WHAT

Work collaboratively in a group of 3 (no more) to write a recommendation report to raise awareness about a not-so-well-known or neglected (เรื่องที่โดนมองข้าม) problem in your community. You will research the concern in depth. Then conduct field research to gain a contextualized understanding about causes of the problem and its effects on stakeholders, using qualitative and library research tools such as interview, observation, literature review. (You will need to carefully identify who the stakeholders are and understand their perspectives.) Finally, propose practical solutions to solve the concern. Your solutions must be a realistic action plan. In short, the goal of this project is to educate the audience of your report about a problem and persuade them to adopt your suggestions.

Your recommendation report must be between 2,500 to 3,000 words, excluding graphics, appendixes, and works cited.

WHY

This assignment helps you practice transferable skills for work and life: listening to others’ perspectives and issues, investigating a problem in depth through mixed methods research (qualitative, library), learning about an issue in/from context, practicing interpersonal skills, developing team work, pursuing creative problem solving, and convincing others to accept your solutions through effective writing. Whether you want to work in a university, business, or government organization, proposal making is key to power and success.

HOW

  1. Make a list of different divisions in your community: city, school, work, neighborhood. Under each division, divide it into smaller categories. For example, school –> faculty –> BAS; school –> cafeteria; neighborhood –> soi
  2. Under each smaller category, make a list of 10 problems at that site.
  3. Evaluate if some of the problems are interconnected. Should they be combined into a the same category?
  4. Rank your topics by deciding which ones are most problematic, and which ones make you most worried?
  5. Pick 1 topic as a group.
  6. Visit the site to document and capture the problem using a camera.
  7. Document the problem, using descriptive writing technique you learned in class.
  8. Develop a list of audience for the proposal you will write. Who should be aware of this problem, and what are their characteristics and demographics? Be detailed. Apply audience analysis method you learned from public speaking.
  9. Conduct secondary research in the library to learn more about your topic. Compose literature review: project 2A.
  10. Identify stakeholders and determine which qualitative tool you will use to collect information/learn from them.
  11. When you understand causes and effects of the problem you are studying, develop a solution.
  12. Play devil’s advocate with your solutions: Where and how might skeptics object?
  13. Divide up writing tasks for the report. Create a timeline and list of responsibilities.