Purpose: Your APP technical report is fabulous, that’s a given, but it may not be the ideal document for your client to use to sway others and move toward adopting and implementing your recommendation(s). The purpose of this assignment is to create other materials that help your client communicate about the problem and the solution to internal and/or external audiences.
Task: Select and prepare 1 supporting material of your choice OR propose your own. These could include any of the following (see separate assignment descriptions for each on Canvas). (In rare cases, students may generate more value by tailoring a different work product than these, in order to best meet their client’s needs. Please consult with your faculty member if you believe this applies to you.)
- Issue brief: a 1-2-page brief with facts and figures that your client can give to interested parties to help them understand the issue.
- Op-ed: a ~750-word opinion piece that will draw attention to your issue and mobilize actors to take action on your issue by submitting it to a newspaper or similar media outlet. You may ghost write it for them or submit it yourself.
- Talking points: 1-2-page document with bulleted talking points about the problem that your contact person (or a higher-up in the organization) could use to cover the main points while speaking extemporaneously about the topic and fielding questions.
- Slide deck for client presentations: a slide deck that your client can take into meetings with internal and/or external audiences and communicate the content of your project.
- Inspirational speech: the text of a 5-10-minute speech that your client could give in a public setting. For example, if your client is an elected official, they might give a passionate (and fact-based) call to action on the floor of the legislature.
- Media: a video, radio spot or other audio recording, website, social media campaign, etc. that helps your client make progress on the problem.
Start by brainstorming ideas about which supporting materials might be helpful to your client, and come up with several framings for each. Think explicitly about how your selection would employ the theories of leadership you learned in Psych for Leadership, Leadership in the Public Arena, Values Based Leadership, and Politics of Public Policy. For example, if you think an op-ed might help, then come up with several different angles on the problem (see Pennock’s chapter on “Op-Eds” for examples of different styles). Think carefully about different media outlets that might reach the right audience for your op-ed. Think strategically about who should publish the op-ed (you, your client, your client’s boss). Think about how your op-ed employs persuasion tactics from P4L and LPA.Finally present your proposal to the client. In consultation with them, choose the most relevant supporting materials. Once you agree with your client, prepare your materials and submit to your professor.