Task Force

5 Things to Know About Task Force

Jackson Task Force 2019

1. Unique Experience

  • Task Force is a unique undergraduate policy capstone experience.
  • Over 3,500 students have completed Task Force since 1983, producing more than 200 policy reports.

Task Force 2019 evaluation

2. Teamwork

  • Task Force students work in teams on a common project with common purpose, under the direction of expert faculty.
  • Key leadership roles are assigned to students, including editor and project coordinator.

Student study in the Graduate Reading Room at Suzzallo Library, University of Washington Seattle Campus. Photo credit: Katherine B. Turner

3. Time Pressure

  • Students conduct research on fast-moving international issues.
  • Task Force teams have to meet tight deadlines and provide up-to-date analysis for their reports and policy recommendations.
Binh Truong, a Jackson School student, gives a summary of her Task Force group work on assessing the role of NGOs in humanitarian aid in front of over 160 students and high-level policymakers, Task Force Day Dinner, March 15, 2019.

Binh Truong, a Jackson School student, gives a summary of her Task Force group work on assessing the role of NGOs in humanitarian aid in front of over 160 students and high-level policymakers at Task Force Day Dinner, March 15, 2019.

4. Translation

  • Students taking Task Force gain the disciplinary tools needed to analyze global and regional issues and challenges (including writing and foreign language).
  • Task Force students have to translate their coursework and research into effective policy writing – and into effective presentations to their expert evaluators.

Asia-Pacific Maritime Security Task Force 2017

5. Impact

  • The Task Force experience helps students build career-relevant skills such as teamwork, negotiating deadlines and effective writing.
  • Many Task Forces provide research and recommendations that are used in decision-making by NGOs, communities and governments.