The art of policy briefs
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The document provides guidance on writing effective policy briefs. It discusses that policy briefs are short documents that present research findings and recommendations to non-specialist policy audiences. The document outlines key elements of a successful policy brief such as understanding the audience, crafting clear and memorable messages, using a standard structure of an executive summary, introduction, methodology, results, implications and recommendations, and avoiding common pitfalls like including too much jargon or methodology. The goal is to distill research into concise yet compelling recommendations to influence policymakers.
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The art of policy briefs
- 1. AERC POLICY BRIEF WORKSHOP The Art of Policy Briefs 2015
- 2. OBJECTIVES OF THIS SESSION What is a policy brief? Planning for policy influence Messaging Structure and design Wrap-up Surgery
- 4. Policy briefs are short documents that present the findings and recommendations of a research project to a non-specialist readership. They are often recommended as a key tool for communicating research findings to policy actors [who often do not have the time to read long technical research documents] (Young and Quinn, 2007) In simple terms… A policy brief is a clear message tailored for a policy audience. WHAT IS A POLICY BRIEF?
- 6. 2. PLANNING FOR POLICY INFLUENCE
- 7. REMEMBER YOUR AUDIENCDE • Who are your readers? • How knowledgeable are they about the subject? • How open are they to the message? • What are their interests & concerns?
- 8. PLAN ACCORDINGLY •Policy makers are not a homogenous group •Needs differ by sector, ministry etc. •Level of position (national vs sub-national) •Role in policy-making process (level of power) •Political and media context: opportunities?
- 9. THE EVIDENCE • How legitimate and credible are my findings? • Building credibility: Make sure your figures are correct and verifiable Present your research clearly and convincingly Look for stakeholder/local involvement Collaborate with other researchers
- 10. YOUR LINKS AND ENGAGEMENT Be pro-active… • “Effective policy entrepreneurs – or champions – will make the most of networks but will also use • connections or negotiating skills, be persistent, develop ideas, proposals and expertise well in • advance of policy ‘windows’”. • – Neilson, S. (2001), IDRC
- 11. 3. CREATING AN EFFECTIVE MESSAGE
- 12. GOOD RESEARCH MERITS GOOD COMMUNICATION Qualityofresearch Quality of communication Source: Communicating Food Policy Research, IFPRI (March 2005)
- 13. DEVELOPING EFFECTIVE MESSAGES Think about the following questions: 1. What is the objective of your message? 2. Why is this important? 3. Who are your target audiences? 4. What do you want them to do? 5. How exactly should they do it?
- 14. MEMORABLE MESSAGES • What do you want to say, how and to whom? Messages should be designed with audiences in mind and tailored to fit their needs – identify your audience Messages should be memorable, engaging and limited in number – KISS!! Messages should be simple – avoid jargon and scientific terminologies Messages may need to answer the question: ‘why do I care?’
- 15. MESSAGE PYRAMID • What is your key message? • What messages fall out of it? • What evidence do you have to support your message? Primary Message Main Messages Supporting Points
- 16. WHAT DOES AN EFFECTIVE MESSAGE LOOK LIKE? The 4Cs model: 1. Comprehension 2. Connection 3. Credibility 4. Contagiousness Make your messages pass the ‘Grandma Test’’ “The 4Cs model is a useful tool for objectively evaluating the effectiveness of many forms of communication: what’s working, what isn’t working, and why.”
- 17. A GOOD MESSAGE SHOULD • Raise awareness • Create interest • Foster desire to act • Prompt an action
- 18. T THE POWER OF WORDSo change radically your message, and their effect on the
- 19. REMEMBER
- 20. ACTIVITY (based on the 4C’s) 1. Did you instantly understand what the brief is about? 2. Did it evoke an emotional response? 3. Was it or the messenger credible? 4. Did you feel the message “stuck” and made you want to react in some way? Apply each of these questions to the policy brief handed to your group and report back during plenary. Also try to rate how well each of the briefs does against these questions on a scale of 1-10 (i.e. On a scale of 1-10 say how well the policy brief was able to convey the messenger as credible).
- 21. 4. POLICY BRIEF STRUCTURE
- 22. 1. Executive Statement 2. Introduction 3. Methodology 4. Results and Conclusions 5. Implicationsand Recommendations 6. References
- 23. BE VISUAL “Effective policy entrepreneurs – or champions – will make the most of networks and connections”
- 24. 5. COMMON POLICY BRIEF PITFALLS TO BE AWARE OF • Complicated tables and graphs (that no one understands) • No visuals – pictures can add context and interest • Recommendations not included • Text heavy and too much jargon – keep it simple • Lacks clear message from the beginning • Too much focus on methodology • Policy brief not seen as an opportunity to engage with policy audiences
- 25. EXECUTIVE STATEMENT: Top tip: Try to complete this paragraph… ‘The objective of this policy brief is to ______ (action verb – like convince, inform) ______ (target audience(s) – e.g. Ministry of Agriculture) that ______ (what should happen – e.g. they should invest in road infrastructure) (ODI Rapid)
- 26. Executive statements examples Copper price and exchange rate dynamics in Zambia re-examined EXECUTIVE STATEMENT “ The objective of this policy brief is to inform the central bank and the Ministry of Finance that changes in copper price have a significant bearing on the stability of the kwacha exchange rate. Changes in copper price affect income and revenue from the mining sector, and through spending, inflation and consequently the exchange rate. Thus, an appropriate policy response is required to limit vulnerabilities to adverse copper price movements and ensure maximum benefits are derived from copper price booms.”
- 27. • Top Tip: • To frame this think about how: • (1)The recommendations you are suggesting could have a positive effect on people’s lives, their environment and wellbeing. • (2) Add context to your work by relating it to news and events that are prevalent within the media.
- 28. INTRODUCTION 2. Introduction • Start with a sentence piquing the interest of your reader • Informative sentences building to your research • A statement shaping the view that you will support or build upon in the next sections
- 29. METHODOLOGY 3. Methodology • Less is more • Remove jargon • Put yourself in the policymakers shoes
- 30. RESULTS & FINDINGS 4. Results/findings • Details of your findings/evidence • ‘Meat’ of argument • Don’t include findings not relevant to your core message
- 31. 4.5 Implications and RECOMMENDATIONS 5. Implications and Recommendations • Recommendations: What specifically do you think should change? (Max 3) • Implications: What general policy changes/actions do the results point to?
- 32. IMPLICATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS EXAMPLES The objective for this policy brief is to convince policymakers at the State Ministries of Health of the need to increase adolescents and young people ’s (AY P) access to youth- friendly sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services. Implication: “Current limited access to youth-friendly sexual and reproductive services could lead to an increase in the number of sexually transmitted infections among youth” Recommendation: “Policymakers at the State Ministries of Health should create an enabling environment to increase AYP’s access to youth-friendly sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services by increasing the number of youth friendly SRH service points available to youth in their states, training existing health care providers to be able to deliver youth friendly SRH services and by increasing the awareness of AYPs about the availability and location of youth friendly services”
- 33. REFERENCES 6. References • Don’t include everything • Choose those that most strongly support your recommendations
Notas del editor
- Much economic and social research is carried out with the intention of helping policymakers to develop better policies for better development. Sadly, very little of that research achieves its objective. One reason why research is not acted upon is that it is poorly communicated and does not reach its intended target audience. A study conducted by ODI identified a number of obstacles (describe slide) on the research communication environment. The study involved researchers, policy makers and decision makers across the North and South in science, technology and innovation. Policy briefs are a way of bridging the research to policy divide. In fact, 79% of respondents as part of the same survey said policy briefs were a valuable tool. However, this was only the case if they were written well.
- By the end of this session we hope that you will understand What a policy brief is and why are they useful in bridging research to policy divide How to plan for policy influence That creating policy messages is an art that requires careful consideration of context, evidence, links What the structure of a policy brief should look like Wrap-up (and examples of policy brief pitfalls) Policy brief surgery
- As this cartoon illustrates, policy briefs are about synthesis. They are about translating all those years of research into concise messages that can easily be consumed by decision makers who have very little time on their hands. So how do we go about summarising these years of study into a short, synthesised document. For our purposes we use a policy brief.
- A policy brief is a tailored message Key words: Short Non-specialist
- Could you name the barriers to research communication?
- Research – saving lives! Research findings have been responsible for many improvements in quality of life. Better use of research evidence in development policy-making can save lives through more effective policies that respond to scientific and technological advances, use resources more efficiently and better meet citizens’ needs (WHO, 2004). However, too often the linkages between research and policy-making are viewed as a linear process. In reality, the integration of evidence into policy decision-making is a complex process of multiple, frequently competing and / or intertwined sets of influences in which evidence plays just one of many roles (
- You must think about your audience…
- “Policymakers” a term as broad as “researcher”. They aren’t all of the same nature Sometimes needs differ within the same unit in a department in the ministry Level of position entails type of responsibilities Level of power – influence
- Is your evidence credible and ready to be shared at the policy level? The way you articulate your message also shapes the way people perceive it’s quality - Don’t waist your hard work by presenting your research poorly. Think about how you can demonstrate the legitimacy of your findings. Affiliation!
- Route to market How are you going to get your message heard – 6 degrees of separation. Six degrees of separation is the theory that everyone and everything is six or fewer steps away, by way of introduction, from any other person in the world, so that a chain of "a friend of a friend" statements can be made to connect any two people in a maximum of six steps. Effective policy entrepreneurs – or champions – will make the most of networks but will also use connections or negotiating skills, be persistent, develop ideas, proposals and expertise well in advance of policy ‘windows’. – Neilson, S. (2001) Knowledge Utilization and Public Policy Processes: A Literature Review, Canada: Evaluation Unit, IDRC So engage with policymakers early on! (as we saw this morning)
- Generally speaking, the goal of any research is to have an impact. You might want to communicate your findings to policymakers to influence their decisions, or to donors to secure funding for your research. To have impact, it must be tailored and communicated to the right people using the right communication tool. Research communications can take different forms; you may communicate your research through a policy brief, a press release, at a press conference, in a TV interview, or even through a social media tool. One step is common in all of the above: translating your findings and recommendations into key messages that can travel to reach your target audience.
- Can you position yourself on this graph? Think we all agree here that good research alone is insufficient, to have impact it must be communicated to the right people and effectively!
- A useful way to frame your core message is to start by listing your key findings and the actions that you would like your audience to take. Once you are clear about theses, ask yourself the following 5 questions
- Primary message (your sound bite): a statement of 1 or 2 sentences formulating what you would like to convey to your audience Be clear and concise, you will become compelling. This statement can be used in the elevator pitch add example 2.Main messages: 3-5 direct messages, each message should no longer be more than 35 words 3.Supporting points : These can be included in a press release or explained in a press conference
- Know that it is all about messaging! BUT what does it take to make a message memorable?:/ It is all about messaging, when a piece of communication is relevant, compelling, appealing, meaningful and straight to the point it moves the listener/reader to action. The 4Cs (Comprehension, Connection, Credibility, and Contagiousness) is a simple tool with an ability to pinpoint whether a message works or not, why and how to improve it in case it doesn’t; in other words it helps you evaluate whether you are communicating effectively or not. 1.Comprehension: Does the audience get the core message? What does the message instantly communicate? Can the audience play the message back? This confirms that they get it and the first C is working. Here are three tips for better comprehension: 2.Connection: Connecting with a communicated idea or message means that not only the audience got the message, but also that it resonates with them and usually triggers an emotional response (i.e. (frustration, excitement, anger, passion, joy, happiness, sadness, etc... 3.Credibility: It is the most critical C because if the speaker is not credible, the connection will break down. The audience needs to believe who is saying, what is being said and how it is being said. 4.Contagiousness: Contagiousness is positive in communications. If your message is effective, your audience will get it, show an emotional response to it, run with it and spread it or simply react to it, that’s contagiousness.
- Different methods to develop an effective message. AIDA suggests that a message should be: A Attract the attention of the audience I Raise the interest in the message or evidence D Encourage a desire to act or to know more Prompt action and present a solution The message should therefore be visible, simple, clear, concise, relevant, credible and actionable. The message should not only provide the analysis and the cause of the problem, but also touch upon the importance of the change before it leads to the solution you are proposing. The solution is usually presented in the form of actions you ask others to take to bring about the change (key recommendations).
- [Original link available on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hzgzim5m7oU] BUT what does it take to make a message memorable?:/ It is all about messaging, when a piece of communication is relevant, compelling, appealing, meaningful and straight to the point it moves the listener/reader to action.
- Many policymakers believe that research findings are too complicated and too academic to understand. Your challenge is to find a clear and concise way to convey your findings. Therefore, before you take your research to target audience, make sure you are able to explain your ideas in a way that your grandma could understand them Your messages should pass the Grandma Test Never think that your messages are too complicated to be explained to or understood by your audience All great ideas are simple at heart!
- Executive statement [220 words max] Introduction [330 words max] Methodology [110-220 words max] Results: what did we learn? [660 words max] Conclusions: what does it mean? [660 words max] Implications and Recommendations References [220 words max]
- Don’t forget stand-firsts, headings and pull-out quotes
- Common policy brief pitfalls to beware of AND AVOID
- Executive summary: The core message you outlined above can form the basis for your executive summary. It’s also important, at this stage, to make your brief as policy focused as possible. This can be achieved by stating why the current approach/policy option needs to be changed; and what your recommendations for action are. If you have not thought about your research in this way before, then you need to think clearly about what change your research might be able to bring about, and 2-3 key recommendations that might help achieve this. …______ (when it should happen) ______ (Why it’s important now) (adapted from ODI Rapid)
- Highlight why the recommendation(s) you described in your executive summary is important, and why people should care. It provides a means to convince your audience from the start why your recommendations are worth exploring, and an opportunity to add more weight to the message outlined in the executive summary. An opportunity to add a little more context to your message – contextualise your message
- First impression is always important!
- Policy briefs fall down at the methodology by going into far too much detail Don’t lose your audience in jargon. Methodology can help highlight the suitability of your recommendations and the rigorous nature of your research but it is not always necessary to include all the details.
- - More detail of your findings and the issue that needs addressing. - This is essentially the meat of your argument, and an opportunity to highlight the quality of your evidence. - If some of the findings of your research are not relevant to the overall message do not include them. Only include the details the reader needs to know.
- Often confusion between implications and recommendations… Implications refers to the generic changes or actions that are required (not the specific recommendations) – Which area of policy needs to change? Recommendations refer to the specific changes that need to be made to policy Do not be tempted to produce a long list of these – if you have more than three then you have too many! Recommendations must relate directly to your research and your message, be actionable and specific.
- Often confusion between implications and recommendations… Implications refers to the generic changes or actions that are required (not the specific recommendations) – Which area of policy needs to change? Recommendations refer to the specific changes that need to be made to policy Do not be tempted to produce a long list of these – if you have more than three then you have too many! Recommendations must relate directly to your research and your message, be actionable and specific.
- You are producing a brief, and will not be able to include all the relevant information from which policies and decisions can be made. Your brief is a ‘shop window’ to more in-depth information. Try and define the 5 most important pieces of work that support your recommendations. These resources should be robust and from well-respected sources.