SWTP632 Assessment 3: Policy Proposal Template

SWTP632 Assessment 3: Policy Proposal Template

(Partly drawn from AASW (n.d.) ‘How to develop a policy submission’ document)

Submission Title

• Introduction
  • A brief statement identifying the issue your proposal addresses, and its relevance to social work
  • A brief summary of who you are, including your background, experience and how you are positioned to make an informed contribution to this issue
• Summary of recommendations
  • A succinct list of dot points, summarising the main arguments of your submission AND the key recommendations as supported by the body of your submission (i.e. what you want the relevant Minister or Departmental Officers to approve or do)
  • The reader should be able to fully understand your argument from reading this section alone, and should also feel intrigued enough to continue reading
  • Try to use no more than four (4) dot points
• Policy background / current situation
  • Summary of the current policy area/situation and potential problems
  • Key stakeholders (think about key social and organisational contexts, e.g. disability service consumers, carers, other family/children, advocates, social workers and other professional care workers, disability support organisations including managers and Boards, government stakeholders including administrators of the Disability Support Pension and policy makers, relevant State and Federal government MPs / Senators, just to name some)
  • Information about gaps/unmet needs/impact on vulnerable populations
  • Underlying values and ethical issues, including why these issues are of concern for social work and social justice
  • Be sure to reference relevant social work research, policy papers, existing programs and submissions to ensure your arguments are well supported by evidence
• Policy proposal
  • Details of your proposal and how it would be implemented and put into action
  • Details of the expected outcomes from your proposed policy change, and how these would be evaluated
• Conclusion
  • A brief concluding statement that leaves the reader with a clear idea of what your submission is about
• Reference List
  • Provide a reference list in APA format that contains only the sources you used in your submission, in alphabetical order by organisation / author surname