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This chapter outlines key insights needed to understand the policy brief as a communication tool, and covers the following: Purpose and focus of the policy brief. The policy brief as one type of policy paper. We close with a section on an interesting finding from our research on an emerging new hybrid policy paper.
A strong policy brief distills research findings in plain language and draws clear links to policy initiatives. The best policy briefs are clear and concise stand-alone documents that focus on a single topic. Take a look at policy briefs in IDRC’s digital library.
- What This Handout Is About
- What Are Policy Briefs?
- How Do Policy Briefs Differ from Other Kinds of Writing Assignments?
- How Do I Identify A Problem For My Policy Brief?
- Framing The Issue
- Effective Policy-Writing
- Works Consulted
This handout will offer tips for writing effective policy briefs. Be sure to check with your instructor about his/her specific expectations for your assignment.
Imagine that you’re an elected official serving on a committee that sets the standards cars must meet to pass a state inspection. You know that this is a complex issue, and you’d like to learn more about existing policies, the effects of emissions on the environment and on public health, the economic consequences of different possible approaches, a...
You may encounter policy brief assignments in many different academic disciplines, from public health and environmental science to education and social work. If you’re reading this handout because you’re having your first encounter with such an assignment, don’t worry–many of your existing skills and strategies, like using evidence, being concise, ...
An effective policy brief must propose a solution to a well-defined problem that can be addressed at the level of policy. This may sound easy, but it can take a lot of work to think of a problem in a way that is open to policy action. For example, “bad spending habits in young adults” might be a problem that you feel strongly about, but you can’t s...
Once you’ve identified the problem for yourself, you need to decide how you will present it to your reader. 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. It ca...
This handout has emphasized that good policy briefs are clear, concise, and focused on applying credible research to policy problems. Let’s 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:
We consulted these works while writing this handout. This is not a comprehensive list of resources on the handout’s topic, and we encourage you to do your own research to find additional publications. 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. For guidance ...
Oct 18, 2021 · A policy brief is a concise summary of an issue that includes the policy options to solve a problem and recommendations on the best option. Policy briefs are typically written for organization leaders, policymakers, and others who are responsible for creating and influencing policy.
What is a policy brief? A key tool to present research and recommendations to a non-specialized audience. Clear and concise stand-alone document that focuses on a single topic. Distills research findings in plain language and draws clear links to policy initiatives.
What is a policy brief? Policy briefs are short reports aimed at policy makers. There are two main types of policy briefs: advocacy briefs, which argue for a particular course of action, and objective briefs, which provide balanced information on several policy options.
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A policy brief is a concise summary of a particular issue that is designed to help policy makers come to a decision. It consolidates research on the context, causes, stakeholders, scope, and impact of that issue and then makes a recommendation.
