met project milestones

Exceptionally well-organized

Work habits Did not communicate with supervisors; did not follow through on commitments

Communicated satisfactorily with supervisors; followed through on commitments; showed initiative

Communicated frequently and effectively with supervisors; thoughtful, thorough, anticipatory work habits; shows exceptional initiative

Scholarship Did not adequately review literature; did not adequately research local background and context; did not employ appropriate, evidence, or theory-based methods in project

Adequately reviewed literature; adequately researched local background and context; employed appropriate, evidence or theory-based methods in project

Exceptionally thorough review of literature and assessment of background and context; used—or advanced—state-of-the-art methods

Working with colleagues Did not work well with colleagues

Worked effectively with staff and co-workers

Demonstrated effective leadership and/or change-agent behaviors

Working with stakeholders Did not work effectively with stakeholders

Demonstrated ability to work with stakeholders effectively and sensitively

Developed exemplary and sustained relationships with stakeholders

Written productContent Does not adequately address all

sections as indicated on outline Adequately addresses all sections

Demonstrates complete command of the subject matter; exceptional creativity or originality and/or new insights; publishable

Organization and presentation

Poorly organized; sloppy; tables and graphs not well constructed

Clearly organized; adequate tables and graphs

Professional visual impression; journal-quality tables and graphs

Writing Not well written (unclear, with grammar, punctuation, and spelling errors common)

Clearly understandable, with few, if any, technical writing errors

Clear, concise, professional writing

Oral presentationContent Minimal content Interesting, useful content Outstanding contentOrganization and clarity Poorly organized; not clearly

presented; visuals poorly constructed

Well organized; clearly and concisely presented; good visuals

Well organized; clearly and concisely presented; professional-quality visuals

Presentation style Rambling, distracting, unprofessional

Concise; projects voice Engaging, enthusiastic, confident

Presentation to agency/stakeholders

Content Minimal content Interesting, useful content Outstanding contentOrganization and clarity Poorly organized; not clearly

presented, visuals poorly constructed

Well organized, clearly and concisely presented, good visuals

Well organized, clearly and concisely presented, visuals appropriately constructed to communicate with audience

Presentation style Rambling, distracting, unprofessional

Concise; projects voice Engaging, enthusiastic, confident

Appropriateness and effectiveness

Talks down or without conviction to audience

Appropriate content and style

Original or creative method of communication

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Student’s Evaluation of the Experience

Student Name:

What I learned:

Individual Learning Objectives:Objective Was objective met? Comment

1.2.3.4.5.6.7.8.Use additional pages if necessary

The positive aspects of this experience:

Your overall assessment of your learning, including what you learned above and beyond your original Individual Learning Objectives:

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How well-prepared were you for this experience, and what could be done in the future to improve preparation of the Capstone Project?

If you worked in an agency/organization:

My recommendation regarding continued use of this placement is:

Definitely continue _______

Do not continue _______

Continue under conditions (please specify) __________________________________________________

_____________________________________________ Date:______________________Student Signature

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APPENDIX E

ORGANIZATIONAL PROFILE TEMPLATE

1. History and development. (When was this organization formed? Why? How has it developed over time?)

2. Organization’s mission, goals, services, and values.

3. Whom does it serve? (client demographics, eligibility criteria, service area)

4. Service area.

5. Type of organization (non-profit, for-profit, membership, etc.) and funding (major sources, operating budget).

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6. Federal, state, or local regulations followed.

7. Governance (board composition, partners, affiliations with external agencies, etc.).

8. Staff composition (number, disciplines represented, training, organizational structure).

9. Relationship to stakeholders.

10. Current challenges, visions, and organization’s priority needs (list three).

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APPENDIX F

WHAT MAKES FOR A GREAT CAPSTONE AND/OR THESIS?Compiled from discussion at COPHP Faculty retreat June 14, 2007

and Health Services Faculty retreat on June 15, 2007.Synthesized by Amy Hagopian

Aspects of successful thesis and capstone projects1. The student has an ACTIVE role in the project, and is genuinely interested in the topic.

2. Expectations of students and faculty are clear at the start—are there things for which any party can be “fired?”

3. Committee that works well together, enjoys meetings with this student, and is on the same page; smaller is better

4. Thesis and capstone projects start with an approved written proposal from the whole committee

5. Students understand the incentive systems that faculty face—for example, that faculty aren’t credited for thesis advising until students finish

6. The site advisor is actively engaged

7. Both the process and product associated with the capstone are valuable to the sponsoring organization

8. There is an excellent research question, which is precise, clear, answerable, important, and publishable

9. Students meet with their WHOLE thesis committee several times; faculty on committees have complementary skills

10. There is a realistic plan to do the project in the time allotted; there is a backup plan for potential problems

11. Students read the thesis or capstone products of successful graduates as preparation to planning their own work

12. A good literature review is completed BEFORE data tools are designed and as the research question is being developed

13. IRB requirements are well understood sufficiently in time to follow the processes

14. There is elegance to the methods, with a clear and concrete process

15. When students write their proposals, they include blank “table shells,” to illustrate how their data will be presented and analyzed in a way that answers research questions; this ensures data gathering tools will provide the information needed by including required variables

16. The capstone requires both quantitative and qualitative skills

17. There is creative and independent use of secondary or available data—not everyone needs to collect primary data

18. When the student does his/her own data collection, it’s done well

19. A good thesis has a conclusion

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Aspects of successful thesis and capstone projects

20. There is innovation involved—the student brings something new to the project

21. Process deadlines are meaningful and motivational

22. No laws or important rules are broken

23. When the project is being done under stressful circumstances, or in an organization under stress, lots of faculty support is required; likewise, students from stressed backgrounds (such as families with no academic tradition) will need extra support

24. Evidence of a great capstone is that there are continuing activities after it’s done

25. It’s a resume-stuffer, but not so burdensome as to be life-defining

26. Sometimes the capstone is highly connected to the practicum

27. Students pushed beyond their current comfort area

28. The capstone turns into a job, or at least relationships are built that will lead to future projects

29. There are policy implications from the findings of the project

30. There is individual learning about the student’s own strengths and weaknesses

31. Time should be scheduled for presenting works in progress

32. Sufficient time is allocated for final thesis and capstone presentations, with appropriate audiences

33. Students are encouraged to write publishable theses, and then publish them

34. Everyone should pursue IRB approval, whether exempt, minimal or full review

35. Students should feel free to finish early

Aspects of problematic thesis and capstone projects1. When projects are done in foreign countries, projects aren’t always (or even often) well

defined in advance.2. There are unreliable partners, and it’s unclear when to call a halt, despite red flags

3. The sponsoring organization isn’t eager to do the project

4. Student is doing something the organization should be paying someone to do

5. There is conflict between members of committees about the balance of methods and approach 29

Aspects of problematic thesis and capstone projectsto methods

6. Last minute drafts

7. It’s too ambitious, can’t be finished on time

8. IRB approval isn’t properly obtained or in a timely way

9. Conflict on committees leads to graduation delays

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