Policy briefs as a tool for development communication Jeff Knezovich 23 April 2009 – Budapest, Hungary

Policy briefs as a tool for development communication

Jeff Knezovich23 April 2009 – Budapest, Hungary

Today’s objectives

1.To gain a good understanding of the use, content, structure and design of policy briefs.

2.To work together to define clear messages and develop the basic elements of a regional policy brief for the network.

GROUP EXERCISE – Becoming familiar with policy

briefs, Part I• Divide into four groups

– Each group should have copies of a sample policy brief in covered folders for each member. DON’T LOOK YET!

• When I say ‘GO’, you will have TWO MINUTES to read through the policy brief.

• After two minutes, you will be asked to close the folder and write down (in groups) the answers to the following questions:– What issue(s) does the policy brief discuss?

– Why is the issue important?

– What recommendations are made?

– Give an example of one piece of evidence used to justify those recommendations.

• Each group will present their answers.

Outline of presentation

• An introduction to policy briefs:– What are they?– Why produce them?– Who are they for?

• Planning your policy brief

• Content and structure of a policy brief

• Design and layout of a policy brief

• Conclusion

WHAT IS A POLICY BRIEF?


Two types of briefThe PB as memo The PB as publication

Internally focused Externally focused

Demand-driven Supply-driven

Narrowly focused Broadly targeted

A general overview of the subject showing multiple opinions or view points

Focuses on research that supports the main argument of the brief

Might give multiple, and even competing, solutions

Gives strong, clear and coordinated policy recommendations or implications


• A concise, standalone document focussing on a particular issue requiring policy attention that:– Explains and conveys the ‘urgency’ of the issue– Presents policy recommendations or implications

on the issue– Gives evidence to support the reasoning behind

those recommendations– Points the reader to additional resources on the

issue

WHY POLICY BRIEFS?The research/ policy divide

• Research-based evidence can contribute to policies that have a dramatic positive impact.

• Policy briefs can help bridge the large gaps between the research and policy communities that exist because of:

Divergent needs &

pressures regarding

information usage

Specialised research

expertise vs. general

knowledge

Different time horizons for

each community

Multiple and competing influences

upon policy decisions

Evidence

Experience & Expertise

Judgement

Resources

Values and Policy

Context

Habits & Tradition

Lobbyists & Pressure Groups

Pragmatics & Contingencies


Source: Phil Davies Impact to Insight Meeting, ODI, 2005


• ODI/ Sci-DevNet survey with policy makers in field of Science, Technology and Innovation found:

– 50% of policy-makers and 65% of researchers thought dissemination of research findings for policy uptake insufficient

– 79% respondents ranked policy briefs as valuable communications tool

Source: Jones, N and C Walsh (2008) ‘Policy briefs as a communication tool for development research’. ODI Background Note. London: ODI.

WHY POLICY BRIEFS?

“I often read policy briefs for both my official and non-official needs. I cannot think of going forward without consulting policy

briefs. It expands my knowledge as I get an opportunity to understand what is

happening around me.”(Policy-maker, India)

WHO ARE POLICY BRIEFS FOR?

Author(s)Researchers

Policy-oriented research institutes

Think tanks

Civil society organisations

Advocacy organisations

International NGOs

Multilateral organisations

Government bodies

Networks/ coalitions of any of the above

Audience(s)Non-academic/ non-specialist

Decision-makers who may have varying degrees of expertise on a given issue

In certain cases may target development practitioners

Not usually targeted at the general public

PLANNING POLICY BRIEFS:

The RAPID FrameworkThe political context – political and economic structures and processes, culture, institutional pressures, incremental vs radical change

The evidence – credibility, the degree it challenges received wisdom, research approaches and methodology, simplicity of the message, how it is packaged etc

External Influences Socio-economic and cultural influences, donor policies

The links between policyand research communities – networks, relationships, power, competing discourses, trust, knowledge

Source: Court, J and J Young (2004) ‘Bridging research and policy in international development’. ODI Briefing Paper. London: ODI.


Framing evidence

• Establish credibility– Messenger

• Highlight author’s qualifications

• Emphasise links (organisation with well known brand, networks, respected funders)

– Evidence itself• May need to describe research methods

• Position evidence in existing discourses– Does it challenge existing ideas or beliefs?– Can it piggy-back onto successful

‘campaigns’?


Considering context• Context helps

define the AUDIENCE for a policy brief both in terms of:– Who is being

targeted– How they perceive

the issue.

Questions to keep in mind when thinking

about your audience:•How much do they already know about the issue?•How open are they to your message(s)? •Do they have existing interest in the issue? •What questions do they need answered?

• Policy-makers are not a homogenous group.

• Factors that determine uptake of evidence include:

• Level of position (national vs sub-national)• Point in the policy/project cycle (agenda setting

vs implementation vs M&E) of the issue


Considering context


Considering contextWhen do policy-makers use scientific

information in the policy cycle?


Thinking through links• Collaborating on research

and content can help make the evidence presented seem more credible.

• Connections can be important way to disseminate the brief once published.

CONTENT OF A POLICY BRIEF

Main elements• A good policy brief:– Explains and conveys the ‘urgency’ of the issue– Presents policy recommendations or implications on

the issue– Gives evidence to support the reasoning behind

those recommendations– Points the reader to additional resources on the

issue

• Is only two, four or a MAXIMUM of eight pages (that’s around 1200, 2200 or 4000 words)


How to develop main elements


An objective voice?• Do present evidence-informed opinions

• Don’t shy away from opinion and value judgements

• Do signpost which content is subjective and which is objective

STRUCTURE OF A POLICY BRIEF

• Executive statement (10%)

• Introduction (10-15%)

• Methodology (5-10%)

• Results and conclusions (25%)

• Implications or Recommendations (25%)

• References and useful resources (10%)

STRUCTURE OF A POLICY BRIEF: Executive statement

• Designed to give an overview of the content of the brief– Should contain ALL

standard elements of a policy brief

– Emphasis on capturing the attention of the reader

• Appears on the first page• Usually written last

This policy brief outlines actions the Tunisian government can take to reduce the remaining barriers to entry, exit and competition in the Tunisian manufacturing industries, with the aim of stimulating a greater dynamism and flexibility than the market has yet to achieve. It concludes that policies should be considered to:• Work with Statistics bureaus to develop and collect information on entry and exit and other indicators of firm dynamics.• Reduce entry barriers by developing market access and increasing the access of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to financial resources.

‘Entry and Exit Dynamics and Economic Performance in Tunisian Manufacturing Industries’, University of Tunis 2009

• Designed to capture the attention of the reader– Explains the importance/

urgency of the issue– Creates curiosity about the

rest of the brief

• Gives a brief overview of the conclusions or the direction of the rest of the brief

• Outlines the structure for the rest of the brief

The increased fear of a pandemic atthe current time is due to the fact that theH5N1 strain causing the outbreak is capable of mutating rapidly and acquiring genes from viruses infecting other animal species, including humans. If the new virus contained sufficient human influenza virus genes, direct transmission from one person to another (human-to-human) could occur, heralding a possible influenza pandemic. The current H5N1 strain causes high mortality among humans, with mortality rates exceeding 50 per cent in most countries.

AN EFFECTIVE REGIONAL RESPONSE TO THE THREAT OF A PANDEMIC UN ESCAP Issue N.1 2005

The increased fear of a pandemic atthe current time is due to the fact that theH5N1 strain causing the outbreak is capable of mutating rapidly and acquiring genes from viruses infecting other animal species, including humans. If the new virus contained sufficient human influenza virus genes, direct transmission from one person to another (human-to-human) could occur, heralding a possible influenza pandemic. The current H5N1 strain causes high mortality among humans, with mortality rates exceeding 50 per cent in most countries.

AN EFFECTIVE REGIONAL RESPONSE TO THE THREAT OF A PANDEMIC UN ESCAP Issue N.1 2005

STRUCTURE OF A POLICY BRIEF: Introduction

• Designed to strengthen the credibility of the brief by explaining how the findings and recommendations were arrived at.

• Might include:– Description of the issue and

context of the investigation– Description of the research

and analysis activities o What methods were

used to conduct the study?

o Who undertook the data collection and analysis?

STRUCTURE OF A POLICY BRIEF: Methodology

TIPS and TRICKS

• This section is not always applicable – make sure it’s relevant before including it• Avoid overly technical language• Highlight unique methods or data collection• Focus on methodological issues related to the main messages/ recommendations

• Designed as an overview of the findings/ facts

• Constructed around the line(s) of argument behind the policy recommendations

• Move between general and specific information

• Base conclusions on evidence, data and findings

• Make clear, balanced and defensible assertions

Do The Electric Fences Work?

Overall, it was found that although the electric fencing does help…it is not capable of completely eliminating conflict. In each …area…technical as well as socioeconomic factors affect…success. Technical failures mainly affected the early fences…Other problems resulted from failure to take into account elephant behavior and distribution patterns.

Elephants and Electric Fences: A Study From Sri Lanka. EEPSEA 2005-PB11

Do The Electric Fences Work?

Overall, it was found that although the electric fencing does help…it is not capable of completely eliminating conflict. In each …area…technical as well as socioeconomic factors affect…success. Technical failures mainly affected the early fences…Other problems resulted from failure to take into account elephant behavior and distribution patterns.

Elephants and Electric Fences: A Study From Sri Lanka. EEPSEA 2005-PB11

STRUCTURE OF A POLICY BRIEF: Results and conclusions

Implications • What policy changes or

actions do the results point to?

• Supported by evidence• Must be actionable• Less direct than

recommendations • Useful when advice not

requested or not welcome

Implications • What policy changes or

actions do the results point to?

• Supported by evidence• Must be actionable• Less direct than

recommendations • Useful when advice not

requested or not welcome

Recommendations • What does the

researcher think should happen?

• Supported by evidence• Must be actionable• Describe clearly what

should happen next• State as precise steps

Recommendations • What does the

researcher think should happen?

• Supported by evidence• Must be actionable• Describe clearly what

should happen next• State as precise steps

STRUCTURE OF A POLICY BRIEF: Implications vs

recommendations

• Especially when synthesising information from multiple sources, always cite them appropriately and be sure to add a list of references

• Include seminal works in the area so those looking for information can easily find out more on the topic

• Good opportunity to direct readers to other resources produced by the same author/ organisation/ network

STRUCTURE OF A POLICY BRIEF: References and Useful

resources

• In the same groups as before, open the policy briefs and re-read them more thoroughly.

• After everyone has re-read the policy brief, discuss the following questions in groups:– What one element or idea of this policy brief sticks out in your

mind? Why?

– What did you like about the content of this policy brief?

– What about the content of the policy brief could have been improved?

– What did you like about the design/ format of this policy brief?

– What about the design/ format of this policy brief could have been improved?

GROUP EXERCISE – Becoming familiar with policy

briefs, Part II

DESIGN AND LAYOUT OF A POLICY BRIEF

• In addition to having solid content, policy briefs should also be visually engaging

• Generates interest in the policy brief

• Design can help highlight key facts or concepts

• Policy-makers often spend just 30-60 minutes reading information on an issue

• Can convey authority, credibility, weight and tone of the piece

• Titles, standfirsts and headings

• Photographs

• Graphs and charts

• Text boxes

• Pull quotes

• Side bars

DESIGN OF POLICY BRIEFS: Common techniques

DESIGN OF POLICY BRIEFS: Titles, standfirsts

and headings• Titles:

– Should convey the main idea of the policy brief and include key words!– Make catchy/ memorable– [TITLE]: [Subtitle] is a common structure, but questions can also be

effective

• Standfirst– One sentence that is designed to generate interest in the paper

– Usually appears directly below the title, and the two should complement each other

– Especially useful if the title is very straightforward

• Headings– To help readers quickly find the information they need, use clear

sections and headings

DESIGN OF POLICY BRIEFS: Photographs

• ‘A picture is worth a thousand words!’• Bold, vibrant colours can help attract

readers• Can be used to make the issue more

real or personal• Respect copyrights, but explore the

Creative Commons– In the ‘Advanced Search’ on

www.flickr.com, you can limit your searches to CC photos only!

– Can also search on http://flickrcc.bluemountains.net/

http://www.flickr.com/

http://flickrcc.bluemountains.net/

• Present information in a clear, memorable way

• Particularly good for highlighting general trends or significant differences

• Should go beyond information provided in the text to give a more complete picture

DESIGN OF POLICY BRIEFS: Graphs and

Charts

DESIGN OF POLICY BRIEFS: Text boxes

• A chance to tell stories to help the reader connect with the issue

• Useful if there is only enough room in the main text to remain at a general level

• May be used to call attention to a bulleted list• A good place to add extra information that is

not critical to the main text but aids in the overall understanding of it

DESIGN OF POLICY BRIEFS: Pull quotes

• Help reiterate key points or messages

• Can be placed in the middle of the text/page itself or put in the sidebar

• Although not necessary, sidebars can be a useful way of physically framing the text and giving shape to the document

• Also useful for including extra information such as:– Description of the project, organisation or publication– Copyright and contact information– Pull quotes and Useful resources

DESIGN OF POLICY BRIEFS: Sidebar

TIPS AND TRICKSCan gain space by having other elements run into the sidebar.

Key ingredients of effective policy briefs

Evidence Persuasive Argument Clear purpose; cohesive argument; quality of evidence; transparency of evidence underpinning policy recommendations (e.g. a single study, a review of available evidence, etc.)

Authority Messenger (individual or organisation) has credibility in eyes of policy-maker

Policy context

Audience context specificity

Written to address specific context and needs of target audience;

Actionable Recommendations

Information linked to specific policy processes, clear and feasible recommendations on policy steps to be taken

Engagement Presentation of evidence-informed opinions

Presentation of author’s own views about policy implications of research findings; but clear identification of argument components that are opinion based

Clear Language/ Writing Style

Understandable by educated, non-specialist

Appearance/Design Visually engaging, presentation of information through charts, graphs, photos

CONCLUSION

Source: Adapted from Jones, N and C Walsh (2008)

Introductions in Depth

Parts of an introduction

• Hook– Quotes, stories, statistics, surprise

• Background information– Context, setting, time

– Why is this issue important?

• Main argument– A clear statement (one-two sentences) of the purpose

or main direction of the brief

• Structure of the rest of the brief– Acts like a table of contents

Tips and tricks

• Move from general to specific

• About 10-15% of the total length of the document (so should be around 250-300 words for a four-page brief)

Shape of an introduction

Documents

Policy briefs as a tool for development communication Jeff Knezovich 23 April 2009 – Budapest, Hungary