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DHS Local Government Case Competition

2011 Case Competition Winners If you are interested in a career in the public sector, the annual DHS Local Government Case Competition is an intellectually challenging way to explore your opportunities. Teams from some of the top public policy, social work, business and law programs in the region have been participating in case competitions at DHS since 2007. In addition to networking with peers, students get an in-depth look at the Allegheny County Department of Human Services and have a chance to interact with some of the foremost leaders in local government, private foundations and in the academic community in Pittsburgh. 

Case Competition Details

Students are grouped into interdisciplinary teams and are tasked with solving a real-world problem related to human services delivery. Teams receive the case and must analyze it and be prepared to present to a panel of distinguished judges in less than 48 hours. First-round finalists are announced that afternoon and winners are awarded cash prizes (courtesy of the Human Services Integration Fund) of up to $3,000 after final presentations that day.

Specific information about the case competition time commitment, judging criteria and a sample schedule of events can be found in the pdf.gif Local Government Case Competition brochure.  

Past challenges have to asked students to:

  • Develop a strategic plan that DHS could employ to improve the experiences of individuals living with serious mental illness. (2011)
  • Devise a plan that would narrow the acedemic achievement gap for students involved in DHS and raise the bar for all students enrolled in the Pittsburgh Public Schools. (2010)
  • Develop a strategic plan for a new non-profit organization called the Homewood Children’s Village. (2009)
  • Position DHS as leader in the environmental sustainability movement. (2008)
  • Imagine what DHS and human services delivery might look like in 20 years. (2007)
2011 Winning Presentations

pdf.gif First Place Presentation
pdf.gif Second Place Presentation 
pdf.gif Third Place Presentation
pdf.gif Fourth Place Presentation

2011 Case Competition Participants

2010 Winning Presentations

pdf.gif First Place Presentation 
pdf.gif Second Place Presentation 
pdf.gif Third Place Presentation 
pdf.gif Fourth Place Presentation  

DHS competition elicits ideas from graduate students to improve education outcomes 
Press Release, Nov. 17, 2010

Duquesne Graduate Students Place in Government Case Competition 
Duquesne University Newsroom, Nov. 24, 2010

2009 Winning Presentations

pdf.gif First Place Presentation 
pdf.gif Second Place Presentation 
pdf.gif Third Place Presentation 
pdf.gif Fourth Place Presentation

Case Competition Summary Reports

Each year, DHS solicits feedback from students and judges and we use that input to continue to improve the experience for future case competition participants. That feedback and other case competition details are included in reports about the past competitions.

pdf.gif Pittsburgh Public Schools and the Pathways to the Promise: The 2010 Local Government Case Competition 
pdf.gif Building the Homewood Children's Village: The 2009 Local Government Case Competition 
pdf.gif Greening DHS: The 2008 Local Government Case Competition
pdf.gif The Future of DHS: The 2007 Local Government Case Competition 
 
For more information, contact:

Katie Meehan at Katie.Meehan@AlleghenyCounty.us