A Formula for the Perfect Position

Paper: Solution-Oriented Research

When grading position papers, many conferences put up to 50% of the papers
weight into the proposed solutions section. This means that, for delegates who want
research awards or simply want to know where to concentrate their efforts, the best
option is the solution-focused paper. In this form of position paper, the four general
sections still apply, but the paper itself is geared toward building a cohesive flow
into your solutions. If done correctly, not only will your paper be concise, complete,
and organized, but you will find your proposed solutions section much simpler to
write.
Topic Background
Most Common Pitfall:
The epic novelI love exploring my topic. I like to know everything about what is
happening, who is involved, and what other issues it is linked with. But while this is
great knowledge to have in committee, not all of it belongs in your position paper.
The name of the game is clear and concise, as this section can easily grow out of
hand without revealing any knowledge or skill on your part. While it may be
tempting to place the bulk of your papers length here, keep in mind that the most
important section is your proposed solutions. For help with choosing the most
relevant information, see the formula below.
Essential Goals:
Project, dont reflect- The chair wont be testing you on what the issue used to be.
They want to know where you think its going. The goal of this section is not to
reflect the past, but project the future. This way, you can determine the most
pressing matters to deal with. That being said, this section should focus on
analyzing trends in where the issue appears and identifying obstacles to resolving it.
Break it downOne of the most important things you can set up in this section is
sub-issues. By breaking the issue down into smaller topics, you make the initial
problem more manageable and have more targeted goals to frame your solutions.
My Formula
1) Name at least three regions or nations in which the issue is most pronounced.
2) Name at least two things these regions or nations have in common that could
be the source of the issue.
3) Name three relevant historical events that led up to the issue.
4) Look at the research youve collected so far and note any trends in the
conditions under which this issue appears.
5) Three sub-issues associated with the topic. (See end of article for framing
tips)

For each sub-issue, explain what the deterrent has been in resolving it. Can the UN
not enter the nation? Is there too little stability? A lack of education? What factors
have made this issue so prominent and difficult to solve?
Past UN Actions
Most Common Pitfalls:
The Resolution focusMany delegates tend to interpret this section heading to
mean Past resolutions, but in reality, UN resolutions are only the beginning. Often
times the most significant information in this section will come from broader action
plans or collaborative efforts taken by regional bodies or NGOs. For example, the
functions of oversight bodies such as the UN Supervisory Mission in Syria (UNSMIS)
are not necessarily connected to a resolution. Turning this into a paragraph about
past resolutions greatly limits the options you can explore.
ListingMany delegates place so much focus on compiling a strong list of resolutions
that pertain to the topic, that they pass over the analysis part, which is the real
purpose of this section.
Essential Goals:
Analyze SolutionsDont let this section turn into a list of resolutions. Writing about
past UN actions isnt as much about knowing what has been done as providing
analysis of why certain actions were taken. Instead of providing a vast quantity of
actions, choose a few significant resolutions or action plans and dig into the reasons
these plans may have succeeded or failed. This will be the precedent by which you
will frame your own solutions to the issue.
Explore failures as well as successesMany position papers place the focus of this
section on what has been done about the issue. While it is important to understand
what plans are already in place, it is equally beneficial to understand what ideas
have failed and why. In the case of resolutions, a failed resolution is just as
important as a passed one. In the case of the violence in Syria, a UNSC directive
supported by the majority of the committee was double vetoed by China and
Russia. This is a fairly forceful action that should be taken into account when you
consider your own solutions.
My Formula:
1) Two unique, significant action plans implemented by the UN or other
international bodies. (UN-REDD, UNSMIS)
2) For every one of the above, answer the following:
3) What were the goals of the plan, and were they accomplished?
4) Is the plan still in effect?
5) What elements may have contributed to the plans success/failure?
6) What elements of this plan can be adapted to fit the issue at hand?
7) Two to three resolutions that have been passed or failed that attempted to
deal with the issue
8) For each of the above, answer the above questions

9) If the resolution failed, specify why. Was it vetoed? What parties voted it down
and why might they have done so?
National Policy
Most Common Pitfall:
Sometimes it can be difficult to find overt statements of your nations policy. In these
situations, your best bet is extrapolation.
The neutral NationSome nations simply dont have as strong a policy as others. Its
easy to find public records of South Korea being opposed to North Korean nuclear
programs, but it may be more difficult to find exact quotes from government
officials or public records of less polarized nations on less controversial issues. In
those instances, some extrapolation may be necessary.
Essential Goals:
Explore both the internal and externalDont limit yourself to actions your nation
has taken on the international stage. Take some time to explore your nations official
websites and public records to find out what has been done within your own
national borders. Internal legislature and action plans are an excellent source of
ideas for dealing with the issue, and are a surefire way to find out how your nation
feels about the issue, and because they are implemented by a single nation, they
will often be much more strong and action-oriented than international plans.
ExtrapolateLook at factors other than what your nation has done overtly, such as
its core values (national sovereignty, humanitarian relief, etc.) and any regional,
religious, or political bodies it belongs to (OPEC, NATO, AL). Use this information to
determine more about your nations policy than is immediately evident by their
voting records. Remember: every nation has a policy, even if it isnt expressed as
strongly as those of other nations.
My Formula:
1) Two internal policies or pieces of legislature your nation has implemented
that are relevant to the issue at hand.
2) Two programs your nation has supported or been involved in at the
international level.
3) Two resolutions your nation has voted for or against
4) Identify at least two trends among the things your nation has or has not
supported.
5) An objective analysis of what you feel are the most important goals of your
nation. Do you believe in defending national sovereignty? In addressing
humanitarian issues above political ones? What is your nations agenda?

Proposed Solutions
This is where your solution-focused position paper starts to do the work for you.
Looking into your background research, you already know where to target your

actions, three smaller issues to focus in on, and the preventable events that led up
to this being an issue. From your Past UN Action, you know what types of plans have
succeeded and failed in the past, and have even drawn conclusions as to what
causes them to do so. You also know which ones are still in effect. All you have to
decide which ones you want to amend, expand, and discontinue. The beautiful thing
about solutions found in this way is that because they already exist, the United
Nations does not have to spend valuable time and money setting up an entirely new
institution to manage a complex plan. Looking into your nations policy, you also
know what measured have proven effective or ineffective at the national level, so
you know what sorts of actions the UN can encourage other nations to take, and
even aid them in doing so. The final part of your proposed solutions is making sure
that you have addressed all three of your sub-issues.

Using the Formula is important!!!

This formula has saved me countless hours, and helped me win several research
awards.
When I do my research, I fill out my formula like a worksheet. Gathering your
information in a linear format, piece by piece, will make your paper come together
in a much quicker, more complete manner.
To make your Works Cited page as easy as your paper, simply fill in the information
like a work sheet, noting your source next to the topic it pertains to. This will make
citing your sources a piece of cake, whether you are using parenthetical or
footnotes.

Earlier this week, I was coaching for a Bay Area high school in preparation for the
UC Davis Model United Nations Conference, and the students asked a good
question: how do we go about researching our topic when the background guide or
topic synopsis has not been posted yet? If you want to be the Best Delegate, you
cannot wait for the chair to post the guide (or rely on background guides that may
not be written with a clear framework of issues to address). The procrastinationbusting technique that I recommend you take the initiative to use is Framing Your
Topic. Heres how the three-part process works:
Framing your topic
First, you frame your topic. Brainstorm six to ten different sub-issues that you
might encounter regarding this topic. If you have trouble brainstorming, think of
sub-issues categorically: political, economic, social, financial, humanitarian,
environmental, security, etc.
Next, list adjacent to each sub-issue in your framework the past actions that have
been taken to resolve that sub-issue as well as possible solutions that your country
has proposed or would like to propose.

Finally, you select the three most salient sub-issues to your country. These will
become the three key points you will use when you Frame Your Speech and will be
central to your position paper and draft resolution. You will want to conduct more
research into them so you can become the subject matter expert on them when
they are debated at the conference. Of course, you will also want to be familiar with
the other points that you have framed because you can include them in your
resolutions, and some of these will be the key points for other delegates and you
will want to be knowledgeable enough to collaborate with them on these sub-issues.
Here are two examples of UC Davis topics that the students I was working with
brainstormed on the spot:
Topic: Nuclear Proliferation
1. Technology transfer (by governments and individuals)
2. Government Policies toward nuclear weapons
3. Security (of stockpiles, facilities, etc.)
4. Internal strife (e.g. Pakistan)
5. Disarmament of stockpiles
6. Economic arguments behind proliferation
7. Security/alliance factors behind proliferation
8. Terrorism

Topic: Preservation of Indigenous Languages

1. Suppression by governments
2. Language and cultural dominance
3. Official language policy
4. Grassroots/local efforts in preservation
5. Education & research
6. Incentives for indigenous language abilities

These will need to be filled in with past actions and proposed solutions, but that
requires research of your topic and an understanding of your country policy. A filledin sub-issue will look like this:
Sub-Issue > Past Actions > Proposed Solution
Note that the above frameworks are comprehensive but not complete. You could
probably brainstorm a few more sub-issues for each. More important, when the

background guide or topic synopsis gets posted, make sure you read to understand
what sub-issues your Chair wants the committee to address and adjust your
framework accordingly.
If you have trouble with framing, I would suggest getting your entire class or club do
it for the topic. I found that brainstorming as a group produced much more
comprehensive lists of sub-issues than individually trying to dissect your topic.

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