Developing a policy brief for your report or study

In today’s world of information overload and short attention spans, a policy brief is an effective tool for disseminating information, creating awareness, and generating interest in your report or study and the recommendations. It summarises the report or study, highlighting the key points, particularly the findings and recommendations. As a means of distilling the lessons learned from a specific study, it is a valuable instrument for delivering policy advice to relevant stakeholders and policymakers.

Before developing a policy brief, it is essential to consider a few things. Firstly, a policy brief should be a standalone document that focuses on a single topic and is concise. Ideally, it should be 2-4 pages, with a maximum of 8 pages if the case is exceptionally complex. Beyond this, the brief may lose its focus.

Secondly, it is vital to identify the target audience or audiences, their level of knowledge about the issue, their concerns and interests related to the topic, and how receptive they may be to your recommendations. Understanding your audience allows you to create a more targeted message aligned with their needs.

Once you have identified your target audience, it is time to draft the policy brief. As mentioned, it should distil the critical lessons learned, recommendations, and conclusions from your study or report. In addition, it is essential to create a sense of urgency for why the proposals should be adopted for you to be persuasive. Additionally, outline the benefits that may accrue from implementing the recommendations.

The policy brief should contain an executive summary, introduction, methodologies employed and their results, conclusion, and recommendations. The executive summary is a concise statement summarising the report or study while encouraging the reader to delve further into the policy brief and, eventually, the research or report. Typically, it appears on the cover or first page of the policy brief.

This report aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the findings and conclusions related to a particular issue. The report seeks to invoke a sense of urgency in the reader to address the issue. The methodologies utilised and the results obtained provide a contextual understanding of the issue without overwhelming the intended audience with technical details.

The report’s conclusion predicts the potential outcomes based on the issues addressed. It is a concise summary of the possible consequences. Meanwhile, the recommendations presented provide a clear path forward to address the problem effectively. They serve as a call to action for all stakeholders to take a particular stance and engage in relevant endeavours.

The policy brief has to complement the original report or study. The brief should serve as a condensed version of the report, summarising key points and recommendations.