The first two assignments for SOC810 require you to write policy briefs. Writing policy briefs is a particular skill, used widely in government and non-government agencies to provide guidance to policy makers. There are many types of brief - but, we ask you to provide a brief intended for an internal audience (that is, for the Minister and senior staff within the department). This type of brief would generally not be published. The aim is to give a short summary of an issue, identify possible courses of action, identify arguments for and against, identify the parties involved and their opinions, and to highlight any possible implications. The briefs should strictly remain within the 1,000 word limit, but they may refer to additional material that can be supplied as an attachment.

For the first brief, imagine that you work in the relevant government department. Your job is to read ONE article/report, provide a neutral summary, and to let your Minister know if there is any action needed.The article selected should be the primary focus of your brief. In practice, an action could be as simple as advising the Minister to 'note' the report, but we encourage you to go further here. It might involve some government action, such as putting together an advisory committee on the issue, organising meetings with stakeholders and/or considering whether a discussion paper should be commissioned to canvass funding or policy changes. But, please make sure that your recommendations are appropriate for a brief (i.e. it would be inappropriate to suggest policy change). You will need to identify an issue for the brief by searching policy forums (e.g. Australian Policy Online <http//www.apo.org.au>). You should select an issue that relates to social policy (such as housing, health, education, welfare, etc). 

While the policy brief is primarily concerned with one article on one issue, you need to read more widely to familiarise yourself with existing policies, the nature of reforms, current debates and the positions of key stakeholders. This should involve consideration of relevant government policy.

N.B.  You should also select a different policy issue for the two briefs (and policy analysis task)! And, please follow the format outlined in the 'What is a policy brief?' document on iLearn.

The second policy brief should be written for an NGO. You will need to identify an issue and find ONE article to focus on using a policy forum such as Australian Policy Online (http//www.apo.org.au). For this brief, imagine you are working in a large non-profit organization (this can either by a service provider or an advocacy body). You need to identify a real organization and do some research on it. Your job is to read the article/report and to report to either the Executive Officer or the Board on actions that might be required. The action might simply be 'noting' the report, but it may be issuing a press release about the issue, organising a standing committee on the issue or organising a meeting with the relevant Minister to press a case. You should select a different policy issue than the one selected for the first policy brief. 

N.B. For the second brief, you should follow the format set out in the 'What is a policy brief?' link (as you did for the first brief). You should also select a different policy issue than the one selected for the first policy brief. 

The major assignment for SOC810 should be presented in the format of a research report. This report requires you to select a social policy problem and to critically evaluate current policies or proposals. You will need to select ONE of the following four options:

* income support for unemployed people;

* age pension

* childcare policies 

* Medicare

This report involves critically examining how the policy problem has been defined and critiquing proposals for government action. This should involve consideration of the following...

a)    Provide a brief overview of recent developments in the policy area and outline the main features of current policy.

b)    How has the problem been defined in policy and why is there a call for government action? 

c)    Who are the various stakeholders involved and what are their positions on the policy problem?

d)    What is the prevailing policy approach? Consider whether the policy reflects values, a particular theoretical orientation and/or stakeholder positions.

e)    Critically evaluate the policy in terms of its stated outcomes and some possible alternative approaches to policy. 

This task should be written up as an assignment of 1,800 to 2,000 words. Please feel free to use headings, write in paragraphs and double-space submitted work. You should use an introduction and conclusion to help organise and link your ideas.

The weekly online discussions are compulsory. To meet the requirements of this course, you are required to participate in at least 80 per cent of workshops. For participation to count, you will need to do this before the Monday of the next week. We will look for evidence that you have done the readings, engaged with social policy theories and debates as well as your ability to discuss social policy topics respectfully with other students (by initiating and responding to online posts). As an incentive, 10 percent of your final mark will be awarded for your participation.