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Due to fiscal constraints the City of Kansas City will be unable to offer the Cookingham-Noll Management Fellowship for the 2012-2014 cycle.
Departmental rotations and assignments
The first year of the Cookingham-Noll Management Fellowship is divided into three, four-month trimesters. The first trimester is intended to orient each fellow to the City of Kansas City, Mo., government and Kansas City itself. The second focuses on the annual budget preparation process and various tasks as assigned. The final trimester of the first year allows fellows the opportunity to select special projects in areas of specific interest. In their second year, fellows will be expected to apply skills learned in the first year in projects, areas of interest and/or relevant areas of need.
During each trimester and in the second year, fellows work closely with the city manager, assistant city managers and departmental staff on a variety of projects.
Examples of departments where Cookingham-Noll Fellows have worked and relevant projects include:
Management and Budget Office - Conducting a case study on Kansas City’s recent large-scale consolidation.
- Computing and analyzing expenditures at City-owned correctional facility; Providing research and analysis concerning the City’s Geographic Information System policy
- Analyzing and managing departmental budgets
- Working with the 3-1-1 Action Center to analyze customer service processes and data
- Writing the Government Finance Officers Award application
Capital Projects Office
- Working with communications team to implement department-wide communications and PR initiatives, such as groundbreaking events and community forums
- Organizing project site tours for City Council members and other stakeholders
- Facilitating in the development and delivery of the contractor evaluation form
City Manager’s Office
- Participating in a Municipal Court process improvement work group
- Managing the All-America City Award marketing campaign for the City of Kansas City, Mo.
- Researching how other cities use interlocal agreements to recover costs
- Staffing Contract Oversight Committee
- Working with a project team studying red light cameras to make a recommendation to council
- Developing an Ethics Hotline Database
- Analyzing and implementing changes to existing city administrative regulation
City meetings and tours
One of the most important features of the fellowship program is the opportunity it offers to view municipal government in action. As a Cookingham-Noll Fellow, you will be encouraged to attend a variety of high-level meetings and events to observe the decision-making process in action. During these meetings, you may observe the city manager and mayor discussing the budget or the assistant city manager explain a new city-wide project to the City’s department directors. Observing these processes will help you to develop a comprehensive understanding of how decisions are made in municipal government.
In addition to these projects and meetings, fellows tour City facilities to better understand the vast array of programs and services the City provides. A list of potential tours and contact names will be provided to the fellows. Potential excursions include visits to water treatment plants, ride-alongs with city police and visits to neighborhood centers. In addition to city-run operations, fellows are encouraged to visit other Kansas City sites such as the Nelson-Atkins Art Museum, Arrowhead and Kauffman stadiums and the River Market area.
Meeting with community leaders
It has been a long tradition for Cookingham-Noll Fellows to meet with civic, government, business, political and other leaders from the area for lunch to discuss their areas of interest and expertise. This is a great opportunity to learn about Kansas City while making contact with influential people throughout the community. A list of community leaders and contact information will be provided to the fellows.
