Policy Analysis Paper Instructions
Policy analysis is a systematic evaluation of how
effectively a policy addresses the targeted
problem or issue, meets people’s needs, and achieves its
goal. Each student will select a
particular substantive area of social policy to do their
Policy Analysis Report. The policy
analysis assignment for this class includes the following
four sections: 1) problem identification;
2) analysis of the structural components of the policy; 3) a
systematic analysis of how the policy
meets the need and if the policy reaches its goal(s); 4)
policy advocacy. The paper will follow
the outline listed below.
This paper addresses the 2015 Council on Social Work
Education (CSWE) Educational Policy
Standards (EPAS).
Competency 5: Engage in Policy Practice
• 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
Part I. Policy Identification
In this section you will identify your policy and should
include all of the
following information (EPAS 5: 1 & 2):
a. the name of the policy, when it was made into law, who
the biggest proponents of the
policy were/are and relevant historic information on society
at the time the policy was
written.
b. identify and discuss the issues of human diversity,
discrimination, and oppression
relative to the policy.
(This section should not be more than two (2) pages; 45
points.)
Part II. Structural Components of the Policy
For this section you will examine the policy and discuss
what the policy says and what it was
intended to do by including all of the following (EPAS 5: 2
& 3):
a. discuss the needs, problems or improvements in people’s
lives that the policy is
intended to address
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b. discuss the goal of the policy in addressing the needs,
problems or improvements in
people’s lives (i.e. how does the policy propose to address
the needs, problems or make
improvements)
c. discuss the benefits the policy will provide to the
recipients (i.e. cash, food, housing,
counseling) and how these benefits are administered
d. discuss the eligibility criteria in the policy for people
to receive the benefits
e. discuss who pays for the benefits – where does the
funding come from for the benefits
recipients receive
f. discuss the level of government that actually oversees
the policy and ensures the
benefits are administered