Columbia School of Social Work
 
Columbia School of Social Work
Specialized Year Practicum Evaluation
Policy Practice
 
Note: This is for preview purposes only. At the end of the semester, practicum instructors will be emailed customized survey links to complete evaluations for each of their students.

[Enter practicum instructor name, agency name and description, description of agency conditions that may have adversely affected the student's placement (if any), and description of student's assignments to date.]

Assessment Scale
Use the following scale to assess the student's performance in the nine core areas of social work competency identified by the Council on Social Work Education:

Excellent—Performance is exceptional and the skill is an integrated part of the student's practice
Very Good—Performance is above expectations for students at this level
Good—Performance generally meets expectations for students at this level
Needs Improvement—Performance shows signs of competency, but generally does not meet expectations for students at this level
Unsatisfactory—Performance is unsatisfactory
 
Competency 1: Ability to Demonstrate Ethical and Professional Behavior

Policy Practice social workers demonstrate ethical and professional behavior by engaging in the development, assessment, and critique of policy to uphold social work professional practice and the field's values and ethical standards. They apply professional use of self, attending to one's own personal experiences and affective responses, in policy analysis and advocacy. They use advanced and audience-aware oral and written communication skills in working with individuals, families, groups, organizations, communities, and governments to effect policy change. They understand the importance of collaborating professionally and respectfully with individuals, families, groups, organizations, communities, governments, and colleagues in social work and other professions. They apply advanced critical thinking skills by identifying and analyzing the values and ethics underlying policy choices. These concepts transcend individual relationships with clients and encompass a code of behavior and ethics within organizations and communities, and with collaborators.

Assess the student's ability to:
  1. Apply professional use of self in policy analysis and advocacy as reflected in the NASW Code of Ethics, attending to one's own personal experiences and affective responses.
  2. Demonstrate effective oral and written communication skills in working with individuals, families, groups, organizations, communities, and governments.
  3. Effectively engage in the wide range of tasks and responsibilities involved in formulating, establishing, implementing, and changing policy.
  4. Demonstrate professionalism and respect for individuals, families, groups, organizations, communities, governments, and colleagues in social work and other professions.
  5. Identify and analyze the values and ethical issues underlying policy choices.
  6. Engage in the development, assessment, and critique of policy that upholds social work values and ethical standards.
Examples of how the student social worker has demonstrated competency in demonstration of ethical and professional behavior:
 
Competency 2: Ability to Engage Diversity and Difference in Practice

Policy Practice social workers engage in diversity and difference in practice by advocating for policies that address oppression, poverty, marginalization, and alienation and promote equity, justice, and wellbeing of diverse groups and populations. They not only take into consideration these forms and mechanisms of oppression and discrimination in policy analysis, but also promote deeper engagement with diverse stakeholders as part of a process aiming to achieve equity, justice, and wellbeing of diverse individuals and populations. Policy Practice social workers understand and appreciate the broad range of personal and group variables (e.g., age, class, color, culture, disability and ability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity and expression, immigration status, marital status, political ideology, race, religion/spirituality, sex, sexual orientation, and tribal sovereign status) that affect social policy. They also engage with diverse stakeholders in promoting policies that these constituencies support and need. Policy practice social workers approach their policy work with individuals, families, groups, communities, and governments with self-awareness and cultural humility. They understand how bias, power, and privilege impact how policy is conceived and implemented.

Assess the student's ability to:
  1. Identify and critically analyze a broad range of personal and group variables (e.g., age, class, color, culture, disability and ability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity and expression, immigration status, marital status, political ideology, race, religion/spirituality, sex, sexual orientation, and tribal sovereign status) that affect the development of social policies.
  2. Engage with diverse stakeholders in promoting deeper practitioner self-awareness and cultural humility, with an understanding of how personal biases, power, and privilege affect policy practice.
  3. Advocate for policies that address oppression, poverty, marginalization, and alienation and promote equity, justice, and wellbeing of diverse groups and populations.
Examples of how the student social worker has demonstrated competency in engagement of diversity and difference in practice:
 
Competency 3: Ability to Advance Human Rights and Social, Economic, and Environmental Justice

Policy Practice social workers advance human rights and social, economic, and environmental justice by working in a self-aware, culturally-sensitive manner with diverse stakeholders to develop and advocate for policies that promote equity and counter discrimination and marginalization. To support that work, they understand the historical effects of oppression, discrimination, and economic and social disparities on populations to guide the development and implementation of just social policies. Policy Practice social workers collaborate with diverse stakeholders to advance policy proposals that positively impact vulnerable or oppressed client populations. To ensure they are effective, they provide compelling evidence to policymakers and engage with humility and empathy with clients and client systems to promote social justice.

Assess the student's ability to:
  1. Analyze, design, implement, and/or evaluate policies in a self-aware, culturally-sensitive manner, to promote human rights and social, economic, and environmental justice and to counter discrimination and marginalization.
  2. Use knowledge of the historical effects of oppression, discrimination, and economic and social disparities on populations to guide the development and implementation of just social policies.
  3. Use ethical and collaborative strategies with key stakeholders to advance policy proposals that positively impact vulnerable or oppressed client populations.
Examples of how the student social worker has demonstrated competency in advancement of human rights and social, economic, and environmental justice:
 
Competency 4: Ability to Engage In Practice-Informed Research and Research-Informed Practice

Policy Practice social workers engage in practice-informed research and research-informed practice by using academic research, stories of lived experience, and practice wisdom to identify and assess the effectiveness and impacts of social policies and their implementations. They develop and/or use existing research-based evidence in policy analysis and advocate for policies that research indicates will improve clients' and client systems' wellbeing. Policy Practice social workers collaborate with key stakeholders to engage in practice-informed research for policy making, program design, and evaluation, through dissemination of research findings to diverse groups and levels of government. They value research as an important tool for long-term and wide-ranging change, and also understand its limitations in the social policy arena.

Assess the student's ability to:
  1. Identify, collect, and analyze data relevant to social problems that can be addressed by social policies, while balancing self-knowledge of how one's own personal experiences and affective reactions can impact data collection and analysis.
  2. Develop and/or use existing research-based evidence in policy analysis and advocacy.
  3. Collaborate with key stakeholders to engage in practice-informed research for policy making, program design, and evaluation, through dissemination of research findings.
  4. Identify and assess the effectiveness and impacts of social policies and their implementations.
Examples of how the student social worker has demonstrated competency in engagement in practice-informed research and research-informed practice:
 
Competency 5: Ability to Engage in Policy Practice

Policy Practice social workers engage in policy practice as professionals in the social policy arena, working to formulate, establish, and/or change policies in groups, organizations, communities, and governments. They personally conduct or lead groups engaged in the full iterative range of activities in policy practice: issue identification, information gathering, analysis, policy option development, presenting to policymakers, implementation approval, and evaluation, which includes recognition of the hierarchy of information. They understand policy options within specific political, economic, social, and cultural contexts, and are aware of the impact of their own personal experience and affective reactions in policy practice. Policy Practice social workers recognize the importance of incorporating the perspectives of diverse stakeholders from all systems levels in the creation and advocacy of social policy. They understand the importance of communication with and the dissemination of information to key policymakers and constituents through a range of formats and platforms.

Assess the student's ability to:
  1. Assess the feasibility of policy options within specific political, economic, social, and cultural contexts.
  2. Incorporate stakeholders' voices and ideas, irrespective of where the stakeholders are, and the impact of their own personal experiences and affective reactions.
  3. Prepare and effectively communicate policy analysis results and/or proposals with multiple audiences through a range of written and oral formats and media platforms.
  4. Document and disseminate information to key policymakers about unmet needs and program accomplishments by using research evidence, practice wisdom, and stories of lived experience.
  5. Effectively negotiate ethical, political, and other contextual issues that shape the development, implementation, and analyses of social policies.
Examples of how the student social worker has demonstrated competency in engagement in policy practice:
 
Competency 6: Ability to Engage with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities

Policy Practice social workers engage with diverse individuals, families, groups, organizations, communities, and levels of government in creating and advocating for social policy. They work with policy makers, community constituents, and/or organizations affected by policy in ways that value, respect, and include the expertise, knowledge, and culture of those impacted by policy. Of critical importance from a social work lens is for the Policy Practice social workers to engage policymakers to educate, inform, and advocate in ways that compel a better understanding of the impact of social policy on the lived experience of diverse individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. This also involves deep engagement with key informants to understand the impact of social issues on the community in ways that promote dialogue and collaborative processes.

Assess the student's ability to:
  1. Engage with policy makers, community constituents, and/or organizations affected by policy in ways that value, respect, and include their expertise, knowledge, and culture.
  2. Engage with diverse clients and client systems in ways that acknowledge and balance how their personal experiences and affective reactions impact their ability to effectively engage with these constituencies.
  3. Conduct and analyze interviews with key informants about the impact of social issues on the community in ways that promote dialogue and collaborative processes.
  4. Use multiple digital, written, and verbal communication skills to engage different constituencies, partners, and target audiences.
Examples of how the student social worker has demonstrated competency in engagement with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities:
 
Competency 7: Ability to Assess Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities

Policy Practice social workers assess the social policy needs and impacts for diverse individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. They are able to use their Policy Practice social work experience to develop, select, and conduct assessments using appropriate metrics, analytical methods, and the lived experience of individuals, families, and groups within organizations and communities affected by social policy. Policy Practice social workers are equipped to understand, and communicate to policymakers, how social policies impact individual behaviors, opportunities, attitudes, and living conditions. They understand how to use evidence at the individual, family, group, organization, and/or community levels to understand the impacts of relevant social policies, advocate for changes based on the evidence, and frame options for action with partners and key stakeholders.

Assess the student's ability to:
  1. Incorporate knowledge of how individual behaviors and living conditions are shaped by the impact of social policies in their assessment of diverse clients and client systems.
  2. Develop, select, and conduct assessments using appropriate metrics, analytical methods, and the lived experience of individuals, families, and groups within organizations and communities affected by social policy.
  3. Consider and balance their own personal experiences and affective reactions and their impact on their assessment and decision-making skills.
  4. Assess evidence at the individual, family, group, organization, and/or community levels to understand the impacts of relevant social policies, advocate for changes based on the evidence, and frame options for action with partners and key stakeholders.
  5. Prepare reports that summarize and analyze collected data and frame options for action.
Examples of how the student social worker has demonstrated competency in assessment with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities:
 
Competency 8: Ability to Intervene with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities

Policy Practice social workers intervene with diverse individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities by engaging in the full iterative process of social policy formulation. They understand the importance of sustainable solutions to meet the social welfare needs of diverse clients and client systems. They advocate for policy solutions that are informed by evidence, meeting the needs of diverse populations to develop and revitalize social, economic, and environmental assets, and to build community capacity. Policy Practice social workers use their specialized practice skills to communicate findings from policy research into effective and persuasive arguments for advancing social policy. They work with and on behalf of diverse clients and constituencies, and facilitate the participation of diverse individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities in policy processes. They reflect on their own personal experiences and affective reactions and the impact those may have on policy interventions.

Assess the student's ability to:
  1. Prioritize policy recommendations that create sustainable solutions to meet the social welfare needs of different populations.
  2. Negotiate and mediate on behalf of diverse clients and constituencies, and facilitate their participation in policy processes.
  3. Translate findings from policy research into effective oral and written communications (e.g., memos, policy briefs, presentations), providing persuasive arguments for advancing social policy.
  4. Advocate for policy solutions that are informed by evidence, meeting the needs of diverse populations to develop and revitalize social, economic, and environmental assets, and to build community capacity.
  5. Consider and balance their own personal experiences and affective reactions and their impact on their interventions related to social policy.
Examples of how the student social worker has demonstrated competency in intervention with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities:
 
Competency 9: Ability to Evaluate Practice with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities

Policy Practice social workers evaluate policy practice with diverse individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities by differentially analyzing effectiveness and impacts of social policies for diverse populations. They develop appropriate evaluative strategies, using theoretical and conceptual frameworks to evaluate policy, taking into account how one's own personal experiences and affective reactions influence the evaluation. Policy Practice social workers crucially use principles of micro and macroeconomics in the development, analysis, and evaluation of social policies, drawing on their specialized practice expertise. They also understand advanced quantitative and qualitative data analysis and current technology and resources that inform and enhance policy evaluation across client systems.

Assess the student's ability to:
  1. Apply principles of micro and macroeconomics in the development, analysis, and evaluation of social policies.
  2. Formulate appropriate evaluative questions that integrate applicable theoretical and conceptual frameworks into strategies to evaluate policy dynamics, processes, and outcomes, balancing that with how their own personal experiences and affective responses influence the formulation of these questions and strategies.
  3. Demonstrate the ability to use and apply quantitative and qualitative data analysis and current technological applications and resources that inform and enhance policy evaluation.
  4. Differentially evaluate the effectiveness and impacts of social policies for diverse populations.
Examples of how the student social worker has demonstrated competency in evaluation with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities:

 
Overall impression of the student's progress and recommendations for future learning goals:

 
Recommended grade:
Pass
Fail