Title:
Policy analysis for social workers
Author:
Caputo, Richard K.
ISBN:
9781452203270
Personal Author:
Physical Description:
xxxi, 315 pages ; 23 cm.
Series:
Social work in the new century.
Contents:
Introduction -- Acknowledgments -- Dedication -- The world of policy analysis -- Science, values, and policy analysis -- The purpose of policy analysis -- Approaches to policy analysis -- Policy as product -- Evaluating policy proposals -- Matching policy proposals to problems -- Costs, benefits, and risks -- Applying cost-benefit analysis -- Policy as process -- Making policy -- Implementing policy -- Policy as performance -- Approaches to evaluation -- Evaluation, values, and theory -- Epilogue: a holistic framework for policy analysis -- Appendix A: CSWE core competencies -- Appendix B: Historical overview of policy analysis and policy studies -- Web sites -- Glossary -- References -- Index -- About the author.
Abstract:
This is a comprehensive guide to help students understand the process of policy development and analysis so they can become effective advocates. This book begins by laying the foundation of the purpose of policy and how it it relates to social work values. It also discusses the field of policy studies and helps students understand the various kinds of analysis. The next section highlights criteria on evaluating public policy by helping students understand how to define policy limits and uses and how they will most likely be used. It clearly lays out various criteria (effectiveness, efficiency, equity, political feasibility, social acceptability, administrative and technical feasibility) to help students evaluate policy. In addition, the book will cover how to write up a proposal and how to asses the costs and benefits. Finally, the book will use several examples of actual policy to help students apply the concepts in practice.