Key Characteristics of a Policy-Relevant Internship (aka “what counts?”)
A policy-relevant internship provides experience beyond direct service and focuses on the broader context of policy and regulation. Qualifying experiences often include one or more of the following:
- Deep Exposure to the Policy Process: The internship involves working on a “public issue” where regulation, legislation, or political action is involved. This includes understanding the big picture of how policies and regulations affect an organization
- Policy-Relevant Analysis: You are involved in analyzing an issue to inform policy-related decision-making. This can be quantitative or qualitative and may involve activities like literature reviews, data analysis (cleaning or organizing), or assessing the implications of new rules or legislation. You don’t have to do the entire analysis yourself; supporting a broader effort is sufficient
- Communications Regarding Policy: The role involves communicating about policy issues (but communications/marketing are not the sole focus). You could be advocating for specific policies (government relations), conducting strategic communication (utilizing your research to convince others to agree with you), or explaining complex policy issues to a general audience. The key is that you are involved in the research and communication component, not just posting content that others have provided to a social media channel or doing graphic design
Examples of What Qualifies and What Doesn’t
To help you determine if an internship is policy-relevant, here are specific examples:
Qualifies:
- Analyzing how a new funding model might impact a program
- Researching how different states handle a specific policy issue, like Medicaid terminations
- Doing research and developing communications to help people re-enroll in Medicaid
- Drafting policy memos, briefs, or giving summary presentations to a variety of audiences
- A role where you do the research and then use social media to communicate it
Does Not Qualify – Internships focused entirely on direct service or marketing, such as:
- Processing intakes in a juvenile justice programs
- Conducting phone surveys
- Working the front desk at a law office answering phones and filing
- Canvassing/getting signatures on petitions
- A clinical rotation or other medical position in a hospital
- Organizing meal deliveries for people during re-entry
- Your main duty is to update a website and/or social media with information researched by others
Learning the Policy Process
A qualifying internship should allow you to learn about the different stages of the policy process. By the end of the experience, you should be able to explain knowledge and nuance about aspects such as:
- How a policy problem is defined and characterized as a public issue
- How a problem makes it onto a policy agenda and who holds a stake in the outcomes
- The criteria (e.g., efficiency, efficacy, equity) used to evaluate policy options
- Decision-making regarding policy options, including who has jurisdiction and accountability
- How policies are implemented, interpreted, and resourced
- How to evaluate if policy goals are being met
Types of Organizations
Policy-relevant internships can be found in a variety of sectors, not just public or non-profit organizations. Do not discount opportunities in the private sector or higher education, as they can also provide valuable policy-related experience.
Next Steps
If you are still unsure if a proposed internship qualifies, you should contact the director of Career Services, Marie Koko, at careerdev@lafollette.wisc.edu to set up a meeting or email her the information about the opportunity for pre-approval.