WHAT IS A POLICY BRIEF?

WRITING A POLICY BRIEF

WHAT IS A POLICY BRIEF?  Policy briefs are used in many sectors of society including, government agencies, business, education systems, and legislation and law. Many decision makers in these fields need to review large amounts of information efficiently.  A policy brief should review the major features an issue and offer analysis that presents different perspectives of a complex issue. Ideally, a policy brief will help decision makers make informed decisions about a course of action.  To be useful, these reviews need to be succinct and easy to read.  Yours should be no more than 6 pages so it is easily digestible.

TOPIC: Choose a topic related to your community intervention project or another interest.

RESEARCH: Begin by reading the textbook for general background. Then it is essential that you do additional research on your own.  Do a literature review on your topic.  Not all of your sources should be web-based.  Look for research articles or longer policy analyses.

FORMAT:  Use the following outline as headings.  Your brief cannot be longer than 6 pages so that it can be quickly digested by policy makers.  Use 12 point font and 1 inch margins. You can single space.  You hurt your cause by trying to cram in too much information.

1. Issue – Give a concise, one-sentence statement of the issue.  You need to persuade the reader that this issue is important and worth her/his consideration.  You may want to include a title to help define the issue and declare that this is a policy brief.

2. Background – Give a neutral statement of the key facts— Keep it short but provide enough information to support your description of the issue. This is also where you help shape the problem definition consistent with your statement for point 1.

3. Analysis – Present at least two different perspectives on the selected issue and include data to support positions.  This is the heart of the paper. Describe the merits for each perspective, and if relevant, the potential problems if the problem is not addressed adequately.  Sometimes briefs include the possible benefits and costs of action (or inaction) for groups of persons affected by the issue and/or for the decision makers.

4. Recommended Action – Choose a perspective for understanding the issue and highlight the expected benefits of taking this course of action.  The recommendation may leave specific details to be worked out.  Defend your choice.  You need to help the reader see the opportunity and advantages in taking action.

5. Sources – Good briefs will point to sources so that decision makers or their staff can follow-up on details and check out the merits of your recommendation.

6. Additional Material – You might include talking points, pictures, graphs, tables, or an overview summary of the problem, analysis, and recommended action,

Note:  Policy papers are longer presentations of the issues that can inform the drafting of legislation, strategic plans, or program decisions.  Unlike a policy brief, policy papers are generally viewed as a resource for people already committed to an issue and interested in more detail.  Policy briefs are designed to inform people and persuade them to take action.  These terms are used interchangeably by some people.  A successful policy brief will lead some to look for more information to justify policy decisions. Some policy makers will not read policy papers because of lack of time.  Policy briefs can be “digested” quickly and determined to be relevant or not.