Policy Proposal Written Report Instructions PDF

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KEY SOCIAL SCIENCE CONCEPTS POLICY PROPOSAL INSTRUCTIONS You are a group of policy research consultants, retained by the Home Office to undertake research into policies that the Government is considering implementing. You have been asked to prepare a report into a specific policy proposal (see blackboard for your group’s proposal). Your report must be set out in line with the attached guidelines and using the subheadings provided. Prior to submitting your report you will present your findings and recommendations verbally to a panel of your peers and academic staff who will provide you with valuable feedback to improve your ideas before you submit your written paper. Guidance as to what is expected in your oral presentation are attached in a separate Oral Presentation file. Your written report and oral presentation will be jointly assessed (i.e. you will receive one mark covering both modes of presentation, written and oral. The final mark will represent the sum of your oral and written marks divided by two). All group members will receive the same mark. GROUP POLICY WRITTEN REPORT Your report must be set out as follows: Executive summary: 

A one-page summary of your report, its recommendations and conclusions, in bullet-point form

Introduction: 

Set out the policy proposal you are asked to investigate and the wider social and political importance of the policy ‘problem’

Defining the problem and identifying key stakeholders: 

What ‘problem’ is the proposed policy you are examining trying to solve? How important is this issue? Which stakeholders (individuals, groups, societies, corporations, government departments etc.) have an interest/ stake in this policy area? How might their interests vary? How should policy development take account of these competing interests?

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How does the policy proposal you are studying intersect with issues of identity and citizenship? NB: You need to indicate which theoretical perspectives addressed on the module you engage with to analyse the problem.

Literature Review/ Transnational Comparisons: 

What other research or policy proposals exist in this areas? Have governmental departments or non-governmental organisations examined similar policies recently or in the past?

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What academic/ research literature exists on the subject? Remember to search broadly. You will need to show evidence that you have critically engaged with key theoretical perspectives addressed on the module and applied this analysis in deciding on your recommendations

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Have similar policies been introduced elsewhere? It would be useful to look outside Britain for examples of how such policies might/ might not work

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What insights do we gain from these materials?

Recommendations: 

Summarise your key recommendations and provide an overview of your arguments. Do you agree that the policy proposal should be implemented? If so, why? If not, why not? 1

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Are there alternative ways of addressing the same social/ political issues this proposal sought to address?

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Where you have been asked to prepare specific information as part of the policy proposal, this should be presented regardless of the overall recommendations you make regarding the policy’s suitability for adoption. (Remember that the Government can always ignore your recommendations so you have to ensure your research is of use, regardless of the decision they make.)

Discussion: 

Examine the issues raised by your research and your recommendations

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What would be the implications of your recommendations? For Britain? For various key stakeholders? (NB: Just because something is unpopular or electorally controversial that doesn’t mean it isn’t right/ worth doing.)

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What sort of financial implications would the policy have? (You don’t have to go into detail, but would this be a relatively cheap policy to implement or would it require major investment?)

Conclusion: 

Briefly restate your key points and reasons for the recommendations you made

Bibliography: 

Provide a full bibliography of all research sources consulted in the preparation of your report/ presentation, organised in line with the School Coursework Production Guide

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This is not included in the word count

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The report must be fully referenced using the appropriate academic technique (again, see CWPG for guidance

Other issues/ FAQs: 

You need to submit an electronic copy. One member only of your group needs to submit this via the 'Policy Report Submission' button which will appear nearer to the time on the module's blackboard site. There are instructions posted under the relevant tab on how to do this.

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