How To Write A Policy Brief

How to Write
a Policy Brief
2
Topics
• Planning your policy brief

• Policy brief template
• Designing the brief
• Checking your work
3
Planning Your
Policy Brief
4
What is a policy brief?
• A short document that presents the

findings and recommendations of a
research project to a non-specialized
audience
• A medium for exploring an issue and
distilling lessons learned from the
research
• A vehicle for providing policy advice.
5
Work Within
Parameters
A policy brief is:

• A stand alone document
• Focused on a single topic
• No more than 2-4 pages
(1,500 words)
6
Writing for Your

Audience
7
Who Are Your

Readers?
Ask yourself
• Who am I writing this brief for?
• How knowledgeable are they
about the topic?
• How open are they to the
message?
8
How Can I Reach

Readers?
• What questions need answers?

• What are their interests,
concerns?
• What does it take to reach
specific readers such as media,
decision-makers?
9
Use the Power

of Persuasion
• Answer the question “What value

does this have for me?”
• Describe the urgency of the
situation
• Speak in terms of benefits and
advantages
10
Choosing Your Content

11
Content: Apply
a Laser Focus
• Focus on a single topic

• Define your purpose
• Identify salient points that
support the aim
• Distil points to essential info
• Limit yourself to 1,500 words
12
Putting the Brief

Together
13
Policy Brief Template
• Executive Summary
• Introduction
• Approaches and Results
• Conclusion
• Implications and Recommendations
14
Lead With
a Short Statement
The executive statement will:

• Distil the essence of the brief
• Provide an overview for busy
readers
• Entice readers to go further
• Appear on cover or top of first page
• Be written last
15
Example:
Elephants are one of the big five wildlife species;

their survival is one of the holy grails of
conservation. Unfortunately, because of their size
and migratory behaviour, elephants often come in
contact with people. This is especially true in
densely populated southeast Asia. A new study
from Sri Lanka looks at one strategy to address
this problem – electric fences.
Elephants and Electric Fences. A study from Sri Lanka

EEPSEA 2005
16
Introduction
• Answers the question why

• Explains the significance/urgency
of the issue
• Describes research objective
• Gives overview of findings,
conclusions
• Creates curiosity for rest of brief
17
Approaches
and Results
• Provides summary of the facts

• Describes issue and context
• Describes research and analysis
• Should not be overly technical
• Highlight benefits, opportunities
18
Approaches
• Explains how study conducted

• Relates who conducted study
• Describes relevant background
• Identifies method used to collect
data
19
Results:
What Did We Learn?
• Make content easy to follow

• Start by painting a general picture
• Move from general to specific
• Base conclusions on results
20
Example:
Do the Fences Work?

Overall it was found that although the electric
fencing does help…it is not capable of completely
eliminating conflict. In each…area…technical as well
as socio-economic factors affect….success.
Technical failures mainly affected the early
fences…Other problems resulted from failure to take
into account elephant behaviour and distribution
patterns.
Elephants and Electric Fences: A Study from Sri Lanka

EEPSEA 2005
21
Conclusion:
What Does It Mean?
• Use section to interpret data

• Aim for concrete conclusions
• Express ideas using strong
assertions
• Ensure ideas are balanced and
defensible
• If hypothesis abandoned, say why
22
Example:
Overall, it was found that although electric fencing

does help mitigate human elephant conflict, it is not
capable of completely eliminating the conflict. A social
factor that affected the success of electric fences was
whether the local community supported the project in
their area. Community support was critical in several
ways.
Elephants and Electric Fences: A Study from Sri Lanka

EEPSEA 2005
23
Implications and
Recommendations
• Implications are what could happen

• Recommendations are what should
happen
• Both flow from conclusions
• Both must be supported by evidence
24
Implications:
If…Then…
• Describe what researcher thinks will

be the consequences
• Less direct than recommendations
• Useful when advice not requested
• Softer approach but still can be
persuasive
25
Recommendations:
Call to Action
• Describe clearly what should happen

next
• State as precise steps
• Ensure they are relevant, credible
and feasible
26
Example:
A successful strategy to deal with the elephant problem

must be much more far-reaching than it is at present.
Such a strategy should include a comprehensive land
use planning exercise where elephant habitats….are
grouped and interconnected…The elephants’ habitat
should then be enriched and fenced.
Elephants and Electric Fences: A Study From Sri Lanka

EEPSEA
27
Designing
the Policy Brief
28
Titles:
Add a Little Jazz
• Titles are reference point

• Sub-titles break up text
• Both should entice readers
• Similar to headline writing
• Verbs make them more dynamic
• Questions can pique curiosity
29
Sidebars Add
Extra Depth
• Is extra to main discussion

• Meant to “hook” reader
• Sidebars should be:
– Short
– Descriptive
– Stimulating (ask questions)
– Focused on action
30
Sidebar Example
Repair Bill Could Reach $250 Million

The Mozambique government estimates that it will
cost $250 million to repair the damage from the
cyclone and floods that struck Mozambique in
February 2000. Early reports of the damage
included the destruction of the following
infrastructure: a key rail link used to bring in fuel
and goods from Zimbabwe and South Africa;
hundreds of kilometres of roads, which are
fundamental to market reforms, among other
things; electricity and telephone lines: more than
140 schools; and health centres.
31
Other Design Choices
Callouts
• Sentences or sentence fragments
• Printed in larger font
• Boxed or placed in margins
32
Example
Electric fences are not a “stand alone” solution.

33
Bulleted Lists
• Favour Groups of 5 or 7
• Express completed thoughts
• Avoid tags (one or two word bullets)
34
Charts, Photos, Graphics

• Pie charts/bar graphs
Forest
better than tables Farm
Desert
• Graphics can simplify Urban
understanding
• Use captions to explain
content
35
Check Your Work

36
Think Ahead and

Look Back
• Conduct a 20-second test –

what stood out?
• Try to make more user friendly
• Go on a jargon hunt
• Don’t overuse statistics
• Check arguments, proof, persuasion
• Build a Q and A package
37
Summary
Good luck with your Policy Briefs!

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How to Write

• Planning your policy brief

What is a policy brief?

• A short document that presents the

A policy brief is:

Writing for Your

Who Are Your

How Can I Reach

• What questions need answers?

Use the Power

• Answer the question “What value

Choosing Your Content

• Focus on a single topic

Putting the Brief

Policy Brief Template

The executive statement will:

Elephants are one of the big five wildlife species;

Elephants and Electric Fences. A study from Sri Lanka

• Answers the question why

• Provides summary of the facts

• Explains how study conducted

• Make content easy to follow

Do the Fences Work?

Elephants and Electric Fences: A Study from Sri Lanka

• Use section to interpret data

Overall, it was found that although electric fencing

Elephants and Electric Fences: A Study from Sri Lanka

• Implications are what could happen

• Describe what researcher thinks will

• Describe clearly what should happen

A successful strategy to deal with the elephant problem

Elephants and Electric Fences: A Study From Sri Lanka

• Titles are reference point

• Is extra to main discussion

Repair Bill Could Reach $250 Million

Other Design Choices

Electric fences are not a “stand alone” solution.

Other Design Choices

Other Design Choices

Charts, Photos, Graphics

Check Your Work

Think Ahead and

• Conduct a 20-second test –

Good luck with your Policy Briefs!

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