The Capstone Project is a service learning experience designed to apply the knowledge and skills developed in the three Specialization courses to a real world leadership and governance situation. It is also intended to develop the participant's capability to act as an agent for positive change in nonprofit organizations. To this end, you will analyze the leadership and governance effectiveness of a real board of directors in an organization of your own choosing (or, if that is not possible, data gathered from a real board provided by the course instructors). By the end of the Capstone Project, you will have produced a professional consulting report detailing your analysis and recommendations to improve board leadership and governance effectiveness. You will then present it to the board and advise them on implementing change. To learn more about this course, please watch the overview video by copying and pasting the following link into your web browser: https://goo.gl/GTWrN2 Keywords: Nonprofit; Nonprofit Sector; Voluntary Sector; Nonprofit Organizations, Non-Governmental Organizations, Volunteer Organizations, Leadership, Management, Governance, Board, Board of Directors, Performance, Effectiveness Capstone Project Overview: Weeks 1-3: This period will be spent choosing a board of a nonprofit organization and gathering information using two specially designed tools and resources: The SUNY Open textbook (to download the book copy and paste the following link into your browser: http://tinyurl.com/peolnjb), "Guidelines for Improving the Effectiveness of Boards of Directors of Nonprofit Organizations", and The Board Check-Up, online board performance self-assessment tool that can be accessed by copying and pasting this link into your browser: https://www.boardcheckup.com. Weeks 4-5: In this phase, the information gathered will be analyzed leading to an evaluation of the board's effectiveness in the different dimensions of board effectiveness examined in the Specialization courses. Weeks 6-8: In the final phase of the Project, the results of the analysis and recommendations for positive change will be brought together a specially prepared consulting report intended for the use of the board of the client organization.
Capstone - Managing Board Change for High Levels of Leadership and Governance Effectiveness
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Из курса от партнера The State University of New York
Capstone - Managing Board Change for Higher Levels of Leadership and Governance Effectiveness
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The State University of New York
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Курс 4 из 4 — Specialization Improving Leadership & Governance in Nonprofit Organizations
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Capstone Overview
Welcome to the fourth and final course in the new Coursera Specialization: Developing Leadership and Improving Governance in Nonprofit Organizations.The Capstone is designed to help you apply the knowledge and skills developed in the three Specialization courses to a real world leadership and governance situation a nonprofit organization board of directors is experiencing. As a service learning experience, you will act as an agent for positive change by working with a board of a nonprofit organization that you serve on, work for, or know through the Capstone Project.
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Prof. Yvonne D. Harrison, PhDAssociate Professor and Director
Voluntary Sector Studies Network (VSSN)
Prof. Vic Murray, PhDAdjunct Professor
School of Public Administration, University of Victoria
[MUSIC]
Hi, I'm Professor Yvonne Harrison.
On behalf of co-instructor in this course, Professor Vic Murray, and instructional
designer Elena Roddick, I want to welcome you to the capstone course.
The fourth and final course in the specialization on developing leadership
and improving governance in nonprofit organizations.
The capstone is designed to help you apply the knowledge and skills developed in
the specialization courses to a real world leadership and governance
situation a board of a not-for-profit organization is experiencing.
As a service learning experience, you will act as an agent for positive change by
working with a board of a not-for-profit organization that you serve on,
work for, or are familiar with in your community through the Capstone Project.
By the end of the course, you will have worked with the board, helped it assess
its performance, and produced a report on the state of board effectiveness.
Along with recommendations for managing board change to help
the board reach a higher level of leadership and governance effectiveness.
In this video, I'll begin with the leadership competencies developed and
emphasized in the specialization courses
that you will apply in your Capstone Project.
Next I'll present the key questions that we explored with some students and
a board that participated in an earlier version of the capstone course.
In this part of the video, you will find summaries of the key points
participants made in response to these questions.
Along with some video footage that we hope will be helpful of participant experiences
and suggestions to help you get the most value out of your Capstone Project.
I will conclude the video with a review of next steps for
what you need to do to start and complete your Capstone Project.
The leadership competencies emphasized in the specialization courses
that you will apply in the capstone will help you to 1, articulate and
apply a public service perspective in your Capstone Project work.
2, communicate and interact productively with non-profit leaders on the board and
in the organization that you're doing the capstone work in.
3, through the performance assessment activity that you'll be doing
with the board, you will help it identify, analyze, synthesize, and
think critically about governance and leadership effectiveness challenges.
4, you will also lead and
help the board manage these challenges through the governance process.
And 5, you will participate in, contribute to, and
be an agent for positive change throughout the Capstone Project.
To give you some idea of what the experience
of carrying out a Capstone Project is like.
We asked a sample of students and a representative of one of the boards of
a nonprofit organization that participated in a previous version of
this course to answer a few questions about their experience with it.
Here are the questions that we asked.
1, how did you feel about participating in the Capstone Project?
2, what was it like to participate in a board performance assessment?
3, what were some of the main benefits of the Capstone Project?
And 4, can you offer some tips for success or
some pitfalls to avoid when undertaking the Capstone Project?
Question 1, how did you feel about participating in the Capstone Project?
From the board's perspective, we asked Reginald Foster, President and
CEO of United Way New York State, how he and
members of his board felt about participating in the Capstone Project.
While some members of his board were skeptical,
Reginald Foster describes how valuable the process was.
>> Our board had had an assessment process three years earlier,
so they were familiar with it.
Some folks were not convinced it was something we needed to do.
But I believed, and many of the board members believed,
that it was worthwhile, that we would find out things that we hadn't
realized before about the strengths and weaknesses of our board.
And the value of having an expert process that had been looked
at by people with real expertise in designing questionnaires,
and making sure that it covered all the comprehensive areas of the board.
That was the gain for us, because we tried to just design a questionnaire ourselves.
We weren't sure that we could touch on all the important pieces.
We weren't sure that the questions we'd asked would be valid.
And we needed help interpreting results, the responses.
So all of these things were things that we gained by
using this process that had been developed beforehand.
And so I think that there were some people that were skeptical,
but the majority thought it would be valuable, and they went along with it.
>> We asked some students who participated in the onsite version of the capstone
course about how they felt working with a board of a non-for-profit organization.
Zakhar Berkovich and Karen Kirstein, students at the University of Albany,
said they were excited about the opportunity to work with the board.
>> I was excited to work with United Way New York State.
It's a very reputable and respectable organization, so
I was very interested in working with its board.
And I don't think I felt nervous at all, just excited.
>> I was really excited about opportunity to work with the board.
I've had some experience prior to this class to be on the board,
and I thought that having direct knowledge and
then using it in practice would be really useful.
So I'm actually really, really excited about having this opportunity.
>> Samantha Clarke and Jan Andrade both said it was fascinating to
work with a board that they don't normally work with.
>> As a student, I was excited about the opportunity to have a real world
experience with a board in the community.
And I can't say that I was nervous.
As a professional community having worked with boards in the past,
I looked at it as an opportunity.
>> And I was excited to find out that I would get to work with a board.
I've worked with boards in my professional career, so I thought it would be kind of
fascinating to see a different one outside the one that I currently work on.
>> Beroro Efecoro, Founder and CEO of the National Organization
of Graduate Education and a University at Albany student,
said he appreciated the opportunity to work with his own board.
To see what changes needed to be made.
>> I worked with the National Organization for Global Education and
I'm the founder of the organization.
And so I am the Executive Director of the organization.
I worked with my own board.
And the assessment gave me the opportunity to actually
assess the effectiveness of my organization and
the effectiveness of the board itself that I work with
to see what changes needed to be made.
Or what we are as an organization when a board is as a leadership,
as governors board.
And it was pretty good.
>> Emma Horvath and Katherine Toomey,
students at the University at Albany said they were both nervous and
excited about the opportunity to apply learning outside of the classroom.
>> For me specifically, I was really nervous just because I
don't really have a lot of experience in the field yet.
And I I don't really have a lot of interaction with nonprofits,
besides the ones that I've previously done internships with.
So I really don't know what to expect working with an organization on such
an intimate level.
>> I was excited about the prospect and how it would be very useful for
development in the field.
And it would be rather than just learning from the book,
I'll be able to apply my learning outside of the classroom.
But I was really anxious about who I would be paired with, and
if they would be accepting of a student.
And I think that we got a wonderful case study.
So I think we're very lucky >> When I asked MaryBeth Carswell, another
student in the nonprofit governance course at the University at Albany,
how she felt about working with the board.
She said she was comfortable reaching out to
ask the questions that needed to be asked.
>> So I was not nervous working with the board.
And in some of my other classes, we had to work with other nonprofit organisations.
So I was pretty comfortable being able to reach out and ask
some questions that I think needed to be asked in order to complete the assignment.
>> As many of the students in our board mentioned there are a variety of feelings
associated with working in a real world Capstone Project.
As Reg mentioned, some board members may be skeptical at
first about the process of assessing their performance through the Capstone Project.
They may have different opinions about the value of performance assessment and
preferences for certain tools and practices.
However, as Reginald Foster mentioned,
many will see the value in having access to the expertise procedure and
the products that the Capstone Project affords the board and the organization.
Therefore, when you approach a board about participating in the Capstone,
it is important to present the unique advantages of it
to answer any questions and clear up any doubts about the process.
With regard to how you might feel as a student in the Capstone,
if you're new to the nonprofit sector or have never worked with
the board of directors, naturally, you may feel a little nervous and
anxious about working with the board for the first time.
Even if you lack experience however, the opportunity to apply what you've
learned to help a board improve it's leadership and governance effectiveness
will not only be exciting, but will be seen as a valuable learning opportunity
that stems from getting outside of the classroom into the real world.
And don't forget, our research has shown that the vast majority of boards that
participate in this course see numerous benefits of it.
Some of these benefits include increased clarity about the board's role and
responsibility in the governance process and
changes in governance behavior and practices.
The second question we ask Capstone project participants was,
what was it like to participate in a board performance assessment?
From the board perspective,
we asked Reginald Foster of the United Way New York state about how he and
members of his board felt about having a student study the board.
Reginald Foster described how nice it was to be part of the course,
to have access to expertise and the fresh eyes of an outsider's perspective.
>> In terms of working with the students, I think that the biggest thing was
that they were in the class with colleagues and
the professor that were examining these issues in detail.
They had both an academic framework, but also came out and
did practical work with their board.
That they could draw things from the literature, and
the fact that the tool was designed so that it was comprehensive.
All of those things I think really help.
And to have outside eyes where all the people in our board,
except with a couple of new people, had been together for years.
The staff were used to interacting, and they brought fresh eyes to the situation.
>> Here is what some of the students said about assessing a board's performance.
Zakhar Berkovich and Karen Kirstein describe how awesome the experience
was of observing how leaders serve the board in organization.
>> Well, our leadership was a very high quality.
So we had the experience of working an extremely professional board chair,
and also an extremely professional and experienced CEO.
And just to experience how veterans in the field
Serve the board and the organization.
So it's extremely enriching to me to watch experts in
the action of doing their service.
>> Yeah, I can totally agree.
I think seeing the management of the board meeting by the board
chair to ensure that everybody was heard was certainly a skill I
think that I possessed over the nice certain board.
And just being mindful how well she crafted her trade was really awesome.
I should call her an awesome chair.
>> [LAUGH] >> And being able to work with Reginald
who has extreme amount of experience in the profit management and governance.
More so, I imagine his experience is really fascinating because he was
in nonprofit and for-profit agencies and
he actually put all them together into this role he plays right now.
I think having this learning from the person is really fascinating also
enriching into my personal knowledge and towards class as well.
>> Absolutely.
>> Samantha Clarke and Janet Andrade describe some of the assumptions and
lessons learned from the board performance assessment.
>> As a student in this experience,
it gives you the opportunity to see that they all face the challenges.
And they have challenges overcome and they need assistance and
guidance and opportunities to feedback.
Same thing with us.
>> And not only do they have a strong and I've realized is that, because they're
seen as leaders in their community and leaders in their organization, we assume
that they have all the tools and knowledge to perform their job effectively.
But sometimes they wind up in those positions without much Once
you learn that the background and best practises.
So getting the formal education to go to take those I push you boards and
help them do their job.
It's something that's important.
>> Emma Horvath and Katherine Toomey described the internal culture and comfort
necessary to transform leadership in governance through performance assessment.
>> One thing that I learned is that it really does take either a culture or
a leader to say that we are going to assess our performance.
Somebody has that sort of initiative and also brings the board along with them.
It really is transformative but it does take that spark and it won't come from
outside sources being able to say, you should change this, or this isn't working.
It has to come from within,
so that's another way I feel like we were very lucky.
Because our board had that spark and had that really,
that passion to constantly improve.
So it's very easy to provide our recommendations
because we knew they were going to take them.
And the board culture was supportive of constant growth and constant improvement.
>> I think also when you work with a board that's been doing board assessments for so
many years, they have more of a knowledge about what to expect.
And they kind of have some, I don't know pre-notions
on what their assessment will look like.
So that helps us when we're doing interviews and doing observations.
So they kind of feel this idea of, it would be common if you expected this,
and don't be surprised if you see things related to.
We have trouble with this because as a board we know that we've seen passed us up
sometimes.
>> They had really already internalized some of the survey results and
were able to provide accurate understandings of it,
in a more narrative response, which I thought was really helpful.
>> MaryBeth Carswell describes what she learned about the issues that challenge
boards.
And what she had to do to surface them.
>> What I learned most important thing in board is that,
the issues are never black and white.
There are a lot of layers to each issue and a lot of background, and
you really have to dig deep in order to really uncover what the true conflict or
issue is at hand.
And you really need to have a board that's willing
to look and uncover those issues with you,
as well as it's really important that
the executive director's also on a similar page.
>> In summary, through the Capstone Project you will have the opportunity to
work with a board in a systematic and comprehensive way.
From the board's perspective, having access to the course,
including the literature and resources, and an outsider's perspective to
provide fresh eyes for the board in organization is seen as very valuable.
From the perspective of students, being able to observe leaders of
the organisation and board working together to advance the mission through
the governance function can be an incredible learning experience.
Through this learning experience you will not only have the opportunity to observe
leadership, you have the opportunity to help shape it through the unique tools and
knowledge gathered through the specialization courses.
As one student said, it won't be easy as the issues are complex.
You'll have to dig deep and work with the board to surface and
discuss those issues in a professional way.
As other students mentioned, boards with experience with performance assessment
not only expect issues to surface but anticipate which issues they are.
On the other hand, working with the board to assess its performance for
the first time can provide the spark that can go a long way toward helping
the board develop an internal culture that is open to performance assessment and
change on an ongoing basis.
The third question we asked participants
was what were some of the main benefits of the Capstone Project?
To provide the board's perspective, we asked participants the following question.
What did you think were some of the main benefits of the Capstone Project for
you and your board?
Reginald Foster describes some of the value added for
the board in terms of having an opportunity to assess its performance,
define issues, and search for solutions.
>> I think it's both and I think that student education part is a concern for
the school, and I believe it is.
We wanted to help them.
But really it was mostly because we thought this was something important for
our board to do, that we can get real value from it.
There's the fact that the questionnaire was online, and
the students could bring that.
And they could spend the time analyzing the results.
And look at what was out there in the field for us.
Responses, things that we can do,
get solutions for and define the issues we should focus on.
Those were all things that the students looking at it when they're in a class with
other folks thinking about these issues.
Being aware about the resources that are up here really added a lot,
much more than we could have done as a board.
>> We asked some of the students what they thought some of the main benefits were
of the Capstone Project?
Using multiple methods helped Zakha Berkovich and
Karen Kirstein understand the difference between theory and practice.
And how to help the board bridge the gap.
>> It definitely was enriching my learning experience because it's one thing to
read theory in a book and it's another thing to work with a group of people.
And boards are comprised of individuals with all kinds of personalities and
it was interesting to see how the dynamics of
those personalities played out in our conversations.
And it made the understand how theory is lived more real to me.
>> I found it really helpful to both study the theory,
see in practice and then analyzing the survey results,
because adding the two methods coming together actually allowed
me opportunity to say, okay, I know what the theory should be.
I see what the practice is and seeing where it actually meet or
whether they diverge.
So having that opportunity would actually be, was really helpful to finalize that
concept in my head, and also use it to generate some of the discussion with
Karen, and then putting it on a paper as a recommendation.
>> Samantha Clarke and Janet Andrade described how concepts were reinforced
when knowledge was applied in the field and
when practice was brought back into the classroom.
>> I would say yes, because it took the materials we learned in the classroom and
allowed us the opportunity to apply it in the world setting.
And we were also able to take the experiences that we had observing and
engaging boards.
And for those experiences that can classroom make it and
get real time feedback.
>> I think any time that you can take what you're learning in the classroom and
apply it through a practical application in life,
it just reinforces those key concepts that you're learning.
From Beroro's perspective, the benefits were more personal.
It helped him see the changes that he needed to make and
how to help the board become more effective as a CEO.
>> Yes, I think this experience was actually worthwhile,
because over the years we've been practicing
leadership as governance instead of governance as leadership.
So the board is actually supposed to provide leadership to the organization and
not the management providing governance to the organization.
So that has helped me to see, okay, these are some of
the changes that are needed to be made for this organization to move forward,
and actually for the board to be more effective.
>> For Emma Horvath and Katherine Toomey,
some of the benefits were directly related to working with their board.
But other benefits were indirect,
from hearing about the work that students in course were doing with their boards.
>> I think that it was very useful, because I'm now,
we had the privilege of seeing an exemplar board.
And so seeing that I now see what would be a great way for
a similar organization to operate.
And so I think having that sort of experience is helpful in
applying the principles, knowing what strategic governance looks like,
what generative governance looks like, and how they all play out in the field.
And I think it really contributed to make my learning more assimilated into
my mind rather than just being a surface study for
a test and really get that on the ground experience.
>> Yeah, going of what Joy said, I think it was really great.
Because we were able to take the knowledge that we learned in the course and
through the readings and apply it directly to our board.
And then compare it to the other boards that the rest of the groups
were working with.
So really just that firsthand experience and bringing everything to life was great.
>> MaryBeth Carswell describes the benefits of working with a board
that was facing a number of challenges that many boards of not for
profit organizations deal with.
>> It was definitely worthwhile.
My project was actually a little bit different.
My board of directors came with me with specific governance
challenges that they had.
So it was an interesting take to apply what I was learning in class and
apply it to already very specific issues laid out to me that were more general in
scope that a lot of non-profits deal with.
>> In summary, our participants described multiple benefits of working with a real
board through the capstone project.
Some of those benefits will come from the board performance assessment process.
Including the ability to surface issues in the board and to apply knowledge that
you gain through the specialization to address those issues.
Other benefits will come from having an outsider's perspective,
and learning the insider's perspective, and
using that knowledge to share and further develop the board.
And finally, there are benefits from sharing your experience in the forums
with other students to gain a wider perspective on the leadership and
governance of non-profit organizations.
When you do share your experiences, be careful to
protect the identity of the individuals and boards involved.
The final capstone project question relates to tips for
success and pitfalls to avoid when undertaking the capstone project.
Here is what some of the participants said.
>> I think the students that work with us, Karen and Zakar,
they devoted the time, they were there, people met them.
I think that probably was important to be at the meeting.
I think that is supposed to be part of the process anyway.
So I would say it would be a major pitfall to not be
present to see at least some of the boarding direction.
I think if they missed that, that would be a problem.
I think you need to see that to get a feel.
I think looking at the documents of other organizations, their mission and so on.
People don't think about it everyday, but it actually tells a lot about
the organization, or if they don't have some things,
their documentation clear.
So I think that by taking a mixed approach, that was good.
>> Well, I would recommend if you can to find a collaborator who
also is taking the course, and then work together on the project.
Because I think that just made my experience better.
Things to avoid, I think, perhaps wanting to get involved with the organization.
Wanting to understand the organization and just dive in and
get all dirty and mucky in it.
We had to tone down that desire to step back and be objective.
So there's a little bit of tension there to figure out how to balance my desire to
really know this organization but the necessity to be objective.
And we had to step back and be objective as we did this process.
So that was one of the learning steps we had to take.
>> I would say take your time and actually read the readings and
learn the expectations and learn the literature.
Understanding those concepts will be very important
before you actually go and apply it into the boardroom.
I think it also important to be mindful of delivering the message
from the listener's point of view.
Because I think telling the board what they're doing wrong could be hurtful to
the board.
And they will never [LAUGH] actually understand what you
were trying to tell them.
So delivery method is important.
And I would strongly encourage anybody who is taking this course to simply work
with the board.
And take the skills that you learned in the classroom and
apply them to the real world.
I think it's only an added positive attribute of having this kind of course.
>> Diplomacy is a necessary feature in our work with all the boards
going forward, so we need that skill too.
How to present information in a way that can be received and
then can lead into some kind of change.
Delivery of the message is important.
>> I think that the advice that I would
give is to definitely take advantage of the opportunity.
It's a great learning experience.
It's hands on, boots on the ground, real life experience
with work that you wouldn't have in a classroom that is more static.
And so I would definitely take advantage of it.
In terms of tips, take advantage of every opportunity
that you have in terms of meeting with the board,
the interviews, go as often as you can.
Gather all the information, and ask questions and
don't be afraid to take advantage of the dynamic learning opportunity.
>> And if you're seeking out your own board, find a board that is for
a cause that you may have a passion Or interest in.
Find a board that is open to this project for
your interviews to gather information.
Find somebody that's willing to be an equal partner on the other side to
share this experience with you and
I think you'll have more of an >> I think working with a board is a great
experience.
Working with a group what now I'm talking about is a great experience.
I have a few classmates that have worked with board.
And the board is very excited to work with the students.
And the students also are very excited to work with the board,
because in the process of working with the board,
they are also developing their own management skills.
They are developing their own leadership skills.
So it's a great experience for the students in the business,
a good experience for the board that they are working with.
And it's also an opportunity for them to network and
to see what is happening when on the board for the nonprofit world.
>> I think the first that I would recommend would be to be very clear
about what your role is, what you're doing, your timeline.
And really establish that with the board, because even if they've completed
the performance survey before, they've not necessarily worked with a student.
And so it's important for you to give them a clear expectation, and so
that you can look up to that.
Without that, it might be difficult down the road to know who is going to be
writing what, when.
And so just being really up front at the front end, and
knowing that they might have some questions about what you're doing,
what you're going to do with the information.
And know that you're really working for them.
>> I think you also really need to be cognizance about external factors.
So say you're working with a board that's in another country.
Being aware of their time zones, their barriers that they may have
when setting up things such as meetings or observations.
And just really making sure you have a good understanding between the two of you
when it comes to those roles and responsibilities.
>> My advice for other people is to be aware of your board's own time.
And although you have your own timetable, to also be aware of their own timetables.
And then they are not going to be able to meet with you and
be able to talk to you whenever you're available,
that you need to make yourself available for them.
And that you need to start early when contacting boards, and
start early when contacting with the executive directors or
any other experts that you're looking to reach out to.
So that you have enough time to incorporate all of their information, and
all of their guidance into your paper.
>> The experiences shared by our students and the board provide some
useful guidance for starting and completing your Capstone Project.
First, find a board of a not for profit organization that you work in,
serve on, or are passionate about.
Talk to them about the course, your role, and
the work that you will do and produce through the Capstone Project.
Once you find a board to work with, it's important to establish a point of contact,
someone who will help you facilitate your work, collect key governance documents and
coordinate meetings and interviews with leaders of the board.
Be involved, but not too involved, and don't forget to ask clarifying questions
to validate the information you have gathered in your assessment of the board.
And don't forget to be upbeat and have fun.
This might be the first time your board has assessed its performance, and
your positive attitude can go a long way in helping the board change.
In this video we've reviewed the Capstone course and
the leadership competencies emphasized in your Capstone Project work.
We've shared experiences from the perspective of students and the board.
And provided suggestions for starting and completing your CapStone Project.
Once you have found a board to work with, an important next step is to register them
to take the check up at www.boardcheckup.com.
If you can't find a board to work with, please contact us for
options on completing the Capstone course and Specialization.
And for more information, please refer to the course content.
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