Our Committee |  Past SIPA Public Policy Case Competitions

The SIPA Public Policy Case Competition is a case-based, problem-solving competition for policy students. In teams of three, graduate students from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs are given just five hours to address either a public policy or international development challenge, depending on which case category they choose to compete in.  At the end of the preparation time, they must then present a coherent and innovative solution to a panel of judges comprised of leaders in the field of public sector and development consulting.

Just two years ago, the SIPA Public Policy Case Competition (SPPCC) did not exist.  A group of graduate students at SIPA who had been exposed to business case competitions inquired whether there were any policy case competitions that brought together students across disciplines to learn and be challenged.   At the same time, the emergence of the development consulting field called for a new kind of public policy graduate student: one who had the skills of a private sector consultant, but had the understanding of a policy expert.

With the critical help of the School of International and Public Affairs and the support from Deloitte Consulting LLP,  we were able to launch a pilot case competition in the spring of 2009.  Fifteen brave participants and five generous sponsors helped make the pilot a success.

As of today, the SIPA Public Policy Case Competition (SPPCC) is the first school to ever host an event of this kind,  inviting practitioners from across the public and private sector currently making a difference in the policy world to help guide, identify, and connect with a new generation of public policy leaders.

If you’re interested in finding out more or getting involved, you can contact us at sipa@policycasecompetition.com.