Students from School of Public Policy earn podium finish at national competition

As the debate over return-to-office (RTO) directives persists within Canada’s Public Service, a team of students from the School of Public Policy (SPP) achieved a podium finish for their proposal on the issue during the school’s inaugural participation in the 2025 National Public Administration Student Case Competition.  

Competing against 14 teams from universities across Canada, the Calgary team—comprised of Master of Public Policy (MPP) students Haris Ahmad, Brianne Dangerfield, Muneer Nazir, Ty Willness, and Serena (Thi) T. — tied with York University for the Bronze Prize. 

The competition, organized by the Canadian Association of Programs in Public Administration (CAPPA), challenged students to devise policy recommendations on ethics, RTO directives, and culture within the public service.  'Working on a real-world policy challenge with the team allowed us to put our lectures into action,' said Ahmad. 'It reinforced that policy isn’t just something we study—it’s what we do. We’re proud to represent the School.  

UCalgary makes its mark  

This marks the University of Calgary's first entry into the competition, making the team’s success even more significant, according to Dr. Kent Fellows, Director of Graduate Programs at SPP and the team’s academic advisor:  

'Three things stood out about this team,' said Fellows. 'First, we’re a public policy school, not a public administration school, so competing at this level is impressive. Second, it was our first time participating. And third, this team was entirely self-formed. These students approached me and said, "We want to compete in a case study competition." They made it happen. They were self-starters.' 

Over the course of ten days, teams developed solutions to federal RTO directives, focusing on Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC). Their proposals aimed to enhance productivity and service to communities in the post-pandemic period, while addressing challenges such as inconsistent policy enforcement, limited office space, and allegations of political interference.  

The competition culminated in a day-long event in late February, where teams presented their recommendations to a panel of judges that included senior officials from all levels of government and leaders from the private and nonprofit sectors.   

Concordia University was awarded the Shepherd Prize for first place, while the University of Toronto received silver.  

In a time when complex challenges and polarization permeate both government and the public, the University of Calgary’s impressive debut in the CAPPA case competition reflects the calibre of its students and the School of Public Policy’s commitment to preparing the next generation of policymakers shaping Canada’s future.