| Course | MSW 506 Policy I: Social Welfare and Social Policy |
|---|---|
| Week | 7 |
| Paper type | Policy advocacy plan |
| Length | About 580 words, 5 pages |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | Chamberlain University |
| Program | Master of Social Work (MSW) |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for MSW 506 Week 7
Policy Advocacy Plan for S. 1234: One Decision and the Person Who Can Make It, What Moves That Person, Named Allies and Their Price, Opposition Given Its Own Section and Tactics Set Against the Congressional Calendar
Student Name
Chamberlain University
MSW 506: Policy I: Social Welfare and Social Policy
Instructor Name
Month Day, Year
Policy Advocacy Plan for S. 1234: One Decision and the Person Who Can Make It, What Moves That Person, Named Allies and Their Price, Opposition Given Its Own Section and Tactics Set Against the Congressional Calendar
The Decision Wanted
Our state's senior senator, who sits on the Committee on Finance, adds a name as a cosponsor of S. 1234 by the end of the current session of Congress.
What Moves This Senator
The senator's public statements stress work, saving and fiscal care. That matters more than what moved me. The argument for this office is that a $2,000 limit discourages work and saving among people trying to become more independent, and that the bill already has support from both parties. Jansson (2019) describes this step as analyzing the decision maker's values and interests before choosing an argument; my own reasons, rooted in self-determination, belong in other letters.
In practice that means the letter and the office visit will lead with stories of recipients who want to work more hours or save for a car to reach a job, and with the bipartisan list of sponsors, rather than with arguments about dignity.
Allies, Named, With What They Bring and Want
The state chapter of The Arc can bring families who would meet with the office; it wants the bill's ABLE provisions protected in any compromise. The state's protection and advocacy agency can supply data on overpayment notices; it wants client privacy guarded. The National Organization of Social Security Claimants' Representatives can explain how the limit plays out in claims; it wants attention also to the untouched definition of resources. Our agency can provide de-identified cases like A.M.'s; it wants staff time limited to two hours a month. None of these allies needs persuading on the merits of the bill (SSI Savings Penalty Elimination Act, 2025); each needs a defined role.
Opposition, Given Its Own Section
The strongest objection will be cost: any increase to an entitlement adds federal spending, and the office will ask for an estimate. A second objection is that ABLE accounts already let some people save, so the problem is solved. The plan answers the first by asking for a formal cost estimate rather than avoiding the question, and the second by noting that ABLE accounts are limited by the age at which a disability began and are unknown to many recipients.
Tactics on a Real Calendar
Table 1
Advocacy Sequence for One Senate Office
| When | Tactic | Responsible |
|---|---|---|
| November | Letter and one-page summary to the legislative assistant | Intern |
| December | Office visit during the district work period with The Arc families | Agency director and The Arc |
| February | Data on overpayment notices sent before Finance Committee hearings | Protection and advocacy agency |
| March | Follow-up call; ask whether the senator will cosponsor | Intern |
How We Will Know
Success is the senator's name on the cosponsor list. A partial success is a written reply that commits to review a cost estimate.
If neither happens by the end of the session, the coalition will review the plan in January, decide whether to keep the same target and ask whether a House member from our state is a better first step.
References
Jansson, B. S. (2019). Becoming an effective policy advocate: From policy practice to social justice (8th ed.). Cengage.
SSI Savings Penalty Elimination Act, S. 1234, 119th Cong. (2025). https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/1234
What the MSW 506 Week 7 assignment asks for
The seventh week often calls for an action memo or campaign plan. Start from a decision rather than an issue: name the specific change wanted and the body or person with authority to make it. Work out what that person responds to, which is rarely what convinced you. Name allies as organizations, saying what each would contribute and what it wants in return. Give opposition its own section, because a plan that expects no resistance has not asked why the policy exists. Sequence tactics against a real calendar, such as legislative sessions and budget cycles. A public campaign is optional; a quiet plan aimed at one office can be stronger. Define how you will know whether it worked.
How this MSW 506 Week 7 example is built
The decision section names the state's senior senator, a member of the Finance Committee, adding a cosponsor name by session's end. The section on what moves the senator draws on Jansson (2019) and recasts the argument around work and saving rather than the writer's own reasons. Allies are The Arc's state chapter, the state protection and advocacy agency, a national claimants' representatives group and the writer's agency, each with a contribution and a condition. Opposition covers cost, answered by asking for a formal estimate, and the claim that ABLE accounts already solve the problem. A table sets four tactics from November to March with owners. Success is the senator's name on the list; a reply committing to review an estimate counts as partial success.
Where the points sit in the MSW 506 Week 7 rubric
Advocacy plans are graded first on the decision and the decision maker. A plan aimed at raising awareness, with no person who can act, earns little. Analysis of what moves that person carries the next share, and faculty look for arguments chosen for the target rather than for the writer. Allies named as organizations, with what they bring and want, are credited. Opposition must have its own section and a response. Tactics are judged on sequence and timing against a real calendar. A measure of success defined in advance completes the core. Jansson or whichever policy practice text you rely on belongs in the references in APA style.
Common MSW 506 Week 7 mistakes, and how to avoid them
Advocacy plans commonly start from an issue, list every possible tactic and end with a hope that awareness will grow. Another frequent gap is listing allies as categories, such as "community members," without saying who or what they would do. Some plans also leave out opposition entirely. If your change is different, such as a county budget line or an agency policy, send the change and who decides it; we would name the decision and decision maker, work out what moves them, name allies with their price, answer opposition, set tactics on a calendar and define success. If the change is unlikely this year, the plan would set a partial goal too.
Get a MSW-506 Week 7 example written to your instructions
Send the Week 7 instructions with the element list and the issue your section assigned, and a custom example is written to those requirements and returned inside 24 to 48 hours. The first one is free. Which change is worth pursuing, and how far, stays your own call to make.
More MSW 506 papers and MSW samples
- MSW 506 Week 1: Poor Law Feature Today Post
- MSW 506 Week 2: Social Security Act History Analysis
- MSW 506 Week 3: Welfare Reform Policy Analysis
- MSW 506 Week 4: SSI One Page Policy Brief
- MSW 506 Week 5: SSI Savings Bill Legislative Analysis
- MSW 506 Week 6: Senate Cosponsor Advocacy Letter
- MSW 506 Week 8: Policy Reform Proposal
- MSW 505 Week 7: Intervention Case Write-Up
- MSW 504 Week 7: Person-in-Environment Analysis
MSW 506 Week 7 questions, answered
How do I find the right decision maker?
Work backwards from the change. If it requires a statute, that is a legislature; if it requires a rule, an agency; if it requires money, a budget committee. A great many plans lose marks by aiming a legislative campaign at something an agency could alter administratively, which is faster and easier and would have made a stronger plan.
Does the plan need a public campaign?
Only if public pressure is what moves your decision maker. For some, it is the deciding factor; for others, a technical argument from a respected professional body carries more weight and a public campaign hardens opposition. Choosing on the basis of who you are trying to move, rather than including everything, is what the assignment is assessing.
What if the change is very unlikely?
Say so and plan for the achievable step. Advocacy plans that acknowledge a long timeline and aim at an intermediate objective, such as a hearing, a study or a pilot, read as informed. A plan claiming a contested reform will pass this session is the version instructors treat as a failure to understand the process.
Where can I find a free MSW 506 Week 7 sample paper?
This page carries a complete MSW 506 Week 7 advocacy plan aimed at one senator's cosponsorship of the SSI Savings Penalty Elimination Act.
How does the MSW 506 Week 7 sample handle opposition?
It answers the cost objection by asking for a formal estimate and answers the ABLE account objection by noting their age limit and low use.