ENVSOCTY 1HB3 C04 - Population, Cities and Development

2024 Winter Term

Assignment 1 & 2 - Instructions

Introduction: Policy Brief (Presentation)

Both Assignment #1 and #2 are the same; you will be completing the same assignment, focused on two different topics, allowing you to learn from your experience on the first one to improve any shortcomings for the second one. Please read the following instructions carefully.

Assignment Due Dates

1.   Assignment #1 Due Date: Sunday February 25, by 11:59 PM

2.   Assignment #2 Due Date: Sunday April 7, by 11:59 PM

Assignment Scenario

For both assignments imagine that you have been newly hired as a junior policy analyst for a national agency (i.e., a government department for a specific country). Your boss has tasked you with giving them a policy brief (effectively a summary of policy options for a given issue) so that they can make a coherent argument at an upcoming meeting on the issue. The nature of the policy brief deliverable in this case is a presentation; imagine you arepresenting your findings to your boss.

Assignment Objectives

The objectives of these assignments areas follows:

1.          Gain a general understanding of the nature and causes of an issue, and the policy options in addressing the problem.

2.          Develop your research skills.

3.          Develop your analytical skills in assessing the merits of two (or more) policy solutions.

4.          Develop your oral communication and presentation skills.

Assignment Tasks

Completion of each assignment involves the same three steps.

1.   TopicSelection:

For each assignment, as the above scenario suggests, you are to develop a policy brief on one of the following topics. For more information about what a policy brief entails (i.e., what they are, what they include, how to structure them, etc.), please consult Appendix 1: What is a Policy Brief? found at the  end of this document.

Assignment #1 Topics: Choose one of the following topics

1.          Food insecurity in Sudan

2.          Sustainable Development Goal #4 (ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all) in Iran

3.          Illegal migration to the United States

4.          Opioid crisis in Canada

Assignment #2 Topics: Choose one of the following topics

1.          Homelessness in Hamilton, Ontario

2.          Urban air pollution in Bangladesh

3.          Rare earth mining in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)

4.          Child labour in Burkina Faso

For each topic, a country or region has been identified (if your topic has an identified region, you should choose a country from within that region); this is the country for which you are to imagine you are employed by (i.e., you are the junior policy analyst for the senior government minister responsible for that issue in that country). As such, you need to bethinking about the issue, and the relevant policy options, from that perspective. This does not mean you need to think exclusively about the issue from that perspective, but you need to keep your audience (the senior government minister from that country) in mind.

2.   Research

With your topic in mind, conduct research on the issue, in both general terms and as it relates to your specific country or region. Next, conduct research on the types of policies that have been developed and implemented both in the past and elsewhere to address your issue, again in both general terms and as they relate to your specific country or region.

As research is an important part of this assignment, you are required to consult at least three academic sources (i.e., peer-reviewed books, peer-reviewed journal articles, government-issued reports, non-governmental reports, etc.).  When you conduct research, it is important to keep track of the sources   you are using, and to provide appropriate citations (references) to those sources in your final product.

See Appendix 2: Research & Referencing at the end of this document for details on how to cite references properly.

3.   Deliverable: Recorded Presentation

Develop a 5-8-minute (recorded) presentation that includes the following:

•           Introduction or Executive Summary: provide a brief overview of the topic

•           Background or Summary: more detailed discussion of the issue and several of the policy solutions that have been implemented in the pastor elsewhere

•           Analysis: analyze the policy options

•           Conclusion or Recommendation: recommend a policy solution for the future based on your research and analysis.

Please note: Students who do not adhere to the 5–8-minute time limit will be subject to a penalty applied to their final assignment grade.

For more details about what should be included in a policy brief, see Appendix 1: What is a Policy Brief? found at the end of this document.

Presentation Specifics

Your presentation is to take the form. of both slides and audio (i.e., a recorded voiceover of you “presenting” the slides) and should be submitted as one file. You are encouraged to use Microsoft PowerPoint for your slides, which is available for free to all McMaster University students through Microsoft Office 365 (seehttps://office365.mcmaster.ca/). We also recommend that you use Zoom to screen record your presentation so that you can capture both your slides and audio presentation simultaneously. As with Microsoft Office 365, all McMaster University students have access to Zoom for free (seehttps://uts.mcmaster.ca/services/computers-printers-and-software/zoom/). While you may use other software, and produce presentations in other formats (i.e., .mov, .mp4, MacVideo, Echo360, YouTube, etc.), it is your responsibility to ensure that your files work when submitted to Avenue to Learn.

For guidance on how to develop (and present) your presentation, see Appendix 3: General Tips for Presentations located at the end of this document.

Assignment Completion and Submission

Do not wait for the last minute to start your assignment. Each assignment is worth one fifth (20%) of your course grade (40% combined), and so you should treat it as such. Get started early, seek assistance  when needed (i.e., visit assignment preparation office hours and/or drop-in office hours – see Avenue to Learn for details), make an outline to guide your thinking, complete a draft or two, get feedback from friends, peers, or family, rehearse your presentation several times before submitting a final recorded version, etc.

For more on how your assignment will be evaluated, please see Appendix 4: Policy Brief Assignment Evaluation (Rubric) located at the end of this document.

Submit your presentation as a single file (audio and slides combined). Please include your topic number (i.e., 1-4) and presentation length (in minutes) in the submission window in the Avenue drop box.

General Assignment Guidelines

Authenticity/Plagiarism Detection

In this course we are using the web-based service (Turnitin.com) to reveal authenticity and ownership of student submitted work. Students will be expected to submit their work electronically either directly to Turnitin.com or via Avenue to Learn (A2L) plagiarism detection (a service supported by Turnitin.com) so   it can be checked for academic dishonesty.

Late Assignments

Your presentation file is to be submitted before the due date/time and must be submitted to the relevant Avenue to Learn drop box. Time management and work-load prioritization are important skills  that students develop over the course of their academic careers. These skills are the sorts of things that all employers demand in the workplace, and as such, we will be using the same expectations in this course. Your assignment is expected to be submitted on the date/time outlined, and in fairness to those  that do submit their work on time, late submissions will be subject to a late penalty often percent (10%)  per day (i.e., per 24-hour period following the due date/time), to amaximum of five (5) days, after which it will not be marked. Late penalties apply immediately after the deadline. Please note that in the real-world version of this task,a failure to meet the expectations/requirements of your boss would likely result in you being fired.

Request for Relief for Missed Academic Term Work: McMaster Student Absence Form. (MSAF)

In the case of a student absence (i.e., illness or other extraordinary circumstance) that affects the completion or submission of an assignment, please ensure that you complete the online MSAF tool and follow‐up with Heidi (see details in the Course Outline). You will still be required to complete the assignment. Students that have their absence at the due date of an assignment excused by the Instructional Assistant (Heidi), irrespective of the nature or length of the absence, will have their assignment deadline extended by five days to Friday March 1, at 11:59 PM in the case of Assignment #1, or Friday April 12, at 11:59 PM in the case of Assignment #2.

Appendix 1: What is a Policy Brief?

Introduction

The following document outlines, in general terms, what a policy brief is, what it typically does, for whom, and what is included. For specific guidance on what to do for a policy brief assignment, you should refer to the assignment instructions given to you by your course instructor.

In simple terms,a policy brief is a summary of a problem, created for a very specific audience, and with a set of recommendations to solve the problem. Most of a policy brief is dedicated to summarizing a body of knowledge, but it also aims to persuade the audience about a course of action (i.e., apolicy to implement). The policy brief is typically short and concise, as it aims to provide a brief overview of the key takeaways of the problem, rather than an in-depth investigation. Policy briefs can be written documents, or oral communications (presentations), and of varying lengths; check with your instructor about specifics for your policy brief task. The typical policy brief will take the following form.: executive  summary, background (i.e., summary of the issue), analysis of policy options, and a recommendation.

It is important to note here that not all initiatives or solutions to a problem are necessarily policies. For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, many individuals and organizations were working towards limiting the spread of COVID-19. However, while this is a laudable goal, this would not be considered a policy because it is too broad and does not provide actionable steps that work towards alleviating (or solving) the problem at hand. In contrast, mask mandates, immunization programs, and social distancing could all be considered policies. The difference is that these initiatives are specific and provide actionable steps (policies) which work towards limiting the spread of COVID-19 (goal).

General Guidelines

Here are some general guidelines to help you create a policy brief for a course, but of course pay attention to any specific instructions given to you by your Instructor.

1.   Policy briefs are typically different from other research techniques in one very fundamentally

important way,the audience. A policy brief is typically written for one person (or maybe a small handful of people); someone who needs a concise summary of an issue, and a recommendation of  what options are available to them. Often, how you will see these types of projects framed is in the form. of a scenario (usually based on real-world scenarios) where a senior politician (policymaker) has asked a junior colleague (you) to research a problem, summarize it, examine the policy options, and make a recommendation for them to implement. In this way, policy briefs area great example of what is called problem-based learning.

2.   You may, or may not, have the option of choosing your topic. Typically, we do not have a choice in what we research. Consider the scenario discussed above; how likely is it that a senior politician (your boss) will ask you to create abrief on a topic of your choosing? However, if you do have the choice of topics, then begin with a general idea, and then use preliminary research to narrow your topic. Make sure your topic a) can be researched effectively, b) interests you, and c) relates to the course material/assigned topic.

3.   A policy brief generally consists of 4 parts:

a.   Executive Summary: typically,very short, this simply states what the problem being

addressed is, what the underlying causes of the problem are, and the recommended policy solution. This is the ‘take home’ message for the audience. Helpful tip: while the Executive  Summary appears first in the policy brief, it is often easiest to create this section last, after  you have completed everything else.

b.   Background/Review of Literature/Summary of Knowledge: here you address the topic in more detail, usually divided into different sections, and discuss the main ideas. Include discussion about the scope and severity of the problem, the contributing factors, and a review of what policy actions have been taken in the past and whether they are working (or not). Make sure to stay focused, everything you discuss should relate to your topic.

c.   Analysis of Policy Options: here you provide an analysis of (at least) two (or more) policy

options. Consider that the policymaker (i.e., your boss) will want you to consider a number of strategies, ranging from continuing with the status quo (i.e., continuing with the current policies), or introducing a completely new and novel policy, or possibly even tweaking policies that have been applied elsewhere. Your task here is to analyze the pros and cons of each of the relevant policy options and provide a summary of these to your boss.

d.   Recommendation: a simple statement about what you recommend should be done to

address the problem (not necessarily solve it), and why you think it is the best option going forward. This recommendation should be based on your research, objective discussion of the problem and analysis of the existing policy options.

4.   Organize your thoughts. Make a concise outline of the points you want to address and what you want to say. Structure your policy brief and make sure to follow a logical progression of ideas.

5.   Make sure that you provide supporting evidence for your statements. For example, if you say that   global population is set to reach 10 billion by mid-century, you must provide evidence to show why you believe this to be the case.

6.   Always provide a reference for any of your sources of information. This is partly about giving credit where it is due (i.e., acknowledging the person(s) that did the research to collect and publish the information), but it is also about giving your statement an element of credibility (i.e., not only do you think this, but you have a credible source that says the same thing). Furthermore, passing off someone else’sidea, data, etc. as your own, is a form of academic dishonesty (plagiarism). To properly provide a reference you should include a citation and include the source in a list of references.

7.   Figures and tables are often very important supplementary material. In fact, many policy brief

assignments may require a certain number of figures or tables, so pay attention to your requirements. Always refer to your figure or table in the text, e.g., “Figure 1 illustrates the growing importance of social media as a source of news ...” or “The majority of millennials get their news through social media rather than traditional news sources (Figure 1)”. Each figure should have a caption below stating what it shows and where it is taken from (unless you made the figure yourself); e.g., “Figure 1: Sources of News, 2015 (Reuters, 2017)” . Note that all such supplementary materials are referred to as either a figure (i.e., graphs, figures, maps, illustrations, and diagrams) or a table.

8.   Avoid use of first person (i.e., Ior we). Keep the policy brief impersonal and formal.

9.   Pay attention to grammar and pronunciation. Do not use contractions such as “don’t” or “can’t” . Avoid extensive use of the passive voice.

10. The title of your policy brief should reflect the main purpose and objectives of your work and include some dimension of your final recommendation – avoid titling your work “Policy Brief”. Adding a meaningful and relevant title may seem like a small and irrelevant matter but remember this is typically the very first thing someone reads, and first impressions matter.

Appendix 2: Research & Referencing

Research & Referencing

In conducting your research, you should consult your lectures and the course textbook, but you must also consult and refer to at least three (3) additional academic sources (i.e., peer-reviewed books, peer- reviewed journal articles, government-issued reports, non-governmental reports, etc.).

As research is an important component of this assignment, you need to include a slide (or two) listing all of the sources and references you used in conducting your research and display these slides in your final recording. It is crucial to remember that when you consult sources, and use this information in your presentation, you MUST properly cite them.

We suggest you use APA Style. for your sources/references/notes slide(s). For more on APA Style referencing, see https://libguides.mcmaster.ca/APA

Evidence

Make sure that you provide supporting evidence for your statements. For example, if you say that the food insecurity in Yemenis increasing, you must provide evidence to show that this is true. Evidence, in this case, could include a statistic, or some visual, such as a table, graph, map, photo, etc. Always provide a reference for any of your sources of information. This is partly about giving credit where it is due (i.e., acknowledging the person(s) that did the research to collect and publish the information), but it is also about giving your statement an element of credibility (i.e., not only do you think this, but you have a credible source that says the same thing). Furthermore, passing off someone else’sidea, data, etc. as your own, is a form. of academic dishonesty (plagiarism). You do not need to say anything about your list of sources/references/notes during your presentation, other than to acknowledge that they are there.

Appendix 3: General Tips for Presentations

General Tips for Presentations

•   When developing your presentation slides, it is important to recognize that you should have short bullets (not sentences of text) which include a few words to prompt what you are saying.

•    Pay attention to your grammar and spelling, these matter. Proofread your slides.

•   When developing your presentation slides, use some of the basic animation tools available to you so that not all of the bullets arrive at the sametime. This does not need to be particularly fancy (as that can get distracting) but using the animation tools allows one bullet to appear at a time and this can be helpful to the audience to follow what you are talking about. You can do the same with images too.

•    Presentations are partly a visual medium, so visuals matter. Choose a good presentation

template/background and think carefully about your slide design and aesthetics. Remember that this is intended to be a professional presentation, so choose visuals and backgrounds appropriately.

•   You need to demonstrate you have done research. Include a slide or two at the end which lists all of your research sources (including appropriate lectures), and you should provide a citation after relevant text/images on your slides.

•   Choose an appropriate presentation title; “ 1HB3 Project” is not really adequate. Try something like “ Food Insecurity in Yemen: Policy Options’, this is much more descriptive and meaningful.

•   Choose appropriate titles for your slides; “Slide 1” does not really cut it. Try “ Food Insecurity: Past & Present Context” for example.

•   When recording your audio track over your slides, avoid reading. Practice what you want to say, so that you can speak freely and knowledgeably about the presentation slides without reading your notes.

•    Practice your presentation.

•   You need to adhere to the time limits (5-8 minutes).  Remember, this is a policy brief, designed to be a high-level summary presented to your boss who likely does not have time to hear an in-depth analysis. As such, grade penalties will be applied for those students who do not adhere to this time limit. This may necessitate that you record your presentation a couple of times, with some edits to  your slides and notes in between, in order to get it just right.

Appendix 4: Policy Brief Assignment Evaluation (Rubric)

Assignment Evaluation

This section acts as a guide to help ensure that you are on the right track. Your project will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

1.   Content (50%)

•    Engaging hook and introductory overview of the topic

•   Summary of the scope and severity of the problem, the underlying causes and the implications

•   Summary of the recommended policy solutions and the actions that have been taken in the past and whether they are working or not

•    Recommended policy solution and explanation/justification of why you have chosen this policy

•    Demonstrated evidence of research, including explicit linkage to literature (i.e., lectures, textbook, academic sources, etc.), and appropriate use of citations, list of sources/references/notes, etc.

2.   Style. & Delivery (25%)

•   Timing/length (5-8 mins)

•   Appropriate use of transitions, clarity of speech, comfort in public speaking, volume & pace of speech, evidence of rehearsal, etc.

•    Effective presentation skills that demonstrate speaking without reading, familiarity with content, etc.

3.   Presentation Aesthetics (25%)

•   Organization of slides (i.e., clarity, logical ordering, transitions between slides, etc.)

•   Aesthetics of slides, creativity, slide design, utility of photos, maps, tables/charts, etc.)

•   Clarity of slides (i.e., font sizes, readability, balance of text and images, etc.)

•    Presentation polish (i.e., lack of typos, etc.)