You will submit a SWOT analysis report consisting of 6 pages, not including the title page, abstract, or reference page. At least 1 scholarly source per page must be included. In order to complete this assignment, you will choose a country with issues separate from the chosen country in the GAPS analysis report. You must choose a locale that provides adequate resources for this project. For example, do not choose a country with issues far beyond what you will be able to accomplish in this course. Likewise, you would not want to choose a country with issues far too small to have a need for a cohesive plan. In this assignment, you will target the specific situations found within a particular county. This is an individual assignment which you will work on alone and submit online in Blackboard. After you complete your assignment, you also need to post a copy of your assignment in the group discussion forum. This way, you will be able to read assignments from other group members and learn from one another. Then in the group discussion forum, you need to reply and give feedback on other SWOT analyses in the group discussion forum.
This assignment will require that you address the following 6 specific areas:
SWOT
If you are unfamiliar with a SWOT analysis, you will need to conduct a Google search to find examples. In short, a SWOT is an analysis of an area’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. It may be helpful when looking for your S, W, O, and T to contact someone living in the area you are researching. They can provide a firsthand perspective that your other research may not provide. This portion of the assignment will take preplanning. People are usually willing to share strengths or weaknesses, but they may not be able to share both based on their personal biases, experiences, and situation in life. Make sure your SWOT is balanced and include all information that you have received.
Locale
When choosing your locale, make sure that you will be able to find demographic and economic information. You will want to choose an area with which you are familiar or an area where there is obvious need. Choosing wisely will make your research more focused so that you can complete the research by the time the course has finished.
Economic Situation
You must detail the specific economic situation facing this location. How has the economic shift impacted the country and how has the country responded in the last 30 years? Additionally, what initiatives has the country implemented to revive the economic aspects of the country? You will need to know the country and what is going on to be able to create an action plan, but, before you can make suggestions, you must intimately understand the pressures facing the constituents. Part of this section will need to detail what kinds of industry the country emphasizes (industrial, educational, technology, etc.).
Cultural and Social Situation
You must detail the specific cultural and social situation facing this location. How has the cultural and social shift impacted the country and how has the country responded in the last 30 years? Additionally, what initiatives has the country implemented to revive the social and cultural aspects of the country? You will need to know the country and what is going on to be able to create an action plan, but, before you can make suggestions, you must intimately understand the pressures facing the constituents. Part of this section will need to detail what kinds of educational and social policy the country emphasizes.
Legal and Geopolitical Issues
Based on the SWOT analysis and other research, what legal and/or geopolitical issues are facing the country? Explore your locale and find out if there are lawsuits facing leaders in the country or geopolitical hot-button issues that will impact future economic development. Keep in mind that the situation your locale is facing may be more practical than you anticipated.
Governmental Atmosphere
Does the government lean left or right, or is it openly pursuing a left or right agenda? Evaluate whether the legislators govern based on their ideological bias or from the center rather than focusing on the best interests of the country. Explain the structure of the government. Include an organizational chart of the government. Detail the function and role of each individual in the government and summarize how this atmosphere impacts or impacted the geopolitical framework in the past and present. Also, discuss the role private business plays in geopolitics. Does the local governing body work closely with businesses or is the relationship strained? Are the geopolitical policies driven by government, business, or both? Are there any public/private partnerships in the country? If so, fully evaluate the usefulness of such an arrangement. Lastly, assess these issues from a biblical perspective.
Action Plan
This is the most substantial part of your assignment. All that you have been writing up until this point has been leading you to this section of the assignment. The action plan is your recommendation for what the country can and should do to strengthen the geopolitical framework. You are required to think outside of the box. Your plans must be sustainable and pragmatic, and they must address the needs of the country where the country is deficient. Now that you know the weaknesses, address them, but make sure that in addressing the weaknesses you are not undermining the strengths. Seize the opportunities and remove the threats. You must think strategically and systematically. You will need to fully justify and substantiate your action plan, and you will need to show how this action plan could and will work within the specific structure of this locale. This is why you have detailed the governmental atmosphere and geopolitical issues. In this section of the paper, you get to be the decision maker, but it must fit within the confines of your chosen country, and your proposal must be fully justified in all points. Ultimately, you are making your case as to why your proposal would be good for your country and lead to growth in the strength of the geopolitical framework.