Task description
This assessment involves analysing one specific health promotion initiative against best practice.
You will be provided a choice of 2 papers describing a health promotion initiative or program that reflects a strategy in action. Details of the primary strategy the paper engages with will bee explained in Lecture and in your tutorial discussion spaces; in class for internal students and in moodle groups for external students. The papers are posted below.
You are asked to use this initiative to explain and critically reflect on:
the assigned strategy and
best practice in Health Promotion.
To do this, imagine that people with an interest in health promotion, but with limited knowledge and experience, are reading your work to get ideas of which strategies they might adopt in their own work, and how they might go about doing best practice in HP.??
You will need to also refer to course readings, course lectures and at least 5 external references identified through your own research about the assigned strategy and initiative.
Steps to guide your paper development:??
Read the paper you have been assigned and the corresponding strategy papers provided in the course notes.
Do a search of printed or electronic journals and publicly available project documents to learn more about the initiative, and the context in which it is implemented.??
Use course notes and other supporting literature to describe the strategy and to critically analyse the initiative illustrating the application of the strategy in the light of best practice principles in HP, taking account of the context in which it is being implemented.
Analyse the initiative against best process with support from additional literature by addressing the 4 points (below) about the health promotion strategy this initiative illustrates and about the initiative itself. There is a strict word limit of 500 words for each answer (so 2000 words in total). List references at the end of the paper. The reference list is not included in the word limit. All other text is included in the word limit. Please note, the word limit is 2000, it does not mean 2000 plus 10%; equally, 500 means 500).
All papers are to be presented with 4 sections, which address the following 4 points:
The ‘Generic’Strategy. Explain the main characteristics of your assigned health promotion strategy. This is the Generic strategy (e.g. “harm reduction”, or “healthy settings”) which is being implemented in the particular initiative in the assigned paper. Be sure to explain the conceptual underpinnings and the values and assumptions which inform the strategy. (For example, the paper would be describing a project using the general strategy of “community building”; thus you explain the fundamentals underpinning community building, based on your course notes, readings, lecture and external literature).
The Strategy Applied in Action. Explain how the specific initiative you have been assigned illustrates the active application of the general health promotion strategy it is using. Focus on the extent to which the specific initiative illustrates the conceptual underpinnings of the general strategy.?Include explanation of how the initiative responds to the specificities of the context in which it is operating (e.g. high/middle/low income country) or target group (e.g. hard to reach disadvantaged population).
Best Practice: Planning, Evaluation. Address how this initiative applies health promotion principles in planning and evaluation. If these do not appear evident in the paper, or are not addressed, provide suggestion from course learning as to what framework[s] might be appropriate; support your analysis with reference from the literature and course content.
Best Practice: Ottawa Charter in Action. Critically analyse how this specific initiative reflects significant elements of the Ottawa Charter. For example, does the initiative:
use other strategy elements in addition to the primary one (ie multi-strategic); how?
involve work across multiple sectors (ie multi-sectoral) ; how?
address the determinants; how?
involve multiple action areas; which ones and how?
There is a 5th assessment element which includes how well you have structured and developed your analysis. This includes assessment of your sources (range, citation standards, quality and relevance); evidence of critical thinking; evidence of awareness and bias in sources; and whether your own position is being developed with a logical, coherent and well supported argument. It also includes grammatical structure, clear layout, appropriate and consistent referencing.
Use these 4 headings (they are included in the word limit):
The ‘Generic’ Strategy
The Strategy Applied in Action
Best Practice: Planning, Evaluation
Best Practice: Ottawa Charter in Action
Presenting and submitting the assessment
Present your assignment as 4 answers to 4 questions. Write professionally as if you were to publish your answers - do not just provide a list of texts corresponding to points in the assignment outline.
The total word count should not exceed 2000 words, excluding references. Assignments over the word limit will be subject to penalty (they will be dropped a grade).
Learning outcomes addressed
Critically appraise the scope for health promotion action in regard to the determinants of health;
Appreciate the Ottawa Charter as an organising framework for health promotion action;
Examine current global issues and their relevance across the span of the health promotion profession;
Identify and critically review the conceptual underpinnings and main characteristics of some common health promotion strategies, and determine the advantages and disadvantages of each; and
Analyse the main issues involved in planning, implementation and evaluation of health promotion and determine best practice.
Marking criteria
Criterion
Needs work
0-2 marks
Developing
3-4 marks
Proficient
5-6 marks
Accomplished
7-8 marks
Outstanding
9-10 marks
1. The ‘generic’ strategy Fails to define the main characteristics of the strategy Basic description of the main characteristics of the strategy Good description of the main characteristics of the strategy. Some discussion of conceptual theoretical underpinnings and values and assumptions of the strategy included
Thoughtful description of the main characteristics of the strategy, bringing in analysis and discussion of the conceptual theoretical underpinnings and values and assumptions of the strategy
Demonstrates sophisticated analysis and thoughtful consideration of the conceptual/ theoretical underpinnings and values and assumptions of the generic strategy
2. The Strategy Applied in Action
Fails to describe the specific initiative Basic description of the specific initiative addressing how it is an example of this strategy Good description of the specific initiative. Some analysis of conceptual/ theoretical underpinnings and clear discussion of adaptation to context, frameworks used Very good description of the specific initiative demonstrating sound analysis of conceptual/ theoretical underpinnings and clear discussion of adaptation to context, frameworks used
Excellent description of specific initiative, demonstrating critical analysis of the conceptual/ theoretical underpinnings and insightful discussion of adaptation to context, frameworks
3. Best practice. Planning, Evaluation Insufficient discussion of best practice principles Superficial discussion of best practice principles, addressing some, but not all elements. Basic discussion of initiative's shortcomings and suggested improvements Sound discussion of best practice principles addressing planning, evaluation and challenges. Good discussion of initiative's shortcomings and suggested improvements Clear and articulate discussion of how initiative relates to best practice. Thorough analysis of contextual challenges to meeting best practice and thoughtful critiques with appropriate suggestions for improvement. Insightful and eloquent discussion of initiative in relation to best practice principles. Critiques and analysis conducted show in-depth understanding of the initiative's shortcomings and provides thoughtful suggested improvements.
4. Best practice, Ottawa Charter in Action
Fails to discuss the context or target group of the initiative. No discussion of the Ottawa Charter Limited discussion of the context and/or target group of the initiative. Some superficial references to the Ottawa Charter. Sound discussion of how initiative addresses local context and/ or target group. Some analysis of initiative in relation to Ottawa Charter. Some discussion of evident secondary strategies
.
Very good discussion of how initiative addresses local context and/ or target group using specific examples to illustrate points. Sound analysis of initiative in relation to Ottawa Charter specifically addressing the need for multi-sectoral and multi-strategy design and action. Good discussion of evident secondary strategies Excellent discussion of how initiative addresses local context/ and or target group using specific examples ad literature to demonstrate knowledge. Engaging analysis of initiative in relation to Ottawa Charter, with reference to appropriate literature and thorough review of the initiative and discussion of evident secondary strategies
5. Critical Analysis and paper structure
Report has not met the requirements of the task. Assignment fails to meet standards of formatting and referencing. Demonstration of the basic aspects of writing a critique but could be further developed with better use of literature. Some important aspects of the assignment have been addressed superficially. Assessment criteria have been sufficiently addressed, however the overall standard is no more than satisfactory. Report is logical, coherent and addresses key criteria. Some good arguments made, drawing on appropriate literature. Communication is clear and effective and assignment criteria are adequately addressed. This level of performance involves all of the characteristics of a proficient performance but also a level of originality, creativity, or depth of thought and understanding. Specific assessment criteria are adequately addressed and all aspects well done. Communication is very clear and effective and demonstrates a higher level of critical thinking and reflection than that demonstrated at the proficient level. This level of performance involves all of the characteristics of an accomplished performance but also a level of excellence that makes it outstanding. A high level of originality, creativity or depth of thought and understanding is shown. It demonstrates a higher order of critical thinking and reflection than that demonstrated at the accomplished level.