Summer 2025 SOWK 588 Week 01 - Intro to Adv Policy Practice & Prospective Policy Analysis

title: Summer 2025 SOWK 588 Week 01 - Intro to Adv Policy Practice & Prospective Policy Analysis
date: 2025-05-30 21:34:58
location: Heritage University
tags:

  • Heritage University
  • MSW Program
  • SOWK 588

presentation_video: > “” description: >

Welcome to the start of SOWK 588, Advanced Policy Practice. Week one has a synchronous class session, taking place on Saturday, 05/31/25. This week, we are starting our exploration of policy analysis by reflecting on previous work analyzing policies you have done. In the forums, you can write a definition of a problem, discuss current events and the impact of poverty, and further consider policy analysis. In class, we will continue to explore prospective policy analysis. The agenda is as follows:

  • Review syllabus
  • Practice with the process of prospective policy analysis

Learning Objectives this week include:

  • Understand the significant assignments and general flow of this class
  • Describe the sequential approach to policy analysis in classical models of prospective policy analysis.
  • Reflect on policy analysis previously done and relate it to prospective policy analysis
  • Construct a succinct, evidence-informed problem definition for social policy
  • Synthesize insights from contemporary data and events to reflect on evolving issues in poverty policy
  • Engage in collaborative online discussions demonstrating critical thinking, respectful dialogue, and integration of scholarly perspectives.

Land Acknowledgement

[Whole Group Activity] Read Land Acknowledgment

Yakmumani Tiicham (The land of the Yakama People). We would like to acknowledge that we are coming to you from the traditional lands of the first people of our valley, the 14 Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation, and we honor with gratitude the land itself and the Yakama People.

Plan for Week 01

Agenda

  • Review syllabus
  • Practice with the process of prospective policy analysis

Learning Objectives

  • Understand the significant assignments and general flow of this class
  • Describe the sequential approach to policy analysis in classical models of prospective policy analysis.

SOWK 588 Course Syllabus

  • Show where the syllabus is

Textbooks

Two Textbooks:

$2.00 A Day: Living on Almost Nothing in America by Kathryn J. Edin & H. Luke Shafer in 2016

Rebooting Policy Analysis: Strengthening the Foundation, Expanding the Scope by Peter Linquiti in 2022

Also consider reviewing

Library Guides

  • Native Americans
  • Latinx/Hispanic

Has anybody used them?

Eagle Search and Google Scholar APA style manual

Assignments

8 Weeks of Online Discussion Forum 4 Weeks of Attendance and In-Class Participation 2 Take Home Exams

10 questions each. Take your time. I’m creating them. Preference about multiple choice or essay?

Policy Analysis and Advocacy Project

  • Policy Analysis Paper
  • Policy Advocacy Presentation

A-02a Policy Analysis Paper

Meta: Points 200 points (30% of final grade); Deadline is due no later than 08:00 AM on Monday 07/07/25; Completion file upload to Anthology through MyHeritage Assignments;

Purpose: The Policy Analysis Paper is designed to enable students to demonstrate the skills necessary to understand and analyze social issues through the lens of policy and advocacy. They will need to engage in value-driven, advanced social policy practice through integrating theory, diversity, practice, results, and outcomes.

Task: Students will complete a policy analysis paper exploring a current social issue that impacts a marginalized and or oppressed population. The final paper should include at least the following sections:

  • Identification and Research of Social Issue and Policy: Select a current social issue and a specific related policy (e.g., immigration law, welfare reform). Analyze how the issue and policy affect marginalized and oppressed populations. Research and describe how the policy operates across different system levels (e.g., local, state, tribal, federal). Use evidence and data to inform the identification of challenges and potential solutions.
  • Ethical and Human Rights Analysis: Summarize the key issues and findings of your analysis. Review how the social construction of the target population influences the design and implementation of the policy. Compare the policy to both the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the NASW Code of Ethics, identifying areas of alignment or conflict and specific rights or principles that are upheld or violated.
  • Application of Social Policy Theory: Use a social policy theory (e.g., political economy, social construction, cost-benefit, feminist theory, critical race theory, etc.) to examine the policy. Discuss how the policy affects individuals, families, groups, communities, and organizations. Support your analysis and the theory description with scholarly research.
  • Policy Alternatives and Advocacy Recommendations: Present two or more policy alternatives. Evaluate how well each aligns with ethical standards and human rights principles. Clearly propose a policy adjustment and outline a realistic strategy for legislative advocacy and justice-based reform.

Success: A successful submission will demonstrate students’ ability to analyze social policy and promote social justice with a clear focus on how marginalized and oppressed populations are impacted across local, state, tribal, and federal levels. The paper will reflect the integration of scholarship to understand the social challenges and potential solutions. Students will provide a basis for social policy theory, describe it, and engage in meaningful discussions relating it to social policy. Students’ papers will be well-organized, demonstrating high-quality work and following the assignment expectations.

Policy Analysis Paper and Competency 2 Practice Behaviors Rubric

The Policy Analysis Paper and Competency 2 Practice Behaviors Rubric assesses students’ ability to critically examine a current social issue and its related policy across multiple system levels, with a focus on how marginalized and oppressed populations are impacted. The rubric assesses students’ advanced policy practice skills (e.g., ability to gather and synthesize relevant data, apply ethical reasoning, and analyze policy through theoretical frameworks). It also measures the depth of students’ engagement with human rights standards and professional social work values. High-quality submissions will demonstrate scholarly rigor using APA formatting and follow the assignment expectations.

Competency 2: Advance Human Rights and Social, Racial, Economic, and Environmental Justice

a. Utilize policy analysis skills to inform policy formulation practices and policy implementation effects on oppressed and marginalized populations, including rural and tribal communities.
b. Organize legislative policy advocacy with individuals, families, groups, communities, and organizations to advance human rights and social, economic, and environmental justice.

Description Initial Emerging Developed Highly Developed
Identify and research of a social issue and policy. The social issue and applicable policy are not clearly identified, with minimal or no examination of how they affect marginalized and oppressed communities. Demonstrates minimal understanding of policy at system levels. Lacks sufficient research and evidence to inform potential solutions and challenges. The social issue and applicable policy are identified, but there is limited examination of their impact on marginalized and oppressed communities. Demonstrates a limited understanding of policy at 2–3 levels. Provides limited research and evidence to inform potential challenges and solutions. The social issue and applicable policy are identified and examined, with some focus on how they affect marginalized and oppressed populations. Demonstrates a fair understanding of policy at 3–4 levels. Requires more research and evidence to better inform potential challenges and solutions. The social issue and applicable policy are clearly and skillfully identified and examined, with a strong focus on their impact on marginalized and oppressed populations. Demonstrates a deep understanding of policy at all levels. Provides thorough research and evidence to inform potential challenges and solutions.
Analyze policy related to ethical and human rights. Minimal to no analysis of the social construction of the population and its impact on policy. Needs a comparison of how the policy aligns or conflicts with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and NASW Code of Ethics. Does not identify specific rights or principles that are upheld or violated. Basic analysis of the social construction of the population, but with gaps in how it shapes policy or missing important dynamics. Basic comparison of how the policy aligns or conflicts with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and NASW Code of Ethics. Minimal identification of specific rights or principles that are upheld or violated. Provides an analysis of the social construction of the population but lacks full depth or connection to broader policy impacts. Offers a comparison of how the policy aligns or conflicts with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and NASW Code of Ethics but lacks detail in identifying specific rights or principles that are upheld or violated. Deeply analyzes how the social construction of the target population shapes policy, addressing power dynamics and societal perceptions. Provides a thorough comparison of how the policy aligns or conflicts with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and NASW Code of Ethics. Clearly identifies specific rights or principles that are upheld or violated.
Analysis of social policy theories and effects on all levels. Minimal application of social policy theories as they relate to practice with diverse client populations. No evidence of research to support policy change recommendations. Limited integration and application of social policy theories as they relate to practice with diverse client populations. Limited evidence of research in preparation for policy change recommendations. Some incorporation of social policy theories as they relate to practice with diverse client populations. Some evidence of research in preparation for policy change recommendations. Strong incorporation of social policy theories as they relate to practice with diverse client populations. Strong evidence of research in preparation for policy change recommendations.
Policy options or alternatives. Paper needs clear recommendations for policy adjustments or is incomplete. There is minimal to no connection to legislative policy advocacy. Paper has basic recommendations for policy adjustment or incomplete. Weak connections to legislative policy advocacy. Paper provides some recommendations for policy adjustment, needs depth or clarity in linking adjustments to human rights and ethics. Some connection to legislative policy advocacy. Paper is thoughtful and well-reasoned recommendations for policy adjustment that align with human rights and ethical standards, with clear connections to legislative policy advocacy and justice.

General Assignment Requirements

Description Initial Emerging Developed Highly Developed
Organization, Clarity, and APA Formatting The brief lacks clear organization; tone is informal or inappropriate for a policy audience; citations and references are missing. Some organization is evident but ideas may be disjointed; tone is uneven or somewhat unprofessional; several APA citation errors are present. The brief is generally well-organized with a mostly professional tone; minor APA formatting errors are present but do not detract significantly from clarity. The brief is clearly and logically organized with a consistently professional, action-oriented tone; APA citations and references are accurate and properly formatted throughout.
Following assignment requirements Does not follow the assignment description. Somewhat follows the assignment description, but significant errors exist. Follows the assignment description and requirements but has minor errors. Closely follows the assignment description and requirements.

A-02b Policy Advocacy Presentation

Meta: Points 50 points (30% of final grade); Deadline is due no later than 08:00 AM on Monday, 07/14/25; Completion via forum submission in MyHeritage with faculty score upload to Anthology;

Purpose: The policy advocacy presentation builds on your written policy analysis by developing a compelling and well-structured advocacy presentation. Students will practice translating complex policy ideas into a format suitable for stakeholder engagement.

Task: Create an approximately 10-minute video presentation that builds upon your written policy analysis paper. Your presentation should include a visual element that helps summarize the content you are sharing (e.g., consider using presentation slides). This presentation should be structured as follows:

  • Introduction: Present a clear and concise problem statement, identifying the social issue and briefly summarizing its root causes. Set the stage for why this issue matters and who it impacts.
  • Policy Analysis: Provide an overview of the effectiveness of past and current policy efforts related to the issue. Analyze their impact across different system levels (micro, mezzo, macro). Include an analysis of stakeholders, identifying key decision-makers, supporters, advocacy organizations, or community members, and potential opponents.
  • Advocacy Strategy: Describe your advocacy goal and objective. Identify your target audience and map out the relevant actors. Share your key advocacy messages, connecting them to the audience’s values or concerns. Highlight approaches that can be used to advance your message. Include a persuasive call to action that reinforces urgency and purpose.
  • Implementation Plan: Outline clear action steps along with associated roles, responsibilities, timeline, and resources. Address how you will monitor and evaluate progress. Explain the feasibility of your plan, accounting for real-world barriers, political dynamics, and enabling conditions.
  • Conclusion: Summarize the key points from your presentation. Reflect on the potential social, racial, economic, and environmental justice implications of the policy issue and proposed solution. Reiterate the significance of the issue and inspire your audience toward action.

Success: A successful presentation will clearly explain the social issue and policy context, provide a well-supported advocacy strategy, and include a realistic implementation plan. It will demonstrate an understanding of key stakeholders, power dynamics, and barriers to change. The video will be organized, persuasive, and reflect core social work values, with thoughtful attention to justice and equity.

Policy Advocacy Presentation and Competency 5 Practice Behaviors Rubric

The Policy Advocacy Presentation and Competency 5 Practice Behaviors Rubric evaluates students’ ability to communicate their policy analysis through a strategic and persuasive advocacy presentation. It measures students’ skills in articulating a clear problem statement, analyzing stakeholder roles, developing advocacy goals and messages, and proposing a realistic implementation plan. The rubric also assesses students’ attention to power dynamics, barriers to change, and implications for social, racial, and economic justice. Effective presentations will be organized, professional, and grounded in advocacy strategies aligned with social work values and competencies.

Competency 5: Engage in Policy Practice

a. Examine social policies at local, state, tribal, and federal levels to provide best practice recommendations.
b. Assess social policy theory in the context of practice with diverse client populations and prepare recommendations for policy change.

Description Initial Emerging Developed Highly Developed
Comprehensive problem statement Presentation has no clear introduction of problem statement, needs to address the issue and demonstrate understanding of root causes. Presentation has a basic introduction to problem statement, may need more clarification on understanding the root cause. Presentation provides an overview of the problem statement, somewhat addresses the issue and understanding of the root causes. Presentation provides a detailed overview of problem statement, pinpoints the issue and understanding the root causes.
Policy analysis connects efforts and stakeholders. Presentation is missing the assessment of the effectiveness of current and past policy efforts and their effects on all levels. Presentation is missing stakeholder analysis identifies key decision makers, supporters, advocacy groups, community members, and opponents. Presentation has an incomplete assessment of the effectiveness of current and past policy efforts or their effects on all levels. The stakeholder analysis is incomplete, missing key decision makers, supporters, advocacy groups, community members, or opponents. Presentation includes a clear assessment of the effectiveness of current and past policy efforts and their effects on all levels. It identifies key decision makers, supporters, advocacy groups, community members, and opponents. Presentation clearly and thoroughly assesses the effectiveness of current and past policy efforts and their effects on all levels. It clearly identifies key decision makers, supporters, advocacy groups, community members, and opponents.
Compelling advocacy strategy Presentation provides minimal to no information on goals, objectives, target audience, power mapping, or key advocacy messages. There is no mention of direct lobbying, grassroots lobbying, or policy alternatives within the advocacy strategy. Presentation needs an effective call to action that ties together policy analysis, emphasizes urgency and encourages further thought/action. Presentation has incomplete information on goals, objectives, target audience, power mapping, and key advocacy messages. It briefly touches on direct lobbying, grassroots lobbying, or policy alternatives. Call to action is present, but does not tie together policy analysis, emphasizes on urgency, encouragement of further though/action. Presentation includes good information on goals, objectives, target audience, and power mapping. The key advocacy message resonates well. It connects direct lobbying, grassroots lobbying, and/or policy alternatives to the advocacy strategy. The call to action ties the policy analysis together, emphasizes urgency, and encourages further thought or action. Complete information on goals/objectives, target audience, power mapping. Key advocacy message is sharp and resonates emotionally. Presentation strongly connects direct lobbying, grassroots lobbying and policy alternatives to advocacy strategy. Compelling call to action that ties together policy analysis, emphasizes urgency, and encourages further thought and action.
Actionable implementation plan Presentation provides minimal to no information on the implementation plan, including action steps, roles, responsibilities, timeline, resources, monitoring, and evaluation. Policy recommendations are either absent or disconnected from the analysis and evidence. Feasibility of implementation is not addressed or realistically assessed. Presentation is missing 1-2 sections of the implementation plan, such as action steps, roles, responsibilities, timeline, resources, monitoring, or evaluation. Policy recommendations are somewhat related to the analysis but are vague, broad, or lack evidence. Feasibility is mentioned but with limited or superficial engagement with barriers, challenges, and enablers. Presentation includes an implementation plan with action steps, roles, responsibilities, timeline, resources, monitoring, and evaluation. Policy recommendations are generally well-supported by the analysis but may need more detail or specificity. Feasibility is considered, but there is a lack of depth in exploring challenges, barriers, or enablers to implementation. Presentation clearly incorporates an implementation plan with detailed action steps, roles, responsibilities, timeline, resources, monitoring, and evaluation. Policy recommendations are specific, actionable, well-supported by the analysis, and reflect a deep understanding of the issue and potential solutions. Demonstrates a realistic understanding of potential barriers, challenges, and enablers to implementation.
Clear conclusion Presentation slides and information need a summary of the main findings from the analysis. There is minimal to no reflection on the policy’s potential impact, consideration of oppressed and marginalized populations, levels, and or ADEI dimensions. Presentation slides offer a basic summary of the main findings, synthesizing key issues, evidence, and arguments. They provide a superficial reflection on the policy’s impact, lacking adequate consideration of all populations, levels, and ADEI dimensions. Presentation slides provide a solid summary of the main findings, effectively synthesizing key issues, evidence, and arguments without introducing new information. Presentation reflects on the policy’s impact on all groups but need more depth in addressing all ADEI dimensions. Presentation slides clearly and concisely summarize the main findings, effectively synthesizing key issues, evidence, and arguments without introducing new information. Presentation thoughtfully reflects on the social, racial, economic, and environmental justice impacts of the policy and recommendations, addressing all groups, levels and dimensions of ADEI.

General Assignment Requirements

Description Initial Emerging Developed Highly Developed
Professional presentation that is well organized The has significant problems following assignment requirements and is hard to follow and has major problems in facilitation. The has some significant problems following assignment requirements, but the presentation is acceptable. The presentation has some minor problems following assignment requirements but is generally a well done presentation. The presentation follows all of the assignment requirements and is clear, well-structured, professional, engaging.

Last class, what’s the plan?

What has been talked about? For sure -> Exit Survey, Course Evaluations, Focus Group Maybe -> Potluck, Career Workshop (resume, social media/photos, mock interviews)

Peoples thoughts and ideas?

Steps in Prospective Policy Analysis

We are going to go over these step by step…

  1. Characterize the Policy Problem
  2. Specify Policy Alternatives
  3. Identify Evaluation Criteria
  4. Create a Criteria-Alternatives Matrix and Predict Performance of Alternatives
  5. Analyze Trade-offs Across Alternatives
  6. Communicate Results

Small Group Step 0

Small groups of 3 or 4 with people around you. We are going to go through Linquiti’s steps in the prospective policy analysis part by part. Work together to determine who your group is and what social problem you are going to be considering.

Characterize the Policy Problem

some definitions:

  • As-is Condition: What does it look like now.
  • To-be Condition: What it should or ought to look like
  • Five Whys and Why That: Getting to what is the underlying problem

(Linquiti, 2022)

Characterize the Policy Problem: How do you Define and Describe It

  • Describes the most important causes of the problem, typically in just a few words each,
  • Articulates the core problem that arises from the gap between the as-is and to-be conditions, without getting bogged down in details, and
  • Identifies the most important consequences, again in just a few words each.

(Linquiti, 2022, p. 18)

Small Group Step 1

[Small Group Activity] Characterize the Policy Problem

Specify Policy Alternatives that Might Mitigate the Problem

Strong policy options should are:

  • Actionable: Think concrete, imagine what it would look like
  • Described in detail: Make it clear up front so when you start making arguments, you know what to argue for/against
  • Matched to the problem and context: What is an overview of the situation and how it fits
  • Described, not evaluated: You evaluate it later
  • Not a dummy alternative: No straw man arguments

Scientific writing and making arguments. Presenting a strong case for the opposition.

(Linquiti, 2022)

Small Group Step 2

[Small Group Activity] Specify Policy Alternatives that Might Mitigate the Problem

The textbook recommends 4-7.

Identify Criteria for Evaluating Alternatives

The next step is to consider the alternatives you developed.

Basically you are developing a detailed and considered pros and cons list.

  • Efficacy: Ability to be effective
  • Cost: Direct and indirect costs
  • Equity: Equality, liberty, justice, and security
  • Administrability: Can it be successfully implemented

Also consider unintended consequences

What the author calls off the shelf criteria.

(Linquiti, 2022)

Small Group Step 3

[Small Group Activity] Identify Criteria for Evaluating Alternatives

Create CAM and Predict Performance of Each

Create a Criteria-Alternatives Matrix and Predict the Performance of Each Alternative

Table relating policy options to evaluative criteria.

Quote

“By the way, if you asked me to single out the most important feature of the classical model of policy analysis, I would name the Criteria-Alternatives Matrix. Why? A thoughtful and carefully constructed CAM can be a powerful tool for organizing the debate about how to address a policy problem.”

(Linquiti, 2022, p. 29)

Small Group Step 4

[Small Group Activity] Create a Criteria-Alternatives Matrix and Predict the Performance of Each Alternative

Make The Trade-Offs Across Alternatives

Give and take Some have to do with cost.

  • Cost benefit analysis CBA (when everything can be monitized)
  • cost-effectiveness analysis CEA (When everything but one can be monetized)
  • Multiattribute analysis MAA (Use a score vs money)
  • Prose-based statement

(Linquiti, 2022)

Small Group Step 5

[Small Group Activity] Make The Trade-Offs Across Alternatives

Small Group Step 6

[Whole Group Activity] Communicate the results Have groups present their findings.