Policies for advocacy differ from public policies, in that they are developed by associations and organisations to clearly articulate their views to their members and the community. One of the roles...

Policies for advocacy differ from public policies, in that they are developed by associations and organisations to clearly articulate their views to their members and the community. One of the roles you may have in your future career is to advocate for the best possible health opportunities for your community or population group, and the most effective way of doing this is to recommend changes to existing public policy and/or get your issue onto the government's policy agenda. This is done by stating your organisation's position on the problem informed by clear and persuasive frameworks and utilising the best available evidence to articulate the nature of the problem, as well as what action you believe the government needs to take to address the issue. For this assessment, you need to write a policy for advocacy. You should choose a community or health organisation and then decide upon the health issue you are advocating for, and the specific population in which this issue occurs. You are writing this policy as if you worked for this agency or peak organisation. It does not have to be a Melbourne, Victorian, or even Australian organisation/agency - if you want to chose an issue in another country, that is completely fine and even encouraged. Your assessment should include: 1. A background, including a discussion of your organisation, its values and ideologies; the health issue/problem; and evidence for the extent and urgency of the issue and its impact for the defined population group. 2. Clearly state the aim/s and objectives of the policy for advocacy using SMART objectives. 3. Explain how your policy can promote the health of the chosen population, using a public health or health promotion framework (e.g. Ottawa Charter). 4. Develop recommendations/call to actions for government (a minimum of three). This task is 2,500 words, with the usual 10% allowance either side.