2 Assignments – w5

Assignment 1:  Kingdon: Agendas, Alternatives, and Public Policies

Agenda building is often the first step in your policy practice tasks. Building a solid agenda may well determine the success of the development of a policy proposal and may also determine your success in placing an issue in front of a decision maker.

For this Assignment, you evaluate the accuracy of the Kingdon model of policymaking.

Submit a 3-page paper evaluating the accuracy of the Kingdon model in policymaking. Address each question below separately. Support each with references and in text citations from 2013 to present:

· Discuss the three streams Kingdon has identified where problems originate, and provide your opinion on which one most accurately reflects how and why policies come about.

· Discuss the assertion that certain kinds of issues receive preferential treatment in problem solution and political streams.

· Discuss tactics that policy practitioners use within each of the three streams to increase the odds that a specific issue will be placed on decision agendas.

Should be in APA format.

Assignment 2: Policy Identification

According to the Council on Social Work Education, Competency 5: Engage in Policy Practice:

Social workers understand that human rights and social justice, as well as social welfare and services, are mediated by policy and its implementation at the federal, state, and local levels. Social workers understand the history and current structures of social policies and services, the role of policy in service delivery, and the role of practice in policy development. Social workers understand their role in policy development and implementation within their practice settings at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels and they actively engage in policy practice to effect change within those settings. Social workers recognize and understand the historical, social, cultural, economic, organizational, environmental, and global influences that affect social policy. They are also knowledgeable about policy formulation, analysis, implementation, and evaluation. Social workers:

· Identify social policy at the local, state, and federal level that impacts well-being, service delivery, and access to social services;

· Assess how social welfare and economic policies impact the delivery of and access to social services;

· Apply critical thinking to analyze, formulate, and advocate for policies that advance human rights and social, economic, and environmental justice.

This assignment is intended to help students demonstrate the behavioral components of this competency in their field education.

To prepare: Working with your field instructor, identify, evaluate, and discuss policies established by the local, state, and federal government (within the last five years) that affect the day to day operations of the field placement agency.

The Assignment (2 pages):

· Describe the policies and their impact on the field agency.

· Propose specific recommendations regarding how you, as a social work intern, and the agency can advocate for policies pertaining to advancing social justice for the agency and the clients it serves.

Should be in APA format. Support each section with references and in text citations from 2013-present.