CPA Capstone 1 – Tips For Week 1 – 2 Submission (Part 1)

I am at the 2.5-week mark for Capstone 1 as I am writing this post. My group and I had our first chat call with our facilitator tonight. Originally, I thought about writing a post with my thoughts and what worked/did not work for me after I finish Capstone 1. However, I decided to provide a more real-time update as I find these posts are generally more relatable.

Capstone 1 Week 1 to 2 Submissions & Tips

Since Capstone 1 is quite different than the PEP modules you have taken so far, it can get a bit confusing at first. For your reference (note, I am taking Capstone 1 in May 2021), here are the submissions required for Week 1 to 2:

Self-Assessment & Peer Assessment

• self-assessment is pretty straightforward and it took only 10 minutes to complete (if not shorter)
• for peer assessment, we were advised by one of the facilitators that we are not expected to create problems if there is not one
  • in another word, try your best to fill out as many fields as possible but you are not expected to fill out every box on the assessment (one behaviour to start, continue and stop for each person)

  Part 1 of Capstone 1 Report

  • refer to Week #2 instructions and use the task list like a checklist for Part 1
  • refer to sample Part 1 reports (you should be given two) to determine the format and level of details
    • when there is a discrepancy between the sample report and Week #2 instructions, follow Week #2 instructions
    • the word limit is for the body of the report ONLY (1,500 words)
    • the page limit is for the appendices ONLY (10-page)
    • meaning you should not focus on any particular strategic option at this point

    What Tips Do I Have For Group Work?

    As expected, my group consists of members of different working styles, background and expectations. There are several things we started doing or decided to do that I think helped with making week 1 & 2 as smooth as they could be:

    • having a meeting agenda helped us stay on track and keep the meetings productive (we met for ~1.5 hours on the weekend every week so far)
    • meeting minutes are not required but strongly encouraged so decisions and/or action items can be logged
    • do not be afraid to question another member’s suggestion politely
      • for example, someone else suggested meeting once more during the week but we were having trouble finding a time that would work for everybody so I suggested we not meet but commit to being available on a certain evening on Whatsapp instead
      • showing up to meetings on time and prepared
      • nothing is worse than finding out someone needed help last-minute
      • if possible, get your parts done earlier than the deadline so you can be available for your groupmate (who might do the same for you when you need it)

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