Master’s students win gold at CAPPA case competition
TMU master’s students scored gold at the recent 2023 National Public Administration Case Competition (external link) , hosted virtually by the Canadian Association of Programs in Public Administration (CAPPA).
The winning team consisted of Master of Public Policy and Administration (MPPA) students Gopal Banerjee, Sabreena Bapoo, Graham Cade, Lajendon Jeyakumar and Iffat Zahan.
The theme of this year’s competition was “Preparing for the Future: Modernizing Transactions Through a Central Bank Digital Currency.” Public policy graduate student teams from across Canada were given only 10 days to research, develop a solution and present to a panel of judges.
“The ability to apply what we learned in a practical, real-life context has been amazing, and we feel that the MPPA program has prepared the team to jump right into a career with an advanced understanding of the policy cycle and policy innovation,” said the team. “The connections that are offered here are also amazing in helping you succeed in your future endeavours.”
The TMU team was coached by the Department of Politics and Public Administration’s Distinguished Public Servant in Residence Frank D’Onofrio and Dr. Andrea Migone. They supported the team throughout the process, and organized a practice case on climate change prior to the competition.
“The sage advice they consistently provided and the dedication they showed to the competition (including some very late night meetings), was invaluable and integral to our success.”
During the feedback session, Ron Morrow, judge and executive director, supervision for the Bank of Canada, lauded the team for their deep analysis of a complex topic and delivering a compelling presentation in such a short time.
“The experiential learnings from the MPPA program really supported our ability to understand the policy cycle, how to complete strong research and how to deliver a strong, concise presentation.”