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PAP2300 A – Introduction to Public Policy Analysis
Instructor: Silvana Gomes
Fall 2022
uOttawa.ca
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Indigenous Affirmation
We pay respect to the Algonquin people, who are the traditional
guardians of this land. We acknowledge their longstanding relationship
with this territory, which remains unceded.
We pay respect to all Indigenous people in this region, from all nations
across Canada, who call Ottawa home.
We acknowledge the traditional knowledge keepers, both
young and old. And we honour their courageous leaders:
past, present, and future.
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Hello and welcome!
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What is this course about?
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What does it cover?
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Assignments and assessment criteria
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General instructions and tips
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Let’s get started!
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Before we move forward…
Class schedule:
Mondays 11:30AM – 12:50PM
Thursdays 1:00PM – 2:20PM
E-mail:
sgomes@uottawa.ca
Office hours:
Mondays 1:30PM – 2:30PM (FSS 7011)
Teaching Assistants:
Name
Email
Measar Musa
mmusa103@uottawa.ca
Mégane Wong Kwan Wing
ewong021@uottawa.ca
Ghezai Messay
gmess063@uottawa.ca
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What is this course about?
1) The tenets of public policy and public policy analysis
2) The main steps and tools of policy analysis
3) Focus: Canadian public policy
4) Contemporary issues and their implications for policy analysis
5) Please keep in mind that this is an introductory course
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What does it cover?
The building blocks of public
policy analysis
The public policy cycle
Contemporary issues in public
policy analysis
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Assignments and assessment criteria
Assignment
Weight
Due Date
Test 1
15%
September 29, 2022
Policy Cycle
Infographic
20%
October 20, 2022
Mid-Term
Assignment: Policy
Analysis Essay
30%
November 14, 2022
Final exam
35%
To be determined
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Source: Teaching and Learning Support Service (TLSS)
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Assignments and assessment criteria
For Test 1 :
• The main goal of the test is to evaluate your understanding of the
conceptual and theoretical underpinnings of public policy and policy
analysis.
• You will be asked to answer four questions that address important issues
we have seen in class
– Quality over quantity: while your answers should be comprehensive
enough to cover the essential aspects of what is being asked, you should
strive to be objective and stick to the scope of the question.
• Assessment criteria: accuracy, scope, comprehensiveness, and style.
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Assignments and assessment criteria
For the Policy Cycle Infographic:
• Main goals:
1) evaluating your understanding of the policy cycle
2) evaluating your ability to apply the policy cycle framework to concrete
policy issues
3) helping you develop a relevant skill in policy analysis: synthesizing
information and presenting it in a compelling visual narrative.
• Assessment criteria: form and content.
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Assignments and assessment criteria
For the essay (8 – 10 double spaced pages)
• The page limit excludes 1) the mandatory cover page and
2) the references
Detailed
instructions can
be found in the
syllabus
• Organization and style matter
• Content:
– Crafting coherent and cohesive ideas
– Establishing a clear analytical thread
– Mobilizing evidence and acceptable sources to support your arguments
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Assignments and assessment criteria
For the Final Exam:
• The main goal of the exam is to evaluate your global understanding of the
topics covered throughout the course.
• 5 questions: 3 covering each major block of the course (fundamental
concepts and theoretical approaches; the policy cycle; contemporary issues
in policy analysis) and two integrative questions that articulate different
topics.
• Assessment criteria: accuracy, scope, comprehensiveness, and style.
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General instructions and tips
• Plagiarism and academic integrity
• Academic citation styles
• uOttawa useful resources to thrive in this course – and beyond
– Compass
– Academic GPS
– Library
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Questions?
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Let’s get started!
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• What comes to your mind when you hear “public
policy”?
• As a citizen, what do you expect from the policies
governments enact?
• Do you think governments could be doing better?
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Why does public policy matter?
Public policy is about tackling societal problems that affect fundamental aspects
of our lives
It has important implications for economic growth and development, wellbeing, addressing inequalities, and ultimately promoting the public interest
Policymaking is embedded in a complex environment – how do we make sense
of public policy in such circumstances?
Understanding how policymaking takes places is the first step towards developing
better policies
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Take care!