Scott Pulizzi

Developing effective programs and successful proposals requires professionals to achieve a thorough understanding of the evidence base. Often, social and human development initiatives operate in isolation, with the lessons-learned confined to donor reports, episodic webinars, and academic publications. A systematic review is an applied research method that pulls together related individual outputs, and through structured synthesis and interpretation, advances the research base to inform decision-making for programs and proposals.

This is a project-based course (both individual and group projects) where you will learn how to interrogate the evidence base, how to conduct a systematic review, and how to use findings to inform proposal and program development. This course offers students an opportunity to make a meaningful contribution to the field.

Students will choose a focal topic or challenge that is relevant to their degree. Under faculty member’s guidance, students will then implement a suitable plan of activities to shed significant light on this topic. Final products may take many forms including a traditional research paper, a guide or manual for practitioners, a video product, or alternative deliverable that would be of value to a well-defined audience of practitioners. Students must identify a faculty sponsor who has consented to supervise the project in order to enroll in this class. Work can be taken on-campus or in field settings. Credit is variable (4 or 6 units) and depends upon the scope, complexity and rigor of the project.

The B section is 3 credits and is only open to joint IEM/MPA students.

Seminar: Program Evaluation for Social Change Organizations

This seminar introduces participants to a variety of evaluation approaches appropriate to public sector and nongovernmental organizations engaged in social change, poverty alleviation, education, health and development work. Key issues include: uses of evaluation; alternative evaluation methodologies; evaluation as the process of testing hypotheses about linkages and causality; evaluating for sustainability; stakeholder identification; participatory approaches to evaluation; cross-cultural perspectives on evaluation; funding of evaluation; and, the role of organizational leadership and management in evaluation. Seminar participants review and critique evaluations of development assistance projects sponsored by bilateral, multilateral, and nongovernmental organizations. Additionally, they develop original evaluation designs that allow them to apply critical seminar concepts to a real-life project.

Advanced Program Evaluation Practicum

This course is entirely practical field work. It is for professionals who have determined that their career trajectory will include a substantial focus on monitoring and evaluation. The prerequisite for this course is DPMI, DPPG 8644, significant work experience in program evaluation outside of MIIS, or a graduate level course in program evaluation from another university. It is a 4 credit course.

Every student in the course must arrive on the first day with a client organization for which the student will do an evaluation. The evaluation can be of many different kinds, but imperative is that the student be able to design, implement, and report findings to the client within 15 weeks. Students can form teams to work with the same client. Students can also work solo.

The professor will serve as coach, mentor, guide, and consultant to students, and learning trajectories will therefore be unique for each student/student team. Readings, classroom exercises, and required deliverables will be different for different student teams.

The course can satisfy the DPP requirement for a SEMINAR; or, an Evaluation Course; or, Practicum (for second year students); or, elective. May not satisfy more than one of these basket requirements.

While undertaking an approved professional practicum in their field, students will be responsible for completion of an applied project demonstrating your application of degree program learning goals and the project's connection to your professional community of practice. Practicum is a learning opportunity that enables you to demonstrate, integrate, apply, deepen, and reflect on the core competencies of your degree(s). This course is the culmination of your degree and provides you with the opportunity to apply knowledge and skills developed in public policy and administration. Students will propose, design, and implement an applied project for a host organization, client, or research community that covers program-specific thematic and technical competencies. (e.g. learning goals for MPA, IPD and ITED) and apply higher-level reasoning, critical thinking and intercultural competence/JEDI knowledge to analyze findings and develop recommendations. Students in the course will present their project to a professional audience and to the MIIS community. The course involves collaboration with peers, faculty, and industry professionals and critical reflection on interpersonal development, the practicum experience, and the student's professional goals. Students will complete one of the following projects: (1) An applied project benefiting the intern's host organization; (2) a consultancy project for a partner organization; or (3) independent qualitative and/or quantitative research project.

Student must obtain a faculty advisor, complete a Directed Study proposal form, obtain signatures, and submit to the Associate Dean of Academic Operations for approval.