Policy Brief

Policy Brief (60 Points): A policy brief is a key resource for framing policy issues, discussing what is known about the issue, how this relates to policy goals, and recommending solutions to decision makers or other target This assignment will focus on your policy issue of choice. Students will write a policy brief on a topic of their choosing, containing the following components. Title: A good title quickly communicates the contents of the brief in a memorable way. Executive Summary: This section is often one to two paragraphs long; it includes an overview of the problem and the proposed policy action. Context or Scope of Problem: This section communicates the importance of the problem and aims to convince the reader of the necessity of policy action. Policy Alternatives: This section discusses the current policy approach and explains proposed options. It should be fair and accurate while convincing the reader why the policy action proposed in the brief is the most desirable. Policy Recommendations: This section contains the most detailed explanation of the concrete steps to be taken to address the policy issue. Appendices: If some readers might need further support in order to accept your argument but doing so in the brief itself might derail the conversation for other readers, you might include the extra information in an appendix. Consulted or Recommended Sources: These should be reliable sources that you have used throughout your brief to guide your policy discussion and recommendations. https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/policy-briefs/ A draft will be submitted for review before the final brief is due. Rubrics will be provided on D2L. Grade Distributions Assignment Value Discussion posts (60 points – 5pts x 12 posts ) 50% (Individual grade) Policy Brief Draft (20 pts) Policy Brief Final (40 pts) 50% (Group grade) Extra credit (optional) 5% Total 100% Grading Policy PERCENTAGE EARNED LETTER GRADE 90 - 100 A 80 - 89 B 70 - 79 C 60 - 69 D 59 and below F 7