Tools for Transformation
Funded Proposals
Graduate School of Public Affairs
The Graduate School of Public Affairs will identify an appropriate format for the Executive Masters Program and continually refine this format by studying existing public management executive masters programs; assessing market potential through visiting key institutions, public sector leaders, and professional associations in the Pacific Northwest; and completing a market survey. A curriculum will then be developed, studied and approved by the faculty and the UW system. GSPA plans to offer an executive master's program as early as September 2000, but not later than September 2001.
| Contact: |
J. Patrick Dobel Associate Dean Graduate School of Public Affairs pdobel@u.washington.edu |
| Allocation: | $100,000 |
| Date Funded: | September 1998 |
PROGRESS REPORT
The Evans School Strategic Plan called for the exploration of the best mix of Executive Education programs for the School. During the consultation process regional public and nonprofit leaders emphasized the need for strong executive leadership education in the region. They identified a series of problems on the horizons along with skills that they believed future leaders and midcareer leaders needed. The tools grant provided seed money for the Evans School to develop a long term strategy to address these needs.
The Evans School has initiated a multi-year strategy to address these issues. First, it expanded the existing programs offered by the Cascade Center for Public Service. It did this by offering programs in different locations throughout the state and increasing the enrollment by 20 percent. This required an immense marketing effort as well as greater focus by its director and Chair and stretched existing resources to their limits. The School also began a three-year process of determining the best way to develop an executive masters program. Three constraints faced the school:
Supported by Tools funds, the School spent the 1998-1999 year doing an analysis of the market competitors and also examining best practices at comparable programs. This was done by the Associate Dean working with an RA funded by the tools money. The survey research has already paid dividends by identifying the relatively weak market for a high level senior executive management program and leading the School to focus its efforts upon the possibilities of an Executive Leadership MPA aimed at mid senior level managers in the public sector.
Plans for 1999-2001
At this stage the School needs to do a more detailed market research to
determine serious demand for the potential Executive Leadership masters.
This will involve the development of relationships with major agencies in
the region as well as efforts to determine the viability of a regional
wide program. It will include an analysis of different delivery methods.
At the same time the school will need to begin thinking about the type of
curriculum needed and the potential to link the Cascade Program offerings
to a masters degree. Our hope is to provide a continuum of education from
smaller Cascade offerings into a full masters degree. We are also going to
explore more specific contract assignments for major government bodies.
To do this research and also achieve the integration with Cascade, the School plans to use the tools money to match with funds from Cascade. Our hope is to create a new senior management position that will oversee the existing marketing efforts for Cascade but add to that an exploration and development of the relations and knowledge needed to determine the market and curriculum needed for the masters. This position will also provide training and prototype for a possible director of Executive Education position that would oversee the Executive Masters if it develops.
On the basis of the knowledge developed by this new position, in June of 2000, the School will reach a Go/No Go decision on the masters program. If we decide not to go, the position will be co-funded for a second year and the tools money will support that position as well as RA support and specific funding for course development. The School will aim to launch the curriculum in Summer of 2002.
Tools for Transformation
Funded Proposals
