the art of policy briefs

Creating messages for policy: The art of the policy brief

Andrew Clappison and Zeinab Sabet

June 6-8, 2014 Accra, Ghana

Objectives of this session

What is a policy brief?

Planning for policy influence

MessagingStructure

and design

Wrap-up Surgery

?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.

1.1 What is a policy brief?

2. Planning for policy Influence

2.1 Planning: Thinking about your audience

• Who are your readers?

• How knowledgeable are they about the subject?

• How open are they to the message?

• What are their interests & concerns?

2.2 Planning: Thinking about context

•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?

2.3 Planning: 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

2.4 Planning: 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

3. The art of creating an effective message

Good research merits good communication

Q

ual

ity

of

rese

arch

Quality of communication

Source: Communicating Food Policy Research, IFPRI (March 2005)

Developing effective messages

When communicating your research, you need to respond to the following questions:

• Who?• Why?• How?• What?

But what does “key messages” stand for?

How to best craft your messages?

• List your key findings and policy recommendations

• Think about the following questions:

– What is the objective of your message?

– Why is this important?

– Who are your target audiences?

– What do you want them to do?

– How exactly should they do it?

What does it take to make a message memorable?

• 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?’

Message pyramid

Source: Communicating Food Policy Research, IFPRI (March 2005)

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.”

Top tips for effective messaging

• 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• A Prompt action and present a solution

The power of words is also very impressively reflected in this short video which shows the power words have to change radically your message, and their effect on the world.

Remember…

All great ideas are simple at heart!

Group work (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).

4. Policy brief structure

1. Executive Statement

2. Introduction

3. Methodology

4. Results and Conclusions

5. Implications and Recommendations

6. References

4.1 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)

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.”

4.2 Introduction

• 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.

4.3 Methodology

3. Method

ology

• Less is more• Remove jargon• Put yourself in the policymakers

shoes

4.4 Results and findings

4. Results/findings

• Details of your findings/evidence• ‘Meat’ of argument • Don’t include findings not relevant

to your core message

4.5 Implications and Recommendations

5. Implications and Recommendation

s

• Recommendations: What specifically do you think should change? (Max 3)

• Implications: What general policy changes/actions do the results point to?

Implication and Recommendation examplesThe 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”

4.6 References

6. Referenc

es

• Don’t include everything• Choose those that most strongly

support your recommendations

4.7 Be visual…

“Effective policy entrepreneurs – or champions – will make the most of networks and connections”

Wrap-up: What we have covered

What is a policy brief?

Planning for

policy influence

MessagingStructure

and design

Wrap-up Surgery

5. Common policy brief pitfalls to beware 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

Creating messages for policy: The art of the policy brief

Andrew Clappison and Zeinab Sabet

June 6-8, 2014 Accra, Ghana