Policy Brief for Urban Sustainability
Final Assignment: Policy Brief for Urban Sustainability | ENSC 357/IGED 280
This policy brief provides the scholar with an opportunity to write a compelling brief on the implications of a policy to address an aspect of urban sustainability. Policy briefs are instrumental in shaping policy for decision-makers. This policy brief will be the final assignment for the scholar’s Urban Sustainability portfolio.
Scope
The scholar should consider a local, regional, national, or global urban sustainability problem and a correspondingpolicy* to address it. It is imperative that students provide political and societal context to understand the challenge and identified policy.
Format
Minimum Length: 6 pages
Minimum Number of Words: 3,000 words
Preferred Spacing: Single space or 1.5 lines
Citations: MLA or APA consistency
Recycling: Not permitted, but scholars may cite their prior work from other classes.
Originality: SafeAssign will be used
Resources
Please consider using Grammarly and the UDC Student Achievement Center to review drafts before final submission.
*Please note that if you are unable to locate a specific policy, a policy theme approach will be accepted. Please provide evidence that you were unable to locate a specific policy before using a policy theme approach.
Below are some suggested headers. While not exhaustive, these suggested formats provide the scholar with a possible template.
Suggested Format 1:[1]
Title
Executive Summary
Context or Scope of Problem
Policy Alternatives
Policy Recommendations
Appendices
Resources
Suggested Format 2:[2]
Title
Summary
Recommendations
Introduction
The body (the main text)
Policy implications
Conclusions
Suggested Format 3:[3]
Title
Executive Summary
Introduction/Summary of the Problem
Methods, Approaches and Results/Body
Conclusions
Policy Recommendations
References and Suggested Sources
Acknowledgements, Author Details and Disclaimers
Examples:Zero Waste, Local Green Building, Moderately Priced Dwelling Units, Transit Oriented Development, Water Conservation, Environmental Protection, Urban Food, Urban Mosquito Control Policy, DDOTVision Zero, DC Smart City Initiative
Other examples can be found here (sustainabledc.org) or here.
Evaluation Criteriafor the Policy Brief(Source: Dr. Harrison)
| Levels of Achievement for the SCHOLAR | |||
| Criteria | Novice | Competent | Proficient |
| Analysis (20) | 0 to 14 points
Assignment demonstrates participant’s basic understanding of its requirements. Content lacks sufficient breadth and depth in its approach. |
14 to 16 points
Assignment demonstrates participant’s good understanding of its requirements. Assessment of findings demonstrates some critical analysis Content includes a satisfactory breadth and depth in its approach. |
17 to 20 points
Assignment demonstrates participant’s thorough understanding of its requirements. Content includes excellent breadth and depth in its approach to the subject matter. Excellent critical analysis is evident throughout the paper. |
| Organization (15) | 0 to 10 points
Assignment is incomplete. Some key elements were not discussed. No assessment of findings acknowledged. |
10 to 12 points
Assignment is almost complete. Most of the key elements were discussed and follows a logical order. The document is organized in a way that the reader can follow each step. |
13 to 15 points
Assignment is complete. All key elements were discussed and followed a logic order in its presentation. Assessment of findings demonstrates critical thinking skills and is able to provide an analysis of the author’s findings within the article |
| Grammar & APA style (10)
x + x + x = Total possible score= 45 |
0 to 5 points
Grammar and expression seldom adhere to the norms of standard English. Significant grammar errors noted throughout paper. Does not comply with APA format. Fails to follow instructions |
6 to 7 points
Grammar and expression adhere to the norms of standard English most of the time. Some grammar errors noted. The use of APA is clear and follows most of the APA guidelines. |
8 to 10 points
Grammar and expression adhere to the norms of standard English. The document follows APA format in every aspect. Analysis of articles as written presents fresh ideas. Free of grammar errors, citation are found in the text as well as in the reference section of the document. |
[1]UNC Writing Centerwebsite, accessed Dec 31, 2019.
[2]FAO, accessed Dec 31, 2019.
[3]Research to Action, accessed Dec 31, 2019.
