Unit 5: (Week 09 & Week 10) Policy Analysis

Social policy is an applied subject, and any adequate understanding of the subject has to be able to identify the implications of policies for practice. Much of the literature on policy analysis is concerned with explaining what policy is, how it is developed and why it matters. Understanding the process through which policy is made is an important part of understanding social policy overall. But the study of social policy is about much more than understanding what happens; it is important to make judgments and to consider choices for action. To do this, students and practitioners working in the subject area should be able to collate information and to evaluate policy. They need to know what effects a policy is having, whether it is being implemented appropriately and, if necessary, what to do about it. This unit deals with all these questions 

Week 9: Lecture 9

  • Policy process
  • Policy analysis and evaluation 
  • Empirical evidance and social policy

Week 10: Lecture 10

  • Effect of social policy
  • Social policy for practice
  • Case 1: BISP
  • Case 2: Ehssas 

Required Reading:

Spicker, P. (2014), Social Policy: Theory and Practice. Policy Press: UK 

Recommended Reading:

Blakemore, K.(2nd ed.)(2003), Social policy: An Introduction. Open University Press

McKenzie ,B., & B. Wharf, B.(2010), Connecting Policy to Practice in the Human Service. DonMills: Oxford University Press 

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policy-evaluation.pdf (0.39 MB )