Summarize the issue in a single sentence, then elaborate on it by filling out a paragraph with statistics and details that illustrate the impact of the problem. This is why the problem statement in your policy brief is important. Policy makers are less inclined to enact change if they don’t have a clear reason for doing so. Description of the Problem That Policymakers Should Address It’s also a good idea to place this summary separate from the rest of the text by setting it in larger font, boxing it in or highlighting it.

Each bullet point should concisely describe an important detail or takeaway in little more than a single sentence.

Summarize the key ideas of the brief in three or four bullet points. It should also capture the essence of what your brief is about. Ideally, the title should be short (under a dozen words or so) and memorable. TitleĪ well-chosen title helps capture attention and makes people want to keep reading.

Description of the Problem That Policymakers Should Addressīelow is insight on how to build out these elements in a policy brief.

Elements to include in your policy brief include: Templates can not only guide format, but help focus your ideas in a way that tells a clear and coherent story. It can be helpful to use a template when putting together a policy brief. How to Write a Policy Brief: Format & Template Further, they may include images and graphics designed to be as aesthetically pleasing and easy to digest as possible. Policy briefs are crafted to address a current issue or highlight an evergreen topic of ongoing interest or concern. The target audience may be leaders of organizations, lawmakers or other policy influencers. It summarizes the details of an issue and provides policy suggestions that might solve it–often with a preferred recommendation. Simply put, a policy brief is a document that outlines a policy in, typically, 700 words or less. This post will outline the basics of this summary, known as a policy brief, including the format that should be used and tips for ensuring it is written effectively. By developing a concise summary of an issue, along with policy options to solve a problem, government affairs professionals can ensure their message gets across to those responsible for creating and influencing policy. Policy briefs play a central role in public and government affairs.

Publisher policy brief template