Assignment: Developing Policy Proposals
Early in the process, policy advocates have to establish policy goals . . . Do they want basic change or incremental change? . . . What points of a proposal are most important to them? . . . What style of approach will be most effective?
-Bruce S. Jansson, Becoming an Effective Policy Advocate: From Policy Practice to Social Justice (8th ed.)
Developing an effective policy proposal is a balancing act that requires careful planning, from specifying content, getting sponsors, establishing a style, framing an approach strategy, making the most effective use of resources and the media, to having a back-up plan if your policy proposal is blocked. How is all of this accomplished?
You meet two individuals who are coping with social issues that require attention. You create a policy proposal for one of these individuals that will impact the situation he or she faces. You also develop Part 2 of the Project you began in Week 3. You analyze a social policy created and implemented to address the social problem identified in Part 1 of your Project.
Learning Objectives
o Create policy proposals
o Analyze policy proposals
o Evaluate approaches to social issues in policy work
o Create proposal for social advocacy
o Apply social advocacy skills
o Evaluate long-term impact of policy practice and advocacy
Discussion: Policy Proposals
In your reading, you meet Jose and Iris, two individuals who are in situations that require assistance and guidance from a professional social worker and policy advocate.
In this Discussion, create a policy proposal that will impact the situations faced by either Jose or Iris. Describe the trade-offs you used to develop your proposal.
To prepare: In your text, review "Trade-Offs: Systematically Comparing Policy Options in Step 3" in Chapter 8.
Post a brief summary of the policy proposal and its purpose that you created based on either Jose's or Iris's situation and the trade-offs you used to develop your proposal.
Respond to a colleague who selected a different case from yours with another approach to address the identified problem. What is the responsibility of the social workers working with Jose and/or Iris to advocate for a change in the social policy?
Project: Part 2: Putting Social Advocacy Skills into Action
Writing a proposal that functions as a focus of change is a significant part of being a social worker/policy advocate. This is your opportunity to use your advocacy skills to change and improve the lives of others.
In this Assignment, you write a proposal for some form of social advocacy that will seek to change a social, organizational, or legislative policy. The proposal may also involve advocacy for the amelioration of a social problem. The purpose of this assignment is to thoughtfully and thoroughly plan how you will advocate changing a social problem or policy that is of interest to you.
The policy practice/advocacy can take whatever form you wish and can be on any level: agency, community, state, or federal. You will submit a prospectus (3 to 4 pages) that describes the problem that is being addressed and the expected advocacy activities. You are expected to carry out the activities planned in this proposal and will present on your actions and outcomes in the Week 10 Final Project assignment.
1) Provide a brief synopsis of your social problem and identification of a policy that you submitted.
2) Describe the social problem or policy you would like to change, and the specific action you plan take to effect change.
Be specific when describing the social problem or policy you would like to change and address the following:
1) If you selected a policy, when was the policy enacted, by whom, and for what reason?
2) How are you going to work to change the policy/problem (i.e., plan for social advocacy)?
3) How will your efforts address the policy/social problem described?
4) Is continued policy practice/advocacy needed to make a long-term impact? Why or why not?
Format your assignment according to the give formatting requirements:
a. The answer must be double spaced, typed, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides.
b. The response also includes a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the course title, the student's name, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.
c. Also include a reference page. The references and Citations should follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length.
Required Readings
SOCW 6361 Webliography
These websites will be required throughout the semester. Become familiar with these websites, especially when doing research for your assignments.
Jansson, B. S. (2018). Becoming an effective policy advocate: From policy practice to social justice (8th ed.). Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole Cengage Learning Series.
Chapter 8, "Placing Policy Proposals in Policy Briefs in the Second, Third, and Fourth Steps of Policy Analysis" (pp. 246-283)
Plummer, S.-B, Makris, S., Brocksen S. (Eds.). (2014). Social work case studies: Concentration year.Baltimore, MD: Laureate International Universities Publishing. [Vital Source e-reader].
"Working with Clients with Addictions: The Case of Jose" (pp. 65-68)
"Working with the Aging: The Case of Iris" (pp. 68-69)
Stuart, P. H. (1999). Linking clients and policy: Social work's distinctive contribution. Social Work, 44(4), 335-347
Midgley, J., & Livermore, M. M. (Eds.) (2008). The handbook of social policy (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Chapter 6: "The Impact of Social Policy" (pp. 83-100) (PDF)