LC482 Policy and Strategy Assignment
Assignment Brief Academic Year 2022-23
| Module code and title: | LC482 Policy and Strategy | Module leader: | Dr Elisa Arnoldi |
| Assignment No. and type: | CW1 Policy Report | Assessment weighting: | 100% |
| Submission time and date: | 9-Jun-23 before 14.00 | Target feedback time and date: | 3 weeks |
Assignment task
Select ONE of the policy documents that have been uploaded to the Assignment Brief Information folder on LSST Connect. Read it carefully and write a report of 2000 words (+/-10%) that discusses the context, objectives, arguments and findings of this document. You must draw on relevant social science theory and research, welfare ideology and values, and social policy debates, to support the discussion of your selected policy document.
Ensure your report follows this structure:
Title – make it clear which policy document you intend to discuss in your assessment. Introduction
Discussion of the aims of the organisation that has written your chosen document, its scope of work in relation to service provision, and its involvement in policy research and campaigning
Discussion of the social problem(s) identified in and the objectives of the policy document
Discussion of the document’s principal arguments and findings, including discussion of the main recommendations made in the selected report
Conclusion
Reference list
| This assignment has been designed to provide you with an opportunity to demonstrate your achievement of the following module learning outcomes: |
| LO1 Identify and discuss the impact of values and welfare ideologies on policy making. |
| LO2 Demonstrate an understanding of the role of voluntary organisations and campaigning in the policy process. |
| LO3 Show an understanding of how political values and ideologies influence the interpretation of evidence in the policy process. |
| Task requirements |
| You must demonstrate that you have read and understood your selected document. You must draw on you own independent reading of relevant theory and policy to enable you to discuss the content of your selected document and address all aspects of the assessment task. Summarise in your own words (paraphrase) the material you use and reference it appropriately. You can quote from your selected policy document and material from your independent reading. However, quotations should be a phrase or sentence and always supported with an appropriate reference. Remember that it is not acceptable to copy and paste sections of your selected document or other material you read into your assessment. You risk failing the assessment if you do this. Your report must contain in-text references and a reference list at the end. The reference list is not included in the word count and must be in the Harvard style. Ensure that your selected document is referenced in the text of your report and included in the reference list. You should use sub-headings in your report and ensure that you follow the required structure that has been set out in the assessment brief. You should write in a scholarly style. Avoid writing in the first or second person (“I”, “you” or “we”). Proofread your report before you submit it to ensure that what you have written makes sense and that you have addressed all sections of the task. |
| Referencing and research requirements |
| Please reference your work according to the Harvard style as defined in Cite Them Right Online (http://www.citethemrightonline.com). This information is also available in book form: Pears, R. and Shields, G. (2019) Cite them right: the essential reference guide. 11th edn. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. Copies are available via the University library. |
| How your work will be assessed |
| Your work will be assessed on the extent to which it demonstrates your achievement of the stated learning outcomes for this assignment (see above) and against the following criteria Addresses the question set Evidence of independent reading Evidence of understanding of relevant social science theory and research Evidence of understanding of relevant social policy concepts, welfare ideologies and policy debates Development of well-structured and clearly expressed discussion Accurate referencing (in-text and reference list), drawing on a range of appropriate sources The assessment criteria provide a basis for fair and consistent marking and indicate what is expected of you in this assignment. It is strongly recommended that you engage with them while you are working on the assignment and use them in combination with any feedback you receive once your work has been marked to help you plan for future learning and development. |
Submission details
• You are reminded of the University’s regulations on academic integrity, which can be viewed on the University website: https://www.bucks.ac.uk/sites/default/files/2021-07/academic-integrity-policy.pdf. In submitting your assignment, you are acknowledging that you have read and understood these regulations
• Please also note that work that is submitted up to 10 working days beyond the submission date will be considered a late submission. Late submissions will be marked and the actual mark recorded, but will be capped at the pass mark (typically 40%), provided that the work is of a passing standard. Work submitted after this period will not be marked and will be treated as a non-submission.
Before you submit
• Please use the provided checklist below to make sure you are ‘fit to submit’ your work
• We recommend you use this checklist as soon as you get this assignment brief to help you plan your work
Fit to Submit: Assignment Checklist
This brief assignment checklist is designed to help you avoid some of the most common mistakes students make in their coursework.
Have you read the assignment brief? If not, do so now!
In it you will find details of the assessment task, word count, the assessment criteria your work is marked against, and the learning outcomes – the basis for the assessment strategy in each module.
Students often lose marks by forgetting some of the more straightforward elements of their assignments. We recommend that you “tick off” each of the points below as you prepare your work for submission. If you need any help, ask your tutor and/or visit
https://bucks.ac.uk/students/academicadvice/assessment-and-examination
Have you read and understood the assessment criteria?
Have you met the learning outcomes? You will lose marks and your work may even be failed if you have not.
Have you demonstrated you can think and write critically in the completed work? This means you have supported your arguments/explanations appropriately e.g. using relevant academic sources and you have offered discussion points which extends your own or others’ viewpoints to make reasoned conclusions/judgements.
Have you maintained an appropriate tone throughout your work? Is your work formal, focused, developed and clear?
Have you checked that the referencing in your assignment is in line with your programme requirements?
Have you proof-read your work and used spellcheck software to check your spelling and grammar?
Have you checked the presentation of your work is as specified by your tutor, for example, are font size, colour, style, line spacing and margins as the tutor specified?
Have you kept to the word count (or equivalent)? If you are not sure, check with your tutor.
Can you confirm that the work submitted is your own and maintains academic integrity?