Action Plan: Evaluating Public Health Policies and Improving Health Outcomes

Demonstrate the following knowledge and understanding:

• A critical understanding of the role of contemporary public health policies and programmes for improving health outcomes.

Demonstrate the following skills and abilities:

A critical evaluation of the gaps in contemporary public health policies and programmes for improving health outcomes and propose solutions (new initiative (s) and strategy (ies) and recommendations for improvement. What am I required to do in this assignment? Write a 1000 word action plan (which is an outline for a briefing paper, assignment 2) by selecting a public health issue and using a key characteristic from the Faculty of Public Health (FPH) list of competencies and present an outline for a briefing paper that will critically evaluate a public health policy or programme designed to improve health outcomes, and offer solutions (new initiative(s) and strategy (ies) and recommendations for improvement.

What do I need to do to pass? (Threshold Expectations from UIF)

1. Identify and describe a current public health issue.
2. Be written in an academic report format.
3. Use the existing evidence critically evaluate (strengths and weaknesses) current policies and programmes that have been designed to improve health outcomes related to your chosen public health issue.
4. Link this to one key characteristic form the Faculty of Public Health list of competencies.
5. Propose a new initiative(s) needed to improve health outcomes in this area.
6. Propose a strategy (ies) associated with the new initiative showing how these changes will improve health outcomes.
7. Present an outline for the forthcoming briefing paper (assignment 2)
8. The focus of the action plan does not have to be the UK.

How do I produce high quality work that merits a good grade?

• The assignment should be written in an academic report format and fully referenced using the University of
• Start the reference list on a new page.
• Provide a contents page and use section headings if appropriate.
• The recommended font style is Arial 11 or 12.
• The title page should contain your name and ID, the name of the University, the name of your course, the unit code / title and the title of the assessment.
• Number any appendices for ease of cross referencing and ensure that they are referred to in the text by the relevant number.
• Use tables and figures.
• Have a short background section which starts by summarising the selected public health issue and describes the problem clearly.
• Link this to one key characteristic from Faculty of Public Health list of competences.
• Critically evaluate the impact of these policies and programmes on health outcomes.
• Propose and present an outline for a new initiative(s) needed to improve health outcomes in this area.
• Propose and present an outline for a strategy (ies) associated with the new initiative showing how these changes will improve health outcomes.
• Present an outline for the forthcoming briefing paper (assignment 2) which includes information on the main themes for your briefing paper and your intended audience.

How does this assignment relate to what we are doing in scheduled sessions?

Each week the principles, policies and issues lectures will discuss the key principles of public health and the public health policies that shape the way in which public health issues might be addressed.

In this assignment you will present an outline for your forthcoming briefing paper (Assignment 2). You will demonstrate a critical understanding of public health by selecting a public health issue, linking it to a one key characteristic from Faculty of Public Health list of competences, outlining the relevant policies and programmes implemented to address the selected public health issue and evaluate the impact of these policies and programmes on health outcomes. You will propose andpresent an outline for a new initiative(s) and strategy (ies) associated with the new initiative showing how these changes will improve health outcomes.