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Career Development: Internship Summaries 2005
- Economic and Commercial Section ,U.S. Embassy
Colombo, Sri Lanka - U.S. Embassy
Colombo, Sri Lanka - Department of State , U.S. Embassy
Panama - Planning and Initiatives Department , Wolf Trap Foundation for the
Performing Arts
Vienna, Virginia - Office of Wisconsin Lt. Governor Barbara Lawton, State Capitol
Madison, WI - American Institute for Contemporary German Studies (AICGS)
Washington, D.C. - German American Chamber of Commerce in the Midwest, Inc. (GACCoM)
Chicago, IL - Research Fellow, Instituto de Empresa Business
School
Account Assistant, Political Intelligence Public Affairs Consultancy
Madrid, Spain - Wisconsin State Elections Board: State Voter Registration System Project
- Division of State Facilities (DSF), Wisconsin Department of Administration (DOA)
- Department of Human Services
Salem, Oregon - Program for Early Parent Support
Seattle, WA - Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, U.S. State
Department
Washington, D.C. - Wisconsin Coordinating Council on Nicaragua
Madison, WI
Economic and Commercial Section ,U.S. Embassy ,Colombo, Sri Lanka.
My initial responsibilities focused on analyzing fiscal decentralization in the Provincial Councils, but as the summer progressed I expanded my work load to include designing an intellectual property rights campaign and working closely with Government of Sri Lanka officials and USAID personnel on developing a coastal management plan. The end result of much of my primary work came in the form of official reporting documents sent to various offices throughout the federal government. Additionally, I worked in a supporting role on a variety of issues including HIV/AIDS, debt relief and the development of a social security program in the Republic of the Maldives. I drafted talking points for speeches and provided background information as requested by my managers. I was managed by the Commercial Attach and had a close working relationship with the heads of the Economic and Political sections, as well as the Ambassador and Deputy Chief of Mission.
The internship served as my first experience working directly on policy formulation and implementation. I felt challenged and motivated in my working environment and would recommend internships with the Department of State for future La Follette students. The original appointment was a paid position for a period of ten weeks.
U.S. Embassy, Colombo, Sri Lanka
I reported on various humanitarian concerns. I investigated new developments in human rights issues, interviewed government agents and representatives of NGOs to obtain more information on these topics, and wrote cables to be distributed on the classified network of the U.S. State Department. During visits to the southern provinces of Sri Lanka, I investigated tsunami relief and religious freedom issues. At meetings on tsunami relief, human rights and democracy at the US Embassy, I discussed the research I was performing and conclusions and implications I hypothesized on current policy problems. I traveled to the southern tsunami-affected provinces to conduct surveys on the efficacy of tsunami relief and to investigate attacks on individuals concerning religious freedoms. Further, I attended a conference on the Prevention of Terrorist Financing presented by the U.S. Justice Department for country representatives from all South Asian countries. In all these efforts, I worked closely with foreign nationals to gain an understanding of the issues. As a political intern, I analyzed the political and social consequences of current and potential policies and offered recommendations. I was also able to explore other sectors of the Embassy, such as the Consular section to learn what they do. But the best part was having my own office with an ocean view!
Department of State , U.S. Embassy Panama
The Department of States Student Intern Program is a valuable resource to develop broad interest in the activities of the State Department, including the Foreign Service. As a Student Intern with the Public Affairs Office at the U.S. Embassy in Panama, I honed important skills including Spanish language skills. Having been interested in studying law for some time, the opportunity to travel around Panama to meet with municipal level judges and examine reform measures in the judiciary was particularly rewarding.
The Public Affairs Office is divided into the Press Office and the Cultural Affairs Office. The Press Officer assigned me to create the 2005 Institutional Analysis and the 2005 Media Guide for the incoming ambassador. The Institutional Analysis required a great deal of research into all three major branches of government, with particular emphasis on the latest information regarding anti-corruption initiatives either in place or in the works. Using materials from various courses Id taken at La Follette, specifically concepts learned in PA 857 and PA 850, I established the importance of good governance and anti-corruption reform in improving the efficient operation of the Panamanian government. Much of my research came from the independently contracted public policy firm, Casals and Associates, contracted by USAID to examine the prevalent types of corruption in Panama. I found fundamental problems in governance in the major institutions of government: the Legislative Assembly, the Judiciary and the Executive branch.
My duties with the Cultural Affairs Office were the most rewarding. Through the Cultural Affairs Attach, I met municipal-level judges and discussed issues including the modernization of judicial resources (i.e. updated training for judges to deal with new legal codes reflective of growing trade law) and other aspects of judicial reform. Many legal codes are outdated, freedom of information laws are not protected or enforced despite a strong press, and judges at the highest levels, including Supreme Court justices, engage in corrupt behavior. The consistent issue raised by the lower-level judges I spoke with in Penonom, Santiago, and Panama City is that the judiciarys dependence on its political patron, the Executive branch, makes it very difficult for judges to be wholly objective.
After working for the Embassy, I have become very interested in understanding foreign legal cultures and the potential for policy transfer from U.S. legal systems (administration, procedure, and legal education) to their Latin American counterparts.
Planning and Initiatives Department , Wolf Trap Foundation for the
Performing Arts
Vienna, Virginia.
Located right outside of Washington, DC, the Wolf Trap Foundation is a nonprofit organization that creates and selects programming for Wolf Trap National Park, Americas sole national park dedicated to the performing arts. The Planning and Initiatives Department works within the Executive Office of the Foundation and has the main functions of coordinating activities of staff and outside partners on projects such as planning, government relations, community partnerships, and special productions. As one of two Planning and Initiatives interns, I assisted the Department in carrying out these functions with a fair amount of independence and flexibility.
My primary responsibilities as an intern included assisting in the preparation of the Foundations summer strategic planning sessions, inviting government officials to performances, preparing a state grant application, and developing a white paper on the Foundations federal funding and prospects for future funding. My coursework in nonprofit management and public administration greatly prepared me for these tasks especially in the strategic planning sessions. As a testament to my knowledge and background, I was given an additional task not included in my original work plan that involved helping to prepare the Foundations annual state report. The internship was a great opportunity to apply skills acquired in the classroom to a real-world setting.
Office of Wisconsin Lt. Governor Barbara Lawton, State Capitol, Madison WI
The lieutenant governor of Wisconsin is the second ranking official in
the executive branch, elected to a four-year term jointly with the governor.
Though the office has few responsibilities beyond the succession role, the
current Lt. Governor has chosen to use the resources of the office to pursue
change in a variety of policy areas, including improving the status of women
in Wisconsin; encouraging civic engagement; promoting economic development
and innovation; and highlighting the essential role of the arts in society.
During my internship, I was able to observe and assist the work of the
office in all of these substantive areas. Though I started as an unpaid
intern assisting with policy research, I was hired later in the summer as
one of two part-time Interim Policy Directors to fill my former supervisors
position. My main project was to coordinate the planning of a fall
conference that would bring together various business, academic, and
community leaders. The topic of the conference was increased access to
quality, affordable childcare as a regional economic development tool. I
also completed speech research and issue analysis for the Lt. Governors
public remarks and often accompanied her to events, where I coordinated
media interviews. Finally, I drafted correspondence for the Lt. Governor in
response to a variety of constituent issues, which often involved
researching the problems and referring them to the appropriate state
agencies.
This internship provided ample opportunity for me to apply concepts learned
in policy analysis and public management classes, particularly as they
function in a highly political environment.
American Institute for Contemporary German Studies (AICGS), Washington, D.C.
The Institute is a small think tank affiliated with John Hopkins University and is devoted to providing objective analysis of developments in Germany, Europe, and the United States, as well as to strengthening German-American relations. As an intern my duties were numerous and varied. My main task was to search American and German newspapers online for articles pertaining to current AICGS issues such as developments with the EU constitution, religious trends in Germany and the US, and the emergence of new media and its influence. My most stimulating work was translating a couple of articles from German into English, one of which was included in AICGS German-American Issues report entitled The Media-Public Opinion-Policy Nexus in German-American Relations. I also attended several events hosted by AICGS which featured speakers such as economists from Deutsche Bank and important figures from German and American media. I wrote summaries of these events which were posted on AICGS website. My duties also included standard clerical work such as answering phones, opening mail, and running errands. My internship was a rewarding experience that introduced me to the environment of a nonprofit think tank and, combined with concurrent events in the EU constitutional crisis and early German elections, increased my knowledge of issues I consistently work with in my studies.
German American Chamber of Commerce in the Midwest, Inc. (GACCoM) ,Chicago
I worked for GACCoMs consulting services which, for example, conducts market entry studies, offers a business partner search program, and plans events and conferences with the purpose of strengthening US-German trade relations. There is a clear distinction between the responsibilities of the German consulates and embassies and other organizations such as GACCoM. The consulates and embassies fulfill a consular and diplomatic role. The Chamber of Commerce, on the other hand, is responsible for any issues related to trade, investment, and commerce. For the last two months of my internship I had the opportunity to work on a conference on Green and Sustainable Architecture in Germany and the US which will take place Fall 2006. GACCoM actually decided the use the slogan I came up with: The buildings are always greener on the other side- Green Architecture in Germany and the US. Overall my internship was very useful and enjoyable. I learned a lot about business etiquette in the real world. Furthermore I was given the opportunity to use my German language skills, organizational, computing, and social skills while also learning about green and environmental policy issues in Germany and in Chicago. In order to keep up with current environmental policy affairs I decided to register in my second year for the class on Green Politics: Global Experience, American Prospects through the Urban and Regional Planning Department.
Research Fellow, Instituto de Empresa Business School (Madrid, Spain)
Account Assistant, Political Intelligence Public Affairs Consultancy
(Madrid, Spain)
My internship experience at Instituto de Empresa involved working with members of the Department of Strategic Management on the design and implementation of a study on financial market regulation. This project had a strong international component. The tasks associated with this study included the development of analytic frameworks to structure inquiry, quantitative and qualitative data collection, data analysis, and the preparation of reports outlining the findings. The study had a dual audience academics and the broader research community and international business leaders. My position as a researcher provided an ideal opportunity to learn how to make academic research relevant for practitioners immersed in a particular industry.
My second internship position involved collaborating with Political Intelligence (PI), an independent lobby consultancy with offices in Brussels, London, and Madrid. As an Account Assistant I helped monitor political and regulatory developments in Spain and Europe that could have important ramifications for the business environment of PIs clients and prepare concise analyses and monitoring reports for clients. In addition, I assisted PI Spains County Manager and his team in the development of lobby campaigns. Such campaigns consisted of comprehensive issue research, the formulation of policy positions, drafting of position papers, collaboration with other stakeholders, and exchange with relevant policymaking authorities. PIs principal areas of expertise are telecommunications regulation, electronic commerce, and media markets, as well as increasingly environmental regulation.
Wisconsin State Elections Board:
State Voter Registration System Project
The Wisconsin State Elections Board (SEB) is a small agency tasked with upholding the integrity of the States electoral process. More recently, to comply with the federal Help America Vote Act of 2002, the agency is in the process of implementing a statewide, centralized voter registration system, known as SVRS. I began working for the Elections Board during the summer of 2005 as a User Acceptance Tester. I developed test scripts in MS Excel to thoroughly document the steps needed to complete essential tasks in SVRS (registering voters, recording/modifying a voters record, setting up elections, etc). I continued to work as a User Acceptance Tester through the fall 2005 and spring 2006 semesters.
Working for the past year on the SVRS project afforded me with the opportunity to observe the evolution of a large project. In the course of a year, beyond testing, I have observed the complex relationships between the state and two large private consulting firms Accenture and Deloitte - hired, respectively, to develop the software and manage the project. Additionally, I was able to observe the structure of the project, with a particular eye on how testing outcomes affect decisions made by the project management.
My work with the Elections Board has been challenging and rewarding. As a La Follette student particularly interested in public management, the SVRS project has been an especially educational experience.
Division of State Facilities (DSF)
Wisconsin Department of Administration (DOA).
The primary function of the DOA is to deliver fiscal and administrative support services to other state agencies. The DOA is organized into nine divisions to perform these services, one of which is the DSF. The DSF is essentially the administrative umbrella over major state-owned capital. The vision statement of the DSF is simply to provide our customers with safe, cost effective, quality facilities and services meeting the needs of Wisconsin. The mission emphasizes the interagency coordination, the leadership, and call for prudence in: acquiring spaces, maintaining spaces, and securing spaces.
I worked on a variety of projects spanning all of these areas. The breadth of activity and mentorship made this a very positive internship experience. The tasks I participated in include preparing reports and helping to design performance measures for the Wisconsin Building Commission; developing the Economic Impact Report as a new tool to better inform the Wisconsin Building Commission; unifying disparate tools into a new, functional resource for Agency Area Space Resource Plans; creating surveys, compiling research, and performing analysis; and drafting memos with policy recommendations.
The DSF is a highly efficient example of state bureaucracy and through this internship, I vastly expanded my knowledge of state government structure, the budget process, and performance measures.
Department of Human Services in Salem, Oregon.
The internship position helped with the implementation of new policy procedures for the departments Child, Adult and Family Services Unit. The major task was to research and analyze child welfare-related issues, such as comparing state policies on child welfare, researching training curricula for social workers, and compiling and organizing survey information. This internship is refining and improving my research skills, which is important to conducting good policy analysis. This internship is also providing me with the opportunity to explore the area of human services, particularly social welfare policy, which is my concentration at La Follette.
Program for Early Parent Support, Seattle, WA
The internship included 50% time leading parent education and support groups for mothers and fathers bringing home new babies for the first time. The position required a review of literature on parent education and support research, curriculum development and best practices. I received firsthand experience with non-profit management, organizational change, and program implementation and evaluation. It has been an enlightening summer!
Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, U.S. State Department, Washington, D.C.
The internship duties involved monitoring the implementation and progress of government funded anti-trafficking programs in the Western hemisphere. I have observed how careful cooperation among U.S. government agencies as well as international diplomacy and negotiation between governments can lead to significant results in combating modern-day slavery. I am learning quite a bit about government service, international programming and analysis (and of course, the nature of a bureaucracy).
Wisconsin Coordinating Council on Nicaragua, Madison.
This student internship focused on the Councils microcredit work, which
involves making very small loans to people who usually are too poor and who
lack collateral. The Wisconsin Coordinating Council on Nicaragua takes money
from U.S. investors and loans it to Nicaraguan microcredit institutions.
These small loans, for about $300, are often given to women who set up small
at-home businesses that could involve sewing or selling staple foods.