Unit 2: The Policy Brief
Overview
In Unit 1, focus was on the production of an effective persuasive research proposal, grounded in a specific context and perspective, with a strong sense of audience and purpose. In our course scenario, the proposal defined the scope and perspective of your project on flexible work and argued for its value. At this stage, you should have a good idea of your project idea and be ready to develop it into a well-researched policy brief with concrete recommendations. It’s time to deliver on the project you proposed in the first assignment.
By the end of this unit, you will be able to:
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Explain the purpose and nature of a policy brief as a genre of strategic writing.
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Demonstrate skills in defining a relevant discourse community for a project and synthesizing key issues and voices.
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Demonstrate skills in effective strategic positioning and argumentation.
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Design and produce a policy brief with an effective structure to meet the document purpose.
Topics
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2.1 Engage the Conversation
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2.2 Map the Conversation
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2.3 Take a Position
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2.4 How to Tell a Good Story
Consider each topic of this unit as the close equivalent to a standard week of work in a 3-credit, 13-week course. Plan to spend about 3–4 hours working the course material in each of the four sections, plus additional time to apply the information to work on your course project.
Here is a visual reminder of how the course assignments build on each other.
