STEP0033 Foundations in Sustainable Infrastructures and Public Policy Report: Final Written Assessment (85%) Due: Wednesday 7th December 16.00 Aim: The purpose of this assessment is to demonstrate your knowledge, analytical skills and critical thinking in identifying, describing and analysing a policy-relevant problem in sustainable infrastructures. You will produce a final written piece of no more than 2,500 words. This will be submitted before the winter break on Wednesday 7th December. Details: The final written assessment will encourage you to express your learning and intellectual development over the course of Term 1 through an in-depth exploration of a policy issue that interests you and that you develop independently. These guidelines are intended to offer support for selecting and developing the policy case for your written assessment, as well as for structuring and writing. GENERAL GUIDANCE Final Written Assessment (85%) Maximum word count is 2,500 words (excluding bibliography, references, graphs, charts). Word count penalties will be applied as per MPA handbook. Deadline: 16.00 Wednesday 7th December 2022 Marking and feedback to be completed (and issued) by 13th January 2023 Timeline 5th October The assessment will be formally introduced during the first STEP0033 session 2nd November (Summative) Class presentation on final written assessment topic 16.00 7th December (Summative) Submit final written assessment SELECTING YOUR TOPIC You can find inspiration for your topic from any number of places (e.g. classroom discussions; conversations with route leads; past professional experience; or personal interests). Feel free to discuss your topic ideas with your SIPP peers and route leads. The only firm requirements for your policy case are: i. Your topic must be aligned with your selected MPA route: Sustainable Infrastructures and Public Policy ii. Your topic must be sufficiently complex as to warrant comprehensive analysis. iii. Your topic must be sufficiently bounded such that it can be effectively addressed within 2,500 words. Additional Guidance When considering potential topics, we encourage you to ask the following questions: 1. Which topic do I want to spend a substantial amount of time working on Do I want to explore a new area of interest, or work on something close to my academic or professional background Are there clear ongoing or emerging challenges and / or new policy approaches that I would like to focus on 2. How much time do I have to devote to research, analysis and writing for the final written assessment Are data or evidence about this topic easily available Am I familiar, or will it be easy to familiarise myself with, the important actors, institutions and political context(s) for this topic Is the topic bounded enough (e.g. geographically, institutionally, topically) to enable me to gat
her and analyse sufficient evidence in the time that I have UNDERSTANDING YOUR AUDIENCE The final written assessment should be aimed at a general audience of policy practitioners (e.g. policy advisors, consultants, managers), who are not expert in your chosen topic. The assessment should be written for a policy, rather than academic, audience. Therefore, we encourage you to: Use a concise and clear writing style. Show awareness of the key policy actors involved in, and institutional context of, your case (e.g. BEIS, National Grid etc., if your topic is related to renewable energy in the UK). Provide relevant and comprehensive evidence to support your description and analysis. The evidence should be both quantitative and qualitative and should be fully referenced. Formulate clear, concise conclusions on the current state of the topic. ORGANISING THE WRITTEN ASSESSMENT The final written assessment should be analytic and rigorous, but easy to read! The written assessment should include: Title. Clear, short and informative. Executive Summary. 1-page maximum, summarising the key messages. Introduction. A clear description of your chosen topic, and key contextual information Analysis. An analysis (not simply a description) of the case, supported by evidence, and applying relevant concepts and frameworks to explain the significance of your topic. This should be the largest section of the report. Findings. A summary of findings derived from your analysis. Conclusions. A concise statement on the current state of your topic and any policy-relevant, current or emerging, issues identified in your analysis. Reference list. A careful and comprehensive list of all evidence sources used in the report. You should keep in mind the following considerations: The balance between text and diagrams, figures and tables in conveying your findings. Structure and formatting of the text to maximise readability for your audience. This includes general formatting (font size, spacing, margins, etc) as well as factors like sentence and paragraph length. ASSESSMENT Assessment and feedback for your final written assessment will cover the following dimensions (See the full marking rubric on the STEP0033 Moodle course page) Conceptual Understanding 25% Demonstrated through the application of concepts and skills from SIPP in the description, analysis and discussion of your topic. Topical Knowledge & Use of Evidence 25% Demonstrated through the effective use of evidence throughout the description, analysis and discussion of your topic. Reasoning & Critical Analysis 25% Demonstrated through the integration of conceptual understanding and evidence to develop your own insights and conclusions. Communication Structure & Clarity 25% Demonstrated through the logical development of your arguments, and the accessible presentation of your work, throughout the assessment.