Student Capstone Papers, Projects, and Presentations

Persistent link for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/11299/97678

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The ABCs of Regulation: The Effects of Occupational Licensing and Migration Among Teachers
(HHH, 2015-01-17) Arbury, Chelsea; Bonilla, Gerardo; Durfee, Thomas; Johnson, Megan; Lehninger, Robin
Advancing a Defense Collaborative in Minnesota: Insights from Defense and Innovation Initiatives
(2020-08-15) Lanz, Marco; Maanibe, Gabriel; Nitzkorski, Dylan; Starry, Don
Across the United States, organizations are studying the successes and failures of ecosystems like Silicon Valley. As Secretary of Defense Ash Carter emphasizes, there appears to be a formula for its unparalleled technological evolution. Where once the U.S government was instrumental in driving technological innovation, it can no longer compete with the advancement, voracity, and speed of the private sector. The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) embraces the reality that partnering with the private sector is critical for the nation’s security and defense. GREATER MSP’s initiative, the Minnesota Security Project, seeks to partner with the DoD and capitalize on future defense priorities. As an initial part of this newly created initiative, GREATER MSP sought additional research from students as part of the Humphrey School of Public Affairs’ capstone program. Our report focuses on understanding those priorities and how other organizations successfully market to key DoD decision makers; it provides insight into existing defense related economic development initiatives to help identify best practices and capability gaps for Minnesota; and lastly, it identifies areas that receive the most DoD funding and how they align with the Minnesota Security Project. We identified and synthesized key data by using a mixed-methods research design. The literature review identified that DoD and private sector collaboratives remain largely unstudied. Furthermore, Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) provisions did not permit access to governmental contracts related to DoD initiatives. However, sources such as non-classified government data, informational interviews, and research into existing state and regional defense-oriented economic development initiatives informed critical findings.
Advocacy for Systems Change: What Does it Take? A Research Report on the Role of Advocacy in Collective Impact and its Potential for Generation Next
(2017) Cramer, Haley; Pilhöfer, Sophie; Roper, Donna; Taylor, Frances
This report serves to identify points of potential for Twin Cities’ cross-sector collaborative, Generation Next, in pursuing advocacy efforts. Attention is paid specifically to the role of and recommendations for the backbone organization, or Generation Next staff, as this research was done on their behalf. The literature on collective impact and advocacy suggests that a shared sense of purpose, grassroots engagement, and backbone staff serving as an educator in the process are all necessary components of successful advocacy efforts. The case studies conducted on four StriveTogether partnerships and one health collaborative largely echo these points, as well as suggest the necessity of action networks in identifying issues, highlight the role and necessity of strong data as a tool for advocacy, the role of the leadership council, and the strength of advocating at the local level. Data from Generation Next staff interviews provided suggestions about Generation Next’s current internal capacity for advocacy, the current sense of purpose for advocacy among the staff, and other information about staff perceptions which are significant in organizing and initiating advocacy work as a small organization.
Advocating for Education Equity: Strategies and Opportunities for Great Expectations
(2021-05) Bass, Anthony; Demm, Nicolas; Jigme, Tenzing; Snyder, April
Minnesota’s educational disparities are well-documented. In recent years, the state’s sizable gaps in academic achievement have generated increasing attention as the state grapples with racial and ethnic disparities across a range of socio-economic outcomes. The presence of disparities in otherwise high-performing public school districts such as Orono and Wayzata underscores the pervasiveness of what has been termed the “Minnesota Paradox”: While Minnesota is consistently ranked as one of the best places to live in the United States, Minnesotans of color, and Black Minnesotans in particular, lag behind their white neighbors in employment rates, wage and household income levels, levels of home ownership, and levels of educational attainment.1The disproportionate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on people of color, combined with the nation’s reckoning around racial injustice, has spurred new urgency among organizations, institutions, and everyday Americans to address racial disparities locally and nationally. In service to this call to action, this report provides the Great Expectations (GE) initiative with an overview of the most salient issues being debated at the state level around educational disparities and inequities in Minnesota. This report also provides empirical evidence supporting specific policy interventions, investments, and advocacy efforts in key areas that are relevant to disparities present in the GE service area. Overall, we find ample evidence that the Orono and Wayzata school districts suffer from many of the same racial and ethnic disparities found across the state, supporting GE’s interest and eventual engagement in advocacy efforts aimed at fostering structural change. Additionally, our analysis highlights substantial policy and legislative interest around educational disparities in Minnesota, providing GE with a number of avenues for policy adoption, new funding and program opportunities, and reasons to engage in future advocacy efforts.
Advocating for Education Equity: Strategies and Opportunities for Great Expectations
(2021-08) Bass, Anthony; Demm, Nicolas; Jigme, Tenzing; Snyder, April
Minnesota’s educational disparities are well-documented. In recent years, the state’s sizable gaps in academic achievement have generated increasing attention as the state grapples with racial and ethnic disparities across a range of socio-economic outcomes. While Minnesota is consistently ranked as one of the best places to live in the United States, Minnesotans of color, and Black Minnesotans in particular, lag behind their white neighbors in employment rates, wage and household income levels, levels of home ownership, and levels of educational attainment. This report provides the Great Expectations (GE) initiative with an overview of the most salient issues being debated at the state level around educational disparities and inequities in Minnesota. This report also provides empirical evidence supporting specific policy interventions, investments, and advocacy efforts in key areas that are relevant to disparities present in the GE service area.
Analysis of Job Competencies for Minnesota Family Investment Program Workers
(HHH, 2014-08-05) Matter, Kathleen; Monson, Kelly; Simonett, Andrea; Voigt, Susan
Analysis of Placemaking in the Creative Enterprise Zone
(2019-05) Gronfor, Carol; Moreno, Ada; Rahman, Sadman
The physical landscape of the City of Saint Paul is rapidly changing. Large scale construction projects such as sports stadiums, multi-unit housing complexes, and business towers are popping up all over. These changes are often being driven by external wealthy investors and have the potential to fracture the sense of neighborhood and community fabric through displacement of existing residents and small businesses. The Creative Enterprise Zone (CEZ) is a newly established non-profit representing a coalition of residents and business owners working in some capacity in a creative enterprise or small-scale manufacturing. This report explores Chroma Zone, a mural festival being launched by the CEZ to provide a public voice and platform for the community to become involved in the decisions about development coming to their neighborhood.
"As Long as There's Conflict, There Will Be Landmines": Comparing Technocratic and Community, Victim-Based Approaches to Landmine Action and Victim Identification in the Context of the Principles of Non-Repetition and Remedies
(2023) Gorrin Castellano, Guillermo
This paper examines the practice of anti-landmine action by contrasting technocratic, top to bottom approaches and community, victim-informed approaches and how they relate to the concepts of non-repetition and remedies in Human Rights. The goal is to search for prescriptive conclusions that harmonize both practices in support of future landmines action. The paper establishes important stipulative definitions in two parts 1) a descriptive discussion based on the literature around the pitfalls of the current international law regime regulating landmines, how victims are defined, and the issue of non-repetition and remedies in the context of landmines, and 2) a discussion around community, victim centered approaches and technocracy as they relate to non-repetition and remedies. To understand these stipulations in practice, two paradigmatic case studies were chosen: Colombia and Mozambique. A descriptive comparative analysis places the two previous discussions in the context of these case studies and aims to signal at how the successful incorporation of both the technocratic and the community, victim -based approach have yielded substantial positive outcomes in redressing victims by not focusing solely on the framework of prohibition, removal, and disposal.
Assessing the Impact of the United States Withdrawal from the United Nations Human Rights Council
(2019-05-17) Cruise, Samantha; Schneider, Keri; Sun, Selina Jue; Thu, Eaint Thiri
This report describes the impact to date of the United States presence and withdrawal from the United Nations Human Rights Council while outlining the U.S. political contexts as relevant to the research, the global opinions regarding the U.S.’s decision to withdrawal, and the outcomes that were achieved for human rights when the U.S. was a Council member. This context can be used as a proxy to understand future outcomes if the U.S. chooses to re-engage with the Council. To contribute to the advocacy effort to initiate U.S. re-engagement at the Council, we recommend Human Rights First to: 1. Continuously advocate to U.S. policy makers for U.S. re-engagement with the Council 2. Develop an advocacy strategy to integrate policies and priorities of both Human Rights First and the U.S. government into other member states’ agenda at the Council 3. Participate in conversations on Council reform in Geneva and elsewhere 4. Continue to track any changes of operations, priorities, and political dynamics within the Council and its effect on advancing human rights beyond the Council
Assessing the similarities and differences in the collaborative and integrated models of Minnesota’s Integrated Health Partnerships:
(2018-05-09) Rippe, Sara Chapo
Minnesota is the first in the nation to set up an Accountable Care Organizations (ACO) covering Medicaid lives. It is called the Integrated Health Partnership (IHP) and aims to reform the challenges of healthcare quality and costs. The IHP model engages providers to create partnerships and quality initiatives for improved care with data analytics, control the total cost of care, and assume risk with the state. Through policy analysis, qualitative research and quantitative descriptors, this paper will explore the similarities and differences in the various IHP models and the requirements deemed necessary for systems to successfully assume risk in this market.
Assessment of the Provision and Use of Emergency Assistance, Family Homeless Prevention and Assistance Program, and Shelter in Hennepin County
(2019-05-12) Besst, Stephanie; Malone, Jack; Pfluger, Lydia; Ruth, Hanna
Over 1,400 families experience homelessness every night in Hennepin County, and thousands more are at serious risk of entering shelter (Hennepin County Office to End Homelessness, 2017). In order to more effectively target services, county officials would like to understand the demographic characteristics and service use patterns of families at risk of entering shelter. This project aims to provide Hennepin County with more information about who is accessing its services and when they are accessing them; specifically addressing these questions: ● How do families who receive Emergency Assistance (EA), Family Homeless Prevention and Assistance Program (FHPAP), or enter shelter compare across demographics and service use? ● Of those who received EA, FHPAP, or shelter services, how many also received services (i.e., EA, FHPAP) before and when? ● To what extent do families that come to the county for homelessness prevention or homelessness assistance follow Hennepin County’s expected pathway of services: emergency assistance, community prevention (FHPAP), and shelter? ● Of those who received prevention (i.e., EA, FHPAP), how many also entered shelter within one year? Does Hennepin County target its services (i.e., EA, FHPAP) to those most at risk of entering shelter? Our research team conducted quantitative analysis on household heads who received homelessness prevention and assistance services from the County. Data on household heads included demographics and use of other county-administered government services. Samples were constructed to look backwards and forwards from families’ interactions with homelessness prevention and assistance services to understand the use and effectiveness of these services. Our research found the majority of families accessing preventive services had a female head of household between the ages of 25 to 34 with one to two children. Relative to their populations in Hennepin County, African American families were disproportionately represented in use of preventative services and shelter. American Indian families were disproportionately represented in shelter and underserved by EA and FHPAP.
Attracting and Retaining Employees in Minnesota Local Governments
(2018-08) Ali, Kamal; Desrude, Jennifer; Merrifield, Angela; Rebar, jeannette
Local governments in Minnesota and across the U.S. will soon face significant challenges attracting and retaining employees due to the impending mass retirement of the Baby Boomer generation. This transformation of the workforce will be felt in both the public and private sectors heightening the need for local governments to better compete for and attract top talent. In April 2018, the League of Minnesota Cities (the League), an organization promoting excellence in local government through expert analysis and trusted guidance, enlisted graduate students from the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey School of Public Affairs to research this issue. This Minnesota-focused report examines what workers desire in a workplace compared to how current local Minnesota government employees perceive their workplace. From data produced by a literature review, interviews with employees and human resources staff, and a broadly distributed electronic survey to Minnesota city employees, the report identifies key findings and recommendations to assist local Minnesota governments in overcoming this imminent challenge. Key findings found both alignment and misalignment with what potential employees desire in a workplace and what is currently offered by Minnesota local governments. Alignment findings, or what Minnesota city employees are most satisfied with, include making a difference in their community, variety in job duties, work/life balance, benefits and stability. Misalignment, or what may be missing from local government culture, was found in the areas of growth and development opportunities, promotion and advancement opportunities, day-to-day flexibility and opportunities to have a voice in work.
Barriers to Wayfinding in Downtown St. Paul: An Evaluation
(2021-05) Ritten, Sarah; Wu, Emma
As the capital of Minnesota, St. Paul is known for its host of award-winning restaurants, the Mississippi riverfront, and large entertainment venues. Although the downtown area is easily walkable, our client, the Capitol River Council (CRC), has heard from residents, visitors, cultural institutions, and businesses alike that people sometimes struggle to figure out their way through the skyways or streets and that zoning requirements that prevent exterior signage may make parts of downtown seem confusing and desolate. This evaluation sought to understand the barriers to wayfinding present in downtown St. Paul so the CRC can better advocate for improvements to the system. These questions were answered through a variety of research methodologies, including surveys, interviews, a review of literature, and a code comparison. The business owner survey yielded 68 responses with 5 follow-up interviews, and the residents and visitors survey had 320 responses. While the original intent was to receive a higher response rate, we believe that the patterns found throughout the various methodologies point towards common barriers, though additional research is needed to verify these findings.
Barriers, Breakthroughs, and Backbone of Rural Elected Women
(2022-05) Larmi, Naa Korkoi; Stekr, Delaney; Walker, Caitlyn
Women are underrepresented in elected positions across all levels of government, especially in rural Minnesota. 100 Rural Women is a nonprofit organization focused on facilitating leadership opportunities for rural women. Its mission is important because rural women not only experience a lack of parity, but they also deal with less access to services, infrastructure and paid employment opportunities (Pozarny, 2016). In order to assist 100 Rural Women in their focus, we facilitated 19 interviews with rural women in elected office across the state in order to understand the motivators, barriers, and supports needed to assist rural women in their pathways to elected office. We found many women face barriers such as sexism, not knowing the basics of how to run a campaign, and difficulty balancing their various responsibilities. The interviewees reported that the most meaningful supports were informal, such as their friends, family, and other elected officials that provided mentorship and insight throughout their campaign and time in office. Through our interviews, we found that all interviewees are interested in participating in a mentorship network to support other elected women and to encourage more women to run for office. These findings suggest that a support network based on providing meaningful connection, as well as training on the barriers encountered would be an important tool for getting more rural women into leadership positions.
A Black Seat at the High-Table: A Continent's Quest for Justice and Equality within the United Nations System
(2023) Minishi, Hortense
This paper contends with the paradoxes in the realization of the principle of ‘equality of nations’ in a multilateral political system. Established primarily as a collective security framework to “save succeeding generations from the scourge of war” (UN Charter, 1945), the United Nations is premised on the “principle of the sovereign equality of all its members” and the “equal rights…of nations large and small” (UN Charter, 1945). Nearly 80 years since the UN was formed, the entire African continent-the largest regional grouping in the organizationremains at the periphery of the UN’s most powerful organ. Yet, the Security Council engages directly and indirectly in the affairs of many African countries through peacekeeping missions and other political engagement. Anchored on a largely unchanged (but challenged) structure, the Security Council centers five permanent powers that were most relevant in the post-World War II era. The Council has been widely criticized by reform proponents for its lack of “equitable representation” as it does not reflect the current geopolitical landscape. Shaped by colonial legacies and nationalistic self-interests of a few elite states, the UN’s historical foundations and present institutional composition has been marred by exclusionary and exploitative politics. Focusing on the prevalent UN’s political, economic, and military influence in Africa, this paper examines how the inequalities in the permanent membership of the Security Council continues to shape international, regional, and domestic politics and conflicts in the continent and beyond. It concludes by arguing that the normative ideals of the UN can only be achieved by addressing this injustice through comprehensive reform.
Bohemian Flats Master Plan
(HHH, 2015) Boyce, Alex; Hatten, Stephanie; Carol, Heji; Unzeitig, Mathew
Building Community Resilience to Emergencies in Vulnerable Populations: A Human Centered Approach to Community Outreach and Engagement
(2019-05) Chong, Hannah; Opoku, Akua Y; Redmond, Meghan; Schossow, Megan
Ramsey County Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security (RCEMHS) has a knowledge gap in vital information about preparing for, responding to, and recovering from disasters in vulnerable communities. This study focused on three key vulnerable communities within Ramsey County: older adults (60 years or older), children under five, and the Karen population. Qualitative analysis of interviews was conducted with individuals, organizations, and government departments within Ramsey County. Due to the trans-boundary and trans-jurisdictional nature of natural and human-caused disasters, coordination within agencies and with nonprofit and private organizations is necessary. The study found that many vulnerable populations interact with public benefit programs, providing insight into disaster resilience. These touch-points can be trust and resilience-building exchanges. The communities have a lack of knowledge of RCEMHS and emergency management, and which may reinforce complacency towards emergency preparedness. To counter a lack of knowledge and engagement in emergency preparedness by communities, we recommend RCEMHS adopt a human centered approach in preparation and planning activities, where communities hold valuable expertise about their assets and vulnerabilities in regard to disasters. This study developed five recommendations for more effective outreach and engagement in emergency management. Each of the recommendations can use human centered design strategies and are aligned within a community resilience framework.
Building Community, Embracing Difference: Immigrants, Refugees, and Local Government Outreach in Rural Minnesota
(Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs, 2021-05-20) Gehlen, Elizabeth; Moore, Josiah; Oachs, Whitney; Redmer, Ryan
Immigrant and refugee populations in Greater Minnesota face distinct challenges and have distinct needs. Government responsibility for the wellbeing of immigrant and refugee populations in rural Minnesota is shared across state, county, and city levels. Government actions can be augmented by community groups and local employers, but all groups have the potential to play an improved role ensuring those who have settled in rural Minnesota continue to feel welcome, respected, and represented in their community. A growing body of literature on rural America’s relationship with international migration highlights the influence of effective government communication and representation on successful integration, access to services, and social cohesion. This report draws upon the established body of research and interviews with twenty government staffers, elected representatives, and community members from four sample cities in rural Minnesota. These interviews assessed government perceptions of issues facing local immigrant and refugee communities and, in turn, how well connected these local governments are to those populations. From this data we have determined that, while immigrants and refugees are now recognized as integral to the prosperity future of rural Minnesota by government officials, there remain barriers in access, communication, and representation that is often blamed on language differences and self-segregation. While it seems as though most local government officials have good intentions, they struggle to understand the systemic barriers, difference in cultures, and community-wide prejudices that lead to community distrust and disharmony. These findings have implications for county and city policies and funding, hiring and representation considerations, and the retention of immigrant and refugee populations in rural communities across the State of Minnesota and beyond.
Building Energy Resilience
(2020-05) Evans Engstrom, Shannon; Fisher, Lauren; Panda, Anindya; Reineccius, Megan
As Puerto Rico’s energy crisis continues, rural communities most vulnerable to energy instability have founded the island’s first energy cooperative to generate their own hydro and solar power. This report summarizes work completed in support of the cooperative’s rooftop solar project - Proyecto Resiliencia Energética Fotovoltaica Comunitaria (ReEnFoCo). Four graduate students conducted background research, created educational materials for prospective cooperative members, and a financial model for the project.
Building Hallways for Transitioning Youth in Hennepin County
(2018-08) McQuillan, Patrick; Nordin, Andrew; Otto, Mark; Lawson, Ashley
Youth accessing Hennepin County services face many challenges when transitioning from child to adult services in the county. While law recognizes adulthood beginning at age 18, research shows that “the developing brain does not reach full maturity until a person is approximately 26 years of age” (Arnett, 2007, p. 69). During this tumultuous time, many youth accessing services within Hennepin County are required to take responsibility for navigating the complex systems between youth and adulthood. Many gaps in service appear, including those related to and caused by legislative cliffs. The capstone team’s research was focused on answering three key question for three service disciplines in Hennepin County, Minnesota – foster care, juvenile justice, and youth with disabilities: What are the legislative cliffs for youth transitioning to adulthood in Hennepin County? What are some successful examples of programs that smooth out the cliffs? What are other possible approaches to help youth in transition?

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