ENV311H5S Environmental Issues in the Developing World
Order ID: 89JHGSJE83839 Style: APA/MLA/Harvard/Chicago Pages: 5-10 Instructions:
ENV311H5S Environmental Issues in the Developing World
OVERVIEW:
For this assignment, you will write a policy brief on a topic that is relevant to environment anddevelopment in the Global South. I recommend that you choose a topic related to your work for
Assignment #1: Country Status Report. Specific criteria for topics are detailed below.
The assignment is due on March 30, 2020 by 11:59 pm (i.e., before midnight on that date). Quercus is
very strict about imposing late penalties please be aware of that and try not to upload files after the
deadline, or you will risk incurring late penalties.
We will be going over the assignment in detail in the Tutorial for Week 3, and in the Whats On video
for Week 7. As well, the Extra Optional Makeup Tutorial (posted with the Week 7 materials on Quercus)will walk you through some important aspects of policy briefs.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:In completing this assignment, you will:
be able to explain the purpose and format of policy briefs in the international development
context; identify and investigate a problem or issue relevant to environment and development in the
Global South;
define the problem or issue in a manner that is sufficiently well focused to be addressed
effectively in a policy brief format;
summarize the issue at a level that would be relevant for an experienced internationalpolicymaker; and,
propose several policy solutions by explaining the situation and the policy landscape, and/or
advocate for one particular solution to the issue that you have identified.BACKGROUND:
But what you might ask is a policy brief?
The UN FAO defines a policy brief as follows:A policy brief is a concise summary of a particular issue, the policy options to deal with it, and some
recommendations on the best option. It is aimed at government policymakers and others who are
interested in formulating or influencing policy. Policy briefs can take different formats. It has an
attractive design, and may have one or more photographs.
from Preparing Policy Briefs, Lesson 4.1 in Food Security Communications Toolkit (2011) Food and
Agriculture Organization of the United Nations http://www.fao.org/docrep/014/i2195e/i2195e00.htm
Three characteristics are common to almost all policy briefs:
1. They are brief (typically 1-4 pages; some are as short as 700 words, but we will aim for 1500-
2000 words in this assignment) more than 4 pages would be a report rather than a brief.
2. They provide a concise summary of a particular issue.3. They speak to policymakers, offering options and/or recommendations for dealing with the
particular issue.
There are two basic types of policy brief:
An advocacy brief argues in favour of a particular course of action.
An objective brief gives balanced information and options for the policymaker.
UNFAO (2011, op cit.) lists some requirements for policy briefs:
Provide enough background for the reader to understand the issue or problem. Convince the reader that the problem must be addressed urgently.
Provide information about alternatives (in an objective brief); or, provide evidence and
recommendations supporting one alternative (in an advocacy brief).
Stimulate the reader to make a decision.
As well, policy briefs usually are formatted so they will catch the attention of policymakers, who arebusy people with (often) short attention spans. The pages are carefully laid out, with interesting
graphics, perhaps even a photograph, and some way of emphasizing the main points.In terms of structure, there are many ways to organize a policy brief. Here is a suggestion (you dont
necessarily have to follow this its just a suggested organizational framework for your content):
Title
Executive Summary (similar to an Abstract)
Introduction
Main Text, Issue Summary, and Evidence
Interpretation or Discussion
Implications and Recommendations References
In addition, a policy brief should be eye-catching and easy to read, and so will often include some or
most of the following:
Text boxes and sidebars
Cases or examples
Tables
Graphics
Photographs
based on IDRC (n.d.), How To Write a Policy Brief, in Toolkit for Researchers, International Development
Research Centre, http://www.idrc.ca/en/resources/researchdbs/tools_and_training/pages/toolkit-for-
researchers.aspx, and on UNFAO (2011, op. cit.)
I have provided a number of resources related to policy briefs on our course website, including the UN
FAO and IDRC sources cited above, which are both very thorough and informative. There are also some
examples of policy briefs that you can look at. They are posted in the Assignment #2 folder. Please check
out these sources they have a lot of examples and advice for producing policy briefs.
ENV311H5S Environmental Issues in the Developing World
RUBRIC
Excellent Quality
95-100%
Introduction 45-41 points
The background and significance of the problem and a clear statement of the research purpose is provided. The search history is mentioned.
Literature Support
91-84 points
The background and significance of the problem and a clear statement of the research purpose is provided. The search history is mentioned.
Methodology
58-53 points
Content is well-organized with headings for each slide and bulleted lists to group related material as needed. Use of font, color, graphics, effects, etc. to enhance readability and presentation content is excellent. Length requirements of 10 slides/pages or less is met.
Average Score
50-85%
40-38 points
More depth/detail for the background and significance is needed, or the research detail is not clear. No search history information is provided.
83-76 points
Review of relevant theoretical literature is evident, but there is little integration of studies into concepts related to problem. Review is partially focused and organized. Supporting and opposing research are included. Summary of information presented is included. Conclusion may not contain a biblical integration.
52-49 points
Content is somewhat organized, but no structure is apparent. The use of font, color, graphics, effects, etc. is occasionally detracting to the presentation content. Length requirements may not be met.
Poor Quality
0-45%
37-1 points
The background and/or significance are missing. No search history information is provided.
75-1 points
Review of relevant theoretical literature is evident, but there is no integration of studies into concepts related to problem. Review is partially focused and organized. Supporting and opposing research are not included in the summary of information presented. Conclusion does not contain a biblical integration.
48-1 points
There is no clear or logical organizational structure. No logical sequence is apparent. The use of font, color, graphics, effects etc. is often detracting to the presentation content. Length requirements may not be met
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ENV311H5S Environmental Issues in the Developing World