how to write a policy brief

Sign up for the GEI newsletter and follow the latest news from the network. How to write a policy brief This is a training tool developed by IDRC What is a policy brief? Linking to a non-federal website does not constitute an endorsement by CDC or any of its employees of the sponsors or the information and products presented on the website. Shonagh co-facilitated this workshop alongside Dr Dan Barlow from ClimateXChange. An assessment of policymakers' engagement initiatives to promote evidence informed health policy making in Nigeria. Since you are going to provide recommendations in the brief, you want to make it clear that your recommendations come from a place of knowledge and are backed by research. Your browser has turned off or is blocking Javascript. Would you like email updates of new search results? [paged] => 0 The four types of briefing documents can be used to share evidence and inform decisions at every stage of the CDC Policy Process. In addition to the title of your brief, you should also add subheaders to make the brief skimmable and break up the text. ) [author__in] => Array ) [category__and] => Array Assess how much the audience already knows at the start. It should also capture the essence of what your brief is about. [2] Describe the current policies in place to address this issue, and why they are insufficient and new policies are necessary. We provide tailored products and solutions to many different industries that make a major impact. If you are using a content blocker, check to see that you have not globally turned off Javascript. Now that you understand the basic structure and individual parts of a policy brief, here are some additional tips to consider when writing an effective brief. 2001 Jul;16(7):513-9. doi: 10.1177/088307380101600711. College-educated men? Is the problem a lack of financial education, predatory lending practices, dishonest advertising, or something else? Is the problem statewide, national, or international? It should be easily understood without specialist knowledge. Frame your research in relation to the policy-makers agenda. Use reliable sources, preferably objective academic studies or government data and statistics. This post will outline the basics of this summary, known as a policy brief, including the format that should be used and tips for ensuring it is written effectively. [meta_table] => [posts_per_page] => 10 HHS Vulnerability Disclosure, Help PMC Throwing around jargon and complicated acronyms can confuse your reader, muddle the message, and make it difficult to make a connection with your audience. FiscalNote provides access to the most innovative tools in digital advocacy management as you create policy briefs that make a difference. For guidance on formatting citations, please see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial. The briefs are usually designed in an aesthetically pleasing way, sometimes with an image or graphic. It takes practice, and with purposeful practice, that probably means effort and making mistakes! Your roommatesresearch paper islikely to present the findings of previous studies and synthesize them in order to present an argument about what we know. It may be worth highlighting the positives of other proposals, as well, to demonstrate that your conclusion is balanced and objective. "The layout, questions to ask oneself and tips on length [wording] and visual are for me very helpful as I begin to. [queries] => Array [post_type] => resources Were here to demystify the art of writing a policy brief and make the process simpler and less time-consuming. ( ( 2010 Jun;36(6):22-6. doi: 10.3928/00989134-20100504-02. ( Use the research and data presented early in the policy brief to draw a connection to your policy recommendations and why they make sense. Long considered a benign rite of passage, acne actually has far-reaching effects on the health and well being of adolescents, significantly affecting success in school, social relationships, and general quality of life. An Information Brief provides a summary of the research on a policy method, approach, or other related topic like behavioral economics or the Health in All Policies approach. Less is more when it comes to captivating your audience and making sure that they are following along. The thesis statement for an objective brief will present the issue itself and describe the motivation for differing approaches to addressing the issue. However, policy briefs are distinctive in several ways. Be sure to check with your instructor about his/her specific expectations for your assignment. The .gov means its official. Policy briefs typically aren't read by experts in the field. For another example, lets say that you wanted to address childrens health. Later, when youre discussing complex information, your reader can refer back to the initial problem. [meta_value] => This link Includes specifics on formatting. [name] => write-policy-brief Simply put, a policy brief is a document that outlines a policy in, typically, 700 words or less. Though its not often acknowledged, funders are almost entirely reliant on grantee MEL practices to understand the impact of their resources in the world. 173.212.219.69 This means a major component of your workweek is spent crafting and developing messaging and metrics for other people. In todays blog, Dr Shonagh McEwan, Knowledge Exchange and Impact Advisor, shares insights from a recent workshop on writing policy briefings. ( Understand legislative developments in local cities and counties. ( We have over time learned to quickly get to the point and to make the papers more digestible. At the start, you may not know much about your audience, so take the time to get a feel for their attention span and preferences. Keep your message simple and easy to understand, and consider how the terms you use will be received by someone outside your industry (think lawmakers, activists, journalists). Clear and concise stand-alone document that focuses on a single topic. This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer. Before [fields] => You should consult your assignment prompt and/or your professor for instructions about the specific requirements of yourassignment, but mostpolicy briefs have several features in common. Build a stronger, more engaged community to move people and policy. Public health professionals can use the resources below to develop briefs that succinctly inform decision makers and stakeholders of the best available evidence on a public health problem, policy, method, or approach. Thats why the summary should be comprehensive enough to provide readers with an overview of the issue, options, and recommendations all in a few sentences (typically 100-200 words). Although many health care professionals are interested in health policy, relatively few have training in how to utilize their clinical experience and scientific knowledge to impact policy. [resource-type] => blog ) [post__not_in] => Array Ethn Dis. When creating a state policy brief, Joshua Habursky, head of government relations at the Premium Cigar Association, recommends drawing comparisons and contrasts with other states. Spelling and grammatical errors will make your brief far less reliable. ( Free Templates Before creating your policy brief, understand your audience. ) [ignore_sticky_posts] => How to Write a Policy Brief: Format & Tips for Success | Quorum Young, Eoin, and Lisa Quinn. The University of Edinburgh is a charitable body, registered in Scotland, with registration number This should be kept to one to two sentences. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. Policy Brief - The Writing Center at UNC. [menu_order] => How to write a policy briefing - POST Selecting the appropriate brief depends on the level of the evidence available and the stage in the policy process. A policy brief presents a concise summary of information that can help readers understand, and likely make decisions about, government policies. Not seeing your industry listed? She crafts the message to be in easy-to-understand language, not jargon. ( ) [tag_slug__in] => Array Developing a policy brief is one approach that health professionals mayuse to draw attention to important evidence that relates to policy. ", "Thanks. Use bulleted or numbered lists to break up text in the body of the material and make information easier to scan and read. In this case, 90% of readers who voted found the article helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. It may seem a basic starting point, but who are policymakers? This site needs JavaScript to work properly. This post will outline the basics of this summary, known as a policy brief, including the format that should be used and tips for ensuring it is written effectively. [resource-type] => blog Lets take a look at two versions of the introduction to a policy brief to see how someone might write and revise to achieve these qualities: Adolescents Dermatologic Health in Outlandia: A Call to Action, The Report on Adolescents Dermatologic Health in Outlandia (2010), issued by Secretary of Health Dr. Polly Galver, served as a platform to increase public awareness on the importance of dermatologic health for adolescents. He writes policy briefs for board members, external stakeholders, and Hill staff, and tailoring his message to fit the audience is critical. ( [primary_id_column] => Your IP: ) [has_or_relation:protected] => Its also a good idea to place this summary separate from the rest of the text by setting it in larger font, boxing it in or highlighting it. This structure differs from many short papers in the humanities that may have a title but no further headings, and from reportsin the sciences that may follow the IMRAD structure of introduction, methods, results, and discussion. Why is this something your reader should pay attention to, and why now? Backing up your argument with statistics is a non-negotiable for a policy briefing. Personalize your presentation for specific audiences, Mehlman says. Some stakeholders might be reluctant to accept your policy change or even acknowledge the existence of the problem, which is why your brief must be convincing in its use of evidence and clear in its communication. PDF Version Steps for Writing Briefs Infographic pdf icon[PDF 479 KB], Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Policy Briefs. ) [post_parent__in] => Array Stakeholder Management & Engagement Software, Research, Insights, and Informing Your Public Affairs Strategy, PACs Turn to Positive Pay to Stop Fraud, How to Build Action Centers That Mobilize Advocates (With Examples), How to Research Your Policy Issue in 2023, Building Your Professional Network: Make Your LinkedIn Profile Stand Out in Public Affairs, The Importance of Media Monitoring for Public Affairs Professionals, 9 Public Affairs Professionals Advice for the Lobbyists of Waystar Royco, Government Relations Strategic Plan Template, Download & Build an Effective Stakeholder Engagement Matrix, Three Examples of Effective Government Relations Strategy, Three Examples of Successful Public Affairs Strategy, Seven Examples of Effective Grassroots Advocacy Campaigns, Five Examples of Stakeholder Engagement Strategy, 10 Innovations For Your Public Affairs Strategy, Description of the Problem That Policymakers Should Address. For example, if you're writing for a nonprofit organization, your audience may be supporters of your organization. Please do not use this list as a model for the format of your own reference list, as it may not match the citation style you are using. If you are used to writing for academic audiences, whether an academic journal article, research paper or book chapter, it may not be the easiest to write for a distinctively different audience such as policymakers. [attachment] => Typical policy briefs have four main functions: to explain and convey the urgency of the issue; to present policy recommendations or implications on the issue; to provide evidence to support the reasoning behind those recommendations; and to point the reader to additional resources on the issue. The site is secure. [monthnum] => 0 Last but not least, provide references to no more than five sources where your readers can get more information on the topic, including the web addresses to the publications. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. The reader is likely to be confused because the word acne does not appear until the middle of the paragraph, and the briefnever states what action should be taken to address it. Any views expressed within media held on this service are those of the contributors, should not be taken as approved or endorsed by the University, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the University in respect of any particular issue. [order] => DESC policy brief is a short, to the point, jargon free document written for non-specialists. eCollection 2017. A well-chosen title helps capture attention and makes people want to keep reading. Just like your main title, your subheads should be short, catchy, and descriptive. X Ensure your visuals match your narrative and narrative matches your visuals, Mehlman says. Policy briefs are written for a variety of policy actors. For a policy brief, section headings allow for multiple points of entry. On the other hand, if your readers were voters, you would want them to vote for representatives who supported legalizing voluntary euthanasia. [attachment_id] => 0 Daily? Don't waste everyone's time with known basics. A Policy Brief is a short document that describes a particular policy issue or advocates for a particular position. Policy briefs are typically written for organization leaders, policymakers, and others who are responsible for creating and influencing policy. For tips on adding images and other dynamic content, read on! Frame your research in relation to the policy-maker's agenda. Uneke CJ, Sombie I, Keita N, Lokossou V, Johnson E, Ongolo-Zogo P. Pan Afr Med J. Its connecting all the pieces to say what the end result will be, how it will be meaningful.. Policymakers are in demand, and so your communication is competing with many other inputs. Government affairs professionals need to write effective policy briefs to keep legislatures and their teams informed on issues that matter to their organization. They can also be given to students as writing assignments to be delivered to the professor and your class. Policymakers will not use research evidence when making decisions if that research evidence is time-consuming to read! ) [tag_slug__and] => Array ) [query_vars] => Array "This article has helped me figure out how to write a policy brief on medical marijuana for my social policy class, "A great outline for success. 2What is a policy brief? This paragraph is far more focused and concise than the first version. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. There is a degree of trial and error in the beginning, Habursky says. It should include a concise summary of a particular issue, the policy options to deal with it and some recommendations on the best option. ( Your own process of identifying the problem likely had some stops, starts, and dead-ends, but your goal in framing the issue for your reader is to provide the most direct path to understanding the problem and the proposed policy change. ) [post_name__in] => Array British Heart Foundations misconduct policies. Finally, its time to make your policy recommendations. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. Policymakers have many issues to consider and address, so make it clear why now is the time to act on this particular issue, and why it cant wait. Adult women? Any figures should relate explicitly to your thesis statement. ) [tag__in] => Array Hone in on your main issue and the key message you need to convey. Back up your claims with solid facts, not emotion-driven rhetoric. This article offers guidance on how to write a policy brief by outlining 4 steps: (a) define the problem, (b) state the policy, (c) make your case, and (d) discuss the impact. Has there been a significant change in a scientific field? [category_name] => [preview] => As research evidence grows and more information becomes available, public health professionals can move from an Issue Brief on the public health problem up to a Policy Impact Brief on the potential health, economic, or budgetary impact of a policy. Molly Polen, senior director of communications and public relations at the American Association for Clinical Chemistry, always strives for her organizations briefs to tell readers how scientific information relates to healthcare. It will relate the findingsto current policy debates, with an emphasis on applying the research outcomes rather than assessing the research procedures. How to Write a Policy Brief | 22 Free Templates and Examples For example, suppose you're writing a brief on voluntary euthanasia, and taking the position that it should be legal. It has been widely reported as one of the most popular tools for think tanks globally in the last decade1. Include your policy recommendation. A policy brief may summarize the results of policy-relevant research, current literature, surveys, evaluations of existing policy and programs, and interviews with experts or representatives of various relevant interest groups. An effective policy brief must propose a solution to a well-defined problem that can be addressed at the level of policy. 8600 Rockville Pike Don't worry about length at this stage either.

Wellcare Flex Card Customer Service, Avon, Nc Family Activities, Articles H