Assignment Brief Academic Year 2020-21
Module code LC482 Policy and Strategy Module leader: Dr Elisa Arnoldi
and title:
Assignment CW1 2000 words (+/-10%) Assessment 100%
No. and type: weighting:
Submission 25/05/2021 before 2 pm. Target feedback 4 weeks later
time and date: time and date:
Assignment task
Select ONE of the policy documents that has been uploaded to LSST portal under assignment brief folder.
Read it carefully and write a report of 2000 words (+/-10%) that discusses the context, objectives,
arguments and findings of this document. You must draw on relevant social science theory and research,
welfare ideology and values, and social policy debates, to support the discussion of your selected
document.
Your report should have this structure:
Title
Introduction
Discussion of the aims of your chosen voluntary organisation and its scope of work in relation to service
provision, and policy research and campaigning
Discussion of the social problem(s) identified in and the objectives of the document
Discussion of the document’s principal arguments and findings
Conclusion
Reference list
This assignment has been designed to provide you with an opportunity to demonstrate your
achievement of the following module learning outcomes:
LO 1
Identify and discuss the impact of values and welfare ideologies on policy making.
Demonstrate an understanding of the role of voluntary organisations and campaigning in the
LO 2
policy process.
Show an understanding of how political values and ideologies influence the interpretation of
LO3
evidence in the policy process.
Internal approval: February 2021
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Task requirements
You must demonstrate that you have read and understood your selected document and have drawn on
independent reading to enable you to discuss its content.
Summarise in your own words (paraphrase) the material you use and reference it appropriately.
Quotations should be a phrase or sentence and always supported with a reference.
Your report must contain in-text references and a reference list at the end. The reference list is not
included in the word count and must be in the Harvard style. Ensure that your selected document is
referenced in the text of your report and included in the reference list
You should use sub-headings in your report and adhere to the required structure
You should write in a scholarly style. Avoid writing in the first or second person (“I”, “you” or “we”)
Referencing and research requirements
Please reference your work according to the [name of style] style as defined in Cite Them Right Online
(http://www.citethemrightonline.com). This information is also available in book form: Pears, R. and
Shields, G. (2019) Cite them right: the essential reference guide. 11th edn. Basingstoke: Palgrave
Macmillan. Copies are available via the University library.
How your work will be assessed
Your work will be assessed on the extent to which it demonstrates your achievement of the stated learning
outcomes for this assignment (see above) and against the following criteria
Addresses the question set
Evidence of independent reading
Evidence of understanding of relevant social science theory and research
Evidence of understanding of relevant social policy concepts, welfare ideologies and policy debates
Development of well-structured and clearly expressed discussion
Accurate referencing (in-text and reference list), drawing on a range of appropriate sources
Submission details
Submission deadline is 13.59 on submission deadline.
You are reminded of the University’s regulations on academic misconduct, which can be viewed on
the University website: https://bucks.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0024/9546/Academic-Misconduct-
Policy.pdf. In submitting your assignment, you are acknowledging that you have read and
understood these regulations
Please also note that work that is submitted up to 10 working days beyond the submission date will
be considered a late submission. Late submissions will be marked and the actual mark recorded,
but will be capped at the pass mark (typically 40%), provided that the work is of a passing standard.
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Work submitted after this period will not be marked and will be treated as a non-submission.
Before you submit
Please use the provided checklist below to make sure you are ‘fit to submit’ your work
We recommend you use this checklist as soon as you get this assignment brief to help you plan
your work
Fit to Submit: Assignment Checklist
This assignment checklist is designed to help you avoid some of the most common mistakes students
make in their coursework.
HAVE YOU READ THE ASSIGNMENT BRIEF?
IF NOT, DO IT NOW!
In it you will find details of the assessment task, word count, the assessment criteria your work is marked against,
and the learning outcomes – the basis for the assessment strategy in each module.
Students often lose marks by forgetting some of the more straightforward elements of their assignments.
We recommend that you “tick off” each of the points below as you prepare your work for submission. If
you need any help, ask your tutor and / or visit
https://bucks.ac.uk/students/academicadvice/assessment-and-examination
TICK
Have you read and understood the assessment criteria?
Have you met the learning outcomes? You will lose marks and your work may even
be failed if you have not.
Have you demonstrated you can think and write critically in the completed work?
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This means you have supported your arguments/explanations appropriately e.g.
using relevant academic sources and you have offered discussion points which
extends your own or others’ viewpoints to make reasoned conclusions/judgements.
Have you maintained an academic tone throughout your work? Is your work formal,
focused, developed and clear?
Have you checked that the referencing in your assignment is in line with your
programme requirements?
Have you proof-read your work and used spellcheck software to check your spelling
and grammar?
Have you checked the presentation of your work is as specified by your tutor, for
example, are font size, colour, style, line spacing and margins as the tutor specified?
Have you kept to the word count (or equivalent)? If you are not sure, check with your
tutor.
Can you confirm that the work submitted is your own and not plagiarised?
