Team Project Guidelines

Projects
Team projects provide a real-world learning and leadership experience for Academy participants.

Goals
The goals of the team projects include:
  1. Generate learning in respect to a new subject area
  2. Promote leadership skills as participants self-lead their teams to a successful conclusion
  3. Enhance communication skills since participants must communicate with other team members from different agencies and the Executive Sponsor as well as effectively present their report to the local government agency or City Manager Association at the end of the process
  4. Promote networking, especially with the Executive Sponsor and staff members in the client agency or with members of the City Manager Association
  5. Provide valuable assistance helping a local government agency or the City Manager Association address a real-world challenge of significance

Ideal Projects
Ideal projects for an Academy team feature the following attributes:
  • The problem to be addressed is a significant real-world concern for the local government agency or the City Manager Association.
  • The project is “do-able.  In other words, it is limited in scope and can be addressed by a team over a six month period recognizing that team members have their regular full-time jobs.
  • The project is focused on a key “deliverable” that is of value to the agency or association.
  • The outcome of the project should not already be a foregone conclusion.

Expectations
Academy Co-Directors: As Academy Co-Directors, Dr. Frank Benest and Greg Larson are expected to:
  • Solicit team projects and select the most viable for the Academy teams to address
  • Help organize the teams and orient them at the first session of the Academy
  • Provide some feedback to ensure the team’s plan of work is do-able within the time constraints
  • Schedule time at the end of each monthly session for the teams to meet
  • Schedule run-through team presentations to the Academy
  • Help schedule the formal team presentations with the City Managers Association

Executive Sponsor: The Executive Sponsor is a chief executive, assistant city or county manager, or department director who is the “go-to” person for the Academy team.  It is expected that the Sponsor:
  • Describe the project opportunity and complete the Team Project Proposal Form
  • Focus the team project so it is do-able and identify the key deliverable
  • Meet with all the team members at the beginning of the project, mid-course, and at run-through practice session of the team presentation in order to provide feedback
  • Provide key documents and other materials or suggest how to access them
  • Recommend “key informants” whom the team members can interview
  • Be available to consult with the team if it confronts a major obstacle

Team Members: It is expected that the team members:
  •  Help “lead” the team to a successful conclusion
  • Schedule meetings with the Executive Sponsor at the beginning, at the mid-point, and at the end of the project in order to present the team report
  • Adopt uncomfortable roles that stretch the participants (for example, if the participant is comfortable doing document research and analysis, the participant should interview key informants or help present the report)
  • Share in the work so no one is unequally burdened
  • Ensure that the project is do-able within the time available and communicate with the Executive Sponsor what will be in fact delivered by the end of the project
  • Seek out help from the Executive Sponsor as needed
As leaders, team members are also expected to deal with any problems, obstacles, and other “messiness” as the project evolves.

Final Team Presentation
A PowerPoint presentation (but no written report) is required.  The maximum duration of the oral presentation (not including Q & A) is 20 minutes.  Two to three members of the team will make the formal presentation.  Other team members can respond to questions and comments.

A run-through practice session of the team presentation will be held at the Academy during the last few monthly meetings.  Executive Sponsors will attend this run-through and provide feedback.  A formal team presentation will be made to the Executive Sponsor and key staff members of the local government client agency or to the City Managers Association.
2019 Projects
Toolkit: Diversity & Inclusion in the Workplace
File Size: 922 kb
File Type: pdf
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2018 Projects
Presentation: Animal Services
File Size: 3441 kb
File Type: pdf
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2017 Projects
2017 Project List
File Size: 339 kb
File Type: pdf
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#2: Drones
Presentation: Drones
File Size: 58 kb
File Type: pdf
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#3: Online Community Forums
Presentation: Online Communication Forums
Handout: Online Communication Forums
File Size: 885 kb
File Type: pdf
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#5: Economic Development in a Post-Redevelopment Era
Video: Redevelop the Restaurateur Way
Toolkit: Redevelopment the Restaurateur Way
File Size: 4141 kb
File Type: pdf
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PowerPoint: Economic Development
File Size: 10064 kb
File Type: pptx
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2016 Projects
2016 Project List
File Size: 81 kb
File Type: pdf
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Alternatives to the Traditional Performance Evaluation Process
Alternatives Team Project Information
File Size: 8379 kb
File Type: pdf
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2015 Projects
2015 Project List
File Size: 33 kb
File Type: doc
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Regional Taxi and Transportation Program
Taxi Presentation
File Size: 770 kb
File Type: pdf
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Housing for the Homeless-Winter Nights Shelter for Single Adult Homeless Individuals

Presentation (click link)
Executive Summary Handout
File Size: 2540 kb
File Type: pdf
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Enhancing Community Engagement 
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Presentation (click link)
Social Media Pros and Cons Handout
File Size: 32 kb
File Type: docx
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Palo Alto Social Media Policy
File Size: 65 kb
File Type: doc
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