Team Projects

Team Project Guidelines

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

Goals
The goals of the team projects include:

Generate learning in respect to a new subject area
Promote leadership skills as participants self-lead their teams to a successful conclusion
Enhance communication skills
Promote networking, especially with the Executive Sponsor, other agency leaders, and team members
Provide valuable assistance helping the local government agency or agencies 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 agencies.
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
As Academy Directors, Dr. Frank Benest and Pamela Miller are expected to:

Solicit team projects from the Contra Costa Public Managers' Association (CCPMA) 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 Contra Costa Public Managers' Association

The Executive Sponsor is the City Manager, Department Director or other Senior Leader who is the “go-to” person for the Academy team. It is expected that the Sponsor:

Specifically 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

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
Hold themselves and each other accountable to the responsibilities agreed upon by the team and each team member
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. This includes having the difficult conversations as necessary regarding accountability.

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. It is up to the team as to how many members will participate in the presentation. All team members are expected to participate in the Q & A portion of the presentation.

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 Contra Costa Public Managers' Association.

Projects

2025 Projects

Workplace Violence Prevention Plans Handout
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