Answer Policy Content Plan

Policy Content Plan (30 Points)

Directions:

1. Insert your policy brief content below each section.

2. Although this assignment is a worksheet to help you organize your content, it is NOT a draft version of your content for your Policy Brief. For this assignment, you will be graded on the quality of your content. Your responses to each section must meet all of the listed requirements and be of high quality. The goal is to simply use the content you write in this worksheet and copy/paste into your Policy Brief, with the changes suggested by your instructor.

3. Choose your language, tone, and words carefully

a. Use simple and clear language

· Choose language that would be easily understood by a non-health professional.

· Avoid medical/topic specific jargon.

· Keep information at a 7th or 8th grade reading level

b. Be professional and direct. Avoid slang and figures of speech.

c. Use active voice (a direct and clear approach to communication). See https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/539/02/ for detailed examples.

4. Submit to the correct link in Assignments.

Before you begin:

· Review the Policy Brief Example in Canvas.

· Refer to the detailed Policy Brief Tutorial if you need any additional description of each section below.

Policy Selection (1 point):

Review any instructor comments regarding your policy selection for the Policy Brief assignment from the Policy Choice Worksheet.

1. Was your policy choice appropriate for the Policy Brief assignment?

Highlight the correct response: YES NO

2. If your policy selection was not appropriate, what new policy did you select for the Policy Brief assignment?

Page 1 Content (10 points):

Public Health Background (3 points)

· Overview: Define the problem as a public health issue. Remember, this is where you will connect the issue to human health and well-being. For example, what is secondhand smoke? What is medical marijuana? Answering the “what is it?”.

· Length Requirement: This section should be no more than 100 words.

· Content:

Summary of public health significance (3 points)

· Overview: Describe the implications of the problem. How does it affect quality of life, life expectancy or any other public health statistics that are applicable? In this section, you will want to include data to support your claims. Having statistics and rates gives credibility to your message. Answering the “why is it important?” or “why should I care?”.

· Length Requirement: This section should be no more than 100 words.

· Content:

Hook Element (2 points)

· Overview: Create a brief, emotionally stimulating element to engage and persuade the reader. This should be text-based. Examples often include: 1) hypothetical scenarios, 2) news story accounts, 3) shocking information, or 4) quick facts.

· Length Requirement: This should be no more than 50-100 words.

· Content:

Image (2 points)

· Overview: People are often persuaded by compelling images. In your Policy Brief you will only include 1 image on page 1, but here you will include 3 images to help find the best image to convey your message.

· Note: Your images should be very closely connected to your hook element. It should be very obvious to the reader what you will be discussing on page 1. This image should present the “problem” and what needs to stop.

· Images:

Page 2 Content (6 points):

2 Laws/Policies (4 points)

· Overview: Choose 2 laws/policies that currently exist and are related to the overarching health problem. These are different from your actual policy recommendation that you will be presenting on page 3 of the Policy Brief. These can be policies from other cities, counties, states, or countries that are closely connected to your policy recommendation. The purpose is to help set the stage for your policy recommendation. You are showing that this issue is important and has already been presented in other locations.

· Requirements & Length Requirement: Include the name and a brief description for each policy. Consider if the policies have been successful or unsuccessful in their respective locations. This should be no more than 150 words total.

· Law/Policy 1:

· Law/Policy 2:

Data Visualization (2 points)

· Overview: You want to show the reader research on this topic. Here you will include a graph, table, map, or another form of data in a visual format. It must contain information that justifies your stance and points to the need for your recommendation. This should not be expressed as text within a paragraph. The goal here is for the reader to have a visual representation of data that does not require reading text.

· Data:

Page 3 Content (11 points):

Opposition (2 points)

· Overview: Summarize a main argument that opponents of your policy would make. Refute this argument with an information-based response. You want to make sure that your discussion is rooted in research and facts and not just opinions. I often recommend describing in the following way: “Opponents of XXX often claim that……..However, ……” Remember, you always want to have the last word, so provide a rebuttal.

· Length Requirement: This discussion should be approximately 50 words in length.

· Content:

Policy Recommendation & Call to Action (2 points)

· Overview: Describe an existing or proposed policy on your issue. You already identified this in the last worksheet. Here you will include the name and details of this policy. This is what you want people to vote for or against. The reader needs sufficient detail to understand the policy. If this is an existing policy, be sure to describe how you will improve upon this existing policy with some sort of change, advancement, or amendment. The last sentence of this section should be your call to action. This is what you want the reader to do – i.e., vote for your recommendation.

· Length Requirement: This discussion should be between 50-100 words in length.

· Content:

Your Contact Information (1 point)

· Overview: Include your name, any credentials or certifications, phone number, email address, website (if applicable), and a professional photo. Remember, a professional photo is one that shows you in professional dress and setting. Do not include unprofessional clothing, distracting backgrounds, or other people/animals in the picture. Oftentimes, these images include the torso and head/neck.

· Content:

Policy Resources (4 points)

· Overview: Include the full name of at least 5 resources where the reader can find more information. These should be organizations or agencies that have a vested interest in the issue and are supportive of your policy recommendation. Resources can be local, national, or international organizations/agencies. Think back to the stakeholders you have researched during the Policy Identification Worksheet. Be sure these resources are closely related to your topic and not just general to public health.

· Full names of 5 resources:

Image (2 points)

· Overview: Select an image that is closely connected to your public health issue/policy recommendation. Here, the image will be representative of our “solution”. On page 1 you presented the “problem” and now we want to see what the future could be like if the policy was passed. In your Policy Brief you will only include 1 image on page 3, but here you will include 3 images to help find the best image to convey your message. You will receive feedback on the most suitable image.

· Images:

Back to Page 1 Content (2 points):

Create a Title

· Overview: The policy brief title should both inform and intrigue the reader. Although this is the last step of this worksheet, your title will appear first on your Policy Brief assignment. Similar to writing your introduction paragraph after you’ve completed a paper, creating your title as the last step is a helpful practice. It ensures that your title accurately summarizes the content you have created.

· Length Requirement: No more than 10-12 words

· Creative Title: