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Policy Issue Brief  The POLICY ISSUE BRIEF should be 5 to 6 pages, double-spaced, using 12 point font and one-inch margins on all sides. The cover page, Table of Contents and References list do not count toward the page limit. Use APA format, 6th   edition. THE POLICY ISSUE BRIEF SHOULD INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING FIVE SECTIONS: What Is The Issue? What Is Being Debated? Key Policy Options and Justifications Recommended Position Based on Strongest Justification Future Directions and Forecasting References You may include additional subheadings if you wish.  I also encourage the use of tables and figures, so long as you explain and reference them.    EACH SECTION SHOULD CONTAIN THE ANSWERS TO THE QUESTIONS LISTED BELOW: Section 1.  What is the Issue? What is being debated? Why is it Important? Introduce and present the primary question central to this issue brief, and define the issue clearly. Your audience should have no trouble understanding the issue being addressed and the specific subtopics included. Why Is It Important? As part of the issue definition, you need to explain why this issue and its elements are important for policymakers. Address the scope, extent, and nature of the problem. Include key past and current events that shaped the issue and question (e.g. major policies, elections, events that created shifts in public opinion, etc.).    Section 2. Key Policy Options and Justifications: What are the Pros and Cons of the Issue and Justifications for each? For this section, you will include the following points: Policy options (pros and cons),  and justifications for each option. This section is supposed to focus on key points of friction, or debate. Include the pros and cons (or policy options) of each issue and the author’s justification points for how each option is supposed to effect change and remedy the problem (or aspects of the problem). Be sure to include references for all cited information. Remember – this is not based on your opinions, but the positions of the authors you cite.      Section 3: ­­­­­­Recommended Position Based on Strongest Justification: Which position offered the strongest argument based on facts, research, or outcomes? What is the best approach based on the strongest argument (no opinions here!) This section includes your recommendation, with justifications,  for the best approach. This recommendation is based on your evaluation of each policy position, your justification,  and your conclusion about which had the strongest evidence.   ++ Refer to the Policy Justification Categories below. Try to address at least three of the justifications in your paper. What evidence exists about its potential effectiveness, such as major stakeholder positions, major policies enacted, defeated, or currently being considered or implemented, public opinion shifts, etc.? For example, a positive health impact on stakeholders is one example of a justification.. In this section, you adopt the strongest position based on the research justification you uncovered. Your justification might include the greatest number of reasons an option is better than the alternative,  the strongest scientific data, or the most compelling position based on ethical reasons. Make choices about which options and which events are the most salient and important. In any case, this is where YOU present the best alternative and describe why your recommended position is better than the other positions. This section should be concise and clear. Remember,  this section should build on the previous sections. Avoid redundancy, but be sure the research, logic and connection

s are clear for the reader. Section 4. Future Directions/Forecasting: What will the future hold as a result of this policy decision? What is the likely outcome based on research, reputable opinions? This section is about looking forward. Specifically, this section should: Address what factors (those that are documented and can be clearly referenced) will likely influence the future (i.e. the next two years) based on where the issue currently stands in the realm of policy-making Make the connections very obvious and clear to the reader. This means you may have to provide some summary phrases or references for what you found in the literature or previous sections, and how the future will be impacted or not. One example – research and suggest quality measures used by other policymakers (other states, countries, etc.). How have they measured enacted policy on this issue? You may also look at other “measurableâ€? ways (based on documented and clearly referenced factors) to predict how this issue will improve or worsen in the coming years.   Section 5. References: Are there at least 5 references? Do they follow 6th edition of the APA format? References include only sources actually used, not a list of everything you glanced at but did not really use (i.e., everything in your References list should be cited in your paper with parentheses, i.e., in-text citations that properly follow APA style). The exact number of references will depend on your topic, but at least 5 references are required. If you have questions about citations, please ask your instructor,or the Writing Center,  especially since inadequate or missing references constitutes a form of plagiarism.      ++ Policy Justifications Categories  : you may consider these categories for your justifications http://ocw.jhsph.edu/courses/IntroHealthPolicy/PDFs/Bardach_Outline_IHP_7b.pdf  (Links to an external site.)  :. a) Population benefit i) Quality of life/outcomes of care ii) Concordance with evidence-based process standards iii) Improve access for those not getting adequate treatment iv) Reduce disparities in access, quality of care, outcomes b) Cost/economics i) Cost/benefit (maximize positive effects given input costs) ii) Efficiency per unit of service (potential measure: QALYs, DALYs) iii) Contain costs (to stay within available resource budget and to ensure “marginâ€? between input and output costs) c) Ethics/equity i) Maximize total good (utilitarianism) ii) Consider fairness of resource allocation decisions, with attention to need, equity, etc. iii) Fulfill individuals’ rights to certain goods or outcomes (liberalism) iv) Consider trade-offs between individual autonomy and the common good d) Administrative feasibility i) Degree of organization’s control ii) Timeframe of implementation/success iii) Resources required for developing and implementing policy (distinct from cost-benefit of program itself) iv) Simplicity/robustness of policy/intervention (the fewer “moving parts,â€? the better) v) Legal/regulatory issues e) Stakeholders: Consider the perspectives of various constituencies (beyond patient/consumer above,  the costs and benefits to each constituency, and the “politicsâ€? involved: i) Providers ii) Sponsors (employers, Medicaid agency) iii) Community groups and politicians iv) Employees of your organization v) Board of directors (shareholders, if investor-owned)
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