Policy Paper/Project
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Directions:
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| Each
student will be required to complete a thorough, competent, well-written
policy analysis with “real world” implications and grounding such as a
briefing paper, white paper, or a cost-benefit analysis.
Students will be expected to identify a hypothetical client for
their analysis and employ the appropriate qualitative or quantitative
technique(s) needed to analyze a policy problem.
I strongly advise selecting a topic you are interested in
and view this project as an opportunity to develop a written work product
that can be included in your portfolio when you graduate. |
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Picking a Topic
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| Students should waste no time in identifying the
subject for their analysis and a primary criterion should be that it can
be completed within the timeframe of the course.
You will soon discover that these analyses require research and
information to support your analysis.
Accordingly, do not invest your time in a large-scale analysis from
which you cannot obtain the required social, political, and economic data. A
list of potential topics is posted on the
class website. Students can also look through newspapers and magazines to help
identify problems looking for analysis. Students are advised
to consult with the professor before investing too much time in a
potential topic to be sure that the project can be completed during the
semester. |
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Class Discussion of Your Projects
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| You will be required to periodically discuss the
progress of your analysis with your classmates and any lessons you have
learned to date. These short
presentations will allow you to practice how to communicate your findings
to decisionmakers. This can
and should include asking your fellow classmates for ideas and opinions
about how to overcome the obstacles you confront during your analysis. |
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Preliminary Analysis Memo Assignment
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| You will be required to submit a preliminary
written assignment that serves two functions. First, it helps
prevent procrastination and forces you to pick a topic early and perform
elements of the analysis while we are discussing the corresponding
readings. Second, it is designed to help you learn how to
communicate the key points of your analysis in memo form. |
 | Preliminary
Analysis Memo: Students must prepare a 3 page memo that: defines
the problem, client, and rationale for government intervention (e.g.,
market or government failure); identifies the main factors affecting
the problem (i.e., is their a causal model associated with the
problem); identifies alternatives; and, summarizes the criteria that
will be used to evaluate the alternatives.
It should also include as an attachment a list of bibliographic
references and data sources. |
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Final Report
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| You
must also learn how to communicate the results of your analysis in a
professional manner. Accordingly, each student is required to submit
a final report that counts as a significant portion of your final course
grade. At a minimum, your
final report must include the following: |
| Cover |
| Table of contents |
| Executive summary (1 - 2 pages)) |
| Main
report (i.e., discussion of problem, discussion of evaluative
criteria, discussion of each alternative, projected outcomes of each
alternative, a comparison of the alternatives, a recommended
alternative, and an implementation strategy for that alternative) |
| Supporting
tables and figures |
| Bibliography |
| Appendices
or supporting materials |
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| The report is expected to be clear, concise, and
professional. It should communicate your findings effectively to your
client. Final reports will
probably be at least 20 double-spaced pages, but many will be longer
depending on the problem and nature of your analysis. |
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