Departmental rotations and assignments
Cookingham fellows rotate through the City Manager’s Office, the Capital Improvements Management Office or the Public Works Department, Office of Management and Budget, and one department of the fellow’s choice.
The rotations are scheduled in three-month increments from June to August, September to November, December to February and March to May. During these rotations, fellows work closely with departmental staff on a variety of projects.
Examples of projects Cookingham fellows have worked on include:
Management and Budget Office rotation
• 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 city’s Geographic Information System policy
• Analyzing and managing Public Works Department budget
• Working with the 3-1-1 Action Center to analyze customer service processes and data
• Writing the Government Finance Officers Award application
Capital Improvements Management Office rotation
• Working with CIMO 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
• Communicating the action plan for CIMO Core Values
• Facilitating in the development and delivery of the contractor evaluation form
• Developing a department-wide training program to serve various CIMO staff
• Formulating the sample for Street Maintenance Assessment program
City Manager’s Office rotation
• Participating in a Municipal Court process improvement work group
• Managing the All America City award marketing campaign for the City of Kansas City, Mo.
• Determining 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 regulations
Additional rotational opportunities
As a Cookingham fellow, you also will have the chance to rotate through an additional department of interest to you. The emphasis of the fellowship program is on the experience you will gain in the three established rotations. Your fourth rotation will allow you to gain experience in a department of your choice in order to gain the full breadth of experience that you seek.
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 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. Fellows are best able to understand the vast array of programs and services the City provides by visiting these sites. A list of potential field trips 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 fellows to meet with civic, local 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.
Group project
While working in the rotations, the fellows will select and design a year-long project that will significantly impact the City of Kansas City, Mo., government. The city manager, assistant city managers and department directors may provide guidance and ideas for project selection. This project provides fellows with an opportunity to work together on a project of specific interest to them.
