Unit Introduction and What You Will Learn

Week seven is the penultimate week of class and is synchronous, with attendance on 07/11/26. The Heritage Saturday for this session is a special one, focused on MSW program evaluation and career support. Find the planned schedule and potluck sign up for more information. If you have items that need to be warmed for the potluck, please plan your arrival accordingly so we can start promptly, as we have a busy day planned for you all. We have several agencies currently hiring MSWs who will be in attendance to present about their organizations. Consider dressing professionally and bringing your stoles and caps for the pinning ceremony.

Regarding class content this week. Students will complete a reading of Edin and Shafer (2016) and have the opportunity in the forums to reflect on the book and its policy recommendations. The two chapters from Linquiti (2022) comprise the last five lenses in his set, utilizing a panoptic approach to policy analysis. There are forums where questions from the chapters are posted, and a place to consider our institutions. This week, students will also submit the second half of the course’s key assignment, the Policy Analysis Advocacy Project.

The learning objectives this week include:

• Evaluate the final policy recommendations in $2.00 a Day and critique their effectiveness and inclusivity for individuals living in deep poverty.
• Analyze policy issues using the political, institutional, legal, sustainability, and science/technology lenses from Linquiti’s framework.
• Reflect on the appropriate role of government institutions
• Demonstrate advocacy skills by translating a written policy analysis into a professional video presentation tailored for stakeholders.
• Apply principles of implementation planning, stakeholder mapping, and advocacy messaging to propose realistic and justice-centered policy change.

Unit Assignments

Read

• Edin and Shafer (2016) Chapter 6: Conclusion: Where, Then, From Here?
• Linquiti (2022) Chapter 10: The Political and Institutional Lenses
• Linquiti (2022) Chapter 11: The Legal, Sustainability, and Science and Technology Lenses

W-07 A-01 Asynchronous Participation and Engagement

The expectation is that each of your replies will be substantive and provide meaningful perspectives, contributing to the forum’s conversation and scholarship. They can be related to the prompts or building on conversations shared by peers. There are four forums for this week, and you are expected to make at least two replies across any of the forums. These forums include the following:

• In the Conclusion of $2 per Day Book forum, you’ll reflect on the book’s final policy recommendations, evaluate its arguments, or offer your review of the book.
• Chapter 10 Discussion Questions invites you to engage with questions about political motivations, institutional trust, and the role of government in shaping public policy.
• The Considering Institutions forum encourages you to examine the role and responsibilities of public institutions and reflect on how they build or lose public trust.
• In Chapter 11 Discussion Questions, you’ll respond to questions about sustainability, technological change, and the policymaking roles of the judicial and executive branches.

Assignment 03: Policy Analysis Advocacy Project

The Policy Analysis Advocacy Project is the Key Assignment¹ for SOWK 588 and is used to assess CSWE (2022) competencies two and five. It includes two linked assignments, which guide students through the process of policy analysis and advocacy. First, students will critically examine a current social issue and related policy in a comprehensive written analysis. Then, building on that work, students will create a video presentation that translates their findings into a strategic, justice-focused advocacy plan.

Assignment 03b Policy Advocacy Presentation

Meta: Points 100 points (30% of final grade); Deadline is due no later than 08:00 AM on Monday, 07/13/26; Completion via forum submission in MyHeritage with faculty score upload to Anthology; Locations MyHeritage Assignment Detail which is a Panopto learning tool where you can create a video, and W-07 A-03b Policy Advocacy Presentation Submission Forum, and the Syllabus Handout with Description and Rubric;

Purpose: The policy advocacy presentation builds on your written policy analysis by developing a compelling and well-structured advocacy presentation. Students will practice translating complex policy ideas into a format suitable for stakeholder engagement.

Task: Create an approximately 10-minute video presentation that builds upon your written policy analysis paper. Your presentation should include a visual element that helps summarize the content you are sharing (e.g., consider using presentation slides). This presentation should be structured as follows:

• Introduction: Present a clear and concise problem statement, identifying the social issue and briefly summarizing its root causes. Set the stage for why this issue matters and who it impacts.
• Policy Analysis: Provide an overview of the effectiveness of past and current policy efforts related to the issue. Analyze their impact across different system levels (micro, mezzo, macro). Include an analysis of stakeholders, identifying key decision-makers, supporters, advocacy organizations, or community members, and potential opponents.
• Advocacy Strategy: Describe your advocacy goal and objective. Identify your target audience and map out the relevant actors. Share your key advocacy messages, connecting them to the audience’s values or concerns. Highlight approaches that can be used to advance your message. Include a persuasive call to action that reinforces urgency and purpose.
• Implementation Plan: Outline clear action steps along with associated roles, responsibilities, timeline, and resources. Address how you will monitor and evaluate progress. Explain the feasibility of your plan, accounting for real-world barriers, political dynamics, and enabling conditions.
• Conclusion: Summarize the key points from your presentation. Reflect on the potential social, racial, economic, and environmental justice implications of the policy issue and proposed solution. Reiterate the significance of the issue and inspire your audience toward action.

Success: A successful presentation will clearly explain the social issue and policy context, provide a well-supported advocacy strategy, and include a realistic implementation plan. It will demonstrate an understanding of key stakeholders, power dynamics, and barriers to change. The video will be organized, persuasive, and reflect core social work values, with thoughtful attention to justice and equity.

Appendix B. Policy Advocacy Presentation and Competency 5 Practice Behaviors Rubric

The Policy Advocacy Presentation and Competency 5 Practice Behaviors Rubric evaluates students’ ability to communicate their policy analysis through a strategic and persuasive advocacy presentation. It measures students’ skills in articulating a clear problem statement, analyzing stakeholder roles, developing advocacy goals and messages, and proposing a realistic implementation plan. The rubric also assesses students’ attention to power dynamics, barriers to change, and implications for social, racial, and economic justice. Effective presentations will be organized, professional, and grounded in advocacy strategies aligned with social work values and competencies.

Competency 5: Engage in Policy Practice
a. Examine social policies at local, state, tribal, and federal levels to provide best practice recommendations.
b. Assess social policy theory in the context of practice with diverse client populations and prepare recommendations for policy change.

Description	Initial	Emerging	Developed	Highly Developed
Introduction: Problem statement	Presentation has no clear introduction of problem statement, needs to address the issue and demonstrate understanding of root causes.	Presentation has a basic introduction to problem statement, may need more clarification on understanding the root cause.	Presentation provides an overview of the problem statement, somewhat addresses the issue and understanding of the root causes.	Presentation provides a detailed overview of problem statement, pinpoints the issue and understanding the root causes.
Policy analysis	Presentation is missing the assessment of the effectiveness of current and past policy efforts and their effects on all levels. Presentation is missing stakeholder analysis identifies key decision makers, supporters, advocacy groups, community members, and opponents.	Presentation has an incomplete assessment of the effectiveness of current and past policy efforts or their effects on all levels. The stakeholder analysis is incomplete, missing key decision makers, supporters, advocacy groups, community members, or opponents.	Presentation includes a clear assessment of the effectiveness of current and past policy efforts and their effects on all levels. It identifies key decision makers, supporters, advocacy groups, community members, and opponents.	Presentation clearly and thoroughly assesses the effectiveness of current and past policy efforts and their effects on all levels. It clearly identifies key decision makers, supporters, advocacy groups, community members, and opponents.
Advocacy strategy	Presentation provides minimal to no information on goals, objectives, target audience, power mapping, or key advocacy messages. There is no mention of direct lobbying, grassroots lobbying, or policy alternatives within the advocacy strategy. Presentation needs an effective call to action that ties together policy analysis, emphasizes urgency and encourages further thought/action.	Presentation has incomplete information on goals, objectives, target audience, power mapping, and key advocacy messages. It briefly touches on direct lobbying, grassroots lobbying, or policy alternatives. Call to action is present, but does not tie together policy analysis, emphasizes on urgency, encouragement of further though/action.	Presentation includes good information on goals, objectives, target audience, and power mapping. The key advocacy message resonates well. It connects direct lobbying, grassroots lobbying, and/or policy alternatives to the advocacy strategy. The call to action ties the policy analysis together, emphasizes urgency, and encourages further thought or action.	Complete information on goals/objectives, target audience, power mapping. Key advocacy message is sharp and resonates emotionally. Presentation strongly connects direct lobbying, grassroots lobbying and policy alternatives to advocacy strategy. Compelling call to action that ties together policy analysis, emphasizes urgency, and encourages further thought and action.
Implementation plan	Presentation provides minimal to no information on the implementation plan, including action steps, roles, responsibilities, timeline, resources, monitoring, and evaluation. Policy recommendations are either absent or disconnected from the analysis and evidence. Feasibility of implementation is not addressed or realistically assessed.	Presentation is missing 1-2 sections of the implementation plan, such as action steps, roles, responsibilities, timeline, resources, monitoring, or evaluation. Policy recommendations are somewhat related to the analysis but are vague, broad, or lack evidence. Feasibility is mentioned but with limited or superficial engagement with barriers, challenges, and enablers.	Presentation includes an implementation plan with action steps, roles, responsibilities, timeline, resources, monitoring, and evaluation. Policy recommendations are generally well-supported by the analysis but may need more detail or specificity. Feasibility is considered, but there is a lack of depth in exploring challenges, barriers, or enablers to implementation.	Presentation clearly incorporates an implementation plan with detailed action steps, roles, responsibilities, timeline, resources, monitoring, and evaluation. Policy recommendations are specific, actionable, well-supported by the analysis, and reflect a deep understanding of the issue and potential solutions. Demonstrates a realistic understanding of potential barriers, challenges, and enablers to implementation.
Conclusion	Presentation slides and information need a summary of the main findings from the analysis. There is minimal to no reflection on the policy’s potential impact, consideration of oppressed and marginalized populations, levels, and or ADEI dimensions.	Presentation slides offer a basic summary of the main findings, synthesizing key issues, evidence, and arguments. They provide a superficial reflection on the policy’s impact, lacking adequate consideration of all populations, levels, and ADEI dimensions.	Presentation slides provide a solid summary of the main findings, effectively synthesizing key issues, evidence, and arguments without introducing new information. Presentation reflects on the policy’s impact on all groups but need more depth in addressing all ADEI dimensions.	Presentation slides clearly and concisely summarize the main findings, effectively synthesizing key issues, evidence, and arguments without introducing new information. Presentation thoughtfully reflects on the social, racial, economic, and environmental justice impacts of the policy and recommendations, addressing all groups, levels and dimensions of ADEI.

General Assignment Requirements

Description	Initial	Emerging	Developed	Highly Developed
Professional presentation that is well organized and high-quality	The has significant problems following assignment requirements and is hard to follow and has major problems in facilitation.	The has some significant problems following assignment requirements, but the presentation is acceptable.	The presentation has some minor problems following assignment requirements but is generally a well done presentation.	The presentation follows all of the assignment requirements and is clear, well-structured, professional, engaging.

Unit Resources

During the session, you will be asked to do the following

• Take Course Surveys SOWK 588 and 589 Course Surveys. You can find them with a link in your sidebar.
• [MSW Program Exit Survey](https://heritage.jotform.com/team/social-work/msw-exit-survey) Need to verify

You can also see the planning Google Doc, 2026 MSW Career Day Potluck Sign Up.

You can listen to a podcast episode for this week’s reading Chapters 10 & 11: Why Perfect Policy Fails in Practice, or see the entire series Podcast Series.

I do have some slides I’ll probably upload a bit later.

To-Do List

• Read chapter six of the $2 per day book
• Read chapters 10 & 11 of the textbook
• Complete two replies across any of the four forums
• Complete and submit your A-03b Policy Advocacy Presentation