Public Service Clinics link the skills and services of second year Master of Public Administration (MPA) students with the real-world needs of nonprofit and public agencies. For more than a decade, our students have produced program evaluations, strategic plans, policy analyses, and new program designs.
During their last year of study, MPA students are required to complete a Degree Project, which demonstrates their mastery of analytic and organizational skills. By enrolling in the Public Service Clinics, students are able to choose from a variety of research topics proposed by local agencies, nonprofits, or students themselves.
The projects take two academic quarters to complete, and can be done in one of two formats led by experienced faculty:
Students and agencies are invited to learn more about the structure and timeline for Public Service Clinics and Degree Project Seminars by contacting the Public Service Clinics at psclinic@u.washington.edu or 206.221.3676.
Public Service Clinics and Degree Project Seminars are the same in that students work in seminar settings with the guidance of a faculty advisor and the support of peers through two six credit courses during their last year of study at the Evans School.
The only difference is that students in Public Service Clinics all work with agencies, while some students in Degree Project Seminars work with agencies and some work on topics independent of an agency. Both formats are organized around broad themes of public policy.
Autumn Quarter
Winter Quarter
Spring Quarter
Find out more about upcoming deadlines and events for the current academic year and how to submit a proposal by contacting the Public Service Clinics at psclinic@u.washington.edu or 206.221.3676.
October 31: Agency Topic Proposals Due
We are now soliciting proposals from public and nonprofit organizations for the 2008-09 academic year. Agencies are invited to submit a proposal, view past degree projects of outstanding merit, and learn more about the structure and timeline of the Clinics and Seminars.
November 6: Topics Fair
New this year, agencies who submit topics and students interested in participating in the Clinics or Seminars are invited to meet face-to-face at the Degree Projects Topics Fair from 4:45 - 6 p.m. on November 6 in the Parrington Hall Commons. Agency represenatives will bring materials about their organization or project to share with students who are shopping for topics. Agencies should RSVP to psclinic@u.washington.edu.
November 10: Self-Generated Student Topic Forms Due
Students submitting their own topics to the Clinics or Seminars must submit a proposal form by November 10.
November 12: Student Applications Due
Students applying for Clinic or Seminar topics must submit applications for their topic three choices by November 12.
For more information, contact the Public Service Clinics at psclinic@u.washington.edu or 206.221.3676.
The process for proposing a research topic is the same for both Public Service Clinics and Degree Project Seminars. Please note that Clinic and Seminar themes should be considered when preparing proposal topics.
The Public Service Clinics at the Evans School is intended as a peer and faculty facilitated vehicle to connect the research, organizational change, and capacity building needs of community organizations and public agencies with graduate student degree projects. Each clinic and seminar is limited in size to ten students.
If you have more than one project you wish to submit, please complete a separate form for each project.
If a student is matched with your topic, you will need to meet with this student and clinic professor in December to develop a letter of agreement.
All fields followed by * are required.
If you want to participate in a clinic or seminar through the Public Service Clinics and have your own self-generated topic, please fill out this form. The Public Service Clinics' matching process works best when both the agency and the student understand and agree to the project's focus and goals. For this reason, we want to ensure that you and your agency contact have already met and thoroughly discussed and understand your topic.
Additionally, you must have discussed the $1250 participation fee with your agency and instruct them to contact psclinic@u.washington.edu indicating whether they will be paying the fee or requesting financial assistance before your proposal will be considered. Please contact us if you have any questions.
Please note that once you are accepted into the Public Service Clinics, you are required to meet with your clinic or seminar instructor and agency contact in December to develop a letter of agreement.
All fields followed by * are required.
The Public Service Clinics at the Evans School is intended as a peer and faculty facilitated vehicle to connect student degree project research with the research, organizational change, and capacity building needs of community organizations and public agencies. Participation is a powerful way to represent the Evans School and assist the community.
Each clinic and seminar is limited in size to ten students. Please submit a separate application for each of your top three choices.
Once accepted into the Public Service Clinics you are required to meet with your clinic or seminar instrucation and agency contact in December to develop a letter of agreement.
All fields followed by * are required.
The 2008-09 academic year offers three themed Public Service Clinics and three themed Degree Project Seminars led by faculty members with expertise and experience in their respective areas.
Public Service Clinic Themes
Degree Project Seminar Themes
There is student information and agency information available for developing research proposals by contacting the Public Service Clinics at psclinic@u.washington.edu or 206.221.3676.
Eliminating Poverty
This clinic looks at how we address poverty in a society that provides a very limited safety net by researching topics related to:
This clinic is led by Robert Plotnick and will relate to work being done by the West Coast Poverty Center. Plotnick, co-chair of the West Coast Poverty Center, is a social policy economist who has taught courses and written widely on American poverty, income inequality, and social welfare policy.
Find out more about available topics in this clinic and other Clinic and Seminar themes by contacting the Public Service Clinics at psclinic@u.washington.edu or 206.221.3676.
2009 Winter Quarter Syllabus (22.3 KB PDF)
This clinic looks at how metropolitan regions work to revitalize communities, enhance the environment, and increase safety by researching topics related to:
This clinic is led by Daniel Carlson, director of the Public Service Clinics, who draws on more than 35 years of experience with applied research in community development, transportation and land use, growth management, and affordable housing.
Find out more about available topics in this clinic and other Clinic and Seminar themes by contacting the Public Service Clinics at psclinic@u.washington.edu or 206.221.3676.
2009 Winter Quarter Syllabus (26 KB PDF)
This clinic focuses on how to provide more effective services and improve organizational performance by researching topics related to:
This clinic is led by David S. Harrison whose recent assignments within Washington State government have focused on ways to improve agency program integration and service delivery for closing gaps in workforce skills.
Find out more about available topics in this clinic and other Clinic and Seminar themes by contacting the Public Service Clinics at psclinic@u.washington.edu or 206.221.3676.
This seminar focuses on topics concerned with individual decision making in response to the incentives created by institutions and institutional change. Of interest are research topics related to how decision making differs by:
*Topics that address international, rural, or poverty issues are especially welcome.
This seminar is led by Leigh Anderson, an economist who works primarily in Asia and looks at how individuals make livelihood decisions in response to international programs and policies that alleviate rural poverty, including access to credit and training for market participation.
Find out more about available topics in this seminar and other Clinic and Seminar themes by contacting the Public Service Clinics at psclinic@u.washington.edu or 206.221.3676.
This seminar focuses on topics related to environmental and health risk perception and communication. Of interest are topics about:
Degree projects associated with this seminar may involve:
This seminar is led by Ann Bostrom, a public policy and behavioral decision analyst who has contributed risk communication expertise to multiple National Research Council and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) science advisory report. Her current research is funded by the National Science Foundation and U.S. EPA and focuses on risk perception and communication related to seismic activity, global climate change, extreme weather, and lead paint.
Find out more about available topics in this seminar and other Clinic and Seminar themes by contacting the Public Service Clinics at psclinic@u.washington.edu or 206.221.3676.
This seminar is focused around the consequences and timing of decision making. Regardless of whether individuals or groups make decisions, and whether the consequences accrue publicly or privately, decision making by definition is complicated by the presence of uncertainty. Of interest are topics that include:
This seminar offers the chance to pursue a DP topic centered on the analysis of a decision (or a related set) which relies on information drawn from anywhere along the qualitative/quantitative spectrum - from surveys and measurements to judgments to forecasts and models.
This seminar is led by Alison Cullen, a risk analyst who specializes in the treatment of uncertainty/variability in environmental and health decision making. She also specializes in exploring the role and limits of qualitative and quantitative approaches. She has worked on decisions involving the adaptation of energy supply to a changing climate, the incorporation of genetic information in environmental regulation, the protection of community public health in the presence of industrial contamination, and the stability or instability of individual tolerance for uncertainty and inequity across decision contexts.
There is student information and agency information available for developing research proposals by contacting the Public Service Clinics at psclinic@u.washington.edu or 206.221.3676.
This seminar focuses on topics that have an international perspective. Topics pursued in the past include:
This seminar is led by Zbigniew Bochniarz, a visiting professor who is a retired senior fellow and professor of the Hurbert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota.
While the seminar is seperate from the Public Service Clinics, it follows the same structure and timeline and students are welcome to apply for available topics that relate to this seminar theme. A specific client or agency affiliation is not required, but it is encouraged.
If you are interested in participating, email Zbigniew Bochniarz at zbigb@u.washington.edu with a paragraph about what topic you plan to address. You also need to send an email to evansreg@u.washington.edu to receive entry codes to register for the seminar.
We are no longer soliciting topics for the 2008-09 school year. Proposals for the 2009-10 school year will be accepted beginning in August 2009.
Students: Several research topics are still available for winter and spring 2009 degree projects. You can search available topics alphabetically or by Clinic and Seminar theme.
Alphabetical list of topics by agency:
Public Service Clinic topics by theme:
Degree Project Seminar topics by theme:
Find out more about our clinic and seminar themes by contacting the Public Service Clinics at psclinic@u.washington.edu or 206.221.3676.
All clinic and seminar topics available through the Public Service Clinics are listed alphabetically by nonprofit organization below.
Find out more about available public agency topics and how to apply for clinics and seminars by contacting the Public Service Clinics at psclinic@u.washington.edu or 206.221.3676.
Topic ID #08-07casey
Clinic/Seminar: Service Delivery Clinic
Agency/Program Overview
Casey Family Programs' mission is to provide and improve - and ultimately to prevent the need for - foster care. Established by United Parcel Service founder Jim Casey, we are a Seattle-based national operating foundation that has served children, youth, and families in the child welfare system since 1966.
We operate in two ways. We provide direct services, and we promote advances in child-welfare practice and policy. We also collaborate with foster, kinship, and adoptive parents to provide safe, loving homes for youth in our direct care. We also collaborate with counties, states, and American Indian and Alaska Native tribes to improve services and outcomes for the more than 500,000 young people in out-of-home care across the U.S.
Specific Research Question
How should state child welfare departments across the country implement new federal legislation regarding foster care? How will the new legislation affect our goal to reduce foster care by 50% by the year 2020?
Additional Project Background
HR 6893, the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008, authorized federal assistance for kinship care, or foster care that is provided by a child's relatives. Child welfare departments in each state define and track kinship care differently; therefore, this new legislation will affect states' financing and assistance schemes in different ways. The student working on this project would help us understand how states currently track and support kinship care and how they could best take advantage of this new legislation.
The student would also help Casey Family Programs assess how the new legislation will impact our ability to meet our goal of dramatically reducing foster care in the U.S. The new legislation may increase the count of foster youth by incentiving states to count kinship care as foster care for the first time.
Key Steps
The student will research policies and statutes regarding kinship care online and through interviews with state child welfare administrators. After collecting and analyzing data, the student will create recommendations about what Casey Family Programs and state welfare agencies should consider in implementing the new legislation. The final product from this project could be a matrix summarizing how each state is tracking and financing kinship care and how each should handle the new legislation. The project will help Casey Family Programs understand the impact of the legislation on a state-by-state basis.
Additional Research Resources
Some data regarding how states define and track kinship care has already been collected; the student would need to seek out data about other states.
If you have questions about this topic or would like additional information, please contact Susan Smith at ssmith@casey.org.
Topic ID #08-14chirag
Clinic/Seminar: Community Development Clinic
Agency/Program Overview
CHIRAG's mission is to improve the quality of life of rural people - especially poor and women - in the Central Himayala. We try to do this through interventions in health, education and natural resource management, and by providing access to diversified livelihood options. We promote sustainable ownership and management of common resources by the community.
Specific Research Question
What agricultural services should CHIRAG provide to small, marginalized farmers? CHIRAG needs a three-year business plan developed for providing services to local farmers, including the provision of inputs (seeds, organic fertilizers, organic pest/disease control) and the marketing of fruits, vegetables, cereals, and pulses.
Additional Project Background
Small farmers in this region of the Himalaya typically cultivate approximately one acre. They have few resources and little ability to access the formal market. They often operate under the influence of middlemen who charge high commissions. CHIRAG is involved in improving small farmers' access to markets by facilitating the formation of Farmer User Groups, which organize collection and distribution of farm produce at more profitable prices.
CHIRAG has extensive documentation on the region's agricultural production. In addition, CHIRAG has been involved in facilitating connections with local markets for small farmers. However, to date, CHIRAG has not developed a business plan to support these agricultural services.
Additional Research Resources
CHIRAG can provide the student with relevant data about agriculture to assist in the early drafting of the business plan. The student would need to travel to India for a two to three week period between Winter and Spring quarters to address questions that cannot be handled remotely.
If you have questions about this topic or would like more information, please contact Keith Goyden at keith.goyden@gmail.com.
Topic ID #08-37medina
Clinic/Seminar: Service Delivery Clinic or Eliminating Poverty Clinic
Agency/Program Overview
Express Credit Union is a state chartered and federally insured credit union located in King County. Under a new business plan and leadership, Express will become King County's only low income designated credit union. Its products and services will specifically meet the diverse needs of people who face historical barriers to entering the financial mainstream. Express will deliver quality financial products and services while Express Advantage, an affiliated 501c3 nonprofit, will harness community resources and trusted partners to deliver complimentary social and educational services that further accelerate members' paths toward financial stability.
The effort to build a low income credit union has been highly collaborative from the start. The Medina Foundation led the needs assessment, market analysis and business plan and key partner development, and provided seed funding and critical early resources. BECU, currently the largest credit union in Washington State, brings industry expertise, world-class infrastructure and intense incubation to help Express achieve sustainable scale. Express Credit Union brings its 75 year history, loyal membership and deep commitment to member service to the project (Express and the low income credit union project, seeing their aligned mission and complimentary assets and needs, merged in 2008). Critical partnerships with nine well-known nonprofit partners that are providing direct services to low income individuals and families will enable Express to deliver financial education and support services to members.
The creation of a low income credit union in King County is largely a response to insufficient options for low income individuals to have access to fair and affordable financial services. By providing an alternative to payday lenders and check cashers, Express will provide customized financial products and support services that will enable King County families to build assets and achieve lasting financial security. In doing so, we can address root causes of poverty and help families keep more of the money they earn.
Specific Research Question
What are the elements of the Express Credit Union and Express Advantage model that uniquely position the enterprise to meet the financial service needs of low and modest income individuals? What are the critical elements that are necessary to replicate the model in other communities?
Additional Project Background
Express CU would like to explore which elements of the business model are unique to the King County region and which are critical for replicating the model in other communities. Although low income credit unions have been developed in other parts of the country, Express CU recognizes that some elements of the business plan are truly unique to the region and incorporate creative ways to accomplish our mission efficiently. An assessment of our model and how it is/is not meeting the needs of our target population is desirable. This will enhance our ability to deliver on our promise. In addition, as we explore the impact of the model, and our ability to share and even replicate the model in other communities, we would like to find out which are crucial for replication.
Key Steps
Express CU wishes to diagnose and assess the model in order to determine which elements would enable the model to be replicated and taken to scale. The student(s) will have the opportunity to meet with leadership from the key partners of the model (Express CU, BECU, Medina Foundation, and community partner organizations), observe outreach and financial education classes at community partner organizations, shadow the "community tellers" and examine the accessibility of the credit union for low income individuals. In comparing Express CU to leading research and other similar models around the country, student(s) will make recommendations for 1) improving the model (optional) and 2) how to replicate the model, including how the model can be taken to scale.
Additional Research Resources
Needs assessment/gap analysis, marketing strategy, products and services parameters, and business plan can be made available.
If you have questions about this topic or would like more information, please contact Tricia McKay at tricia@medinafoundation.org.
Topic ID #08-13faith - AVAILABLE
Clinic/Seminar: Service Delivery Clinic or Community Development Clinic
Agency/Program Overview
Faith in Action marshals volunteers from congregations and other community organizations and puts them to work supporting seniors. The services are free, and open to all seniors living independently in the greater Sammamish and Issaquah area. The services include: transportation, housekeeping, yard work, and information and referral to additional resources in the community.
Specific Research Question
What does the elderly population in the City of Sammamish look like, and what are their needs?
Additional Project Background
The census data for the City of Sammamish - the only demographic data readily available - is nearly ten years old. We know that, over this period of time, the city has undergone tremendous growth. Many more multifamily units (rental and home ownership) have been built. We also know that Sammamish's growth has been built around automobile ownership and use.
What we suspect, but do not know is that those who have moved into the community to retire may now be aging in place. Those aging in place may be unable to drive, may be living on reduced incomes, and may have increasing disabilities and health conditions that decrease their mobility and independence. Immigrant populations, particularly from East and South Asia, may have increased - and may include seniors who do not speak English.
While we state that we serve the independent senior population of greater Sammamish, Faith in Action serves only 19 Sammamish residents, of which 5 are identified as low-income. Without accurate data about the size of the elderly population or its key characteristics, we cannot assess the population's needs or modify our services to meet those needs. This lack of data prevents us from evaluating our effectiveness.
Further, with better data, we could better target our outreach to seniors. If the elderly immigrant population has indeed grown, then we may need to enhance our cultural sensitivity and offer new services, like translation assistance. If lack of mobility due to the city's auto-centric design is a major issue, then we may need to focus on increasing awareness about our transportation services. If there is a significant portion of low-income seniors, then stressing that our services are at no cost may be more important.
Because Sammamish is a relatively small city, our research project is limited in scope, and could be easily handled by a single student.
Key Steps
Additional Research Resources
City of Sammamish may have some data beyond the census data. We have our own paltry statistics about the people we have served to date; other nonprofits serving the area's elderly population may have more.
If you have questions about this topic or would like more information, please contact Claire Petersky at claire@faithinaction4seniors.org.
Topic ID #08-02flie
Clinic/Seminar: Eliminating Poverty Clinic
Note: This is a start-up organization with limited capacity; a student selecting this topic would be working with minimal organizational guidance and support. This project is best suited for a student with a strong interest in the subject matter and experience in developing a business plan.
Agency/Program Overview
Financial Literacy is Essential (FLIE) is a newly formed nonprofit dedicated to providing personal finance education to adults, primarily young adults, who have not learned these skills in school, and also dedicated to raising awareness of the importance of financial literacy as a necessary tool for the successful interaction of our citizenry with the global economics of our world.
FLIE currently uses the book, "Money Sucks! Money Strategies for Real Life" as a tool for teaching basic concepts such as budgeting, balancing checkbooks, handling credit cards, and learning about credit scores and identify theft.
Specific Research Question
What programs can FLIE offer that are congruent with its goals and mission, how would these programs work, how would FLIE demonstrate program effectiveness, and how much would these programs cost? How does FLIE find and motivate volunteers to support the goals and vision of the organization, when there are so many causes to choose from? What kind of funders are available for both programmatic and administrative cost support?
Additional Project Background
The final report for this project would include:
Key Steps
Additional Research Resources
Foundation registries, through library resources; models of successful nonprofits in the area of financial support services to the public; interviews with members of nonprofit administrations that are similar to the mission of FLIE.
If you have questions about this topic or would like additional information, please contact Miryam Gordon at flie.org@gmail.com.
Topic ID #08-35ghp
Clinic/Seminar: Service Delivery Clinic
Agency/Program Overview
Global Healthcare Partners (GHP) is conceptualized as a private, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a planned mission to provide funding, equipment, supplies, and services to underdeveloped, medically underserved, and poverty-stricken countries.
The proposed strategy of GHP is to serve as a resource intermediary between U.S. corporations in the medical device, supply, and pharmaceutical industries and health care facilities in developing countries. As a vehicle for effective in-kind donations, GHP aims to ensure safe, efficient product delivery and proper technology application by trained health care workers.
Specific Research Question
A needs assessment is required in four areas:
The student will work with GHP to select and focus on one or more of the above items for his or her degree project.
Additional Project Background
The desired outcome for this project is an in-depth analysis that can serve as the basis for a business plan for GHP.
Key Steps
Literature and web research; interviews with relevant parties, including UW Medicine and UW Global Health; ongoing discussions with Founder/ED.
If you have questions about this topic or would like more information, please contacts Brooks Simpson at brooks@pacrim-medsys.com.
Topic ID #08-22hfh
Clinic/Seminar: Eliminating Poverty Clinic, Community Development Clinic, or Service Delivery Clinic
Agency/Program Overview
Habitat for Humanity Seattle/South King County is a nonprofit, ecumenical Christian housing ministry that seeks to eliminate poverty housing and homelessness, and to make decent shelter a matter of conscience and action.
Through volunteer labor and donations of money and materials, Habitat builds and rehabilitates simple, decent houses with the help of the homeowner (partner) families. Habitat houses are sold to partner families at no profit and financed with affordable loans. The homeowners' monthly mortgage payments are used to build still more Habitat houses.
Specific Research Question
As part of a community coalition, were we effective in improving neighborhood conditions through our 21st Century Housing Challenge pilot program?
Additional Project Background
With a community coalition, Habitat for Humanity has worked over the last 3 years in the 136-unit Westway neighborhood in the City of Federal Way to eradicate substandard housing conditions. As part of the community effort and in partnership Dr. Rachael Kleit at the Evans School, we developed the following stated outcomes for the pilot project:
This project would develop a tool that we can use in Westway and other neighborhoods to measure the success of the pilot project in meeting the stated outcomes.
Key Steps
The student will supplement our current knowledge of the housing and neighborhood conditions and demographics by researching the U.S. Census, Home Mortgage Disclosure Act data, GIS and historic property value analysis to describe neighborhood conditions. He or she will develop assessment and evaluation tools, apply the tools to the Westway project, and lay the groundwork for Habitat for Humanity to use the tools on future projects.
If you have questions about this topic or would like more information, please contact Diane K. Gallegos at dgallegos@seattle-habitat.org.
Return to Eliminating Poverty topics »
Topic ID #08-10mcf - AVAILABLE
Clinic/Seminar: Service Delivery Clinic or Eliminating Poverty Clinic
Agency/Program Overview
The Marguerite Casey Foundation is an independent, private foundation dedicated to helping low-wealth families strengthen their voice and mobilize their communities to make changes toward a more just and equitable society. Its grantmaking aims to engage low-income parents in efforts to improve conditions for their families, connect organizations within regions and disciplines, and enhance the capacity and effectiveness of cornerstone organizations in low-income communities.
Specific Research Question
What is the utility of social network analysis in understanding how our grantee organizations presently work together and potentially could work together in the future? What does a network map of our grantee organizations look like, and how does the network function? What are the implications for progress towards our goal of helping low income families strengthen their voice and mobilize their communities?
Additional Project Background
The Marguerite Casey Foundation makes grants in five regions (encompassing 12 states) within the United States. This project would involve selecting one of these regions to examine the network development in that region. This research could be conducted by two students to cover more than one region.
Key Steps
The student will scan the literature regarding social network analysis (SNA) and nonprofits, in particular the work on SNA and social change. The student will next survey a set of grantees regarding their relationships with other organizations and map the results. Finally, the student will analyze the results in light of the Foundation's mission and goals.
Possible Research Resources
Articles/publications, grant files and reports, survey of grantees.
If you have questions about this project or would like additional information, please contact Cheryl Milloy at cmilloy@caseygrants.org.
Topic ID #08-28mrsc - AVAILABLE
Clinic/Seminar: Service Delivery Clinic
Agency/Program Overview
The Municipal Research & Services Center of Washington (MRSC) is a private, nonprofit organization that provides professional consultation, research and information services to Washington cities, counties and special districts. MRSC has a long history of service to Washington local governments beginning in 1969, when we were created to continue the research programs originally established in 1934 under the Bureau of Governmental Research at the University of Washington.
One of our key missions is to facilitate information sharing on a full range of issues and problems facing local governments in Washington. We do this through a variety of means including our inquiry service, library, publications (including several e-newsletters), and Web site. Our Web site features weekly news updates, sample documents, responses to common questions received by MRSC, state statutes and administrative rules, court decisions, and more. Nearly 300,000 local officials, state officials, and citizens currently visit our site every month.
Specific Research Question
How might we best design a program to identify, gather and share local government best/good practices information?
Additional Project Background
Best/Good Practices
We often receive requests for examples of "best" or "good" practices for a variety of local government program and service areas. In addition to requests for best/good practices in connection with specific inquiries, we have also heard from local government officials that they have an ongoing interest in hearing about best/good practice examples. A key challenge, of course, centers on the question of evaluation. A process that is geared toward identifying only the "best" practices may be setting the bar too high when all people really want are simply "good" practices that offer some reasonable prospects for success. While there are some sources for this type of information (e.g., various award programs, reports, and surveys) it is often difficult to find current, locally-relevant examples with a sufficient level of detail to be useful. We have experimented with occasional survey requests for examples of best/good practices but have received a limited response to these efforts.
Our goal is to develop an ongoing program for identifying, gathering (at an appropriate level of detail) and sharing best/good practices information. We are considering two primary alternative approaches to this challenge: (1) Hire interns who would be tasked with the job of identifying, gathering and sharing this information; or (2) adopt a wiki-based approach to facilitate an online collaboration between practitioners for this purpose.
Intern-Based Program
The intern approach is based on our past experience and perception that the most effective way to gather this type of information may be to become more actively engaged (as opposed to a more passive survey-based approach) in making the necessary agency contacts and working directly with local government officials and staff. This method could help us develop richer program descriptions with a more in-depth analysis of success factors. We may still initiate the process with a survey instrument, but would follow that up with direct agency contacts to fill in any missing information.
Wiki-Based Program
The wiki-based approach is proposed as a way to directly involve practitioners in the identification, development and sharing of this information on a more self-sustaining basis through MRSC's popular Web site. A wiki-based Web site might begin with a number of suggested policy or program issues, but would also allow users to initiate their own best/good practices topics by inviting others to contribute their insights and experience. While we are hopeful that the popularity of our Web site may provide a fertile ground for an online collaboration around best/good practices, past efforts at online engagement of local government officials and staff have been less successful than we had anticipated.
Key Steps
Additional Research Resources
Potential resources include literature search, Web search, contact with agencies that develop and share best/good practices information, and local government award programs.
If you have questions about this topic or would like more information, please contact Byron Katsuyama at bkatsuyama@mrsc.org.
Topic ID #08-31newfut - AVAILABLE
Clinic/Seminar: Service Delivery Clinic or Eliminating Poverty Clinic
Agency/Program Overview
New Futures is an award-winning, nationally acclaimed site-based provider of services and programs to low-income children, families, and neighborhoods. We partner with families to create communities where children thrive. Our integrated, culturally-relevant programs in low-income apartment complexes build skills, foster connectedness, and promote strengths.
ReachOut is the social enterprise of New Futures. ReachOut exists to engage individuals in transforming organizations to effectively serve culturally diverse children and families. ReachOut uses the proven results of over a decade of New Futures' work to share best practices and concrete strategies in the area of cultural competency.
Specific Research Question
ReachOut is New Futures' cultural competence training program. Do ReachOut's in-school trainings impact staff interactions with children and families? Do the trainings lead to improved outcomes for children? In addition, what is the impact at schools in which students also participate directly in New Futures' programs and family support services at apartment complexes?
Additional Project Background
The desired outcome of this project is a report on the impact of ReachOut. The evaluation will help New Futures improve and market the program and produce materials aimed at impacting public policy.
Note that this project may be refined to focus primarily on evaluation design rather than implementation.
Key Steps
The student will work with the ReachOut Director and New Futures Associate Director to refine the research questions and design the project. Academic research will point to best practices in evaluation, as will working with New Futures' internal evaluation team. The student will conduct the evaluation, analyze the results, and write a final report with recommendations.
Additional Research Resources
Possible research resources include school district data, surveys of teachers and parents, pre/post tests of training participants and, potentially, interviews with staff, children, and families.
If you have questions about this topic or would like more information, please contact Laura Silverstein at lauras@newfutures.org.
Topic ID #08-09njp1
Clinic/Seminar: Service Delivery Clinic or Eliminating Poverty Clinic
Agency/Program Overview
The Northwest Justice Project (NJP) is a not-for-profit statewide organization that provides free civil legal services to low-income people from thirteen offices and four satellite locations throughout the state of Washington. NJP hosts the Committee for Indigent Representation and Civil Legal Equality (CIRCLE), which seeks to expand legal rights to counsel in civil matters in which basic human needs are at stake (more information on CIRCLE below).
Specific Research Question
How do outcomes in eviction proceedings differ when a tenant is represented by an attorney versus when a tenant is pro se (unrepresented)? What are the outcomes, both monetary and non-monetary, of hearings in which tenants are represented versus unrepresented?
For example, outcomes might include (1) the court dismisses the case on the merits of tenant defense(s); (2) the court dismisses the case on a procedural defect; (3) the case is resolved by a negotiated agreement that gives the tenant time to leave, but the tenant must move; (4) the tenant stays in housing and homelessness is avoided; (5) the tenant is evicted and required to pay damages and attorney fees, etc. Does representation of tenants by lawyers in eviction proceedings produce apparent benefits other than the outcomes for the individual tenants? Examples of such benefits might be more trust and confidence in fairness of the court system, preventing the use of homeless shelters, judicial efficiency, and other identifiable benefits.
Additional Project Background
With few exceptions, Washington law does not recognize a right to legal counsel for people in civil cases, unlike the right to legal counsel for defendants in criminal cases. Currently, thousands of indigent civil litigants in Washington courts are representing themselves in proceedings in which basic human needs are at stake such as shelter, safety, health, and child custody. The complexity of the rules of evidence, procedure and substantive law, particularly in light of our adversarial system of justice, prevent untrained litigants from effectively presenting legitimate claims and defenses. Furthermore, often the opposing party is represented by counsel, resulting in a serious imbalance of power.
CIRCLE is committed to identifying opportunities for expanding legally enforceable rights to counsel for those who cannot afford it in civil matters in which basic human needs are at stake. Part of our effort includes demonstrating through empirical evidence that having an attorney makes a determinative difference to litigants who are in eviction proceedings. To that end, CIRCLE is requesting a research project in which a UW Evans graduate student will examine the current Housing Justice Projects (HJP) in two counties, King and Snohomish, to determine the outcomes (both monetary and non-monetary) of proceedings in which tenants are represented by counsel; the student would then contrast those outcomes with the outcomes that occur when tenants are not represented by counsel.
HJP is a homelessness prevention program providing accessible volunteer-based legal services to low-income tenants facing eviction in King and Snohomish Counties. Tenants come to the courthouse on the day of their eviction proceeding, meet with a volunteer "attorney for the day" to discuss possible defenses and outcomes, and then attend the eviction proceeding with their attorney.
Over a time period and schedule to be agreed upon between NJP and the UW Evans graduate student, the student will review court files of cases on the eviction calendar and document the outcomes of eviction hearings. The student will also attend eviction proceedings in person and document the outcomes of hearings (noting whether or not the tenant was represented). The student will also review records kept by the nonprofit organizations that coordinate the HJP in each county to determine the outcomes of cases where a client is assisted by the HJP, subject to rules of confidentiality that may apply to HJP files. The student may also conduct interviews with tenants and/or implement a survey of tenants to evaluate the legal representation and its impact.
The desired outcome of this project is to present the findings to the equal justice system stakeholders including the judiciary, the legislature, the private bar, academia, and the civil legal aid community as empirical evidence of whether representation by a lawyer is beneficial to tenants who are faced with eviction from their homes.
Key Steps
Track outcomes of eviction proceedings, comparing the differences of represented versus unrepresented tenants. Gather anecdotal evidence about the complex process of eviction proceedings for individual tenants, noting: (1) how counsel, if involved, assisted the tenant, (2) the outcome of the representation or the lack of representation, and (3) the tenant's measure(s) of success.
Additional Research Resources
If you have questions about this topic or would like additional information, please contact Sabrina Andrus at sabrinaa@nwjustice.org.
Topic ID #08-11njp2
Clinic/Seminar: Eliminating Poverty Clinic
Agency/Program Overview
The Northwest Justice Project (NJP) is a not-for-profit statewide organization that provides free civil legal services to low-income people from thirteen offices and four satellite locations throughout the state of Washington. NJP's Omak office has two lawyers and covers Okanogan County and the Reservation of the Colville Confederated Tribes.
Specific Research Question
What factors explain the disproportionate contact between Okanogan County's Native American youth and the juvenile justice system?
Additional Project Background
In 2005, Native Americans made up 16% of the juvenile population of Okanogan County, yet constituted 53% of confined youth (this number may include undercounting). The purpose of this research project is to determine what factors contribute to the disproportionate number of Native American youths having contact with the justice system. Factors that may contribute to this trend are wide-ranging and may include lack of transportation, homelessness, school disciplinary systems, or availability of mental health services for Native American youth.
Okanogan County lies partially in the Reservation of the Colville Confederated Tribes, and many of our clients are Native American. The project's findings will help NJP focus our advocacy efforts to address this particular need in the community. We hope to use the research to prioritize which types of cases we accept for representation, the design of community education materials and presentations, and other community education and advocacy measures.
Key Steps
If you have questions about this topic or would like additional information, please contact Vicky Minto at vickym@nwjustice.org.
Topic ID #07-64pat
Clinic/Seminar: Community Development and Sustainability in the Metropolitan Region or Service Delivery and Performance Management
Agency/Program Overview
The mission of the Pat Graney Company is to create and perform new dance/performance works and to conduct arts education programming. The Pat Graney Company commits itself to performing original dance works regionally, nationally, and internationally, as well as creating programs that work with students, incarcerated women/girls, and other special populations. The Pat Graney Company is based in Seattle.
Specific Research Question
The Keeping the Faith (KTF) Transition project proposes a theory of change that incorporates an arts-based component as part of a program to reduce recidivism and help women re-establish their lives after release from prison.
What are the best methods for evaluating the impact of the KTF program on the lives of participants, in terms of positive and/or negative changes? How can the Pat Graney Company use the evaluation results to modify the program and help improve future outcomes?
Additional Project Background
Keeping the Faith (KTF) is a successful, ongoing arts-based residency program at the Mission Creek Corrections Center for Women. KTF is a 3-month program for incarcerated women, providing classes in movement, writing and visual art, oriented to the needs and desires of the participating women. The program culminates in a performance that is co-presented with the Pat Graney Company at the Corrections Center. Along with helping the women develop an artistic voice, the program allows them to give input on program decisions and play a role in the program's direction.
KTF has begun adding a transition component. The Transition project works with women from the KTF program who have been released from prison. The goal of the Transition project is to help women successfully build a new life for themselves in the community - create a social network, find housing and employment, get health insurance and handle health issues, get additional education, etc.
The Transition project plans to partner with community-based organizations to help provide services for the program's participants. There is also a community-development aspect that will bring community partners together to help understand and address the needs of women returning from prison.
In order to help guide the Transition project, we want to create an evaluation of the program to help us understand how the women are impacted, either positively or negatively, by their participation in the program, and what should be added, deleted, or changed in the program to ensure future success in terms of the overall goal of reducing recidivism and assisting the participants in re-integrating into society.
Key Steps
1. Review programs that support re-entry into the community from prison, looking at how the results of these programs are evaluated. As appropriate, also examine the evaluation methods of additional organizations with community-based programs either locally or nationally.
2. Identify whether any of these programs incorporate the arts into their strategies, and examine evaluation methods to assess the impact of the arts components.
3. Create a report that summarizes findings on best practices for evaluation, including whether the arts contribute to the success of the identified programs.
Additional Research Resources
We have already compiled a large list of resources in published literature, as well as relevant organizations and services, including:
If you have questions about this topic or would like additional information, please contact Robert Stumberger at robstumberger@hotmail.com.
Return to Service Delivery and Performance Management topics »
Return to Community Development and Sustainability in the Metropolitian Region topics »
Topic ID #08-26psg
Clinic/Seminar: Community Development
Agency/Program Overview
The Puget Sound School Gardens Collective is a group of school and youth garden enthusiasts who have been meeting since 2006 to share ideas, information, and other resources for school gardens throughout the region. For the initial two years, we met quarterly primarily as a networking effort. In 2008, we held our first all day retreat, at Islandwood on Bainbridge Island, where we began a process of visioning and strategic planning for our group's work going forward. From the retreat, we created a leadership group and a set of initial strategies for advancing our work. The organizations involved in the leadership work include Lettuce Link at Solid Ground, Seattle Tilth, Islandwood and Public Health-Seattle King County. We will be having our next quarterly meeting on November 18th.
Specific Research Question
What strategic plan can guide our coalition in making staffed and funded school gardens an important policy direction? What are our work priorities? What are the policy options for us to move forward both at the grassroots level and with policy makers?
Additional Project Background
Our long-term vision is for staffed and funded teaching gardens at every school in the Puget Sound Region. Our desired outcome for this project is a strategic plan that contains a body of evidence showing the benefits of school gardens, a stakeholder analysis of relevant people and groups and tangible next steps our coalition can take to start making our vision a reality, including a recommended policy agenda we should pursue. The last outcome will be the emphasis of the strategic plan, as research regarding the benefits of school gardens is comparatively easy to come by.
Key Steps
Additional Research Resources
If you have questions or would like additional information about this topic, please contact Michelle Benetua at michelleb@solid-ground.org.
Topic ID #05-17 - AVAILABLE
Clinic/Seminar: Service Delivery and Performance Management Clinic or Eliminating Poverty Clinic
Agency/Program Overview
Rising Out of the Shadows (ROOTS) is a University District organization providing critical services to street-involved, homeless and other low-income persons. Its principal programs are:
The current paid staff of ROOTS consists of a fulltime Executive Director and Shelter Director, supported by a half-time shelter Coordinator and quarter-time Meal Coordinator. Additionally, ROOTS employs two full-time National Service workers (ReadyCorps and Lutheran Volunteer Corps), and three UW Work Study students who serve as Overnight Shelter Supervisors. Over one hundred volunteers support our shelter and meal programs.
Specific Research Question
We would like an organizational analysis of ROOTS' current programs and staffing model, with comparison among other social service agencies (both local and nationwide) doing similar work. This will include:
Key Steps
Additional Research Resources
Data sources: program documents, procedural manuals, interviews with staff, clients, board members and other stakeholders, and secondary research literature.
If you have questions about this topic or would like additional information, please contact Sinan Demirel at sinan@rootsinfo.org.
Return to Service Delivery and Performance Management topics »
Topic ID #05-18 - AVAILABLE
Clinic/Seminar: Service Delivery and Performance Management Clinic or Eliminating Poverty Clinic
Agency/Program Overview
Rising Out of the Shadows (ROOTS) is a University District organization providing critical services to street-involved, homeless and other low-income persons. Its principal programs are:
The current paid staff of ROOTS consists of a full time Executive Director and Shelter Director, supported by a half-time shelter Coordinator and quarter-time Meal Coordinator. Additionally, ROOTS e