This assignment aims to convince the target audience, the Premier of the state of your choice (eg Queensland, NSW, etc), of the importance of an iss

This assignment aims to convince the target audience, the Premier of the state of your choice (eg Queensland, NSW, etc), of the importance of an issue in corrections and why it requires action.

Please note:The issue you write about in this brief will follow on from the issue you discussed inAssignment 2: Executive summary.

The policy briefA policy brief is a form of report designed to facilitate policy-making. The main purpose is to evaluate policy options regarding a specific issue in order for practical decisions to be made about the issue, so the brief should provide evidence and actionable recommendations.

It will include a brief description of the issue, a short overview of the historical context, causes and principles debates and critical issues, and a clear statement of the implications as they relate to the current policy of your chosen state. The brief will outline multiple (2 or 3) suggested policies that address the issue that has been selected, and conclude with which of policies you would recommend to the Premier.

The task

You are required to prepare a policy brief that presents the findings and recommendations of a specific issue in corrections, to a non-specialised audience. The brief is a medium for exploring a single issue and distilling lessons learned from the research and for providing policy advice.

Having a clear and specific purpose or focus

A policy brief should have a particular audience in mind; the Premier of your chosen state. It is important to keep this audience in mind when evaluating what information needs to be included in the brief.

What do they know about the issue already?

What new information would provide insight to the issue?

The brief should be limited to one issue or problem.

Be practical and support your ideas with evidence

A policy brief aims to be persuasive and a big part of convincing the target audience of your key message is supporting your ideas with evidence. Evidence should be used to indicate that there is an issue with existing policy and to make recommendations. A policy brief is a practical tool that has real-world implications.

Be accessible and succinct

A policy brief uses language that is familiar to the target audience in a clear and simple manner (but not conversational). It should also be logical and be easy to follow. The assumption should be made that the target audience does not have time to read a lot of text, so the brief should be formatted clearly with descriptive headings.

References and acknowledgements

A policy brief needs to include references and acknowledgements so that information or statistics used and/or referred to as part of the brief, can be found and followed up on, if necessary.

Outlined sections of the executive summary

Title page

The title needs to be brief and represent the issue you are focusing on. Include the key terms that relate to your brief.

Introduction

This section aims to highlight to the reader the current state of affairs relating to the selected issues. You will need to introduce the general field of the topic area and then narrow to the specific area of your policy brief.

Please note:You do not need to reiterate all of the information you presented in your executive summary, instead summarise the main arguments, ensuring you explain the significance/urgency of the issue and describe the objective of the brief.

Context and implications

This section outlines what policies/decisions lead to the current state of affairs. You should provide a summary of the facts that describes the issue and the context for the issues, that is what lead to this problem? You should also describe the implications of this issue. What will be the continued implications if this issue is not addressed? Provide a straightforward overview of the current policy context that is consistent with the information presented in your executive summary, and do not simply reuse sections from your previous assignment.

Response and recommendations

This section is where you detail what changes need to be made to existing policy in light of the problems you outlined in the introduction and implications section, and should be the most detailed section of your brief. It will usually contain a list of practical steps or actions that need to be taken, and by whom, to address the issue. This might contain a concluding statement that reiterates the key message and suggests the significance of the proposed recommendations.

Your response and recommendations should be based on relevant theoretical frameworks, current empirical evidence, and/or appropriate case studies.

Describe clearly what should happen next.

Outline the precise steps required to implement the policy change.

Ensure the responses are relevant, credible and feasible.

When considering the feasibility of your suggestions, you should think about the following: time frame, cost, budget and agencies involved (government, private, NGOs, etc.)

Tip:This section is weighted very heavily- at 40% of the grade. Make sure to provide detailed responses that are evidence-based.

Conclusion

The conclusion should summarise the main arguments presented throughout the policy brief. You should aim to present concrete conclusions, expressing your ideas using strong assertions. Ensure the ideas are balanced and defensible.

References

This section should include all of the in-text references that were provided in the previous sections.This should be in Swinburne Harvard format.Aim for a minimum of 12 resources.

Things to keep in mind

Who are your readers?

Who am I writing this brief for?

How knowledgeable are they about the topic?

How open are they to the message?

How can I reach readers?

What questions need answers?

What are their interests, concerns?

What does it take to reach specific readers such as media, decision-makers?

Make sure you proofread the brief to avoid any spelling or grammar mistakes.

General tips to complete your policy brief

State your key message at the start and end with why it is important.

Avoid using discipline specific jargon.

Use headings and sub-headings to break up large blocks of text and ensure clarity.

Use figures, charts or diagrams to help illustrate main points or key message.

Your presentation needs to be professional. Use appropriate fonts and headings.

Make sure you proof-read your brief to avoid any spelling or grammar mistakes.

Supporting resources

For support on reviewing previous research visit theSwinburne Libraryto find helpful guides and tips for finding research articles and books in relevant scientific databases.

Current state context.

Policy recommendations.

Development of critical argument.

Presentation (language and expression).

Swinburne Harvard referencing and bibliography.

Your work will be assessed using the following marking guide:

Assignment 3 marking guide

Criteria No Pass Pass5059% Credit6069% Distinction7079% High Distinction80100%

Current context of chosen state(20%) Did not meet criterion. Adequate description of current context surrounding selected issue. Information is dated and / or lacking in important details. Some inclusion of appropriate research. Good description of selected issue. Most aspects of issue described and supported by appropriate research. Some evidence of critical reasoning and insight. Superior description of selected issue. Informative, comprehensive and accurate description of issue, well supported with appropriate research. Well demonstrated evidence of critical reasoning and insight. Highly detailed, up- to-date, accurate and insightful description of selected issue. All significant facets of issue clearly described and supported with appropriate research. Sophisticated critical reasoning and insight.

Policy recommendations(40%) Did not meet criterion. Adequate articulation of policy recommendations. Information is dated and / or lacking in important details. Some empirical and / or theoretical evidence. Good articulation of policy recommendations. Empirical and / or theoretical evidence demonstrated. Sophisticated articulation of policy recommendations. Detailed empirical and / or theoretical evidence consistently demonstrated. Sophisticated, clear and detailed articulation of policy recommendations. Empirical and / or theoretical evidence woven seamlessly throughout.

Development of critical argument(20%) Did not meet criterion. Minimal evidence of an argument. Limited critical discussion. Generates an adequate argument with some evidence of critical reasoning. Superior well developed argument. Good critical reasoning. Highly sophisticated, comprehensive and well developed argument. Demonstrated superior reasoning and critical thought.

Presentation (language and expression)(10%) Did not meet criterion. Adequate use of language. Numerous mistakes in expression or grammar. Good expression. Improvement needed in relation to expression of ideas and articulation of argument. Spelling and punctuation of a high standard. Superior expression. Highly accurate grammar. Highly sophisticated and effective expression appropriate to the task.

Swinburne Harvard referencing and bibliography(10%) Did not meet criterion. Sometimes inaccurate, inconsistent or inappropriate use of sources. Generally accurate use of minimum number of sources. Strong use and detail of appropriate scholarly sources. Consistent, highly accurate use and detail of a variety of appropriate scholarly sources.