Clerks CertificationClerks CertificationClerks CertificationClerks CertificationClerks CertificationGuidelinesGuidelinesGuidelinesGuidelinesGuidelines

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ACCG

The Georgia Certification Program for City and CountyClerks is designed to establish minimum standardsand professional goals for city and county clerks. Theprogram seeks to accomplish this by:

· introducing new methods and approachesto enable clerks and finance officers tobecome more efficient and effective in theirjobs;

· increasing managerial competence ofmunicipal and county clerks to meet newchallenges and demands placed on localgovernment; and

· creating the opportunity for clerks to furthertheir professional development to gain therecognition they deserve.

A program of the Carl Vinson Institute ofGovernment, University of Georgia

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Overview

The Georgia Certificate Program for Municipal Clerks was initiated in 1970 by the Georgia Municipal

Association, the Georgia Municipal Clerks and Finance Officers Association, and the University of

Georgia’s Carl Vinson Institute of Government and Georgia Center for Continuing Education. The

program offers intensive management training to the municipal clerk and signifies general management

capabilities.

The Certificate Program for County Clerks was developed in early 1973 through the joint efforts and

sponsorship of the Association County Commissioners of Georgia, Association of County Clerks, and the

University of Georgia’s Carl Vinson Institute of Government and Georgia Center for Continuing

Education. The program was revised in 1976.

The Certificate Programs for Municipal and County clerks were merged in 1982. Each certificate is

recognition that the recipient has met all educational and professional standards. The program also

provides participants with the unique opportunity to join together in a relaxed atmosphere to discuss and

share common problems and interests.

Objectives The Georgia Certificate Program for City and County Clerks is designed to establish minimum standards

and professional goals for city and county clerks. The program seeks to accomplish this by:

Introducing new methods and approaches to enable clerks and finance officers to become more

efficient and effective in their positions;

Increasing managerial competence of municipal and county clerks to meet new challenges and

demands placed on local government; and

Creating the opportunity for clerks to further their professional development to gain the recognition

they deserve.

Target Groups Municipal and county clerks, and other professionals performing city or county clerk duties in local

government.

State Mandated Training State law (O.C.G.A. § 36-1-24 and § 36-45-20) requires anyone hired as of April 1, 1992, holding the title

of “clerk” or performing the duties of a municipal/county clerk pursuant to the local charter, ordinance, or

code shall attend a 15-hour mandated orientation training. The training consists of a basic overview of job

duties and functions required of clerks. Mandated training is offered at the fall and winter training

conferences. The 15-hour mandated training counts toward the 100 hours required for full certification.

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Certificate Requirements:

1. Complete program curriculum for Municipal and County Clerks (see curriculum).

The Georgia certificate program consists of 101 hours of instruction in general management.

Two certificate programs lasting two days are offered yearly in the fall and winter. If you

are pursuing IIMC certification the requirement will be 120 hours of instruction. (In

addition to the two educational conferences, some courses of the Annual Institute/Meeting

for Municipal Clerks and Finance Officers contribute credit toward the Certified Municipal

Clerk and some areas of the Annual Institute/Meeting for County Clerks contribute credit

toward the Certified County Clerk)

1. Successfully complete courses and written assessments, which consist of applying

knowledge learned to practical local government situations after each course.

2. Serve two years in a local government administrative position.

3. Be a current member of the Georgia Municipal Clerks and Finance Officers Association for

the designation of “Certified Municipal Clerk”; or a current member of the Georgia County

Clerks Association for the designation of “Certified County Clerk.”

4. To be designated a “Certified Municipal Clerk,” the candidate must also supply a letter from

the governing authority documenting at least one year’s service as the officially appointed City

Clerk. Deputy or Assistant Clerks who fulfill the criteria to be certified will receive the

appropriate designation. Note that this last condition is not required of County Clerks.

NOTE: the following applies only to Municipal/City Clerks.

Beginning February 22, 2004 (to implement and comply with changes adopted February 17, 1999), the

following requirements must be met in order to receive the designation “Certified Municipal Clerk”; or

“Certified Deputy/Assistant Municipal Clerk.”

Complete the Georgia Certification Program consisting of one hundred one hours of instruction in general

management. Anyone (election administrators and clerks of special districts, transit authorities, utility

districts, port authorities, school boards, and court clerks) who attends and completes the 100 hours of

training and assessments shall receive a “Certificate of Attendance” from the University of Georgia.

ANY RECORDS, CERTIFICATES, OR DOCUMENTATION EARNED TOWARDS RECERTIFICATION

IS THE SOLE RESPONSIBILITY OF EACH CLERK TO MAINTAIN.

Carl Vinson Institute of Government will not maintain records towards recertification.

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To receive the Georgia designation “Certified Municipal Clerk,” you must:

Serve two years in a local government administrative position.

Be a member of and provide current membership documentation of the Georgia Municipal

Clerks and Finance Officers Association.

Have completed one continuous year of service as the officially appointed City/Town Clerk for

the city government you represent at the time of request.

Provide a letter from the governing authority of your city documenting one year of service in the

official capacity of City Clerk.

A Deputy or Assistant Clerk may receive the Georgia “Certified Deputy/Assistant Clerk”:

Must perform 50% of Municipal Clerk core duties.

Serve two years in a local government administrative position.

Be a member of and provide current membership documentation of the Georgia Municipal

Clerks and Finance Officers Association.

Must have completed one continuous year of service as the officially appointed Deputy Clerk

for the city government you represent at the time of the request.

Provide a letter from the governing authority of your city documenting one year of service in the

official capacity of Deputy Clerk.

A promotion from Deputy/Assistant Clerk to City Clerk entails the same criteria as the “Certified

Municipal Clerk” designation.

***If you are pursuing the International Institute for Municipal Clerks Certification, the

requirement is 120 hours of instructional time. Eighty-one hours will be granted in the area of

Public Administration and Interpersonal/Social Skills, and you should complete 40 hours of electives.

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Required Classes for Curriculum Certification

Public Administration/Social and Interpersonal Skills Hours Feb Sept

Mandated Orientation (Clerks Profession, Government Law Overview, Records Retention, Agendas, Minutes, Open Meetings/Records) 15 x x

Agendas/Minutes 6 x

Budgets and Fiscal Management 6 x

Community and Media Relations 6 x

Managing Meetings: Meeting Administration (includes open meetings) 6 x

Organization and Management (Policy Making) 3 x

Public Organizations (Reinventing and Innovation Trends) 3 x

Records Management (includes Open Records and new technology) 6 x

Business Writing 6 x x

Group Dynamics 6 x

Conflict Resolution (includes Power/Influence (working with others) 6 x

Ethics and Values 6 x

Management and Leadership Styles: Personal and Group Behavior (MBTI) 6 x

TOTAL REQUIRED 81 51 51

Electives - Requires 20(GA) 40(IIMC)

Customer Service 6

Elections (Fundamentals) 6

Government Law 6

Human Resources I 6

Microsoft Excel Basic 6

Microsoft Powerpoint Basic 6

Microsoft Excel Advanced 6

Microsoft Powerpoint Advanced 6

Payroll Administration 6

Public Records Technology 3

Leadership 3

Total Hours Available 60

One Finance class and two Masters MDP classes will be offered each February and September

A Monday and Tuesday general, non-credit conference session will be offered for Advanced Clerks.

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Clerks Electives

Clerks Electives Schedule 2013-2014

2013

Public Records Technology/Leadership Mayors Day

Excel February Clerks Education Conference

Elections (Fundamentals of) February Clerks Education Conference

Human Resources 1 February Clerks Education Conference

Customer Service ACCG Conference

Customer Service GMA Conference

Power Point September Clerks Education Conference

Government Law September Clerks Education Conference

Payroll Administration September Clerks Education Conference

2014

Government Law Mayors Day

Excel February Clerks Education Conference

Human Resources 1 February Clerks Education Conference

Elections (Fundamentals of) February Clerks Education Conference

Payroll Administration ACCG Conference

Payroll Administration GMA Conference

Power Point September Clerks Education Conference

Public Records Technology/Leadership September Clerks Education Conference

Customer Service September Clerks Education Conference

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Scheduling

Two joint certification sessions are planned each year to insure the scheduling of various course topics that

would meet the requirements of the curriculum and the needs of a majority of municipal and county clerks

participating in the certification program. The total number of hours earned by attending any certification

program will vary with the type of program scheduled. All continuing education classes taken outside of

the fall/winter educational conferences will be the responsibility of the clerk to maintain those records.

Assessment

Exams will be required of all clerks (including certified) when taking the classes noted as

“Local Government Finance Certification.”

Assessments will be required of all clerks (including certified) if you are pursuing continuing

education credit towards re-certification with IIMC. (i.e., if you are planning to use the hours

earned in any class to submit to IIMC for your recertification).

Assessments will be administered following completion of each course.

Upon successful completion of assessments, credit hours will be granted to the member. For

those individuals who do not complete the assessment, credit will not be given.

Education/Certification Committee

The Education/Certification Committee shall provide overall direction for the Certification Program.

Serving on the Education/Certification Committee shall be a representative from the Georgia Municipal

Association, The Association of County Commissioners, the University of Georgia’s Carl Vinson Institute

of Government, three municipal clerks/finance officers appointed by the president of the Georgia

Municipal Clerks/Finance Officers Association, and three county clerks appointed by the president of the

Georgia County Clerks Association.

Specific responsibilities of the Education/Certification Committee are:

To plan certification program for all training sessions of the City and County Clerks

Certification program;

To continually review the educational needs of the city and county clerks and provide programs

to meet those needs;

To insure that certification programs conform to the curriculum standards of the International

Institute of Municipal Clerks;

To recommend and approve additional training opportunities; and

Provide direction to the Annual Institutes for their respective associations.

If a review committee shall be necessary to review an appeal submitted by a clerk enrolled in the certificate

program, the committee shall then be composed of two appointees of the president of the Georgia

Municipal Clerks and Finance Officers Association who are Certified Municipal Clerks and two appointees

of the president of Georgia County Clerks Association who are certified as County Clerks.

Recertification

Persons who have met the requirements for certification and subsequently are awarded certificates must

complete 30 hours of additional training every three years to maintain their certification. The purpose of

this training is to ensure that participants remain abreast of current management practices and to promote

and encourage continued professional development. The maintenance of the 30 hours of course

credit/records/certificates and all documentation is the sole responsibility of the participant. Carl

Vinson Institute of Government is not responsible for maintenance of these records. The University

of Georgia Carl Vinson Institute of Government requests that you attend one education conference

per year to ensure that the 30 hours of necessary training are met.

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Scholarships

Both the county and municipal clerks associations offer scholarships for the fall and winter education

conferences. Please contact an officer of the appropriate association to obtain more information and to

request an application.

Registration

Programs and registration forms for the educational conferences will be available for download on the

CVIOG website approximately 8-10 weeks prior to the date of the program start date. Although every

effort is made to accommodate those who desire to participate, class size must be limited to room

availability and also to promote an effective learning environment; therefore, registrations will be

processed on a first-come, first-served basis. Every effort is made to keep registration fees held to a

minimum, consistent with the needs of the program. It is preferred that all fees be paid in advance. All

checks should be made payable to the “University of Georgia”.

Certification Information

Credit hours are awarded upon the successful completion of each course assessment and those hours are

recorded on your personal record towards certification (provided the class taken was part of the municipal

and county clerks certification curriculum). If the class is not listed on the curriculum and is not taught

at the fall/winter education conference or designated as the “Clerks Training” class at Mayor’s Day,

GMA Convention or the ACCG convention, it will not be recorded on your completion check. It is

the responsibility of individuals to maintain their records for any classes taken outside the

curriculum. All clerks, including those already certified, are required to take and pass the exam for any

local finance certification class. All clerks, including those already certified and, who are taking classes for

re-certification through IIMC, are required to complete each course assessment in order to have those hours

forwarded to IIMC.

Presentation of Certification Award

Upon successful completion of the certification requirements, the candidate for certification will receive a

certificate with the seal of the University of Georgia. The candidate will join other clerks to be recognized

at a board meeting of their respective association. Each clerk should notify their appropriate elected

official of the professional achievement they have earned.

Application to I.I.M.C. Certification

The program meets certain requirements for the International Institute of Municipal Clerks certification

program. IIMC will review each candidate’s record independently after an appropriate IIMC application

has been submitted.

The basic requirements for IIMC certification are as follows:

Be a city or county clerk

Be a member of IIMC for two years

Be at least 18 years old

Believe in and practice the IIMC Code of Ethics

Submit an approved IIMC application form with appropriate documentation and the required fee

Furnish a letter from a fellow clerk as a sponsor.

For more information, write the International Institute of Municipal Clerks, 8331 Utica Avenue, Suite 200,

Rancho Cucamonga, California 91730, call 909-944-4162, or visit their website: www.iimc.com.

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CERTIFICATION CURRICULUM

REQUIRED

81 hours (Public Administration/Social and Interpersonal Skills)

Mandated Training – 15 hours

This course will satisfy the legislative mandate for clerks appointed on or after April 1, 1992. Participants

must attend class for the entire two and half days to satisfy the mandate. The courses are open to any clerk

needing more information about the basics of the clerks’ profession. The following topics will be covered:

public administration/personnel overview; minute taking/record keeping (Georgia Open Records Act);

agenda setting and meeting administration; and codes, ordinances and resolutions.

Agendas and Minutes – 6 hours

A panel of experienced local clerks will lead a discussion on the different approaches used by clerks for

preparing agendas and recording minutes for public meetings and hearings.

Budgets and Fiscal Management – 6 hours

Local governments rely on sound budgeting and fiscal management for decision making and operations.

Clerks fill various roles and responsibilities in the budget process and in the daily financial management of

the local government. This class will give you an opportunity to take a look at basic principles, practices,

and sources of financing for local governments; understanding the budget process (timelines, legal

requirements, and so on); definitions and fundamentals of budgeting and accounting principles and the

politics of the budgeting process; and understanding billing and collection practices for local government.

Business Writing – 6 hours

Refresh your writing skills for the office. Review the most common mistakes and practice clear concise

well-organized writing.

Community and Media Relations – 6 hours

Learn methods for building a good working relationship with the various media in our jurisdiction with the

goal of keeping your public informed about your government.

Conflict Resolution – 6 hours

The course focuses on strategies for resolving conflict. It considers the sources of conflict and individual

styles in dealing with conflict. The course also will look at negotiation skills.

Ethics and Values – 6 hours

The course addresses legal issues related to ethics in government. It also will examine the ethical dilemmas

confronting government workers and elected officials daily in their professional and personal lives.

Group Dynamics – 6 hours

Local government operates on a shared leadership model of decision making. Councils, boards, and

committees reach policy decisions based on a dynamic process of group interaction. Take a look at group

decision making and processes.

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Management and Leadership Style – 6 hours

Understand your management style and how your personality affects your work performance in making

decisions, collecting information, organization, and more. Participants will complete a personality

assessment instrument.

Managing Meetings/Meeting Administration – 6 hours

The class is designed to improve skills in conducting effective meetings. It examines selling ideas,

managing conflict, and promoting consensus. It looks at the role of chairperson and members as well as

staff. A key component of the program is discussion of parliamentary procedures for conducting a more

orderly, professional meeting.

Organization and Management (Policy Making) – 3 hours

Local governments have tremendous challenges facing them today. As governments respond to these

challenges, new policies are developed and implemented. This course will explore how policy is made at

the local level, the role of the clerk in assisting the government body in policy making, different policy

making models, policy implementation and evaluation, and theories and models of management and

administration.

Public Organizations – 3 hours

Local governments look and operate differently throughout our state. This class will explore form and

function in the definition of local government, history of local and state forms and function, why cities and

counties do what they do, the creation of these federal forms and their functions, city and county services,

constitutional officers, recent changes in laws that facilitate more regional and inter-governmental service

delivery, and a review of HB 489.

Records Management – 6 hours

Do you know what is required for proper records management? How long records must records be

maintained? In what format? Find out the answers to all those questions as you manage records for your

local government.

ELECTIVES

Twenty hours for the Georgia Certificate for Municipal Clerks and 40 hours for IIMC

***If you are pursuing the International Institute for Municipal Clerks certification, the requirement

is 120 hours of instructional time. Eighty-one hours will be granted in the area of public

administration and interpersonal/social skills, and you should complete 40 hours of electives.

Customer Service – 6 hours

Understanding the importance of creating employee awareness of effective customer service, establish

standards of service and procedural plans to monitor and evaluate service within your office or department.

Elections (Fundamentals of Democratic Elections) – 6 hours

Review the basics of running an election, campaign disclosure rules, and procedures that will help you run

a successful election.

Excel Basic – 6 hours

Using Excel for financial management, records, and other government tasks.

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Excel – Advanced – 6 hours

Learn how to use absolute and relative cell references, apply various chart types (breakeven, trend line,

growth), work with advanced functions, work with hyperlinks, use templates, use what if analysis, analyze

data with pivot tables, embed spreadsheets, exchange data with other programs, and import and export data.

Government Law – 6 hours

The course will examine key legal issues elected officials should know. There will be discussion regarding

the legal framework between elected officials and staff. It will provide clerks with information regarding

their liability as public officials. Key court decisions will be reviewed, and ways to minimize liability will

be discussed.

Human Resources I – 6 hours

Clerks are often given the responsibility of handling personnel functions in their governments. Gain

information on personnel law, the basics of human resource management including the day-to-day issues

facing human resource staffs, the role of personnel managers, and establishing and adhering to sound

personnel policies and procedures.

Leadership – 3 hours

In this course, clerks discuss what specific skills are characteristic of the most effective leaders. What

skills and competencies separate extraordinarily effective performers from the rest of us? Some of the key

practices associated with clerks’ office effectiveness are: selectively hiring your staff, reducing “status” of

positions within the office, training your staff extensively, sharing information, and networking as much as

possible with other clerks. Other leadership attributes to be discussed include being inspirational, integrity,

being diplomatic, ethics, being a visionary, and striving to provide impeccable customer service to internal

and external customers. The course will conclude with self-awareness and interpersonal skills such as

communication with your staff and elected officials.

Payroll Administration – 6 hours

Many clerks frequently fill the role of payroll administrator. This class will help you discover the dos and

don’ts of this field.

Power Point Basic – 6 hours

As more and more individuals make multimedia presentations, learn the dos and don’ts of PowerPoint and

how to keep your audience’s attention.

Power Point Advanced – 6 hours

Introduction to more advanced commands, functions, and capabilities of Microsoft PowerPoint. This

course is designed for users who have used PowerPoint or who have recently learned the fundamentals of

PowerPoint and want to add advanced elements to their presentations. Learn to edit graphics, work with

objects, use multimedia effects, use action buttons, create custom shows, and create self-running

presentations.

Public Records Technology – 3 hours

In the course of conducting business, government agencies create records that serve to support, document,

and provide evidence of government activity. Most of these records will ultimately be destroyed, but a

precious few will be preserved permanently as historical records. As agencies respond to budget cuts and

e-government initiatives with a greater use of technology to conduct business, it becomes more difficult to

manage and preserve the records to ensure compliance and accountability. This session will look at the

challenges technology is bringing to the job of records management as well as address key policy and

planning initiatives that can ensure the maintenance of reliable and accessible records for the short- and

long-term. There will be discussion about storage, reformatting, and retention of public records.

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MASTERS EDUCATION

MANAGEMENT DEVELOPMENT CERTIFICATE PROGRAM

In 1980, the International Institute of Municipal Clerks implemented the Academy for Advanced

Education. The purpose is to acknowledge, promote, and guide advanced training and continued

professional growth. In support of this effort, an advanced education program was instituted in Georgia in

1982. The program provides an opportunity for certified city and county clerks to continue supervisory

and management development and professional growth. Now named the Masters Education Management

Development Program, the program was planned by the certification committee, has been updated in

collaboration with Vinson Institute faculty and is offered in conjunction with the fall/winter education

conferences.

Program Summary

The Masters Education Management Development Program features three key components: ten

courses, peer networking, and a project. Peer networking and engaged participation during classroom time

are expected. Two courses within the series will be offered at both the fall and winter Clerks’ education

conferences. Course offerings occur in a repeating, two and half year cycle that matches the order of the list

below:

• The Role of the Manager

• Communication and Coaching Skills

• Performance Evaluations

• Conflict Management

• Continuous Improvement

• Ethics and the Public Servant

• Managing Power Effectively

• Advanced Change Management

• Effective Public Presentations I

• Effective Public Presentations II

Certified city and county clerks may commence the program at any point during the course cycle.

Attendance is recommended for both course days during a given conference so as not to needlessly add

time to the two and a half year period. However, it is recognized that missed conferences may add to the

time needed for course completion. The program’s project requirement is for those participants interested in

pursuing an advanced management certificate and may be fulfilled after successful completion of the 60

course hours. Certified clerks who choose not to complete the job-related project are still encouraged to

participate in the management series.

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Project Requirement Summary

The project is designed to fully apply classroom topics to your daily work. There are two project

options and each requires applying knowledge from and reflecting upon the classroom topics. In short, the

two options are:

a) Conducting an actual work/process improvement project and analyzing it in terms of the

applicable classroom topics or

b) Writing a reflection paper about your work that considers all nine topics.

Both options require a Lessons Learned section; one is about what you may have learned while conducting

the process improvement and the other summarizes what you have learned during the Masters Education

Program.

Project Requirement Details

For completion of the Masters Education Management Development Program and to be awarded an

Advanced Management Certificate, a participant must complete a project, in addition to successfully

fulfilling the 10 course class requirements. Two major types of projects are allowed: process improvement

and reflection. In either case, the project should demonstrate application of the many skills and practical

theories participants have learned through the series of classes. The written report must be submitted to the

course instructor within six months of completion of the course work.

The individual selects a project, which must be approved by the course instructor (or designee);

process improvement projects also require written approval from the clerk’s supervisor

(manager/administrator, mayor, chairman).

Process Improvement Project. With this option, you are to achieve some form of process

(organizational, policy, or procedural) improvement and prepare a written report that documents

your effort. Projects may focus on such areas as interactions among staff and elected officials,

employee morale, improving work procedures, scheduling, employee training, creative problem

solving, development of guidelines for improved intergovernmental relations, and improved

performance evaluation systems. The project must be something the individual has or has had

personal responsibility for, and will work with others during some phase of the project.

Reflection Project. If your professional duties or responsibilities make a process improvement

project difficult to accomplish, you have the option of submitting a reflection paper as your final

project. Unlike the process improvement project, the reflection project is a wholly individual effort.

It involves documenting how each and every course topic has affected you in your professional role.

Getting Your Project Going

You can have your project idea approved at any point during your course of study. However,

recognize that you will need to have taken most of the courses to be in a position to prepare a

complete written report that meets all requirements. However, a portion of the reflection project

option can be drafted following each class you take.

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Begin with a conversation with Sherri Lawless, the course co-instructor (lawless@cviog.uga.edu).

Your goal is to explore some project ideas and get the go-ahead. If it’s a process improvement

project, it should be related to something that you initiate and manage. Alternatively, the reflection

project option is more personal but broader in management development scope. After this initial

conversation, you will need to submit a written request for approval to the course instructor’s

attention. If your desired project is a process improvement one, you will also need to seek and

submit written approval by your supervisor. These requests may be submitted as email

correspondence, scanned attachments, fax letters, or mailed memorandum. Before you initiate the

project, be sure the course instructor has given formal written approval. (In most cases, this will be

accomplished via email.) Please recognize that it is your responsibility to be certain that the course

instructor has received your request; confirming the receipt of anything you send with a phone call

or via email is required.

Project Report Content and Outline

While the two project options share the core objective of demonstrating your knowledge of the

Masters Education courses and relating that knowledge to your workplace, the specific content and

outline of each option differ. The subsections that follow further outline the differing requirements

for each of the options.

Process Improvement Project. It is critical that that the written report for any process

improvement project describes, not only what you did in terms of making an improvement, but also

the ways that the Masters Education program informed your project work. Please recognize that all

ten courses may not apply, you are only required to discuss the ones that did apply. For example,

performance evaluation may not be something that is within the project’s scope or your area of

responsibility. However, it is likely that issues related to change, power, or conflict did arise. For

example, if conflict was resolved, how was this achieved? If there was no conflict during the

process, explain why you think this was the case. Consistent with the checklist, be sure to include

an evaluation of the project. Was it successful? How did you measure its success? What lessons

did you learn?

The checklist that follows should be used as your guide for completing the written project report.

You must be sure to address each of the areas indicated. Please contact the course instructor if you

need any clarification or guidance; your project may not “fit” into all of the checklist areas. Please

note that your project report goes beyond a detailed description of your project; it also includes an

analysis of what transpired during the project period and an evaluation of what you accomplished.

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Process Improvement Project Report Checklist

This is simply a guide for use in preparing your process improvement project. While it is not

necessary that you strictly adhere to it in terms of order and structure any written report that does not

address all applicable areas will be considered incomplete.

√ Section Comments

Title Page

Background

Remember, the reader knows nothing about your organization.

Problem to be Solved or

Improvement to be

Made

What issue(s) are you trying to address and why? If it can be stated

quantitatively, please do so. (e.g., reduce backlog by___% by___.)

Project Description What is it you are setting out to do?

Steps You took or

Process Followed

during Course of

Project

This is a description (with relevant details) of what you did.

Analysis of the MDP

Topics that Relate to

your Project/How Did

this Knowledge Inform

your Decisions?

***Most Important Section***

How did you use what you have learned? Think about the courses

you took and how they relate to the project. (e.g., Was there conflict?

How did you resolve it? Was this a big change? How did you prepare

for it?)

Evaluation and Lessons

Learned

** Another Important section**

Was the project successful? How do you measure this success? What

worked? What did not?

What lessons have you learned by doing this project?

What would you do differently if you had to do the project again?

Timetable Some dates may be in the future.

Appendix:

Policy, Procedure,

Manual or some artifact

of what you

accomplished. Also,

Budget or Financial

Sheet Timeline

(including future steps)

Any worksheets, survey results, maps, or brochures you have that

help the reader better understand the process.

If your project has a tangible product that can be copied or included,

please do so. (e.g., new policy, copy of handbook or manual)

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Reflections Paper Project Checklist

The reflection project paper is designed to be a comprehensive reflection of the

coursework; it is broader in content scope but with only three major sections, is less complex in

organization and so a simple checklist is provided below. This project paper should be organized

into three sections; a paper that fails to include one of these sections will be considered

incomplete.

√ Section Comments Introduction Here you are to briefly describe what you are about to do. Name you

position and jurisdiction and how the paper is organized.

Content & Analysis Here you reflect on each of the nine course topics; you will recall that

although you had 10 class days, public speaking spanned two of them.

This section should include 1.5-2 double spaced pages per topic in

length. Be sure to describe your reflections, observations, and

reactions to how each topic relates to or has affected your workplace

situation. While not required, you may also include reflections on

how a topic relates to non-workplace situations.

Lessons Learned This section should summarize what you have learned during the

Masters Education Program. Here you should describe what’s at the

core of each topic or the single theme (or two) that unites your

learning.

Your completed reflection project paper should be 17-21 double-spaced pages in total length.

Project Report Font and Format Details

The suggested font for either report is New Times Roman 12 point but any business quality,

easily readable font that does not exceed 12 point or go under 11 will be accepted.

MASTERS EDUCATION PROJECTS: SOME THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND

-You must get with Sherri Lawless (lawless@uga.edu) for approval of all project ideas.

-Process improvement projects will also require your supervisor’s approval.

-You may start at any time but you will not be able to complete what’s required until you have

participated in all ten class days.

-Keep class handouts and the yellow sheets that have mini-notes on each class.

-You can work on the reflection paper section by section as you go through your coursework. It’s a good

option if you do not have responsibility for work processes and/ or finding a large block of time to

work on a project is difficult.

-It is your responsibility to ensure that instructor (Sherri or other designee) receives any

correspondence you send via email or USPS.

-Once agreed, we look for you to fulfill your commitment according to schedule.

Project Contact

Sherri Lawless, the course co-instructor, is available to coach you through the process (lawless@uga.edu).

Electronic copies of successful project reports are available for your information and review. Contact

Catherine Bennett (bennettc@uga.edu) or Debbie Barron (dbarron@uga.edu) for copies of project

submissions.

16

MASTERS EDUCATION

GRADUATE SEMINAR

“MEGS”

The Masters Education Graduate Seminar or MEGS is continuing education designed for those clerks and

finance officers who have successfully completed the Masters Education Management Development

Program. During four conference sessions that extend from Sunday evening through Tuesday afternoon,

MEGS participants will explore a management or leadership topic through reading, reflection, and group

discussion. MEGS is exclusively available to those conference participants who have previously received

their Masters Education Management Development Program certificate.