Lis assessment has two aims and relates chiePy to content that has been discussed in the Study Guide. First, this assessment aims to give you some experience in accessing ‘secondary' demographic data and then using these data to describe features of a population within your community.

Secondly, this assessment aims to encourage you to think through a range of aspects that are associated with the question of how you could and/or would (hypothetically) go about undertaking some social planning research.

Topic: Assume that you are currently employed by a Local Council and have been asked to assist with some social planning for your geographical community (deOned as your local government area, or LGA).

Your tasks are as follows:

1. Identify one population group in your community (such as: children; young people; women; older people; Indigenous people; men; or people with a disability)

2. Describe an issue relevant for your chosen population upon which to focus your hypothetical needs assessment. For example, women's need for health services; young people's need for a youth centre; the need for a men's shed; or for a supported playgroup for children; and so on.

3. Prepare a Research Proposal detailing how you could go about assessing the needs of your chosen population group. Le proposal should: ? Provide an introductory section that includes a brief proOle of your chosen population using ‘secondary' data. ? Be presented in Research Proposal format.

Le proposal should address the following: a. What ‘primary' data would you generate and why?

b. Provide a draM of the data collection instrument(s) you would use. Le data collection instrument(s) must relate to your response to (a) and could include a short questionnaire, an interview schedule or focus group questions.

Please attach your example data collection instrument(s) as an appendix to your report.

c. How would you encourage participation in your research; who would be involved; and how would/could they be involved?

d. What politics are likely to be involved when undertaking your research?

e. What strategies could you have in place to encourage implementation of your Ondings?

Important note: Please do not generate any ‘primary' data for this assessment item, as you must Orst have permission from the University's Ethics Committee in order to do so.

Le idea of this assessment is for you to demonstrate that you can access and use some ‘secondary' data and that you can think through a range of aspects that are associated with questions of how you could and/or would (hypothetically) go about generating some ‘primary' data relevant for social planning.

Marking criteria (all of equal value)

• Overall quality of chosen population's proOle: demonstrated ability to select appropriate data; provide comprehensive description; and reach logical conclusions.

• Demonstrated ability to think through and plan data collection, including appropriate data collection methods; quality of data collection instrument(s); and originality.

• Demonstrated ability to think through participation, including who will participate in the research; and how participants will take part in the research.

• Demonstrated ability to think through the politics involved in your research; and how implementation of the research Ondings can be enabled.

• Academic integrity: quality, extent and relevance of research undertaken; expression; presentation; structure, grammar, spelling (Australian); and appropriate referencing.