“JSGS works hard to create a supportive environment that simulates the high stakes of professional policy work," said Dr. Vince Hopkins, JSGS assistant professor and case competition lead.
"Students get to roll up their sleeves, tackle a tricky problem in a short period of time, and present to senior leaders in government. The competition is an excellent opportunity for our graduate students to showcase their skills and knowledge in public administration. We are so proud of their performance.”
This year’s fictional case study topic was 'The Transition to Clean Energy Production in Saskatchewan.'
Students were asked to provide a team of Saskatchewan ministers with two options regarding the possible transition to low-carbon energy production in Saskatchewan, including an assessment of the risks and benefits of each option. The teams rose to the challenge, outlining considerations around feasibility, timeline, public opinion, cost, and net benefit. Each team ended their presentation with a recommendation regarding a specific strategy involving specific types of energy production projects and types of communities or locations where these projects may occur. Most teams were in favour of Saskatchewan not collaborating with the federal government to access funding for this venture.
"This was a complex case, especially considering the time students were allocated to work on it but the teams did a great job," said Ron Styles, JSGS executive-in-residence and chief judge.
All teams provided the panel of judges with thoughtful and well-informed options and staunchly defended their recommendations. In the end, first place was awarded to Shiva Riazian (MPA, U of R), Braden Cline (MPA, USask), Viktoriya Kim (MPA, USask) and Marlin Legare (GENI, USask).
The team that will represent JSGS this winter at the national case competition, organized and supported by the Canadian Association of Programs in Public Administration (CAPPA), is still pending selection. The five students selected will be mentored by coaches and JSGS alumni Nancy Carlson (MPA’14), Senior Analyst, Energy Transition, Crown Investments Corporation of Saskatchewan (CIC), Government of Saskatchewan, and Derrick Lepine (MPA’17), Director, Labour Market Intergovernmental, Ministry of Immigration and Career Training, Government of Saskatchewan.
A special thank you to the judges and everyone who assisted in putting this year’s case competition together.
- Ron Styles, Executive-In-Residence, Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy
- Cammy Colpitts (MPA '11), Senior Advisor to the President & CEO, Crown Investments Corporation of Saskatchewan (CIC), Government of Saskatchewan
- Colten Goertz (MPP '17), Senior Policy Analyst, Ministry of Environment, Government of Saskatchewan
- Doug Moen, Executive-In-Residence, Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy
On behalf of the entire school, we thank all participants, congratulate the winning team, and wish the national team the best of luck as they compete against policy schools from across the country.
In the past, the annual internal case competition has covered many federal and provincial policy subjects, including challenging and multi-faceted topics of discussion such as the legalization of marijuana, foreign worker programs, national and provincial health crisis control, to challenge students’ opinions, presentation skills, and policy knowledge.