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NEW YORK UNIVERSITY

ROBERT F. WAGNER GRADUATE SCHOOL

OF PUBLIC SERVICE

© NYU Wagner 2010

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NEW YORK UNIVERSITY

ROBERT F. WAGNER GRADUATE SCHOOL

OF PUBLIC SERVICE

© NYU Wagner 2010

A University ResourceThe Capstone Program was originally funded with a generous grant from the FordFoundation. Since 1995, more than 3,500 students have participated in over 700projects for more than 550 organizations. Their work has enabled clients to ana-lyze complex issues, make tough decisions, identify new opportunities, andadvance their missions. Through careful oversight and guidance, the programhas become a valuable service that NYU Wagner proudly offers to the city, theregion, and the world.

Capstone Donors

Thank you to the following donors for their financial support of this year’sCapstone program: FJC: A Foundation of Philanthropic Funds and The Moody’sFoundation.

Become a Capstone Client

Agencies wishing to explore the possibility of entering into a Capstone partner-ship with NYU Wagner, please go to wagner.nyu.edu/capstone for more information.

Table of ContentsCapstone is Learning in Action vii

Advanced Projects in PNP Policy and Management 1Americans for Informed Democracy 1

Brennan Center for Justice – Mandatory Settlement Conferences 1

Legal Momentum 2

New York City Department of Education’s New York City Mentoring Program 2

New York City Department of Probation 4

New York City Deputy Mayor’s Office of Health and Human Services 3

New York City Leadership Academy 3

United Nations, Office of the Under-Secretary General for Management 4

Advanced Projects in PNP Policy 5Brennan Center for Justice – Campaign Finance Reform 5

New York City Food and Fitness Partnership 5

Advanced Projects in PNP Management 6Fire Department of New York 6

Free Arts NYC 6

National Council for Research on Women 7

Palladia, Inc. 7

Advanced Projects in PNP Management 8Asphalt Green 8

Imagine Project 8

Advanced Projects in PNP Management 9Council on Accreditation 9

The Innocence Project 9

New York Women’s Foundation 9

Uri L’Tzedek 10

Advanced Projects in PNP Management and Finance 11Brooklyn Botanic Garden 11

Citizens Union Foundation 12

Jewish Community Relations Council 12

Lenox Hill Neighborhood House 13

Mississippi Center for Justice 13

New York City Department of Education 14

Advanced Projects in Health Policy and Management 14Congressional Research Service 14

New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Cancer Prevention and

Control Program 15

New York University Langone Medical Center 15

VA New York Harbor Healthcare System – Missed Opportunities 16

Advanced Projects in Health Services Management and Finance 16HIV Care Services, Public Health Solutions 16

Maimonides Medical Center 17

New York-Presbyterian Hospital – Drug Distribution 17

New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Columbia University 18

New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Cornell Weill 18

VA New York Harbor Healthcare System – Root Cause Analysis Process 19

Advanced Projects in Urban Planning 19Community Board 10 of Manhattan 19

New Jersey Community Development Corporation 20

New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission 20

Westchester Department of Transportation 21

Advanced Projects in Urban Planning 21New York City Department of City Planning 21

Office of Brooklyn Borough President, Marty Markowitz 22

Advanced International Projects 22Lincoln Institute of Land Policy 22

Municipal Development Partnership of East and Southern Africa 23

United Nations Capital Development Fund – Knowledge Management 23

United Nations Capital Development Fund – Local Economic Development in Nicaragua 24

United Nations Capital Development Fund – Global Forum on Local Development 24

United Nations Development Programme and the Government of Egypt, Ministry of

Local Development 25

World Institute for Leadership and Management in Africa 25

Advanced International Projects 26Gram Vikas 26

United States Agency for International Development, Nicaragua 26

World Bank Water and Sanitation Program 27

Advanced International Projects 27Global Relief Technologies 27

Maisha Film Lab 28

Radio La Benevolencija 28

Advanced International Projects 29Catholic Medical Mission Board 29

Corporate Council on Africa 29

HOPE Worldwide 30

Real Medicine Foundation, India 30

Advanced International Projects 31National Commission for Museums and Monuments, Nigeria 31

World Bank Group 32

World Learning, Community Connections Program 32

World Learning, Global Undergraduate Exchange Program 33

Advanced International Projects 33Aliméntate Ecuador 33

Bhavishya Alliance 34

Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition 34

Advanced Projects for Nurse Leaders 35New York-Presbyterian Hospital – Care Management 35

New York-Presbyterian Hospital – Information Dissemination 35

New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Department of Nursing, Milstein Pavilion 36

Applied Research in Public Finance and Policy 36Agricultural Industrialization, Policy, and Crop Diversity in the U.S.:

A Panel Data Analysis, 1978-2007 36

The Effect of Policy Interactions on Maternal Smoking Rates 37

The Effect of State Support on Educational Attainment 37

The Impact of the School Tax Relief Exemption on School Spending in New York State 38

Pennies from Heaven: Assessing the Impact of New York State’s STAR Exemption on

School District Property Taxation 38

Measuring the Effect of the Generosity of Welfare Benefits on Maternal and Infant Health

Among Low-Educated, Unmarried Women 38

Refining Reinvestment: The Impact of the 1995 Community Reinvestment Act Enhancements

on Minority-Owned Businesses 39

Faculty and Directors 40

Index 41

Capstone is Learning in ActionCapstone, in architecture, is the crowning piece of an arch, the center stone thatholds the arch together, giving it shape and strength. Wagner’s Capstone pro-gram plays a similar role, by providing students with a centerpiece of their grad-uate experience whereby they are able to experience first-hand turning thetheory of their studies into practice under the guidance of an experienced facultymember. Projects require students to get up-to-speed quickly on a specific con-tent or issue area; enhance key process skills including project management andteamwork; and develop competency in gathering, analyzing, and reporting outon data. Capstone requires students to interweave their learning in all theseareas, and to do so in real time, in an unpredictable, complex, real-world envi-ronment.

As part of the core curriculum of the NYU Wagner Masters program, Capstoneteams spend an academic year addressing challenges and identifying opportuni-ties for a client organization or conducting research on a pressing social ques-tion. The summaries in this booklet represent the culmination of this year’s 76projects

“We are immensely proud of the work our students havedone, grateful to the faculty who have taught and guided

them, and appreciative of our clients’ trust in us.”

–Dean Ellen Schall, NYU Wagner

PPRROOJJEECCTT SSUUMMMMAARRIIEESS

Advanced Projects in PNP Policy and ManagementFACULTY: ANA OLIVEIRA AND DENNIS SMITH

an organizational analysis, and implemen-tation recommendations for AID's strate-gic planning process.

Capstone Team: Catherine Coleman,Nicole Gill, Rosie Richards, Erin Weber-Johnson

Brennan Center for JusticeImpact of Legal Representation in NewYork City's Mandatory SettlementConferences on Foreclosures

In September 2008, New York State imple-mented legislation that entitles homeown-ers in foreclosure to a MandatorySettlement Conference, with the hope ofreaching settlements with their respectivemortgage lenders. A 2009 study by theCenter for New York City Neighborhoods,however, revealed that only 3% of 800observed cases reached a satisfactory set-tlement. The Capstone team was asked bythe Brennan Center for Justice at NYUSchool of Law to determine the impact oflegal representation for homeowners dur-ing New York City’s Mandatory SettlementConferences. They wanted to know if dis-tressed homeowners stand a betterchance of negotiating settlements with

Americans for Informed DemocracyPlanning the Way Forward for Americansfor Informed Democracy

Americans for Informed Democracy (AID)is an organization dedicated to empower-ing students to address global issuesrelated to development, peace and securi-ty, the environment, and public health intheir communities. In 2009, AID faced adramatic re-organization of its staff andleadership. As a result, the organizationrequested a Capstone team to support itsstrategic planning process and help focusits goals and resources. The Capstoneteam developed a student survey, anassessment of AID's capacity to meet theneeds of the student base, a literaturereview, and an analysis of peer organiza-tions. The team analyzed fundingresources; interviewed the staff, board,and founder; and conducted information-gathering meetings to gauge the efficiencyof AID’s internal operations. The Capstoneteam also surveyed AID's college studentbase to determine how the organizationcould better meet its members' needs andaddress characteristics of today's studentactivist culture. The team provided areport complete with comprehensive data,

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segregation in these programs. TheCapstone team conducted a process eval-uation of the Pipeline Project’s recruitmentand retention processes and providedLegal Momentum with recommendationson how it can improve the program.

Capstone Team: Dalsie Andrade, HabibaKoroma, Rosemary Linares

New York City Department ofEducation’s New York City MentoringProgramAn Assessment of the Effectiveness andthe Evaluation Processes of the New YorkCity Mentoring Program

The New York City Department ofEducation’s New York City MentoringProgram (NYCMP) connects New York Citypublic high school students with adultmentors selected from New York City cor-porations and member associations inorder to help the youth grow socially, pro-fessionally, and academically. At the endof each school year, NYCMP participants,including mentees, mentors, as well asschool and mentor coordinators, completesurveys to provide data for programassessment. The Capstone team analyzedsurvey data from the past two academicyears, collected additional data throughinterviews and focus groups, and createdan external report to provide stakeholderswith the results of the analysis and recom-mendations for program improvement. Theteam also created an internal report for

legal representation. What kind of attor-neys matter? What can be done withMandatory Settlement Conferences to giveforeclosure victims a better chance? TheCapstone team interviewed JudicialHearing Officers, relevant attorneys, andother judicial personnel to clarify thenature and impact of New York City’sMandatory Settlement Conferences.

Capstone Team: Timothy Farrell, HenryGascon, Anthony Giancatarino, AshleyMueller

Legal MomentumGirls Can: Empowering the Next Generationof Girls in Career and Technical Education

Gender segregation and the under-enroll-ment of girls in career and technical edu-cation programs are pervasive problems inNew York City and across the country.Although robust federal, state, and locallegislation exists to protect women andgirls from discrimination in education,stereotypes about “proper occupations”for men and women deter many girls frompursuing educational opportunities thatcan lead to lucrative, nontraditionalcareers. Legal Momentum’s PipelineProject works to increase the number ofNew York City middle and high schoolaged girls who enroll in and complete edu-cational programs focused on skilledtrades. Through this work, LegalMomentum hopes to forge systemicchange to end the long history of gender

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the program’s director, which included anassessment of the NYCMP’s currentmethod of data collection and analysisand recommendations for improving andexpanding the program’s evaluationprocesses.

Capstone Team: Elizabeth Brown, KateLandon

New York City Department of ProbationFrom Policy to Practice: A ProcessEvaluation of the New York CityDepartment of Probation’s ContainmentModel for Sex Offender Supervision

The Capstone team conducted a processevaluation of the New York CityDepartment of Probation’s (Department)containment model for supervising sexoffenders. The Department commencedthis new model in October 2008, but hadnot examined the extent to which it hadbeen implemented as intended. The pur-pose of the evaluation was to take stockof current practices and assess ways forenhancing the supervision model. TheCapstone team employed a series of quan-titative and qualitative analyses to docu-ment and describe current practices,identify successes and challenges inimplementing the containment model,identify the extent to which policies havebeen implemented consistently acrossboroughs, and assess how different part-ners and agencies have worked togetherto provide services and supervision to pro-bationers. Based on the findings, the

Capstone team developed a series of rec-ommendations on how to improve pro-gram operations going forward, using theDepartment’s policies and national bestpractices as a guiding framework.

Capstone Team: Lauren Baranco, GauravGogoi, Lora Krsulich, Grace Lee, MaggiePeck

New York City Deputy Mayor’s Office ofHealth and Human ServicesDevelopment of a Community NeedsAssessment for “The City for All Ages”Project

The New York City Deputy Mayor’s Officeof Health and Human Services is workingwithin the World Health Organization’sguidelines to transform New York City intoa city livable for people of all ages, with anemphasis on the elderly population, alarge and growing proportion of NewYorkers. Given the need to ascertain thestrengths and weaknesses of existing sen-ior services, the Deputy Mayor’s Officeasked the Capstone team to develop andimplement a community needs assess-ment. The team researched and produceda literature review of global, national, andcitywide practices that best captureseniors’ needs. Based on the findings, theteam developed a pilot survey with severalcommunity stakeholders to determine the“age friendliness” of various services.Based on the survey results, the teammade recommendations that would assistthe Deputy Mayor’s Office and its associat-

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Capstone Team: Katherine Kinsman,Cynthia Leger, Santa Soriano

United Nations, Office of the Under-Secretary General for ManagementDevelopment of a PerformanceManagement System for the UnitedNations Secretariat

The United Nations system adoptedresults-based management (RBM) as partof a broad reform initiative, though imple-mentation of this framework has proveninconsistent across programs. The Officeof the Under-Secretary General forManagement requested that a Capstoneteam develop recommendations for a fullyintegrated performance management toolwithin the UN Secretariat. The proposedsystem would need to foster the strategicuse of goal formation and performanceindicators in short and long-term planning,while complementing RBM and the exist-ing management structures. The Capstoneteam first conducted a gap analysisbetween RBM in theory and practice at theUN, based upon a document review ofinternal reports and interviews with man-agers in New York and Geneva. Using bestpractices and techniques of alternativeperformance management systems, likeBalanced Scorecard, the Capstone teamthen provided tailored solutions toaddress gaps within the implementationof RBM in the Secretariat.

Capstone Team: Adam Gromis, OceaneKeou, Adrian Saldaña, Rebecca Solow,Marykate Zukiewicz44

ed agencies in its future applications ofthe assessment tool.

Capstone Team: Jennifer Agmi, DouglasChiu, Thomas Coquerel, Kristen Ellis,Maria Eulo

New York City Leadership AcademyInnovations in School Leadership: AnAnalysis of Alternative Models of thePrincipalship

The NYC Leadership Academy is an inde-pendent, nonprofit organization thatrecruits, prepares, and supports visionaryschool leaders for the complex work oftransforming high-need schools into rigor-ous learning environments. The role ofschool leaders has changed significantlyover the last 50 years and is likely to con-tinue to change in the future, and the NYCLeadership Academy requested that theCapstone team research alternative mod-els of school leadership and identify thebenefits and barriers associated withthem. Through literature reviews andinterviews with policymakers, principals,teachers, advocacy groups, and researchorganizations, the Capstone team gath-ered information about the different formsprincipalship can possibly take. The infor-mation was compiled and analyzed to pro-duce a report of findings and recommendationswhich would assist the NYC LeadershipAcademy in anticipating the ways princi-palship, and by extension principal train-ing, may change in the future.

Advanced Projects in PNP PolicyFACULTY: CHARLES BRECHER

New York City Food and FitnessPartnershipImproving Access to Healthy, Fresh Foodsin East and Central Harlem

The NYC Food and Fitness Partnership is atask-force comprised of members fromseveral local organizations and city agen-cies dedicated to improving access tohealthy food and increasing opportunitiesfor physical activity and active living for allNew Yorkers. The Partnership charged theCapstone team to study the disparities inaccess to supermarkets for residents inEast and Central Harlem. The Partnershipwas particularly interested in identifyingways the City of New York can help currentand potential supermarket operators inthese neighborhoods overcome opera-tional barriers that affect store quality andoften limit the availability of healthy, freshfoods in their stores. To identify thesebarriers, the Capstone team designed andconducted a survey assessing store quali-ty, operations, design, and management.Using the survey data, the team identifiedways the City can better support super-market operators and improve the provi-sion and consumption of healthy foods inEast and Central Harlem.

Capstone Team: Pamela Corbett, IvonneGarcia, May Hui, Jessica Schwartz

Brennan Center for JusticeCampaign Finance Reform Project

The Brennan Center for Justice at New YorkUniversity School of Law is a non-partisanpublic policy and law institute that focus-es on fundamental issues of democracyand justice. Recently, the organization hasfocused on public financing of politicalcampaigns and completed an empiricalanalysis of electoral competition and lowcontribution limits. To build on thisresearch, The Brennan Center proposed tostudy the impact of public financing on thecompetitiveness of elections, contested-ness of elections and diversity of candi-dates in the states and municipalities thathave adopted such systems. In responseto the request, the Brennan CenterCapstone team examined the impact ofpublic financing on key factors in guberna-torial, state senate and state house/assembly races.

Capstone Team: Justin Eppley, DanielFerris, Annie Gleason, Mucio Godoy, XavierSmith, Stephen Sumner

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Fire Department of New YorkIncreasing Gender Diversity at the FDNY

The Fire Department of New York (FDNY)currently employs almost 12,000 firefight-ers, but fewer than 1% of them arewomen. The FDNY is seeking to increasethese numbers so that its firefighter work-force will better reflect the diversity of thepopulation it serves. The FDNY employedthe Capstone team to gather both quanti-tative and qualitative data from pastresearch studies, interviews with theFDNY’s current female firefighters, and asurvey of women between the ages of 15and 30. The team made recommendationsto the FDNY in regard to what characteris-tics, if any, predict greater interest inbecoming a firefighter, how and where tolocate these women, and what types ofmarketing messages are more appealingto them. These recommendations will pro-vide a point of reference as the FDNYbegins its new recruitment campaign.

Capstone Team: Deborah Apeloig, LaraFreishtat, Casey Heim, Tinia McCoy, EmilyPickens

Advanced Projects in PNP ManagementFACULTY: ERICA FOLDY

Free Arts NYCStrengthening the Agency-PartnerRelationship: Liaison Management

Free Arts NYC provides under-served chil-dren and families with educational artsand mentoring programs that help themrealize its fullest potential. Many of itsprograms take place under the auspices ofother organizations, and its relationshipwith their On-Site Coordinators (OSCs) –the staff who oversee the Free Arts pro-gramming in their organization – is critical,as the OSCs’ performance directly impactsthe quality of three Free Arts programs.The Capstone team was asked to help FreeArts more clearly understand, strengthen,and support this partnership role. OSCsfrom partner agencies were surveyed andinterviewed to get an ‘insider’ understand-ing of the OSC role and identify the chal-lenges specific to OSC performance. Thedata were then analyzed to produce acomprehensive set of materials to helpFree Arts best support high-functioningOSC relationships, including a handbookthat outlines Free Arts NYC’s policies forthe position and recommendations forsystems of accountability.

Capstone Team: Shanita Gopie, CandiceManzano, Yvonne Shen, Murat Tuysuz

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National Council for Research onWomen

Identifying The National Council forResearch on Women's Competitive Edge

In an effort to ensure the full utilization ofthe research produced by the NationalCouncil for Research on Women’s networkof member centers, the Capstone teamconducted an internal and external auditanalyzing the organization’s current posi-tion in the marketplace. To achieve thisoutcome, the team administered an onlinesurvey to the Council’s member centersand conducted a series of interviews withthe Council's staff, executive leaders atselect member centers, members of theBoard of Directors, independent organiza-tions not currently partnering with theCouncil, and potential funders. Analysis ofthe data collected allowed the Council tobetter understand its public image and theoverall environment in which it operates,determine its strengths and weaknesses,and identify potential partnerships forgrowth. The results of this audit will beincorporated into The Council’s case state-ment and strategic plan.

Capstone Team: Eunice Hong, Lindsy Klar,Ari Pinkus

Palladia, Inc.

Exploring the Alumni Association as aVehicle for Outcome Evaluation andSubstance Abuse Recovery

Founded in 1970, Palladia, Inc. is one ofthe largest nonprofit, multi-service agen-cies of its kind in New York City. In itstenth year partnering with Capstone,Palladia commissioned a Capstone teamto develop a model for an alumni associa-tion for its substance abuse treatmentprograms. Primary project goals were toexplore the feasibility of using an alumniassociation to gather outcome data and todeepen Palladia’s approach to substanceabuse recovery. The Capstone teamengaged in internal research consisting ofstaff interviews and focus groups with cur-rent participants in substance abuse pro-grams as well as with alumni of suchprograms. External research focused oninterviews with peer organizations as wellas a literature review. Strong interest in analumni association was identified by keystakeholders. Recommendations include amodel for a Palladia-wide alumni associa-tion as well as an exploration of the waysin which the association could supportPalladia’s goals of obtaining outcometrends and supporting alumni in their con-tinued recovery.

Capstone Team: Lani Santo, CarynTeitelbaum, Jos Thalheimer, Diana Yi

Asphalt GreenAsphalt Green Battery Park City Expansion

Asphalt Green is a nonprofit organizationdedicated to assisting individuals of allages and backgrounds to achieve healththrough a lifetime of sports and fitness.Asphalt Green was recently awarded acontract to operate a community center inBattery Park City scheduled to open byJanuary 2012. At a crucial stage of expan-sion, the Capstone team was charged toconduct an extensive scan of the commu-nity and cultural landscape in Battery ParkCity and surrounding areas, includingCommunity Boards 1, 2 and 3. Informationgathered included demographics, publicschools, senior services, communitysports leagues, youth and senior organiza-tions, pools, and arts organizations. Theresults of the community scan will assistAsphalt Green in understanding existingresources and its programming value tothe community’s unmet needs. The reportsummarizes these findings and providesrecommendations for Asphalt Green toconsider with respect to identifying thestrongest potential partners for communi-ty and cultural programming.

Capstone Team: Amy Chou, Desma Deitz,Adrienne Dobsovits, Judith Rosenfeld,Hanh Tran

Imagine ProjectHelping the Imagine Project Move to theNext Phase by Perfecting InternalProcesses

Imagine Project is a nonprofit organizationdedicated to nurturing creativity and imagi-nation of at-risk children through the per-forming arts. The Imagine Project presentsits program at a variety of homeless shel-ters, schools, and community centersthroughout New York City. Founded in 1992,the program is designed to provide childrenwith a unique creative outlet and trainingground in which they learn to cultivate andtreasure the imaginative process. Imagine isat a key turning point as it is eager toexpand its program reach to touch as manychildren as possible. In order to do so, inter-nal processes and board participationneeds to be optimized. After an in-depthanalysis, the Capstone team compiled andanalyzed this information to produce recom-mendations to help Imagine perfect itsinternal processes. A program guide wasalso created in order to help educators trulyunderstand the Imagine program and even-tually recreate the program at other loca-tions. These recommendations will aide inguiding Imagine as it creates a solid finan-cial structure, builds an effective board, con-tinues to expand its partnerships, and

Advanced Projects in PNP ManagementFACULTY: RONA AFFOUMADO

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focuses on taking its internal processes tothe next level.

Capstone Team: Haliyma Barrow, Alison

Devenny, Carly Highsmith, Ryan Richards,Daniel Torrez

Advanced Projects in PNP ManagementFACULTY: SARA GRANT AND MERLE MCGEE

Council on AccreditationImproving Workflow Processes for theCouncil on Accreditation

The Council on Accreditation (COA) part-ners with human service organizationsworldwide to improve service delivery out-comes by developing, applying, and pro-moting accreditation standards. Currentlyat a critical juncture in its expansion, COAregards workflow, efficiency, effectiveness,and staff morale as significant compo-nents for the organization’s continued andfuture success. The Capstone team wastasked to work with COA to isolate exist-ing workflow constraints, identify bestpractices from related fields, and craft rec-ommendations to promote efficiency andeffectiveness. The Capstone team gath-ered data by conducting interviews andfocus groups and surveying COA’s staff.The team’s final report provided COA withresearch and recommendations that willassist the organization in its efforts toachieve its organizational goals and, more

specifically, improve workflow. The finalresearch deliverables will allow the organi-zation to recognize methods that will max-imize efficiency and reduce staff workload.Optimally, these recommendations relatedto workflow will also positively affectemployee morale and customer satisfac-tion.

Capstone Team: Keven Lee, Leora Lipton,Emily Pallin, Anjali Singh, AntonioWhitaker

The Innocence ProjectDesigning and Preparing a ComprehensiveVolunteer Management System

The Innocence Project is a national litiga-tion and public policy organization dedi-cated to exonerating wrongfully convictedpeople through DNA testing and reformingthe criminal justice system to preventfuture injustices. Recently, the organiza-tion experienced both an increase in indi-viduals offering to volunteer and a greater

internal evaluation process. Through theimplementation of this process, the NYWFcan measure the impact of its grantmakingactivities. The Capstone team conductedliterature reviews, meetings with staffmembers, interviews with nonprofit con-sultants and peer organizations, and acompetitor analysis. These findingsinformed the Capstone team’s recommen-dations to the NYWF about how to engagein a process that will effectively measurethe impact of its work. Key findings andrecommendations were organized into acomprehensive summary report that willguide the NYWF as it continues to developinternal evaluation processes and proce-dures.

Capstone Team: Kate Iovieno, NormelJean-Pierre, Kimberly Bernard Karol, RemyMartin, Marta Okoniewski, Alya Wilhelm

Uri L’TzedekTwo-year Organizational DevelopmentPlan

Uri L’Tzedek is a social justice organizationthat seeks to engage, empower andinspire the Orthodox Jewish community tocreate a more just world. Dedicated tocombating suffering and oppression, UriL’Tzedek creates discourse through com-munity-based education, leadership devel-opment and issue-based advocacy. Now inits third year of operation, Uri L’Tzedek isevolving from a start-up organization intoa dynamic fixture in the Jewish social jus-

internal need to use volunteer assistanceto reach programmatic goals. Without aformal volunteer system in place, theInnocence Project has not been able totake full advantage of the numerous offersfrom individuals wanting to volunteer. TheCapstone team tackled this issue byassessing the current volunteer needs ofstaff members, researching best practicesand current trends in volunteer manage-ment, and exploring volunteer manage-ment software options. The team thendesigned a comprehensive volunteer man-agement system; strategy and process forthe Innocence Project, including a soft-ware plan; procedures for staff to commu-nicate volunteer needs; outlines ofhandbooks for volunteers and volunteersupervisors; and recommendations for thenew system’s overall implementation.

Capstone Team: Marc Cincone, Ben Clark,Hillary Cohen, Micah Goldfus, MichaellaHolden

New York Women’s FoundationMeasuring Impact: A Blueprint for Buildingan Internal Evaluation Program

The New York Women’s Foundation(NYWF) has awarded over $19 million ingrants to hundreds of local grassrootsorganizations working toward the creationof an equal and just future for low-incomewomen and girls in New York City. TheNYWF requested a Capstone team to iden-tify the benchmarks critical to a successful

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Advanced Projects in PNP Management and FinanceFACULTY: JOHN BROTHERS AND MONTE KURS

Brooklyn Botanic GardenIncreasing the Financial Capacity of theContinuing Education Programs atBrooklyn Botanic Garden

The Capstone team analyzed revenues andexpenditures from certificate and non-cer-tificate Continuing Education programs atBrooklyn Botanic Garden (BBG) with thegoal of increasing earned income to fundthe garden's general operations. The teamresearched adult education curricula,course pricing, instructor pay rates, andregistration policies at competitor andpeer institutions to determine a baselinefor industry standards, with a specialemphasis on certificate programs in horti-culture and floral design. Interviews withother divisions at BBG increased the

team's understanding of organizationalculture and the interrelatedness of gardenoperations affecting this project.Additional considerations were added tothe project’s scope including the implica-tions of the current economic crisis onpresent and future budgets. The team ana-lyzed course offerings and schedules,fees, and attendance rates to identifycourses and certificate programs with thehighest profit margin and the highestdemand by students. This analysis yieldedrecommendations for scheduling, pricing,and registration policies for certificate andnon-certificate courses at BBG in order tomaximize Continuing Education programparticipation and revenues while adheringto the organization's overall mission.

messaging and fundraising strategies. Theteam also documented Uri L’Tzedek’s cur-rent operations and programs to identifymeasures of success, craft an organiza-tional logic model, and make comprehen-sive governance and policy recommendations.

Capstone Team: Seth Chalmer, SariDisenhouse, Michal Kalinsky-Frankel, EricLightman, Courtenay Burley Speir,Rebecca Weinstock

tice and Orthodox communities. With agrowing community presence and increas-ingly diverse programs, Uri L’Tzedeksought to assess its activities and internalsystems to maximize the organization'simpact. The Capstone team created a two-year organizational development plan,with particular focus on the areas of devel-opment, communications, operations andgovernance. Using a demographic analysisof the American Orthodox Jewish commu-nity, the Capstone team recommended key

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The Jewish Community Relations Council(JCRC) requested a Capstone team toreview the finances of regulated Jewishcemeteries in New York. It has been sug-gested that the expenses of some of theregulated cemeteries in New York City willoutdistance their income and reservesover the next 25 years. Absent outsidefunding, it is possible that some cemeter-ies will be unable to meet their significantfuture liabilities. The Capstone teamworked with JCRC to quantify the extent ofthe problem and how much demand it willplace on the communal dollars of Jewishnonprofits. The Capstone team developeda database of these cemeteries’ publicly-available financial information and pro-duced a report that informs the Jewishcommunity of the extent of the problem.Recommendations were submitted to JCRCregarding how to approach the problemfrom within the Jewish community. Finally,the Capstone team developed policy rec-ommendations addressing state regula-tions and the amount of financialinformation reported by cemeteries to theIRS and the state.

Capstone Team: Rachel Chaskey, DanFeder, Tara Goodwin, Stephanie Gunn

Lenox Hill Neighborhood HouseMarketing and Fee Structure Analysis

Lenox Hill Neighborhood House is a multi-service community-based organizationthat provides education and social servic-

Capstone Team: Matthew Bukirin, AdaFeng, Melissa Husby, Clara Janis, KimberlyWittmer

Citizens Union FoundationNew York City and State Tax/RevenueRelationship

Citizens Union Foundation is a nonparti-san organization for good governmentwhich ensures New York local and stategovernments operate in a fair, open, andfiscally sound manner while informing andengaging its citizens. Citizens UnionFoundation requested a Capstone teamprovide a quantitative and qualitativeanalysis on the tax and revenue relation-ship between New York State and NewYork City from 1998 to 2008. This tax andrevenue structure is seen by many city res-idents as overly complex, antiquated andinequitable. The report focused on the his-tory of how this relationship has beenshaped over time and examined its effectson key areas of city services, specificallyeducation and Medicaid. Finally the reportexamined how a few other city/state rela-tionships compare to that of New York andthe effect it may have on their ability tomeet the needs of its citizens.

Capstone Team: Christopher Blanco, AndyMoleon, Rustem Sadykov, Diana Zuluaga

Jewish Community Relations CouncilForecasting the Financial Future of JewishCemeteries in the New York Area

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some of these providers serve more afflu-ent clients and/or receive federal fundingfrom the Head Start and Early Head Startprograms, many low-income providersstruggle to break-even and face constantfinancial hardship. The Mississippi Centerfor Justice, a public interest law firm,tasked the Capstone team with exploringhow best to help these providers reducefinancial stress and improve their opera-tions in the current Mississippi child careenvironment. Over the course of the proj-ect, the team identified mechanisms forproviders to operate more efficiently andexamined the advantages of encouragingcollaboration among groups of providers,as well as potential partnerships with par-ticipating Head Start centers. The teamfound that basic financial managementskills, a sound understanding of regula-tions and making the administrativepaperwork manageable are among theproviders’ greatest needs. The team devel-oped a handbook for providers containingfinancial management and assessmenttools, information on additional revenuesources and a set of best practices.

Capstone Team: Toyin Alli, James Geraghty,Michael LoBiondo, Adam Morris, TracySteele

es to over 20,000 individuals each year onthe East Side of Manhattan and RooseveltIsland. The Capstone team devised a mar-keting plan and related data managementtools for Lenox Hill Neighborhood House’sfee-based programs, including theirFitness and Aquatics Center, ComputerTraining classes, and English for Speakersof Other Languages. The team conductedresearch on local competitors, markettrends, and demand for the targeted serv-ices, in addition to surveying senior citi-zens regarding fitness and exerciseinterests. A financial model was developedto aid fee setting practices, and databaseswere created to streamline client demo-graphics and feedback for future market-ing efforts. Research results andrecommended marketing strategies werepresented in report format. Collectively,the recommended strategies and accom-panying data management tools shouldplay a vital role in maximizing revenuestreams from the specified fee-based pro-grams.

Capstone Team: Brooke Ansnes, JonathanChapman, Pranav Sharma, MeredithSofka, Hiroto Uchino

Mississippi Center for JusticeThe Business of Child Care in Mississippi:Helping Providers Become More EfficientThrough Improved Business Practices

There are approximately 1,800 licensedchild care providers in Mississippi. While

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Advanced Projects in Health Policy and ManagementFACULTY: JOHN DONNELLAN

Congressional Research ServiceAssessing the Adequacy of the FederalEmployee Compensation Act: A Study ofFederal Civilian Employees Deployed toIraq and Afghanistan

Increasing numbers of federal civilianemployees (FCEs) are being deployed tohelp aid reconstruction and intelligenceoperations in Iraq and Afghanistan.Working side by side with troops, FCEsengage in work that can put them at simi-

New York City Department of EducationImproving NYC Schools throughInnovative Best Practices

Under the outdated “industrial model” ofeducation utilized in New York City publicschools, many students are ill-preparedfor the challenges they are faced withwhen they enter the work force. To partial-ly mitigate these problems, the NYCDepartment of Education seeks to imple-ment programs at individual schools andat the district level to use technology topromote student achievement by tailoringinstruction to the individual needs of stu-dents. The NYC Department of Educationrequested a Capstone team to compileand disseminate a comprehensive taxono-

my of innovative best practices that can beimplemented by teachers and school lead-ers. The Capstone team researched, ana-lyzed, and collected best practices fromdomestic and international school dis-tricts. Then, the team created an accessi-ble report that would inform New York Cityschool and district leaders on how toimplement these best practices, highlight-ing various barriers or constraints, such ascosts and legal concerns. The NYCDepartment of Education will then dissem-inate the report to teachers, principals,and district leaders, and use it for empha-sis in implementing new programs.

Capstone Team: Riley Bauling, MikeLarson, Abigail Talcott, Tim Truong

lar risk for injury and mortality as uni-formed military. However, in case of injuryor death, the medical and workers com-pensation benefits FCEs receive throughthe Federal Employee Compensation Act(FECA) are distinctly different from thebenefits military personnel receivethrough the Department of Defense andthe Department of Veterans Affairs.Despite some preliminary investigation bythe US Government Accountability Office,the adequacy of the medical benefits and

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develop effective educational tools thatare culturally appropriate and encouragediverse populations to participate in therecommended early cancer screening regi-men. Based on the research collected, theteam developed prototypes of two promo-tional tools and devised recommendationsfor implementing relevant public healtheducation interventions.

Capstone Team: Anne Hottle, Laura Rich,Melissa See, Kim Shao-Wen Wang

New York University Langone MedicalCenterFinding Solutions: Providing EffectiveAmbulatory Care Training

NYU School of Medicine (NYUSoM) seeksto improve its medical school trainingcurriculum to reflect the change in healthcare delivery from in-patient to out-patient care. As part of this effort,NYUSoM charged the Capstone team toimprove the ambulatory (out-patient)clerkship experience for NYUSoM medicalstudents and faculties. The team con-ducted a literature review of ambulatorycare models and researched nationwidebest practices, analyzed survey results ofmedical students, and developed a sur-vey for various NYU affiliated physiciangroups. Physician surveys identifiedexisting barriers to teaching and sugges-tions for physician teaching incentives,while interviews with physician-facultyand practice directors specified recruit-

compensation received by deployed FCEsremained unclear. The Capstone team ana-lyzed the insurance claims data from allinjured and fallen FCEs to assess the ade-quacy of FECA, which is one of the oldestworkers compensation systems in thecountry and was designed for domesticfederal employees.

Capstone Team: Cristin Lavelle Goerke,Justine Kelly-Fierro, Nicole Marshall,Joseph Polizzi

New York City Department of Healthand Mental Hygiene, Cancer Preventionand Control ProgramDeveloping Educational Tools to IncreaseBreast, Cervical, and Colon CancerAwareness in the Queens and HarlemCommunities

Over 13,000 New Yorkers die of cancerannually. In 2004, NYC’s Department ofHealth and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH)launched a citywide health policy initiativecalled Take Care New York, listing cancerscreening as a top 10 agenda item.Specifically, breast, cervical, and coloncancers can be effectively detectedthrough early screening mechanisms.Although the city has made some progressincreasing these screening rates, someneighborhoods lag behind, including partsof Queens and Harlem. To help facilitatethe DOHMH’s goal, the Capstone teamconducted research in target neighbor-hoods via surveys and focus groups to

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Advanced Projects in Health Services Management and FinanceFACULTY: AMY GOLDMAN AND ROGER KROPF

HIV Care Services, Public HealthSolutionsAssisting HIVCS in Developing aContinuous Quality Care ImprovementPlan

HIV Care Services (HIVCS) is a program ofPublic Health Solutions, whose mission isto manage federal and city funding for HIVpreventive, educational, and clinical serv-ices across NYC. HIVCS lacks a continuous

ment challenges and financial impact ofstudents in clinical settings The team’sreport offered recommendations to createan effective teaching environment forambulatory clerkships, viable incentivesto encourage physicians to teach medicalstudents, and a system to manage teach-ing and recruiting for clerkship rotations.

Capstone Team: Jinean Carabai, JenniferEwing, Jen Lau, Kevin Lyu, Megan Meagher

VA New York Harbor Healthcare SystemAssessment of Veterans AdministrationNew York Harbor Healthcare SystemMissed Opportunities

The VA New York Harbor Healthcare (VANYHHS) system encompasses the veterans’healthcare system for the boroughs ofQueens, Manhattan, Brooklyn and StatenIsland. The organization consists of cam-puses throughout the boroughs and pro-vides care to over 52,000 veterans a year.

The VA NYHHS uses the VA national stan-dard known as the “missed opportunity”measure to improve services in their out-patient clinics. The system is strugglingwith a large number of appointments thatare not kept or cancelled. The Capstoneteam assessed the high missed opportuni-ty rates, and created plans for improve-ment. The team explored six performancemeasure clinics to identify areas that areleading to missed opportunities, includingsurveys and interviews with patients,administrators, service chiefs, clerical andcentralized scheduling staff, as well asclinic observation. The team evaluated thefindings to determine the cause of thepoor missed opportunity rates, and maderecommendations for reminder systempolicies.

Capstone Team: Adam Boll, VeronicaBugenis, Aubrey Hanft, Heather Tompkins,Kasha Ziubinska

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quality improvement plan (CQI) to evalu-ate the different processes required toexecute their contracts. The team’s goalwas to incorporate their current perform-ance standards into a comprehensive CQIplan that suits the needs of the organiza-tion. The team identified an effective wayto monitor HIVCS’ performance indicators,and the major deliverable of this projectwas a quality improvement plan whichincludes an implementation strategy thatestablishes all the activities that HIVCSshould undertake to manage and monitorthe allocation and use of resources. Thismodel will enhance the accuracy and time-liness of HIVCS’ internal processes.

Capstone Team: Fredelyne Paris, EmalynSaladino, Paola Torres, Albert Yu

Maimonides Medical CenterDevelopment of a Pediatric Urgent CareCenter

The goal of this Capstone team’s projectwas to assist Maimonides Medical Centerin creating a pediatric urgent care centerservice model. By routing non-acute pedi-atric patients to a setting more appropri-ate for treatment of non-emergent problems,Maimonides can provide them, as well asacute emergency room patients, with high-er quality medical care. In order to devel-op a business plan for the urgent carecenter, the group researched and evaluat-ed existing pediatric urgent care models,both free-standing and hospital-affiliated,

throughout the country to acquire bestpractice characteristics. Patient demo-graphic and volume data was collectedand analyzed to help identify an appropri-ate location and size for the center. Theteam also performed an urgent care needsassessment by interviewing and surveyingkey stakeholders within Maimonides andphysicians in the community. Financialdata was incorporated to project revenuefor the center. Based on this information,the team presented Maimonides with rec-ommendations for the creation of a suc-cessful pediatric urgent care center.

Capstone Team: Phoebe Garcia, HeraaHajelsafi, Molly Kreider, Naiqi Sun, LaurenTanenbaum

New York-Presbyterian HospitalDrug Distribution and MedicationAdministration – Next Generation Planning

New York-Presbyterian Hospital’s (NYPH)ultimate goal is to provide patients withhigh quality, safe and compassionate care.As one of the initiatives towards this goal,NYPH requested a Capstone team to eval-uate the impact of a cart-less medicationadministration system on nurses’ timespent in direct patient care. The team con-ducted observations and focus groupinterviews with nurses in both cart-lessand carted units to study the respectivemedication administration processes.Based on this information, the team com-posed a list of barriers to the medication

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administration process in each of theseunits. In the final report, the team provid-ed recommendations to overcome thesebarriers and improve the process in theseunits based on the data obtained and liter-ature review. In addition, the team alsoprovided NYPH with recommendations forthe transition to and implementation of acart-less system throughout the NYPHfacilities.

Capstone Team: Mark Concepcion, BeejalMathuria, Vishal Patel, Mytri Sundaresh,Mo Zhou

New York-Presbyterian Hospital,Columbia UniversityGeriatric Consortium at New YorkPresbyterian Hospital

The Capstone team assisted theDepartment of Geriatrics at New York-Presbyterian Hospital to create a plan andmake recommendations for a Consortiumon Aging at the institution, encouraginggreater collaboration and communicationregarding geriatric work between depart-ments at NYP and Columbia University. It isimportant that NYP/Columbia, located in anarea with the highest density of nursinghomes in the nation, be prepared to meetthe needs of the community, particularly asthe baby boom generation reaches retire-ment age. The team researched the bestpractices of geriatric centers and consortiaacross the United States through a series ofphone interviews and a web-based survey.

The team then surveyed faculty and staff atNew York-Presbyterian Hospital andColumbia University to assess the needsand strengths of the institution. With theknowledge gained from these studies, theteam developed a business model and a setof recommendations to implement a consor-tium for geriatric studies at NYP andColumbia University.

Capstone Team: Laura Carrell, EileenDonohue, Lawrence Miller, AnnieNussbaum, Hsing Hwa Jessica Tsai

New York-Presbyterian Hospital,Cornell WeillImproving Equipment ProcurementProcesses for Nurses

The Capstone team worked with New York-Presbyterian Hospital to review the distribu-tion of medical equipment throughout theWeill-Cornell campus. The team wascharged with finding an efficient process fornurses to procure the equipment they needfor the right patient at the right time.Unfortunately, attempting to locate theneeded equipment absorbs a significantamount of time. This equipment is currentlydistributed by the central distributiondepartment once a nurse places an order. Inorder to identify barriers between orderingthe equipment and delivering it to the nurs-es, team members interviewed severalequipment and nurse managers, held focusgroups with nurses, and compiled equip-ment utilization data through observational

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Advanced Projects in Urban PlanningFACULTY: KATE COLLIGNON AND KEI HAYASHI

Community Board 10 of ManhattanLimited Equity Housing Programs in NYC:The Development of a Resource Guide forCommunity Board 10

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, NewYork City created an affordable programthrough which organized tenant associa-tions could acquire their buildings througha cooperative ownership structure. Thereare over 1,100 of these limited-equitycooperatives in NYC, known as HousingDevelopment Fund Corporations (HDFC).

While the program has had success overthe years, many buildings are currentlystruggling to function as they once did.Many HDFC residents in central Harlemlook to their community board (CB10) intimes of duress, yet CB10 is not alwaysequipped to respond. It is CB10’s goal toprovide enough support so that HDFCbuildings can remain self-sufficient andcontinue to be a viable mechanism foraffordable housing in the future. Throughinterviews with residents and stakehold-ers, town hall meetings, and community

audits and database queries. Once the datawas fully analyzed, the team was able todetermine the optimal equipment par levelsand designed efficient processes for deliver-ing the equipment to the nurse staff in atimely manner, allowing them to spendmore time by their patients' bedsides.

Capstone Team: Ray English, BridgetFoecking, Bob Fonhgho, Dan Gottelieb,William Hammond, M. Tom Manion

VA New York Harbor Healthcare SystemEvaluation of the Root Cause AnalysisProcess at the VANYHHS

The VA New York Harbor Healthcare System(VANYHHS) charged the Capstone team

with the review of Root Cause Analysis(RCA) output measurements, through theOffice of Patient Safety. It is the goal of theOffice of Patient Safety to effectively useRCA processes as tools to improve clinicaloperations and quality of care. The teamprovided the VANYHHS with recommenda-tions on methods, measurement metrics,and potential technological platforms for adatabase of quality and operational RCAoutcome measurements tracking. The rec-ommendations will initially be implementedwith the VANYHHS at both the Brooklyn andManhattan campuses, before being poten-tially released as recommendations to thenational system as a whole.

Capstone Team: Matthew Curren, ChristineGomez, Sophia Seyal, Salma Walji

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research, the Capstone team worked withCB10 to gain a better understanding of thechallenges facing HDFC buildings in theircommunity district. The Capstone teamcreated a resource guide to assist HDFCsin their operations and devised a plan forCB10 to serve these residents more effectively.

Capstone Team: Aurore Circle DeCarlo,Alyse Erman, Douglas N. Le, Sandra L.Rothbard, Alexander Wolk

New Jersey Community DevelopmentCorporationHinchliffe Stadium Rehabilitation

The New Jersey Community DevelopmentCorporation (NJCDC) has identifiedHinchliffe Stadium, a former NegroBaseball League venue and treasuredcommunity asset, as a key site for revital-ization and creative historic preservation.The Capstone team conducted an imple-mentation strategy and feasibility analysisfor Hinchliffe Stadium that examined howto reopen the facility for athletic use, pre-serve and celebrate its historic and cultur-al importance, and ensure financialsustainability. The final project outlinedthe steps needed to bring Hinchliffe to abaseline reactivation, recommended anoperating model and revenue structure,and described options for future sitedevelopment. To determine the parame-ters for site development, the Capstoneteam examined case studies of compara-ble historic stadiums to identify appropri-

ate operating models and potential expen-ditures and revenues. Additionally, theCapstone team analyzed different financ-ing options, which involved profilingpotential sponsors and partners. The finalreport provided a roadmap for stakehold-ers to use when moving forward with thisproject.

Capstone Team: Galin Brooks, GregHolisko, Fedor Novikov, Julie Simon, ErinYoung

New York City Landmarks PreservationCommissionHow Do They Do It? LandmarksCommissions Across the Country

New York City Landmarks PreservationCommission (LPC) is responsible for iden-tifying and designating landmark buildingsand areas in the five boroughs. LPCrequested a Capstone team in order tobetter understand, compare, and analyzehow other cities landmarks and preserva-tion commissions operate. The Capstoneteam chose the cities of Boston, Philadelphia,Chicago, Palm Beach, and San Franciscofor the study. The team's research, whichfocused on differentiating stages in thedesignation processes and sub-processesfor the cities as well as laying out a typolo-gy for each city, has yielded findings thatare informative for LPC and will providethem with a set of best practices and rec-ommendations.

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Advanced Projects in Urban PlanningFACULTY: FRANK FISH

New York City Department of CityPlanningDeveloping a Methodology for Evaluatingthe Effects of Areawide Rezonings in NewYork City

New York City does not currently conducta routine practice of revisiting areawiderezonings after some years have elapsedto determine whether the consequences

were as expected or different from whatwas anticipated. The Capstone teamworked with the New York CityDepartment of City Planning to create amethodology and perform an evaluation ofthe effects of areawide rezonings, provid-ing insights into how the tools of zoningpolicy operate in the complex processes ofneighborhood change.

Capstone Team: Daniella Bonilla, MireilleMartineau, Chris Minniti, Maria Pedroza

Westchester Department ofTransportationThe Opportunity for Bike Sharing inWestchester County

In 2008, Westchester County launched itsGlobal Warming Action Plan, whichacknowledged the importance of promot-ing alternative modes of transit. Viewingbike sharing as a possible solution to pro-moting alternative transportation, theWestchester Department of Transportationtasked a Capstone team to examine theopportunity for bike sharing in WestchesterCounty. The first phase of a dual-phasereport analyzed an array of bike share pro-grams around the world, opinions of

experts (stakeholders and non-stakehold-ers) on bike sharing and the feasibility ofimplementing a bike share program in theCounty, and existing relevant conditions inthe County. This comprehensive examina-tion informed the selection of four prelimi-nary sites prime for bike sharing inWestchester, including Mount Vernon,White Plains, the Croton Aqueduct, andthe Long Island Sound Corridor. With theinput of Westchester DOT, the Capstoneteam chose the municipalities of MountVernon and White Plains for further policy,programmatic, infrastructure, and expan-sion recommendations for bike sharing.

Capstone Team: Luke DePalma, NicoleKolinsky, Patrick McCandless, DavidSabatino, Andrew Steininger

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Advanced International ProjectsFACULTY: PAUL SMOKE AND DAVID WINDER

Lincoln Institute of Land PolicyInfrastructure Financing in Southeast Asiaafter Decentralization

During the past twenty years, SoutheastAsia has witnessed a great push towardsdecentralization and increased responsi-bilities for sub-national governments.Among these responsibilities, financingurban infrastructure poses some of thegreatest challenges. The Capstone teamfocused on the financing of urban servicedelivery in Indonesia, Philippines, andVietnam, three countries which are at vari-

ous levels of decentralization and all ofwhich face considerable infrastructurefinance challenges. The team developed aframework to assess infrastructure financesystems and applied it to the three coun-tries. The team identified common andunique experiences and issues, as well ashighlighted innovative or successful prac-tices that could be applicable in othercountries. The factors underlying the bet-ter practices are documented to the extentpossible, and their potential relevance forbroader application is considered.

Capstone Team: Justin Fusaro, JamesMettham, Mark Page Jr., Brian Tubman

Office of Brooklyn Borough President,Marty MarkowitzTransforming 4th Avenue into aCommunity Asset

4th Avenue is a key through-road connect-ing Downtown Brooklyn to the VerrazzanoBridge, beginning at the intersection ofAtlantic and Flatbush Avenues. Schools,churches, and auto repair shops shape thecharacter of the 6.2 mile-long avenue.Recognizing an unmet need, the Office ofthe Brooklyn Borough President requesteda Capstone team to engage community

stakeholders and subject matter expertsin shaping a new vision for 4th Avenue.The team conducted extensive research,provided presentations to the client andkey stakeholders, and produced a finalreport and presentation. The final reportrecommended improvements to the streetmedian and flow of traffic, streetscapingprojects, placemaking and wayfindingtools to draw out neighborhood character,increased green space, land use and soft-site repurposing, and engagement withcommunity members.

Capstone Team: Reena Agarwal, MarthaKenton, Noah Levine, Gwen Litvak, AviaTzur-Farber

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Capstone Team: Jasmin Ampaw, JonathanGagen, Hansiong Low, Lauren Weisskirk

Municipal Development Partnership ofEast and Southern AfricaLocal Government Fiscal Discretion inUganda

The Government of Uganda began a rapiddecentralization process in the early1990s, devolving service delivery responsi-bility to Local Governments in an attemptto reduce poverty under the nationaldevelopment framework. The devolutionof responsibility later spurred the adop-tion of the Fiscal Decentralization Strategy(FDS), which seeks to strengthen the abili-ty of Local Governments to achieve thegoals of decentralization by strengtheninglocal capacities and support mechanisms.Using the FDS as a benchmark, this proj-ect examined the level of de facto fiscaldiscretion at the local level. Based onfieldwork conducted in three LocalGovernment Districts of Uganda —Kampala, Wakiso, and Kanungu — theCapstone team examined the level towhich FDS policies are achieving success-ful outcomes in practice. The project high-lighted some current successes, shortcomings,and constraints to local autonomy withinthese three Districts, and provided recom-mendations for next steps and future studies.

Capstone Team: Steven Jean, Tiphany Lee,Katherine Malarkey, Jewells McMahon

United Nations Capital Development FundKnowledge Management at the UNCDF

The United Nations Capital DevelopmentFund (UNCDF) contributes to the achieve-ment of the Millennium DevelopmentGoals in Least Developed Countriesthrough a variety of innovative approachesthat include both local development andmicrofinance. UNCDF does not have a cur-rent Knowledge Management (KM) strate-gy to disseminate its knowledgethroughout the world. The Capstone teamworked with UNCDF to develop a KM cul-ture map and formulate a best practicesKM framework that promotes continualorganizational learning and identifiesinnovative ways to disseminate knowl-edge. The team conducted extensiveresearch to identify best practices, lessonslearned, and relevant KM products andprocesses. Furthermore, the Capstoneteam assisted UNCDF with developing asurvey and interviewing some of the orga-nization’s key staff to analyze current KMpractices and identify gaps. With the com-pletion of the data analysis, the Capstoneteam produced a report comprised ofbackground information, findings, and rec-ommendations for the immediate imple-mentation of a UNCDF KM strategy.

Capstone Team: Karina Catlin, MoschellCoffey, Chevelle Dixon, Polina Flahive, HaciSerif Nas

United Nations Capital Development Fund Local Economic Development in Nicaragua

The United Nations Capital DevelopmentFund (UNCDF), in collaboration with thegovernment of Nicaragua and theNicaraguan Institute of MunicipalDevelopment (INIFOM), established theFondo de Inversión para el DesarolloEconómico Local (FIDEL) in 2008. Its man-date is to promote food security in com-munities with high or extreme poverty. TheCapstone team observed how these fundswere used in two municipalities, Morritoand San Miguelito. Over a ten-day period,the Capstone team conducted interviewswith local municipal authorities, programbeneficiaries, and representatives ofNicaraguan central government agencies.The team pursued two primary lines ofinvestigation related to local economicdevelopment: municipal level capacity(institutional, technical, financial) forstrategic planning; and the processemployed by INIFOM to generate invest-ment projects and ensure sustainableprojects that address community needs.

Capstone Team: Teresa Bergey, MakdyanetCedeno, Gabriela Gutierrez, NikitaRamchandani, Eva Rippeteau

United Nations Capital Development Fund UNCDF Global Forum on LocalDevelopment

The United Nations Capital DevelopmentFund (UNCDF) has taken the lead ondeveloping a Global Forum on LocalDevelopment, which is expected to beheld in Africa in October 2010. This inter-national event is intended to trigger aseries of concrete activities designed toimprove decentralization in interestedcountries. The Capstone team conductedtwo principal tasks. First, the team pre-pared case studies on decentralization in aset of countries of interest, includingCambodia, Egypt, Guatemala, andUganda. Second, the team helped to gath-er and compile materials to assist with thedevelopment of more comprehensive andintegrated diagnostic tools for assessingthe state of the evolution of a local gov-ernment system and the dynamics thathave shaped it. These tasks are intendedto help the UNCDF develop a variety ofpractical assessment tools that couldassist with the design and implementationof policies and programs that improvedecentralization and the attainment of thevarious potential benefits associated withit in specific countries.

Capstone Team: Megan Bolado, YoshimiHorimoto, Rona-Kathleen Reodica, LauraServin

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World Institute for Leadership andManagement in AfricaFeasibility Study on EntrepreneurshipTraining Program in Tanzania

The World Institute of Leadership andManagement in Africa (WILMA) endeavorsto promote development in Africa byincreasing the capacity of local leadershipfor entrepreneurial and community proj-ects. The Capstone team analyzed the fea-sibility of an educational program todevelop future business leaders inTanzania. The proposal linked studentsfrom Dar es Salaam University to existingcommunity ventures in order to provide anexperiential learning opportunity for stu-dents and local economic growth. TheCapstone team visited stakeholders andexplored the possibilities of various com-munity association projects. The finalreport included a feasibility study, casestudy analysis, best practices, and recom-mendations for next steps.

Capstone Team: Leslie Gerhart, DanielaHammeken, Lauren Hick, Julian Melcalf

United Nations DevelopmentProgramme and the Government ofEgypt, Ministry of Local Development

Study of Local Decentralization Progress inEgypt

The Government of Egypt’s Ministry ofLocal Development created a NationalStrategy for Decentralization, with supportfrom the United Nations DevelopmentProgramme (UNDP), to empower local lev-els of government. The Capstone teamperformed a baseline study and prelimi-nary evaluation of local development andadministration reforms to date. Fieldresearch included visiting four gover-norates — Fayoum, Behera, Ismailia, andLuxor — to perform interviews with offi-cials from various levels of local govern-ment, including the governors of Beheraand Luxor. While in the field, the Capstoneteam collected information on theprogress, performance, successes, andchallenges faced by local officials duringthe implementation of local developmentplanning and administration processes.Upon returning, the Capstone team con-ducted an analysis of local governmentperformance, including a comparativereview of normative approaches to decen-tralization and local development, andalso produced several recommendationsto improve and strengthen the current pro-gram.

Capstone Team: James Collins, Adib Fahim,Travis George, Luke Heinkel, EvianPatterson, Ashleigh Whelan

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Advanced International ProjectsFACULTY: NATASHA ISKANDER

well as leave points of reference for otherorganizations involved with community-led methods.

Capstone Team: Molly Butler, HallieCaplan, Maulin Mehta, Kimberly Worsham

United States Agency for InternationalDevelopment, NicaraguaNicaragua: Water Access, Sanitation, andNatural Disasters

Despite abundant water resources, con-tamination, weak institutions, and poorquality infrastructure have left much ofNicaragua without access to safe waterand sanitation services. Throughout thecountry, the rural poor remain the popula-tion most in need, often relying on con-taminated surface water and inadequatesanitation practices. The government'sefforts and those of the international com-munity in the last two decades have yield-ed little expansion of the current system.The Capstone team was asked to reporton this situation for USAID, collectingbaseline country-wide data, interviewingindividuals from all sectors involved, andsurveying recent interventions. Fieldexperience by the Capstone team inNicaragua demonstrated that Comites deAgua Potable y Saniemento (CAPS) could

Gram VikasGram Vikas: An Alternative to Community-Led Total Sanitation

Gram Vikas is a nonprofit organizationlocated in rural east India with a missionto promote processes which are sustain-able, socially inclusive and gender equi-table to enable critical masses of poor andmarginalized rural people or communitiesto achieve a dignified quality of life. TheCapstone team was asked to evaluateGram Vikas’ water and sanitation programin regards to health and community effec-tiveness. The team’s report integrated theprogram’s impacts on the community withan analysis of how the managerial struc-ture of the organization affects the pro-gram. The team conducted literaturereviews and read extensive field reportsfrom the water and sanitation sector inIndia and worldwide to gain a fuller under-standing of Gram Vikas’ role in the devel-opment community, while reviewingoutside evaluations and in-house testimo-nials from the organization to gain a betterperspective of the functioning organiza-tion. A three-week trip to India for fieldresearch gave the team a rich amount ofdata and insight into Gram Vikas, and theteam’s recommendations are geared tohelp both the organization specifically as

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Advanced International ProjectsFACULTY: CAROL BELLAMY

Global Relief TechnologiesField Guide to Information TechnologyDeployment in Humanitarian Assistanceand Disaster Relief Operations: Support &Training

On January 12, 2010, an earthquake meas-uring 7.0 on the Richter scale hit the small

island nation of Haiti, destroying nearly allof the nation’s infrastructure and resultingin one of the largest humanitarian emer-gencies in the past 20 years. Almostimmediately, international relief organiza-tions began deploying staff and volunteersto provide assistance, but they soon foundthemselves hampered by difficulties in

harbinger change after many years of slowprogress in these sectors. Recommendationsbuilt on the successes observed in thecountry and were targeted to areas ofseverest need with regard to poverty, cur-rent access to water and sanitation, andincidence of natural disasters.

Capstone Team: Matthew Looney, DianeNosseir, Andrew Quinn, Elizabeth vanDyke

World Bank Water and SanitationProgramHorizontal Learning Program: AnIndependent Assessment

The purpose of this Capstone project wasto assess the Horizontal Learning Program(HLP) in rural Bangladesh, an initiativedriven by the World Bank as an effort tostrengthen public service capacityamongst the lowest tier of government.

The report, informed by field research,assesses the current HLP and suggestsrecommendation for improvement andopportunities for scaling acrossBangladesh. It also identifies elementsthat could enable replication of the pro-gram into other contexts. Overall, thereport concludes that the HLP inBangladesh is not truly horizontal, notstrictly about learning, and is much morethan a traditionally defined capacity build-ing program: it is a replicable system ofexchanges that empowers people andcommunities by enabling knowledge-shar-ing through a dynamic network of individ-uals and institutions.

Capstone Team: Mikelle Adgate, MaryamHariri, Kathryn Matheny, Ethel Mendez,Tammy Singer

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getting information from the field to head-quarters (HQ) world-wide. Global ReliefTechnologies (GRT) is at the forefront ofimproving field-to-HQ communication andinformation transfer using informationtechnology (IT). The Capstone team wascommissioned to write a “Best Practices”guide for humanitarian assistance and dis-aster relief (HADR) organizations, to helpthem develop the most efficient ways ofgetting necessary data from the field totheir home offices. Utilizing interviewswith operations and IT staff at varioustypes of HADR organizations (multination-al, military, non-governmental), theCapstone team focused on the best waysto support IT in extreme environments andhow organizations can train their staff effi-ciently and effectively in new applicationsbefore and during response operations.

Capstone Team: Adrienne Dominguez,Arya Iranpour, Caitlin Ostomel, SamuelSarkissian

Maisha Film LabTraining East African Filmmakers: AnEvaluation of Maisha through the Lens ofits Participants

Maisha Film Lab empowers East Africanfilmmakers to articulate their visions byproviding them with access to world-classfilm training. Over the past five years,more than 250 East African filmmakershave participated in Maisha’s intensivefilm labs, taught by prominent internation-

al filmmakers. Looking to the future,Maisha feels confident in its ability to trainfilmmakers, but wonders if it is meeting itsbroader goal to plant the seeds of a self-sustaining film industry. To help Maishaevaluate its relevance, the Capstone teaminterviewed nearly 100 Maisha alumni andstudied the impact of Maisha’s programson each participant’s career. Interviewswith Maisha lab mentors, leaders of theEast African film industry, and Maisha staff— including its founder, Mira Nair — pro-vided context for the evaluation. By com-paring organizational goals to actualoutcomes, the Capstone report shed lighton Maisha’s strengths and weaknesses,and provided recommendations as to howMaisha can better meet the needs of theEast African film industry.

Capstone Team: Sarah Bittenbender, YaelGottlieb, So Yeon Kang, Karen Phillips

Radio La BenevolencijaEvaluating Impact of Humanitarian“Edutainment” in the Great Lakes Area

Radio La Benevolencija is a Dutch NGOthat uses entertainment-education pro-gramming, events, and grassroots activi-ties to encourage people to become activebystanders against incitement to hate vio-lence. Currently operating in Rwanda,Burundi, and the Democratic Republic ofthe Congo, Benevolencija requested aCapstone team to devise an easy-applica-ble evaluation model that the organization

Catholic Medical Mission BoardAssessing Opportunities for Growth andImproving In-Country Monitoring andEvaluation of Healing Help MedicalDonations Program

The Catholic Medical Mission Board(CMMB) is a U.S.-based Catholic charityestablished in 1928 that focuses exclusive-ly on global healthcare. The Capstoneteam assessed opportunities for growthand improvement of CMMB’s Healing Helpmedical donations program. To reach thisgoal, the team designed a survey toassess absorption capacity and needs ofCMMB donation recipients and tested thesurvey with partners in Nicaragua.Findings were compiled into a NicaraguaCase Study that highlights successes andlimitations of CMMB’s donation work. Theteam also completed a more comprehen-

sive report on the Healing Help program.Additionally, an online version of the sur-vey was created and sent to key partnersin Peru, Southern Sudan, Zambia andKenya. Findings were used to improve thesurvey for CMMB to further utilize and dis-seminate more broadly as an industrystandard impact assessment tool fordonation programs worldwide.

Capstone Team: Eni Bakallbashi, MollyHart, Felicity Loome

Corporate Council on AfricaWorkforce Health Programs in Africa:Lessons from the Corporate Council onAfrica Network

The Corporate Council on Africa (CCA) is amembership organization for U.S.-basedcompanies and organizations with com-

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Advanced International ProjectsFACULTY: STEVEN SCHALL

could use to continuously assess itsimpact. The Capstone team piloted aninnovative evaluation survey methodology,one that had never before been employedin Africa. This methodology relied on apre-recorded audio survey form, played onportable CD players to a random sample,that measured respondents’ understand-ing of and assimilation to La Benevolencija'smessages on a range of interim impact

indicators. After conducting field work inRwanda in January 2010, the Capstoneteam reported its findings and detailedhow to employ this pioneering data collec-tion model in existing and futureBenevolencija projects.

Capstone Team: Jocelyn Atkins, Liba Beyer,Terkel Borg, Susan Bos, Johanna Simon

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mercial interests in Africa. The Capstoneproject involved a review of CCA corporatemembers’ health programs for Africanworkforces, and consisted of a literaturereview of global best practices in work-force health for developing countries withspecial attention to monitoring and evalu-ation, a broad survey distributed to allmembers, and in-depth interviews with asubset of members. Organized into a mapof members’ strategies and a small collec-tion of case studies, this research will helpCCA to better understand its members’current efforts in workforce health and todisseminate lessons learned during thedevelopment and implementation of somewell-established programs. Additionally,CCA can use the framework and surveydeveloped for this project in the future toupdate the mapping of their members’programs.

Capstone Team: Catherine Burns, EliraCoja, Jordan Henner, Tania Torres

HOPE WorldwideOrganizational Evaluation andDevelopment of the Sihanouk HospitalCenter of HOPE

Committed to serving the poor and under-served, HOPE Worldwide is a nonprofitorganization that has been managing theSihanouk Hospital Center of HOPE (SHCH)in Cambodia since the hospital’s inceptionin 1996. SHCH provides free health care

services, clinical training to health careprofessionals, and has served over onemillion patients thus far. Due to the lack ofsustainable funding streams, the organiza-tion has faced challenges with its organi-zational development and with achievingsuccessful global awareness of its healthcare delivery model. HOPE Worldwidesought to identify ways in which SHCHcould improve its visibility and expand itsservices. To address these issues, theCapstone team conducted a baseline orga-nizational evaluation, which includedassessing the awareness of the hospital,its quality, and potential to expand. Basedon the findings, the team prepared a casestudy and an internal organizational reporthighlighting the organization’s currentstanding and options for further develop-ment.

Capstone Team: Feby Eng, JacquelineRosenhek, Negin Farrah Shapourian,Sang-Hyuck Yoon

Real Medicine Foundation, IndiaResearch and Assessment Tools for aNutrition Program in India

As of 2009, over 60 million children underthe age of five are diagnosed with malnu-trition in India. The state of MadhyaPradesh has the country’s highest malnu-trition burden, with 60% of its childrenunder-five malnourished. The RealMedicine Foundation addresses this issue

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Advanced International ProjectsFACULTY: JODY SPIRO

National Commission for Museums andMonuments, NigeriaCollections Loan and ManagementStrategy

The National Commission for Museumsand Monuments (NCMM) is a governmentagency charged with the care and preser-vation of Nigeria’s cultural antiquities.Among its many responsibilities is themanagement of 34 national museumslocated throughout Nigeria. Following aseries of large-scale international loans,the Director of Museums requested aCapstone team to provide recommenda-tions for improving lending and borrowingpolicies. This review took the form of agap-analysis that compares current poli-

cies with internationally accepted bestpractices. Upon discovering that a compre-hensive lending and borrowing policyshould include additional material, thescope of the review was expanded toinclude risk management, data manage-ment and documentation, and marketingand communications. The recommenda-tions highlighted in the final report pro-vide a framework for the NCMM toimprove current practices and ensure con-tinued care and accessibility of its remark-able collection.

Capstone Team: Lina Duran, DuaneEsteves, Noureen Faizullah, DanielleGilbert, Zachary Naidich

with the project “Eradicate Malnutrition”that focuses on identification, treatmentand prevention. RMF requested a Capstoneteam to conduct field visits to provide acomparative analysis of the local clinic(Anganwadi) and government run nutri-tional rehabilitation centers. The team pre-sented RMF with a catalog of nutritionprograms focused on children under theage of five, providing them with a broader

understanding of approaches improvingnutrition. The final report includes ananalysis of field data, a nutritional catalog,a working document for inclusion in base-line assessment surveys, and potentialnext steps.

Capstone Team: Jenny Hsieh, Hyein Lee,Eyiuwunmi Salako, Jaimie Shaff

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World Bank GroupMind the Gap: Progress and Opportunityfor Growth in International Governance onClimate Change

The World Bank Group has historicallydemonstrated its strategic advantage inmanaging large development projects. Theclimate change crisis requires significantinternational coordination and funding forcountries' efforts in the areas of adapta-tion, mitigation, finance, and technology.Dependent on the outcomes of this year'sCOP-15 Conference, the UN System maybe mandated to manage part of the fundsand implement projects. In order to ensuregreatest efficiency and positive impact, itis necessary to better understand thestrengths, challenges, and gaps in howcurrent projects are implemented. TheCapstone team first developed an under-standing of these organizations' internal-ly-generated fiscal, operational, andimplementations standards for projects.The team then conducted field research onWorld Bank and UN-affiliated projects tocollectively grasp the on-the-ground reali-ty of climate change project implementa-tion, studying the complementaryprograms as well as tensions revealed interms of underlying gaps in some of theorganizations' distributive and managerialcapacities. From the findings, the teamdeveloped specific recommendations forthe client and partner organizations.

Capstone Team: Nina Ivory, RosaKahurananga, Christopher Lindahl, HeidiTrow, Tory Watts

World Learning, CommunityConnections ProgramCommunity Connections ProgramEvaluation

To improve the effectiveness and efficien-cy of the Community Connections pro-gram, World Learning, a global nonprofitproviding international educational pro-grams, engaged a Capstone team to con-duct a program evaluation. CommunityConnections provides intensive three-week professional trainings in a variety ofsectors offering participants an opportuni-ty to learn both about their professionalfield and US culture. The program aims topromote public diplomacy and develop-ment in 13 Eurasian countries. TheCapstone team evaluated CommunityConnections on multiple levels includingthe home-stay experience, professionaldevelopment sessions, and the use ofinformation technology. Through researchinstruments, such as interviews, on-siteobservations, participant observations,and home-stay family surveys, the teamgathered data and analyzed CommunityConnections. The team provided conclu-sions and recommendations to WorldLearning in order to build on their currentsuccesses of the program.

Capstone Team: Scot Dalton, Sara Gojanaj,Rebecca Smith

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Aliméntate EcuadorMethodologies of Monitoring andEvaluation System and InformationManagement for a Nutrient Program calledPANI

The Capstone team worked withAliméntate Ecuador (AE) of Ecuador’sMinistry of Economic and Social Inclusionto provide a monitoring and evaluation(M&E) strategy, as well as an informationmanagement system, for the use of Chis-paz, a micronutrient food supplement.Chis-paz is being introduced in AE’sPrograma Alimentario Nutricional Integral(PANI), a national program aimed at reduc-

ing widespread anemia among childrenunder the age of five. The Capstone team’sgoal was to provide a sustainable method-ology to assist AE in monitoring resultsand assessing program impact. The teamdesigned an M&E and information man-agement system for AE that incorporatedboth short and long-term recommenda-tions, along with varied implementationscenarios. Key recommendations includedthe incorporation of positive deviation,time series design, trigger identificationfor program evaluation, and tiered analy-sis of information at both the provincialand national levels.

Advanced International ProjectsFACULTY: DAVID WINDER

World Learning, Global UndergraduateExchange ProgramDetermining and Increasing the Impact ofWorld Learning's Global UGRAD Program

The Capstone team conducted an inde-pendent evaluation of the impact of WorldLearning’s Global Undergraduate Global(UGRAD)Exchange Program for East Asiaand the Pacific and the WesternHemisphere on its alumni. The team creat-ed an evaluation toolkit and employed twoof the tools to survey and interview theprogram’s alumni. The evaluation revealedthe alumni’s perceptions of how the pro-gram affected their English language

skills, academic and career goals, andcommunity service, as well as their atti-tudes about gender equality, diversity, civilparticipation, and the United States. Italso uncovered their thoughts on how theprogram has changed their lives.Additionally, the Capstone team conduct-ed a field scan of competitors. The datafrom the evaluation and the field scaninformed the team’s recommendations forways to improve Global UGRAD’s policiesand methodologies so that the impact ofthe program can increase.

Capstone Team: Benjamin Case, ShannonKowalski, Caitlin Mitchell, Mima Stojanovic

Capstone Team: Minerva Arias, Erin Barr,Keumran Ha, Andrea Pacheco

Bhavishya AllianceGirls Gaining Ground

The Capstone team performed a qualita-tive evaluation of Bhavishya Alliance’sGirls Gaining Ground program, a pilot pro-gram to empower adolescent girls inMaharashtra, India. The team traveled toIndia, where it conducted site visits inMumbai slums and rural areas ofMaharashtra. Team members interviewedgirls participating in the program, mothersof these girls, program facilitators, govern-ment officials, and diverse NGO staff. Aftercompleting fieldwork, the Capstone teamanalyzed the interviews and composed acomprehensive evaluation, highlightingthe unique strengths of the program andmaking suggestions for improvements.

Capstone Team: Amber Baker, MutsumiNakagami, Tara Noronha, KatherinePotaski, Emily Puckart

Global Alliance for Improved NutritionBest Practices of Public-PrivatePartnerships for Effective Midday MealDelivery in India

In 2001, the Indian government mandatedthat all government schools in the countryserve a hot lunch to primary school stu-dents. As a result, nongovernmentalorganizations (NGOs) and other localgroups have stepped in to provide servicedelivery. Global Alliance for ImprovedNutrition (GAIN) provides funding to oneIndian NGO, Naandi Foundation, whichserves meals to over one million childrendaily across four states. GAIN requested aCapstone team to visit a number of siteswhere Naandi works, observe operations,and interview kitchen staff, students,teachers, and government officials. TheCapstone team also gathered informationabout the variety and complexity of rela-tionships Naandi maintains across thepublic and private sectors, as well as thebusiness principles it utilizes to createeffective and efficient service delivery. TheCapstone team compiled this informationand produced a report that other NGOsand governments working with GAIN canuse to develop effective school lunch pro-grams in their own locales.

Capstone Team: Kristina Corvin, RubinaKhan, Debbie Koh, Hanan Nassau, CeceliaTanaka

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Capstone Team: Edgar Benavides, TobyBressler, Jessica Gallinaro, Kimberly Reyes,Sydete Rothery, Daniel Sorbello

New York-Presbyterian HospitalImproving Nursing InformationDissemination Practice at NYP

The Capstone team worked with a leader-ship team from New York-Presbyterian(NYP) Hospital to examine the elements ofthe current transfer of information to nurs-ing staff and to improve the current nurs-ing information dissemination practiceacross all five campuses. Focus groupswith Nursing Leadership were conductedto identify opportunities for improvementas well as best practices among the sites.A staff survey was sent electronically to allnurse employees via Survey Monkey.Interviews with hospitals and companiesoutside of NYP that had been identified asleaders in communication with theiremployees were completed. Departmentswithin NYP that were critical in data collec-tion included IT, HR, and NursingEducation. The recommendations can beutilized by the hospital to improve commu-nication, ensuring effectiveness of com-munication across all of nursing.

New York-Presbyterian HospitalCare Management at New York-Presbyterian: An Opportunity for Change

Care management is a collaborativeprocess of assessment, planning, facilita-tion, and advocacy to meet a patient’shealth needs through communication andavailable resources to promote quality,cost-effective outcomes. At New York-Presbyterian Hospital, care managementis organized and addressed differently atits two largest campuses, Columbia andCornell. The Capstone team performed acurrent state assessment of care manage-ment at these campuses for the adultmedical/surgical populations. Interviewswere performed with members of the mul-tidisciplinary team — Social Workers, CareCoordinators, Physicians, and Nurses —who coordinate care management forpatients across the cardiac service lines.Additionally, a comprehensive literaturereview was conducted to identify industrybest practices, and three institutions thatwere identified as embodying these prac-tices were visited by team members. Theteam synthesized these findings to recom-mend a care management model that pro-motes efficiency of resources and qualityoutcomes for the population studied.

Advanced Projects for Nurse LeadersFACULTY: ANTHONY KOVNER, WILLIE MANZANO, ROSEMARY SULLIVAN

Applied Research in Public Finance and PolicyFACULTY: AMY ELLEN SCHWARTZ AND JOHANNA LACOE

Agricultural Industrialization, Policy,and Crop Diversity in the U.S.: A PanelData Analysis, 1978-2007

Farming practices in the United Stateshave shifted dramatically over the past 30years, trending toward increased use offactory farms and single crop production.Evidence has emerged that these types ofinput-intensive agricultural methods come

at steep environmental, health, and socialcosts that may not be offset by benefits.This study examined federal and statepolicies to assess their impact on farmownership structure and crop diversity. Inorder to compare diversity trends acrossstates from 1978 to 2007, the Capstoneteam composed various county-level cropindices based on models suggested in

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Capstone Team: Jill Sinclair Gurda, TaniaHodgson, David Pinsky, Peter Roppolo,Donna Tinling-Solages

New York-Presbyterian Hospital,Department of Nursing, MilsteinPavilionEmpowering Nurses with the CapitalEquipment Procurement Process

New York-Presbyterian Hospital believes astreamlined capital equipment procure-ment process is very important for improv-ing nursing productivity and satisfactionand for delivering the highest qualitypatient-centered care, and they asked aCapstone team to explore this process inmore depth. The current nursing capitalequipment process from requisition toprocurement was identified by interview-ing stakeholders throughout the organiza-tion. A literature review on capital

equipment was performed to determine ifnational benchmarks exist, and currentpractices at different institutions for com-parison were also reviewed by interview-ing senior management. Issues with thecurrent capital equipment process wereidentified and staff nurses were inter-viewed on the process of equipment allo-cation and barriers of the current process.The information was analyzed and a reportwas provided to the nursing leadership onbest practices for capital equipment pro-curement, including guidelines and recom-mendations to streamline the nursingcapital equipment process and to themanagement and control of capital equip-ment.

Capstone Team: Leonid Lenderman,Marcela Levine, Lydia Lopez, RicardoMistades

existing literature. Using panel data con-structed from the Census of Agriculture,the team then analyzed policy as a con-tributor to state agricultural landscapes,ranging from industrial monoculture todiverse cropping. This study focused onanalyzing the effects of state and federalpolicies on crop diversity as a vehicle forunderstanding the role government policyplays in impacting sustainable agriculture.

Capstone Team: Zayne Abdessalam,Fernando Henao, Shana Wright

The Effect of Policy Interactions onMaternal Smoking Rates

While smoking remains a salient publichealth issue, maternal smoking is also akey reproductive health concern. Womenwho smoke are at a higher risk of infertili-ty and complications during pregnancy.Despite what is known about the dangersof maternal smoking, it is still an issue forstate health departments nationwide.Previous research has explored the elas-ticity and burden of cigarette taxationacross demographic groups. However, itis unknown how cigarette taxation mightactually interact with other public healthefforts to generate a unique response withpregnant women. This study analyzed theinteraction between changes in cigarettetax rates and health care utilization (pre-natal care services) on smoking behaviorsduring pregnancy, among other policies ofimportance to maternal health.

Capstone Team: Philethea Duckett, HyungJo Hur, Ye Wang

The Effect of State Support onEducational Attainment

Public higher education in the UnitedStates is of particular interest as stategovernments are forced to cut spending inthe face of lower revenues during this cur-rently unstable economic period. Highereducation funding is not immune to thesecuts, and universities will have to managewith less government funding. Additionally,tuition growth rates continue to outpaceinflation. With student loan marketsstrained from the credit crisis, public uni-versities will struggle with increasingtuition to minimize funding gaps, whilekeeping college affordable. The focus ofthis Capstone project was on the effectsproduced by variation in state support forhigher education, both over time andamong states. Through appropriations,states have been able to fund public high-er education institutions, and theCapstone team examined the effects ofchanges in state higher education supporton the rate of educational attainment athigher education institutions.

Capstone Team: Casey Megan, Rosa A.Ortiz, Stephen Vassallo

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The Impact of the School Tax ReliefExemption on School Spending in NewYork State

The Capstone team studied the impact ofNew York State's School Tax Relief (STAR)exemption on school district spending inNew York State. STAR is a state-fundedproperty tax relief program that reducesproperty taxes for homeowners and indi-rectly decreases the cost of additionalschool spending. Anything that inducesmore school spending is a source of greatconcern, given that New York State haslong had the highest local taxes andschool expenditures of any state in theUnited States. While the theory suggeststhat the STAR exemption has led toincreased education spending, it is worthnoting that STAR's implementation in theearly 2000’s coincided with other changesin pension laws and state and federal edu-cational standards. The Capstone teamused data from the New York State Officeof the Comptroller and the U.S. Census toanalyze the impact of STAR on school edu-cation expenditures.

Capstone Team: Suraj Abdulai, NaheedAfroz, Alvin Wong

Pennies from Heaven: Assessing theImpact of New York State’s STARExemption on School District PropertyTaxation

New York State's School Tax Relief (STAR)program exempts a portion of homestead

property values from school district prop-erty taxation. The inception of this pro-gram immediately preceded a period ofincreased school property tax levies andexpenditures. Using a public choice theoryframework, this applied research Capstoneproject attempted to determine whetherSTAR was a causal factor for school dis-trict tax increases. The extent to whichindividual-level and regional differencesinfluenced local variation in the tax-priceelasticity of demand was also examined.

Capstone Team: Andrew Berger-Gross

Measuring the Effect of the Generosityof Welfare Benefits on Maternal andInfant Health Among Low-Educated,Unmarried Women

Single mothers comprise the majority ofadult welfare recipients in the UnitedStates, and policies and programs thataffect the health of this population mayaffect their children’s health. Yet, there islittle empirical evidence of how, and theextent to which, welfare benefits impactmaternal and infant health. This studyaimed to fill this empirical gap. By creatinga variable for the generosity of welfare,the Capstone team examined how the gen-erosity “bundle” of welfare benefits acrossstates affected maternal health (prenatalcare utilization) and infant health (birthweight) among low-educated, unmarriedwomen from 1996-2004. The teamemployed an individual unit of observa-tion and a difference-in-difference model

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with a comparison group in a time seriesand cross-sectional analysis to measurethe cumulative effects of various welfarepolicies on maternal and infant health.

Capstone Team: Rebecca DiBennardo,Blanca Esquivel, Kristin Van Busum, AlissaVladimir, Elizabeth Wolff

Refining Reinvestment: The Impact ofthe 1995 Community Reinvestment ActEnhancements on Minority-OwnedBusinesses

The American Dream has often beenunderstood as the opportunity for everyAmerican citizen to strive for and achievecertain bedrocks of modern prosperity,including homeownership and personalwealth. Additionally, small business own-ership has often been seen as a chance torise financially, while also cementing one-self in a place of importance in the com-

munity. The CommunityReinvestment Act of 1977 (CRA)encouraged financial institutions tomeet the particular needs of minori-ty borrowers formerly affected byredlining and other pernicious prac-tices. CRA was modified in 1995 toimprove financial institutions’ com-pliance with CRA regulations.Previous studies focused on CRA’srole in improving homeownershipopportunities among minorities,with little research dedicated to theAct’s role in improving credit accessfor small businesses. This studyanalyzed the impact of increasedCRA monitoring on the growth ofminority-owned small businessesnationwide.

Capstone Team: Courtney Davis,Oguz Karakadilar, Vanessa Leon,Aynur Saygin

Capstone Full-Time Faculty Members

Charles Brecher, Professor of Public andHealth Administration

John Donnellan, Robert Derzon Professorof Health and Public Service

Erica Foldy, Associate Professor of Publicand Nonprofit Management

Natasha Iskander, Assistant Professor ofPublic Policy

Anthony Kovner, Professor of Public andHealth Management

Roger Kropf, Professor of HealthManagement

Amy Ellen Schwartz, Professor of PublicPolicy, Education, and Economics

Dennis C. Smith, Associate Professor ofPublic Policy

Paul Smoke, Professor of Public Financeand Planning

Capstone Adjunct Faculty Members

Rona Affoumado, Independent Consultant

Carol Bellamy, Board Chair, Education forAll/Fast Track Initiative

John Brothers, Principal, Cuidiu Consulting

Kate Collignon, Principal, HR&A Advisors

Frank Fish, Principal, Buckhurst Fish &Jacquemart

Amy Goldman, Independent Consultant,Goldman Healthcare Consulting

Sara Grant, Adjunct Assistant Professor ofPublic Administration, NYU Wagner

Kei Hayashi, Independent Consultant

Monte Kurs, Independent Consultant

Johanna Lacoe, Adjunct Assistant Professorof Public Administration, NYU Wagner

Wilhelmina Manzano, Senior VicePresident and Chief Nursing Officer, New York-Presbyterian Hospital

Merle McGee, Vice President of Programs,Harlem Educational Activities Fund

Ana Oliveira, President and Chief ExecutiveOfficer, New York Women’s Foundation

Steven Schall, Partner, Schall & RussoPlanning Works

Jody Spiro, Senior Program Officer,Wallace-Reader’s Digest Funds

Rosemary Sullivan, Director of Nursing,New York-Presbyterian Hospital

David Winder, CEO, WaterAid

Capstone Co-Directors

Erica Foldy, Associate Professor of Publicand Nonprofit Management

David Schachter, Assistant Dean forStudent Affairs

FACULTY AND DIRECTORS

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INDEX

Capstone Client Organizations

Aliméntate Ecuador, 33

Americans for Informed Democracy, 1

Asphalt Green, 8

Bhavishya Alliance, 34

Brennan Center for Justice, 1,5

Brooklyn Botanic Garden, 11

Catholic Medical Mission Board, 29

Citizens Union Foundation, 12

Community Board 10 of Manhattan, 19

Congressional Research Service, 14

Corporate Council on Africa, 29

Council on Accreditation, 9

Fire Department of New York, 6

Free Arts NYC, 6

Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition, 34

Global Relief Technologies, 27

Gram Vikas, 26

HIV Care Services, Public Health Solutions, 16

HOPE Worldwide 30

Imagine Project, 8

The Innocence Project, 9

Jewish Community Relations Council, 12

Legal Momentum, 2

Lenox Hill Neighborhood House, 12

Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, 22

Maimonides Medical Center, 17

Maisha Film Lab, 28

Mississippi Center for Justice, 13

Municipal Development Partnership of East and Southern Africa, 23

National Commission for Museums andMonuments, Nigeria 31

National Council for Research on Women 7

New Jersey Community Development Corporation, 20

New York City Department of City Planning, 21

New York City Department of Education, 2, 14

New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, 15

New York City Department of Probation, 4

New York City Deputy Mayor’s Office of Health and Human Services, 3

New York City Food and Fitness Partnership, 5

New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission, 20

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New York City Leadership Academy, 3

New York University Langone Medical Center, 15

New York Women’s Foundation, 10

New York-Presbyterian Hospital, 17, 18, 35, 36

Office of Brooklyn Borough President, Marty Markowitz, 22

Palladia, Inc., 7

Radio La Benevolencija, 28

Real Medicine Foundation, 30

United Nations Capital Development Fund, 23, 24

United Nations Development Programme andthe Government of Egypt, 25

United Nations, Office of the Under-Secretary General for Management, 4

United States Agency for International Development, 26

Uri L’Tzedek, 10

VA New York Harbor Healthcare System, 16, 19

Westchester Department of Transportation, 21

World Bank Group, 32

World Bank Water and Sanitation Program, 27

World Institute for Leadership and Management in Africa, 25

World Learning, 32, 33

Applied Research ProjectsAgricultural Industrialization, 36

Community Reinvestment Act, 39

Maternal and Infant Health, 38

Maternal Smoking Rates, 37

School District Property Taxation, 38

School Tax Relief, 38

State Support on Educational Attainment, 37

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Established in 1938, the Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service atNew York University is reframing public service education for the 21st century. Ourvision identifies public service as work of public importance wherever it happens andrecognizes that public service careers span sectors, demand role flexibility, and reflectcontext. We offer a broad-based and interdisciplinary education that marries theory topractice so that our students are prepared to provide leadership on the critical issuesof our time.

NYU Wagner offers a variety of advanced programs leading to the professional degrees of:

• Master of Public Administration (MPA)concentration in Public and Nonprofit Management and Policy

• Master of Public Administration (MPA)concentration in Health Policy and Management

• Master of Urban Planning (MUP)

• Executive Master of Public Administration (MPA)

• Doctor of Philosophy

Trained in policy, financial management, management, planning, and internationaldevelopment, NYU Wagner students graduate with the skills they need to confrontsociety’s most pressing problems.

To learn more about NYU Wagner, visit www.wagner.nyu.edu.

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Agencies wishing to explore the possibility of entering into a Capstonepartnership with NYU Wagner, please go to wagner.nyu.edu/capstonefor more information.

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Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public ServiceNew York UniversityThe Puck Building295 Lafayette StreetNew York, NY 10012212-998-7400

wagner.nyu.edu/capstone