Assignment Instruction Sheet 2.

POLICY ANALYSIS PAPER

Please find below important information, regarding the third assignment: “Policy Analysis paper”. In this document you will find Due Date, Key Details, Essay Question, A Sample Outline, Instructions and Guideline. Please note that whatever information is given on this sheet is deemed to be the primary information, students should use these details as accurate and correct and overrule anything found elsewhere .

• KEY DETAILS

• 2000 words
• Standard Font, Double Spaced
• Use of any accredited Citation System
• No Minimum References (although engagement is expected and rewarded)

• ESSAY QUESTION 

Evaluate and analyse a chosen policy you are studying using a theory identified in the course and present the results of your analysis in a paper.

A policy analysis paper requires students to research in depth an issue of public concern, in particular in relationship to diversity. It can be an issue of ongoing political debate or an issue that has not yet gained the attention of policy makers. A policy analysis defines the problem or issue at hand, describes its background and provides a balanced assessment of options that policy makers could pursue to resolve the problem.

• A SAMPLE OUTLINE

1. Title: name of paper, prepared by… and for …, date  - at top of first page, title and date repeated in header subsequent pages
2. Introduction –summarizing the importance or currency of the issue being analysed and the major question(s) to be addressed in the analysis
3. Context - a short description of the situation, with quantitative information if available.
4. History – a summary of past policy initiatives in the jurisdiction of concern (or others) and their outcomes.
5. Outline Relevant Framework/Method/Theory to analyse Policy  – one page analysis of applicable theory
6. Use Relevant theory to analyse chosen policy (major section of paper)
7. Concluded with evaluation and recommendations: Two or three paragraphs

• INSTRUCTIONS

In this assessment students will critically analyse a policy of their choosing. Students will be asked to

• (A) choose between a list of theoretical framework/method (eg. Bacchi WPR) and the find
• (B) an Australian policy of their choice, to then
• (C) critically analyse the policy through their chosen framework/method.

Verbal instructions and an example of policy analysis will be given during workshops/case studies throughout the intensive, and detailed written instructions (with a grading rubric) will be made available on LMS. The total word count is 2000 words.

• GUIDELINE

At the heart of this assignment is a student’s capacity to address the problem they wish to research and analyse within a policy. Students should identify a specific policy and articulate why the problem it addresses is important, and they should also articulate its social relevance. Students should also establish a set of criteria for them resolving the problem in question.

Finally, students will be better placed if they can outline the historical context by describing how the problem arose and outlining previous efforts, if any, to address the problem. To detail the issue and any prior policy responses, students can use a range of sources, including books, articles from scholarly journals, previous policy analyses, government reports, legislative materials and news articles. Summarize the results of prior policy efforts and identify the major stakeholders.

Students must also conclude with a summary that recommends a policy action, based on their analysis of a set of alternatives. Articulate reasons, supported by facts and evidence, why the policy proposal you have chosen would be the best avenue from addressing the issue in question.