due in 2 days

Public Policy Problem Definition Memo Assignment Information SPEA V181: U.S. Policy & Administration

Shawna Girgis, Instructor

For this assignment, each student will research a policy issue that they will address throughout the semester and will also be the topic area addressed in the policy problem definition memo. Students should be familiar with the information provided in Chapter 3 of Writing Public Policy: A Practical Guide to Communicating in the Policy Making Process by Catherine F. Smith as it addresses the process for preparing and writing a problem definition statement. This assignment should be written as a memo (see example 1 on page 45 in Chapter 3) and should be addressed to an elected official and/or agency that has influence and decision-making power regarding your policy issue. The objective of defining a public policy problem is to provide a purposeful depiction of the problem that will lead to the issue being placed on the legislative agenda and/or reconsidered for policy changes. For this assignment you should present a compelling case in the memo that is framed as an advocate. Below is information regarding the tasks that should be completed to develop a compelling public policy definition document, which is available on pages 41- 44 of the text. Following each step associated with these tasks will help you write an effective memo.

Task 1: Describe the Problem and Identify the Interests (page 41 – 42) Task 2: Specify the Issues (page 42) Task 3: Offer Solutions (page 42 – 43) Task 4: Write the Document – Problem Description (page 43 – 44)

• What are the problematic conditions? What problem(s) do they cause? • What are the issues for the policy? • What is your concern? What is your intended reader’s concern? • Who else is concerned (on all sides)? • What are the key disagreements and agreements among those concerned? • What plausible and realistic solutions can you offer/do you suggest?

To adequately prepare to write policy documents students are encouraged to review Viewpoint 4: General Method of Communicating in a Policy Process (p. 29 - 31) in Chapter 2 of the Writing Public Policy textbook. In addition, you are encouraged to review your writing utilizing the Features of Effectiveness and Measures of Excellence checklists provided in the text (p. 32 – 33). The textbook provides several examples of effective policy problem definition documents on pages 45 – 63. Please be certain to properly credit all sources utilized for this assignment using the APA format. I expect memos to be four (4) pages long, double spaced. A cover page and list of references does not count against your page limit. Margins must not exceed one inch and the font must be 11 or 12-point Times New Roman. The assignment should be submitted via Canvas by the due date listed in the syllabus. Please include the identifying information on your cover page as described in the syllabus. This should include your name, title of the assignment, and submission date.

The guidelines for this assignment are based upon information from Writing Public Policy: A Practical Guide to Communicating in the Policy Making Process, Third Edition by Catherine F. Smith.