FES486 Oregon State Rangeland Or Publilc Lands Management Issue
MUST BE ON A RANGELAND OR PUBLIC LANDS MANAGEMENT ISSUE
The policy memo assignment provides students with the opportunity to investigate a controversial public lands policy issue and write a four-page (2,000 words) memo to a decision-maker. It allows students to conduct in-depth research about a controversial public lands issue and formulate and analyze policy options available to solve this issue/problem. Policy memo writing is a valuable skill in the professional workplace. It should highlight a controversial federal government-related public lands issue. The draft policy memo is a graded assignment and the instructor will provide feedback on how to improve the memo. Students can select their own topic, but must be sure it relates to the course. The instructor will provide an overview of how to approach this assignment (brainstorming, finding an appropriate topic, developing an outline, using academic references, etc.). The policy memo must include the following:
Problem statement
Background/context (include existing legal, regulatory, and policy issues)
Policy options (thorough description of available alternatives to resolve this issue/problem):
brief overview
advantages and disadvantages
views of different stakeholders
interdisciplinary approach (economic, political, legal, ecological, & social dimensions)
potential implementation problems
ways to overcome obstacles
Recommendation
Sources
Both the draft and revised policy memos must be four pages of text (2,000 words and single-spaced). An additional page is allowed for a table or graph. Use a minimum of 5 government documents, peer-reviewed journal articles, and other references from reputable academic sources. The policy memo needs to portray a balanced overview of the issue and include a concise discussion of policy options and recommendation.
Writing and Communication
Writing is an important and valued skill in public policy and planning. Assessment will consider both the content and the following written communication criteria:
Logical document structure (clear flow to paper; clearly organized sections)
Logical argument (clear topic sentences; clear links between sections and paragraphs)
Appropriate tone (avoids bias; assertions supported with evidence)
Appropriate voice (active voice; professional)
Grammar and punctuation
Referencing
Additional Materials on Writing a Policy Memo
Policy Memo Example
Behn, R. (2012) “The Craft of Memo Writing (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.”
Herman, L. (2012) “Policy Memos (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.”
Policy Memo Draft Rubric
Please review the Policy Memo Draft Rubric
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Attachments
20190509233214draft_policy_memo_rubric_public_lands (16 kB)
20190509233215policy_memo_example (54 kB)
