Argue why the issue in question should be regarded as a matter for social development action

Advanced Social Work Practice Methods – Social Development ASSESSMENT 1: SHORT ASSIGNMENT

Length: 1500 words +/- 10% (bibliography list not included)

Extensions/late assignments: As per school policy via special consideration
Consultation: Questions about the assignment can be asked via the Q and A forum on Moodle for this assignment. Time will also be set aside in class for any questions you have about this assignment.
TOPIC: Social Development Issue – Briefing Paper

The first assessment for this course is a short analytical writing piece, in the form of a briefing paper. This is a type of document used in the field to present a case about why a particular issue is a matter of concern. A briefing paper would be prepared by a project officer to present to decision makers, with specific aims. These are:

1. to make a clear statement about the nature, scope, scale and significance of a particular issue;
   2. to argue why the issue in question should be regarded as a matter for social development action;
2. to propose possible means for intervention (or for further investigation where this is needed), sometimes including who should undertake what;
   4. to argue for specific goals for the proposed action.

In short, please address the following: “what is the problem (including facts and figures), why is it a problem and for whom, who should take action and how, what are the aims?” In most situations, organisations are seeking short, readable statements that may be understood by a range of interested people. In some instances, there might be a limit of two sides of A4, as busy people in organisations or political life often don’t want to spend too long on any one thing.

A briefing paper should include enough in the way of evidence, or support for
argument, but not so much that it looks like a research report. You need to show where you got the facts or ideas from, but you should not have a long list of references on any one point.

In a briefing paper in practice the list of references at the end would need to fit within the expected limit (such as two sides of A4). As this is an academic assessment, here the list of references does not form part of the word count. But bear in mind that enough references to support what you are saying will gain marks, after which anything that appears superfluous will not gain anything further. As this is a fourth-year course, and so part of the integrated honours, it is expected that by now you should be able to show a capacity to make an appropriate judgement about this.

Also, please use essay style in presenting your discussion. Again, in practice there might be greater use of dot-points, but we are blending two goals here: both to model a practice based exercise while also meeting the learning goals in a degree.