Workshops in Public Affairs

Request for Project Proposals

The La Follette School of Public Affairs welcomes public, nonprofit, and private sector organizations to submit project proposals for its Workshop in Public Affairs courses (domestic and international).

Designed to test the knowledge and abilities students have gained through previous classes and experiences, these projects require strong teamwork and writing ability, careful research, and often a great deal of ingenuity in identifying ways to approach an issue or find a solution.

Student groups (3 to 5 people) complete client-based projects under the direction of a La Follette School faculty member within the context of a semester-long course, beginning in January. By early May, students submit a research-based, evaluative, and prescriptive response to the client’s issue or problem in the form of a professional-quality report. In addition to the final written product, students present their results during an oral presentation to the client.

There is no cost to clients.

Selection Criteria

• The proposal is achievable within the framework of one semester (approximately 14 weeks).
• All data and documentation will be accessible and ready for student use no later than February 1.
• Given the short timeframe, existing public or internal data is preferred.
• Data collection may be possible if clearly defined in the project proposal.
• The project has the support of the organization’s leadership, including a contact person to serve as a liaison with the students and to guide them through day-to-day questions.
• The proposal has a clear definition of the problem or issue.

2019 Timeline
November 1: Priority Consideration Deadline
December 1: Clients notified of proposal status
January 8: Students assigned to teams
January 22: Spring classes begin
March 18 – 24: Spring break
May 1 – 10: Client presentations

Considerations

• The teams will have 3 to 5 students; however, these students also have multiple classes, and we want to make sure all projects are feasible within one semester.
• We cannot guarantee that a proposal will be selected; we may receive more proposals than we need; and a project may require skills that are not represented among the students.
• All project clients must designate one person who will serve as the liaison with students.
  Students will present their finding to the client at the end of the semester (May).
• Each team will write a report and create a presentation that describes the project’s purpose, methodology, key insights, and recommendations.
• The team’s final product is owned by the client organization.
• The La Follette School of Public Affairs may publicly list the organization as a client, may post final reports on its website, and may include brief project descriptions in the School’s promotional materials.
• Students may use the product in pursuit of their academic or professional careers.

Thank you for your interest in working with La Follette School master’s degree students. Please send additional questions to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Printable (pdf) Request for Project Proposals document. 

Project Proposal Form

Workshop project proposals received by November 1 will receive priority consideration. Responses are required for all items, except ‘Additional information.’ One- to two-paragraph responses are sufficient for narrative responses.

 Thank you for your interest in working with La Follette students. Please direct any additional questions to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Workshop Reports