This document provides an overview and agenda for a session on past policy and program milestones. It defines policy and programs, gives examples of different types of milestones, and outlines breakout group discussions and assignments for identifying relevant milestones at the national, state, and local levels. Participants are asked to add milestone entries to issue brief pages and continue working on their scope of the problem analysis and local/state bureau pages.

1. PAST POLICY &
PROGRAM MILESTONES
KNOW YOUR ISSUE
PolicyOptions Wiki

2. KNOW YOUR ISSUE
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
▸ Learn the difference between policy vs program
▸ Learn various categories for past policy and program
milestones
▸ Suggestions on how to find these milestones

3. KNOW YOUR ISSUE
AGENDA
▸ Review progress on define Scope of the Problem
▸ Presentation on Past Policy & Program Milestones
▸ Reminders / Announcements
▸ Feedback

4. KNOW YOUR ISSUE
PROGRESS ON SCOPE OF THE PROBLEM
▸ Any questions that came up as you worked on this
assignment (so I know what we should focus on in our
discussion here)?

5. KNOW YOUR ISSUE
SCOPE OF THE PROBLEM: BREAKOUT #1
▸ Where are you searching for scope of the problem
information/data?
▸ What differences did you experience in searching at the
national vs state vs local level?

6. KNOW YOUR ISSUE
SCOPE OF THE PROBLEM: BREAKOUT #2
▸ Who might you interview to help find more "scope of
the problem" data?

7. KNOW YOUR ISSUE
PAST POLICY & PROGRAM MILESTONES
▸ Past policy and program milestones concisely describe any
relevant past initiatives related to the topic.
▸ Definitions —
• Policy: a law, regulation, ordinance, or other public policy
that defines what is allowed, including funding (i.e., Voting
Rights Act, Economic Opportunity Act)
• Program: a set of specific activities seeking to address a
need or opportunity for people or places (i.e., jobs program)

8. KNOW YOUR ISSUE
PAST POLICY & PROGRAM MILESTONE EXAMPLES

9. KNOW YOUR ISSUE
PAST POLICY & PROGRAM MILESTONES: TYPES
▸ Legislative milestones — significant legislation that
authorizes new programs or marks shift in policy or
approach

10. KNOW YOUR ISSUE
PAST POLICY & PROGRAM MILESTONES: TYPES
▸ Funding milestones — major increases or decreases in
funding allocations

11. KNOW YOUR ISSUE
PAST POLICY & PROGRAM MILESTONES: TYPES
▸ Evaluation milestones — influential evaluation or
assessments that shaped understanding of the scope
of the problem or relative effectiveness of important

12. KNOW YOUR ISSUE
PAST POLICY & PROGRAM MILESTONES: TYPES
▸ Reports, studies, books — a major report or study or
book is released that influences the direction of public
policy.

13. KNOW YOUR ISSUE
PAST POLICY & PROGRAM MILESTONES: TYPES
▸ Organizational or program milestones — significant
events in the history of the key organizations or
programs.

14. KNOW YOUR ISSUE
PAST POLICY & PROGRAM MILESTONES: BREAKOUT #1
▸ What kinds of milestones will you be searching for at
the national and state level?
▸ Where will you look for this information?

15. KNOW YOUR ISSUE
PAST POLICY & PROGRAM MILESTONES: BREAKOUT #2
▸ What kinds of milestones will you be searching for at
the local level?
▸ Where will you look for this information?

16. KNOW YOUR ISSUE
PAST POLICY & PROGRAM MILESTONES: QUESTIONS?
▸ Additional questions or clarifications do you have?

17. KNOW YOUR ISSUE
ASSIGNMENTS FOR TUESDAY, JULY 7
1. Add entries for Past Policy & Program Milestones to
national, state, and local information pages
2. Continue...
‣ Finalizing issue brief topic & setting up pages with Bobby
‣ Scope of the Problem entries for your national, state, and
local information pages.
‣ Continue on your local and state bureaus

18. KNOW YOUR ISSUE
REMINDERS & ANNOUNCEMENTS
▸ Zoom Schedule — 11:00 am - 12:30 pm EST sessions
• July 2 & 7: Past Policy & Program Milestones
• July 9 & 14: Current Policy & Programs
• July 16 & 21: Policy Options & Model Programs
• July 23 & 28: Interviewing
• July 30 & August 4: Planning Your Issue Forum
• August 6: Bringing "Know Your Issue" Back to Campus

19. KNOW YOUR ISSUE
FEEDBACK ON TODAYS SESSION
+ = What worked? ∆ = What could Change? 💡= Key Learnings?
‣ More consistent and shorter
breakouts were more helpful
and enjoyable
‣ Mixing up the breakout group
participants a little more
‣ Like sharing different
information source websites
‣