The purpose of this assignment is to promote legislative change either in favor of or opposed to your policy. A policy brief is a concise document developed with the intent of advocating for or against a specific policy. Often times policy briefs are distributed to policy makers (ex: Senators, Members of Congress, City Mayor, etc.) to inform their voting practices on specific laws. In this assignment, students will pick one of the three topics explored during the semester in which to develop a policy brief. A policy brief should be a stand-alone document, ensuring that a non-health reader can completely understand the policy and its intent without the use of additional information.
It is important that your policy brief be well designed, visually pleasing, and efficiently written. See example posted in Canvas. Remember, the goal of this document is to persuade the reader to vote in favor of or against a policy, therefore, the reader must be both: 1) informed and 2) intrigued by the content and appearance of the policy brief. The end result should be a document which attracts attention and promotes a firm position on a specific policy within a limited space (3 pages). The reader should be able to understand your position and ideas within 1 minute of skimming the document.
Students must integrate grading feedback they receive on the Policy Choice and Content worksheets to develop the policy brief. These worksheets are intended to help with the content of the policy brief. Additional work will need to be completed to address all content, formatting, and technical requirements.
Technical Requirements:
3 page document
Submit a PDF version of your document to ensure correct formatting. You can use another program, such as Word or Publisher, but submit only a PDF document.
Language/Tone/Word choice – your policy brief should include all of the following language elements:
Use of active voice – a direct and clear approach to communication (see https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/539/02/ for detailed examples).
Direct and professional. Make your discussion simple and concise.
Absence of jargon not known by someone outside the health field
Clear writing. Hint: the general rule of thumb is to keep information at the 7th or 8th grade reading level without the use of slang, figures of speech, or colloquial language.
Visual Appeal – your policy brief must include all of the following visual elements:
Organization, separation, and spacing of content that is visually appealing
No cluttered information or images
Effective use of white space
Information clearly flows from one section to the next
Consistency in use of visual cues (bullet points, headings, indentation, etc.)
Visual Content
Include at least 1 accent color
Use the color throughout the document to help with content flow and visual appeal
Include at least 2 images
Each must be a crisp/clear image without a watermark or pixilation and clearly connected to the content on that page
Include at least 1 type of data representation (figure, graph, chart, etc.)
This data should help support your policy recommendation and be specifically related to the policy you are briefing
References
Must include at least 2 different reliable and reputable sources
Refer to each source within the text of the brief, but do NOT use APA formatting. All sources should be recognized in the following manner:
“According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,……”
“According to an article published in the American Journal of Public Health (Williams et al.),……..”
Formatting and Content Checklist:
Page 1:
Title – Original, creative title intended to both inform and intrigue the reader (hint: Write this last)
Public Health Background
Description of the problem as a public health issue. Connect the issue to community and nationwide health outcomes.
Summary of Public Health Significance
Implications of the problem (e.g. on life expectancy and/or other health outcomes)
Use statistics and data to describe the magnitude of the issue
Hook element – Should be a brief, emotionally-stimulating text to engage and persuade the reader.
Include 1 image on this page connected to the public health issue. This image should highlight the public health problem.
Page 2:
Current Laws/Policies related to the problem (include at least 2)
What has already been accomplished?
Consider if the policy was successful or unsuccessful.
This can include policies from other cities, states, or countries that are closely connected to your policy recommendation
Data Visualization
Include specific, visual data that justifies your stance and points to the need for your recommendation.
Data can take the form of a graph, table, map, etc.
Data should not be solely written as text within a paragraph
Page 3:
Opposition & Refute
What is a claim made by opponents of your policy recommendation?
How would you refute (or go against) the claim made by your opponents?
Remember, you want to have the last word and powerfully convince the reader why your opponents are wrong.
Policy Recommendation
Include an existing, actual, concrete policy on your issue (this is what you want people to vote for or against).
Be sure to include the specific name and details of the policy.
Include a call to action as your last sentence. This is where you tell people what you want them to do: vote for or against your enhancement to the policy as it stands.
Contact information
Your name and any credentials or certifications
Phone, email, and website (if applicable)
Professional photo. A professional photo is one that could be used on a LinkedIn account or show you in a professional capacity. DO NOT include photos with distracting backgrounds, non-professional dress, or other people/animals in the photo. Usually, these photos include only the torso and head/neck.
Organizations
Include at least 5 organizations that can serve as resources for the reader to learn more about your policy. They should have a vested interest in the issue and be supportive of your policy recommendation. These can be local, national, or international resources. Be sure to include the full name for each resource.
Include 1 image on this page connected to the public health issue/policy recommendation. This image should highlight the solution.