Gender Analytics Capstone Project

Overview

It’s time to use your Gender Analytics skills to tackle a real-world challenge in your capstone project. In the final course in the Gender Analytics Specialization offered by the Institute for Gender and the Economy (GATE) at the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management, you will practice your Gender Analytics skills in an applied learning project that will take you through the entire process for using gender-based insights to generate innovative solutions. You will be expected to think about the problem using an intersectional gender lens, explore both quantitative and qualitative data, apply human-centered design methodologies to developing prototypes, and plan for roll out in an organization, market or community. This activity provides a hands-on learning opportunity to practice critical skills for Gender Analytics.

Syllabus

Identify the problem to solve

Identifying the right problem to solve is an essential first step. Most projects that don’t succeed failed to get the problem statement right at the outset. In this module, you will be introduced to a real-world case and given some quantitative data to analyze. (Next week, you’ll get some qualitative evidence to compare and contrast with the quantitative evidence you have this week.) You are expected to examine the data sources, select which data might be relevant, and use the data to generate insights about the problem you want to solve. You’ll get a chance to think about what you can learn by looking at data intersectionally. This will be a great opportunity for you to leverage what you learned in Course 2 on Inclusive Analytic Techniques.

Using inclusive analysis to reframe the problem

This week, you will gain access to additional qualitative evidence. You are expected to compare the quantitative and qualitative insights and push yourself to get a deeper understanding of the underlying needs of women-led businesses. Let the data “speak” rather than imposing your assumptions on them. You will then use the insights to reframe the problem you are trying to solve.

Ideation, prototyping and iteration

In this week, you will use your human-centered design skills to brainstorm ideas about potential solutions (either a product, service, process, or policy) to the problem statement you created in Week 2. Then, you will select one of these ideas to prototype. You will also get a chance to think through how you would test your idea and determine whether it is worth pursuing. This is your chance to be creative!

Making a change plan

In this final week of the Capstone, you will develop an action plan that anticipates potential barriers you may face in implementing your ideas and assesses the resources and modes of collaboration you require to move forward with your plan. You will also practice strategic storytelling to effectively communicate your ideas and generate support. This would be a great opportunity for you to leverage the knowledge you gained in Course 4 on Transformational Leadership. You will then complete your final project submission for peer review. You are on track to earn your Gender Analytics Specialization Certificate!