This tab is only for students that are submitting their SECU0032 assessments during the Late Summer Assessment period. Students may be required to submit their assessment during the LSA due to having deferred the assessment (for example, after submitting an extenuating circumstances form), or after failing to obtain a pass mark in the module in their first attempt. You will have been informed by the admin office if you are required to submit an assessment during the LSA. 

Assessment: This module is assessed through a report (100% of the module mark). The word count limit for the report is 3000 words. 

Deadlines and dates for Late Summer Assessment period: 

Deadline for submission: Monday 19 August 2024, 4 pm

Feedback: You will receive written feedback and indicative grades by Monday 9 September 2024. Please refer to the student handbook for the grade boundaries. Note that all marks given at this stage are preliminary and do not include penalties. Marks will not be confirmed until the exam board. Penalites for late submission and being over the word count will be applied as stipulated in the student handbook.

Detailed instructions

You are asked to write a report (max 3000 words) on a specific organised criminal phenomenon of your choice.

The organised crime phenomenon can be based anywhere in the world (even in cyberspace or international waters, etc.), but it must be a current problem or threat facing a society, government(s) or industry. While the phenomenon can vary in scale, it must be very specific. For instance, "Poaching in Africa" is too broad. A better phenomenon could be "Poaching of pangolins in Sub-saharan Africa." Similarly, instead of "The Italian Mafia," a better phenomenon could be "The role of the 'Ndrangheta in the importation of cocaine via Italian ports." 

Your report should describe the phenomenon in detail. The ultimate goal is to provide readers with an exhaustive evidence-based understanding of all the main dimensions of the phenomenon (see below).

Minimum content

The report must analyse and discuss the following dimensions of the organised crime phenomenon examined: (1) Activities; (2) Structures; (3) Extra-legal governance; (4) Space; (5) Time; (6) Causes: (7) Implications; (8) Countermeasures.

As a guide, think of the following questions, although the report doesn't have to answer these questions verbatim:

1. Activities: What are the activities involved? How are the activities carried out? In broad terms, what are the steps required to carry out the main activities involved? Does it require specialist materials or knowledge?

2. Structures: Who is involved? Which criminal structures are involved? What are their main characteristics, and how are they organised/structured?

3. Extra-legal governance: How do criminals gain, strengthen and use their power? How do they infiltrate and/or corrupt legitimate systems and structures? What are the relationships between organised criminal groups and businesses, governments and society?

4. Space and time: Where do the activities take place? In which region or countries? What are the main characteristics of the areas where the problem takes place? Why there? (Place can also be digital spaces, i.e. cyberspace, platforms, systems, etc.)

5. Time: What is the timeline of the problem? Has it occurred for a long time? Is it growing? How has it changed in recent times?

6. Causes: Why does it happen? What are the main factors that drive the existence of the problem? 

7. Implications: So what? What are the harms associated with the problem? Why is it a problem? Who is affected?

8. Countermeasures: What are governments and/or international organisations doing to prevent, reduce and respond to the phenomenon? What are the challenges to prevention and prosecution? What else can be done?

Sources

Your report must be based on quality sources (academic literature, government reports/data, reports by think tanks, international organisations or other similar institutions) though you may also use news reports (from quality outlets), especially if there is very little published material on your chosen problem. 

Style

The report should be written for a general audience and especially for relevant stakeholders from policy and practice, including policymakers, lawmakers, law enforcement agencies, industry, and civil society organisations. You should use concise, descriptive and factual language and a professional rather than academic style—write in plain language. Direct quotations should be avoided, you should write all the material in your own words. The aim is to synthesise the sources you are using, not repeating what they say. However, when you mention a specific fact or theory, you must reference or acknowledge where you obtained it. Likewise, if you use figures, charts or tables by other authors, you need to provide adequate references.

Structure

Please structure your report as follows:

Title

Executive Summary of the main points (can also include bullet point lists) – approx. 200 words

Introduction (concise statement of the problem) – approx. 250 words

Context (geopolitical, social, economic and/or historical) – approx. 300 words

Analysis of the empirical manifestations of the problem (activities, structures, extra-legal governance, as well as space and time dimensions) – approx. 1000 words

Causes of the problem – approx. 400 words

Implications – approx. 350 words

Possible countermeasures – approx. 300 words

Conclusion – approx. 200 words

Bibliography  

Each of these sections can be further organised in subsections if necessary. The approximate length of each section suggested above is purely indicative. Feel free to adjust the actual length of each section to the characteristics of the relevant organised crime phenomenon. For instance, the causes of a particular phenomenon might be still unclear and there might not be much to say about them, while the implications might require a more extensive analysis – or vice versa. Similarly, some organised crime phenomena might have more complicated contexts (e.g. a longstanding history, a broader transnational reach etc) than other. However, you can expect that there will be something important to discuss for each component of the report, so you should not dismiss any section with a few words. Most importantly, the analysis of the empirical manifestations of the problem is a core component of your report that will require an extensive and well-structured explanation. It cannot be reduced to a few sentences.

Format

Make sure the report is professionally formatted and easy to follow. Make use of headings and subheadings to separate the content. You can also use callout boxes and complex layouts to make the document visually appealing and easy to read. Use bold and italic typeface judiciously to highlight key ideas. Use bullet points if appropriate. Use tables, charts, maps, diagrams, photographs or other media to efficiently convey complex information.

Word count

The report should be at most 3000 words excluding bibliography, tables, charts, maps, diagrams, photographs or other media and their captions.

Submission and deadline

Please submit your report via Turnitin by the 19th August 2024 at 4pm.