Social Policy Brief

Social Policy Brief

Policy brief needs to be strictly harvard referencing – in text and list as i ordered an assessment before and was marked down due to incorrect referencing. details of assessment: Overview Assessment Item 3 (at least 8 academic references are required ? see the Reading List) A Briefing Paper provides background information on a particular policy. In government, policy officers prepare Briefing Papers for Ministers to discuss in Cabinet or in other contexts for the purpose of change. You will be preparing a Briefing Paper on one of the following 3 policy areas covered in Part 4 of the Carson and Kerr text: Income Support, Employment or Housing. Once a policy area is selected, you are required to provide background information and identify the limitations of the policy and offer options for a policy which might overcome these limitations. Your Brieifing Paper will contain 3 sections and will be structured as follows: 1. Introduction Title. Description of the policy area e.g. background information, why the policy was d eveloped 2. Discussion Current policy responses e.g. what is happening now and why might this be the case e.g. highlight areas of disadvantage amongst particular population groups, social changes that may have had an impact on policy responses, gaps between policy and practice, change options to consider. 3.Conclusions and Recommendations What needs to change or be considered; these will be a series of concise dot-points which have developed logically from the preceding discussion e.g. funding and/or service provision to be maintained, increased, decreased, redirected to particular areas etc. Details Assessment format: Briefing paper Length/Duration: 2,000 words Late penalty: 10% deducted per day. Submission method: vUWS turnitin Is assessment compulsory? Yes, you must complete this assessment in order to be eligible to pass the unit regardless of the aggregate mark you achieve across assessments Is Cover Sheet required? Yes, with your tutor’s name on the Cover Sheet Marking criteria Assessment 3 (40%, 2000 words, submitted via turnitin). Read the assignment question in the Learning Guide (which also lays out a template for your briefing paper), and shape your response according to the marking criteria below?? ? Criterion Fail Pass Credit Distinction High Distinction Content (70%) 1. Brief description of policy issues (10%) Incorrect or incomplete description of current policy related issues Basic description of current policy related issues Clear and thoughtful description of current policy related issues Clear and comprehensive description of current policy related issues Exceptional description recent of current policy related issues 2. Articulation of current policy (10%) Incorrect or incomplete articulation of current policy Basic articulation of current policy Clear and thoughtful articulation of current policy Clear and advanced articulation of current policy Exceptional articulation of current policy 3. Why is there a need to develop a new policy (20%) Incorrect or incomplete identification of gaps between policy and practice Basic identification of gaps between policy and practice Clear and thoughtful identification of gaps between policy and practice Clear and advanced identification of gaps between policy and practice Exceptional identification of gaps between policy and practice 4.Description of policy options (20%) Incorrect or incomplete description of policy options Basic description of policy options Clear and thoughtful description of policy options Clear and advanced response to each question Exceptional description of policy options 5. Argument for preferred position (10%) Incorrect or incomplete argument for preferred position Basic argument for preferred position Clear and thoughtful argument for preferred position Clear and advanced argument for preferred position Exceptional argument for preferred position Format (30%) Written expression Unacceptable level of written expression Adequate written Good expression ? Very good expression ? few problems Outstanding written expression – clear & concise and accurate grammar & spelling Referencing Unsatisfactory standard of referencing Satisfactory referencing Good referencing High standard of referencing, but a couple of errors Faultless or near-faultless in-text referencing and reference list Structure- Disorganised Adequate Good structure Very good organisation Outstanding organisationless