Munk School Team Wins Silver at National Public Administration Case Competition

Imagine being a senior official in a major government department, tasked with bringing thousands of employees back to the office after years of remote work. The employees are used to working from home—and they like it. Now, factor in a workplace culture shaped by social media, where frustrations about the change could quickly spread, potentially harming the department’s reputation.

And then, picture having just 20 minutes to present your plan—followed by 10 minutes of tough, unsmiling questions from senior leadership.

This was the challenge at the heart of the 2025 National Public Administration Case Competition, where the Munk School team earned an impressive second-place finish. Competing against 14 graduate schools of public administration from across the country, the team of MPP students Noah Lee, Georgia Maxwell, and Fadeel Sheikh, along with MGA students Milad Naeimi and Jean-Pierre Peladeau, was coached by Drew Fagan and Brian Lewis. The competition took place online last Saturday, with Concordia University securing first place.

Since the competition’s inception in 2012, the Munk School has won twice, most recently in 2021, and has now placed second four times. With a total of eight podium finishes—including a third-place win in 2024—the Munk School holds the record for the most medals earned by any school.

For this year’s challenge, teams had 10 days to develop their response to a scenario centered on Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC). While fictional, the case reflected real-world complexities: Return-to-Office policies remain a pressing issue, and questions around appropriate social media use continue to shape public service ethics.

 The judges, composed of current and former public service leaders, praised the Munk School team for their well-balanced approach, combining strategic insight with practical implementation. The team’s detailed execution plan stood out, with the judges commending them for delivering a plan that was both effective and fair.

Public policy often comes down to two essential questions: Should something be done? And if so, how should it be done? In this case, the fictional ESDC had already received its directive—the challenge was execution. 

Congratulations to the team on this outstanding achievement!