Kentucky’s Capstone Wins a National Award

By Katy Cave, CPM
Katy.cave@ky.gov

The final Certified Public Managers® project was to demonstrate how the CPM candidates could use workshop knowledge, models, and skills to assist state government agencies. The National Association of Government Training and Development (NAGTAD) awarded Capstone the 2007 Program of the Year. “The Review Committee was highly impressed with how Governmental Services Center has engaged many levels and areas of Kentucky state government to make the most of limited resources to make a positive return on investment for the Certified Public Managers® program,” said Cindy Fauerbach, Program of the Year Selection Committee and Past President of NAGTAD.

Capstone develops teams, based on a survey from the team members of their competency in six skills needed for the particular project. Within a five week period, the teams research and complete the project given by an agency or cabinet sponsor.
In 2005, the Justice Cabinet requested a team to do research on sex offender programs in all 50 states. Because the scope was so big, we divided the project between two teams to research what was being done in the other states. That research was used in developing the legislation that passed in the 2006 legislative session. Ken Schwendeman, Executive Director of the Justice Cabinet said, “The Capstone groups provided the information that was needed to develop a law that protects all citizens of the Commonwealth of Kentucky.”

The Lt. Governor, serving as the Secretary of the Justice Cabinet, saw the benefit of the Capstone groups to help his cabinet research how other states deal with issues, to make changes within his cabinet. We have had at least one project for each Capstone from the Justice Cabinet since the beginning. The research that one group did on how other states handle local jails saved the state $10,000, according to Dr. Price Foster, from the University of Louisville, who is using the research. La Donna Thompson, Deputy Commissioner of Corrections, had 12 projects during the three year span. She has collected information on practices of transporting inmates, impact of education and reentry programs to the rate of recidivism, as well as how other states operate the local jails.

Capstone groups have done research on wellness programs around the country, developed a manual on the orientation needed for public health nurses, studied the need for more satellite offices for motor vehicle licensing, provided a process for rolling out a new program, as well as helped a cabinet begin the work on assessing their personnel needs. One project had the team observing how things were done in an office in order to make recommendations on changes needed. The changes were implemented, and the efficiency of the office improved.

Capstone teams have worked with seven of the nine cabinets in Kentucky government, and completed projects for the Minority Empowerment Office, and the Commission on Women, as well as the Governor’s Office for Local Development.

The Capstone program has been well received by the participants. They like working on something that needs to be done for efficient use of limited state resources. Another benefit of the program is the networking among the team members. Team members learn more about the operation of Kentucky’s state agencies and what other states are doing, which builds better appreciation of the work that has to be done from all aspects of the Executive branch.

© Copyright 2007, American Association of Certified Public Managers®