SOC-481: Action Research Project Proposal
Assignment Instructions
This is a three-part assignment, in which you develop a proposal for a viable action research project. The purpose of the proposal is to engage and inform potential funders of the project, as well as other key stakeholder groups invested in social change initiatives. The proposal should clearly and succinctly describe all aspects of your proposed project, clearly explaining what you will do and why.
In PART 3, you will develop a PowerPoint presentation, to include an overview of your proposed project, as well as a completed SWOT Analysis which could potentially be used to guide further development of the proposed project.
PART 3 Instructions:
In this part of the assignment, you will develop a PowerPoint presentation in which you provide an overview and summary of your proposed community-based action research project. In an actual community setting, the intended audience for this type of presentation would be prospective funding entities and key stakeholders from the community such as representatives from a human service agency, nonprofit organization or university. The presentation should be developed with this audience in mind.
In addition to providing an overview of the proposed project, you will also complete and present an initial SWOT analysis, where you critically review strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats which need to be considered in moving forward with the project.
The PowerPoint presentation should consist of 15-20 slides, not including the title slide and slide for APA citations. Refer to the resource, “Creating Effective PowerPoint Presentations,” located in the Student Success Center, for additional guidance on completing this assignment in the appropriate style.
Include the following in your presentation:
1. Title slide with your name and the name of your proposed project
2. Introduction and Lit Review of the social issue of concern (e.g., poverty, inequality)
3. Overview of the Community in which the proposed project will take place
4. Envisioned Social Change or improved conditions anticipated if the project is implemented.
5. Aims and Objectives of the proposed project.
6. Investigative Approach and Study Design: briefly explain why this approach is a good match with the envisioned change.
7. Recruitment Strategy: summarize how you will engage community partners and participants in the action research project.
8. Community Assessment: (1) summarize the approach you will take to assess community needs and assets of relevance to the envisioned change; (2) briefly describe the data collection methods you propose using to conduct the needs assessment.
9. Community Planning and Capacity Building: summarize the approach you will take to foster community connections and strengthen collective decision-making.
10. Analytic Approach and Methods: briefly describe a plan to analyze collected data.
11. Quality Control: briefly describe steps you will take to ensure a high-quality, ethically sound project.
12. Evaluation: briefly describe the overall approach you will take to evaluate project processes, outcomes, and impact.
13. SWOT Analysis: provide a visual model of your initial observations regarding strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats to consider as you potentially move forward with the proposed project.
14. Community Learning and Action: Describe how this proposed project can promote learning and action consistent with the envisioned social change.
15. References