Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 4: Mapping and setting up your briefing
• Part 2 of 4: Describing the matter
• Part 3 of 4: Making conclusions and recommendations
• Part 4 of 4: Checking the briefing
• Tips

A briefing outlines a particular topic and its background, usually for a government official or other policymaker. These decision-makers have to make difficult choices on many different topics every day, and they don't have time to research each issue in depth. A briefing helps bring a single issue to a person's attention and identifies important details that he / she should know. The briefing then proposes solutions and makes suggestions for improvement. Being able to write a briefing is a useful skill for students, business people, politicians and activists. A convincing briefing is concise, well organized and covers the most important and relevant facts and solutions.

To step

Part 1 of 4: Mapping and setting up your briefing

1. Determine the scope of the briefing. The scope includes both the depth and the length of the briefing. In what detail are you going to cover the topic? How many different topics will you cover? This depends on how much information you can find and how much information you need to provide to support your claims.
   • Determining the scope of the briefing is important because it allows the reader to know exactly what information is being discussed and what is not.
2. Know your audience. Before you start writing your briefing, it is important to know who is going to read it. This controls the choices you will make in the document. Before you get started, think about the following questions and if you don't already know the answers, try to find out the following:
   • Who will read this document? The government officials? Business leaders? Journalists? A combination of these?
   • How much does the reader already know about this problem? Do they even know anything about it? What must the readership know?
   • What authority does the reader have on the matter? What changes can he / she make?
3. Plan the main points. Before you start writing your briefing, you should map out (either in your mind or in an outline) the main points you want to point out.
   • Because a briefing is usually no longer than one or two pages, it should be concise. Policy makers are very busy, and your issue is not the only one on their plate. There is no room for unnecessary information or long-winded explanations. Decide in advance on your main points for creating a concise briefing.
4. Consider using a template. While the format of a briefing doesn't have to be overly complex, you can save yourself time by downloading one of the many free online templates for creating briefing documents in MS Word.
   • A template can help you organize your thoughts and prepare a briefing faster.
5. Come up with a name, date and subject lines. If you are not using a template, then you should start by writing a name, date and subject lines.
   • The name corresponds to the person to whom the briefing is addressed.
   • The date corresponds to the date of submission of the briefing.
   • The subject line should describe in a few words the main topic of the briefing, such as `` The prevalence of bullying at school in the Utrecht region. '' This allows the reader to know, without even having to glance at the document, what the problem is that will be treated.
6. Consider including a summary. Some briefings include a summary at the beginning of the briefing, summarizing the entire text in a few points. Decide if you would like to do this, and if so, reserve space for this section.
   • For a very busy reader, the summary provides the main points ahead of time, making it easier to skim through the rest of the document.
   • A well-crafted briefing is often succinct enough to make this section redundant. However, if there are issues requiring immediate action, this can be a way of pointing out the urgency of the briefing by clearly indicating the timeframe in the summary.
   • The summary should not exceed three to four points.

Part 2 of 4: Describing the matter

1. Construct an introduction that summarizes the matter. The next part of the briefing should describe the issue or problem in detail. Start with a short opening, usually referred to as "Problem" or "Purpose," describing in one or two sentences the main issue the briefing focuses on and / or why you created this briefing.
   • For example, you could write something like: "There has been an increase in the number of violent bullying incidents in schools in the Utrecht region." Current disciplinary policies may not be sufficient to address this issue. "
2. Provide an overview of the most important facts / backgrounds. The next section, "Considerations" or "Background" should provide detailed information about the status of the problem or issue, focusing on the recent development and / or current state of affairs.
   • This section should include the information necessary for the reader to make a decision on this matter. Information that is not necessary for this purpose, however interesting it may be, can be omitted.
   • If you haven't already done this, do some research before writing this section. The information in this section should be as accurate, specific and up-to-date as possible.
   • If necessary, translate the information for your audience to make this section clear and simple. Avoid jargon, technical language, or information that is not directly of interest to the public.
   • Use statistics and data where appropriate, but explain things in terms that your audience will be able to understand quickly and easily.
3. Leave your own opinion out. Your opinion about this situation and / or what should be done about it does not belong in this section. Stick to the facts.
   • However, you can choose to discuss the pros and cons of the various proposed or current actions, pointing out the strengths and weaknesses of each.

Part 3 of 4: Making conclusions and recommendations

1. Make it relevant. Your briefing should be concluded with sections such as "Conclusion" and / or "Recommendations" or "Next steps". Such a closure should clarify why this matter should be considered important by your reader.
   • Try to link the matter directly to the reader's self-interest, to make your briefing more compelling.
   • For example, you could say something like, "Bullying incidents lead parents to consider private school. They are linked to lower test scores and pass rates, making our schools appear less effective in the eyes of society. They reduce the region's chances of providing funding with government grants and private funding. "
2. Suggest a solution. Many briefings offer a proposed solution to the problem described, linking the issue with a change in policy to improve the situation.
   • Some briefings outline the proposed solution (s) in a section labeled "Recommendations," but some writers prefer "Next Steps," because they feel it has a softer feel and is less presumptuous or aggressive. Remember, it is the reader who has the final say and makes the decision on the matter, not you.
   • This section does not have to be "balanced" like the background / considerations section. This can be a place to express your opinion on what should be done.
   • However, it should be noted that you do not have to provide any particular solution. Alternatively, you can simply list some options with their pros and cons, and urge the reader to consider these choices, and take action in some way to address this issue. You don't necessarily have to specify which action would be most appropriate.
3. Use facts to support your argument. Your proposals in this last section should flow logically from the information in the previous sections. Use the facts you have presented to show why the solution you are proposing is a good solution.
   • Make sure that any solution you propose is clear and directly related to the issue as you have outlined it. For example, suppose you mentioned the lack of bullying prevention programs in the previous section. In this section, it makes sense to propose such a program and perhaps point out its effectiveness to other schools. If you haven't mentioned any prevention programs yet, a solution like this seems out of the blue.

Part 4 of 4: Checking the briefing

1. Make the briefing more concise. A briefing should not exceed two pages. If the briefing has become longer than this, you should first look for parts that can be omitted during the control phase.
   • Look for information unrelated to or less important to the topic and remove that material, especially if it is not related to the solution (s) you are offering.
   • In the same light, there should be no missing important pieces of information necessary for making your argument clear and convincing. You may need to exchange certain pieces of information for another.
   • Try to put yourself in the shoes of a politician or bureaucrat when editing your text. Think about how much information these people get every day. Do not contribute to the problem. Be part of the solution by providing the information needed to make a decision - no more, no less.
2. Remove technical language. During the editing phase, pay attention to technical language or jargon that will make your briefing less accessible. Even if you tried to avoid this when writing the briefing, it is possible that some complex terms have found their way into the document.
   • Especially if you're an expert on a topic you're writing about, it's easy to forget for a moment that everyday language for you may be difficult for others to understand.
   • Keep in mind that for people who are not too familiar with a topic, it is also not always immediately clear why something is important. Policy makers usually cannot be experts on every subject they need to make decisions about.
3. Make sure the structure makes sense. Make sure that the main facts that you have recorded arise logically from the matter as you have summarized it. Also double check that all the solutions you propose actually address those most important considerations.
4. Check your work carefully for errors. After checking the length and flow of the briefing, carefully review the text one more time to make sure no mistakes have crept into it.
   • A briefing with spelling, style or grammatical errors is made less serious by the reader. You may be doing more good than harm by submitting such a brief, as it can discredit your perspective.

Tips

• Watch briefings written by prominent leaders and professors to learn about their persuasion style.
• Keep in mind that while your briefing may be directed at a particular person, others - staff, colleagues, and even the media - may read it. This is a good reason to keep your language as accessible as possible, even if the intended reader has some knowledge of the topic.