Team Work/Leadership

“The group process contains the secret of collective life, it is the key to democracy, it is the master lesson for every individual to learn, it is our chief hope for the political, the social, the international life of the future.”        ~Mary Parker Follett

   The MPA program is designed to allow students to participate and learn from peers both in the classroom and through group assignments.  Students come to the program with very diverse work experiences in federal, state, and local government; nonprofits; business; community and international work.  Learning from their experiences and the variety of strengths and work styles each individual brings to a team project made these experiences very rewarding.  I had the opportunity to lead projects as well as learn the various leadership styles of my peers.  Group work can be challenging because of various work styles and timing, but I found both the process and products from these team projects to be very fulfilling.
    The examples provided below are the products of two group projects.  The first is a group evaluation of the SF Environment website.  For a course on digital government our group selected the web features to evaluate and provided recommendations for improvements.  The second example is a group analysis of the financial statements for the San Francisco Food Bank.

SF Environment E-Strategy
SF Food Bank Financial Analysis

    In addition, I had two opportunities to work with peers on projects for local nonprofit organizations.  For a course on nonprofit financial management my team worked with Ariel Theatrical, Inc., nonprofit children’s theater organization in Salinas, CA.  We analyzed their cash flow management practices and provided specific recommendations about classifying funding sources, maximizing the use of assets, and enhancing their resource development through new revenue generating activities.
    I also had the opportunity to work with one of my peers to conduct a program evaluation for Mission Graduates, a nonprofit organization focused on increasing the number of students in San Francisco’s Mission District who are ready for and attend college.  We developed a program theory and impact model for their tutoring program at a local elementary school.  We designed the evaluation to assess volunteer involvement for the program.  Our report analyzed survey data collected from volunteers and program managers to improve program processes and enhance volunteer involvement.