MULUNGUSHI UNIVERSITY

Pursuing the Frontiers of Knowledge

SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

Course: SSW 412 Social Policy Analysis

Nature of Work: Non-Compulsory Seminar Presentation Paper and
Assignment
Lecturer/Facilitator: J.D. Sichone

ASSIGNMENT DEADLINE (Final Draft): 30th April, 2024

SEMINAR PRESENTATION WEEK: First Week of May, 2024
FINAL PAPER SUBMISSION: 8th May, 2024

ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTIONS: Presentations of draft papers would have been

made by each one of us before final submission. The Class Rep will help in
scheduling these presentation of draft papers. Draft Paper presentations should be
in Microsoft PowerPoint (no more than 9 Slides). The final paper submission
should be presented in Microsoft Word (no more than 18 pages including cover
page, table of contents and references/bibliography). Presentations of your draft
paper is meant for joint learning as well as to give each one of us tentative
feedback for improvement of the final submission.
The final paper (in Word) should also have numbered Headings and Subheadings.
So, you need to divide your question into relevant headings/themes and
subheadings/sub-themes that are reasonable, make sense and make your work
easier to follow in terms of where it’s going and where it’s coming from. Avoid cut
and paste. The write up must be original. Quote appropriately when using other’s
ideas/work. The referencing style will be the Harvard Referencing Style. Among
the things that should be on the Cover Page should include the Question being
answered in full; Name of the Author(s) and Student Number(s). Font should be 12
and in Tahoma or Arial. Ariel Narrow will also be acceptable; in which case make
font to be 14. Line spacing should be 1.5. Diagrams, charts etc. are exempted
from these font requirements etc. Tables that you use should be numbered and
given titles and source/sources indicated below. If they are your own
creation/innovation, you just say ‘Author’ below.

Each one of us needs to choose and thoroughly work on one (1) question. Those
that wish to work together on this paper should not be more than three (3).

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 Class Rep will help in terms of coordinating who will be working on which question
as well as in scheduling draft paper presentations.

1. Richard Titmus has been described as the ‘Father of Social Policy’.

Critically discuss how he earned this title through a critical review of his
life and work as well as his contributions to the subject of Social Policy.
Refer to various sources and publications.

How can today’s students, academics and practitioners of Social

Policy advance his work?

2. National Political Systems are increasingly embedded in respective

Country Constitutions (for Countries that have); relevant Laws; and
Tradition/Custom. Briefly discuss why National Political Systems
matter quite a lot in terms of policy content, processes and outcomes.
Citing relevant literature as well as examples, especially from
Countries in Africa and across the globe that have experience with
each of these Political Systems, critically discuss how the following
Political Systems function or work, including some advantages and
disadvantages of each: i) Presidential System; ii) Parliamentary
System; and, iii) Proportional Representation System.

Further provide a suggestion on which political system you believe is

ideal for Zambia today and give relatively detailed reasons for your
suggestion.

3. The type and levels/tiers of Political Decentralization have a huge

bearing on delivery of Policy in any Country. What is Political
Decentralization? Critically study the South African Model of Political
Decentralization clearly explaining how it works (at Local/District;
Provincial/Regional and National Levels. What major lessons can
Zambia draw from this Country as Zambia embarks on impending
constitutional reforms on Political Decentralization? Elaborate and give
relatively detailed reasons (your main reference documents will be the South

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 African Constitution; the Zambian Constitution and related subsidiary legislation
from both Countries as well as what is coming out from experiences and research
work etc. For illustration purposes, feel free to use relevant charts and tables. You
can originate some; don’t always rely on charts and tables drawn by others. These
should however communicate clearly)

4. What is Policy Transfer? How does it differ from Comparative Policy

Analysis? With the Zambian or SADC context in mind, critically discuss
some of the benefits/opportunities and dangers/risks of Policy
Transfer. How could the dangers/risks that you identify be mitigated?

5. Think Tanks are a specific type of Policy Network that seek to

influence Policy in Nation States as well as Globally. Who are ‘Think
Tanks’? Who usually funds their work? How do they differ with other
Knowledge Institutions like Universities and others? Citing relevant
examples, explain how they operate and seek to influence policy
across Nation States and Globally. What major factors account for
their relative success in influencing policy especially in the last 20-30
years or so? Going forward, do they have a future? Give relatively
detailed reasons for your answer

6. Provide a working definition of the two concepts; namely,

‘Globalization’ and ‘’Policy Sovereignty’. There is a view that
Globalization has made most Nation States to significantly lose Policy
Sovereignty? How could Nation States like Zambia and others
maintain Policy Sovereignty in the context of Globalization? Give
practical steps/solutions

Final Instructions: Each of the final submission papers should have a

PowerPoint Presentation
(Not more than 9 Slides) and the Main Paper in Word (Not more than 18 Pages).
The PowerPoint Presentation will be the updated slides after Seminar
Presentation. The same applies to the one in Word; it will be the updated version
after Presentation and Feedback.

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Submission Modality: Hard copy or soft copy. Soft copies can be submitted via
Moodle Link. In case of problems with Moodle, kindly use jsichone@mu.edu.zm

Best Wishes!