anatomy of an nccr policy brief

Paul Mundy www.mamud.com

Anatomy of an NCCR policy briefResearch evidence for policy


Research evidence for policy

Published by NCCR North South since 2009

www.north-south.unibe.ch/content.php/page/id/250

http://www.north-south.unibe.ch/%0Bcontent.php/page/id/250

http://www.north-south.unibe.ch/%0Bcontent.php/page/id/250


What types of information?

“…provides research highlights from the NCCR North-South on important development topics…”

“…offers information on topics such as governance, conflict, livelihoods, globalisation, sanitation, health, natural resources and sustainability in an accessible way.”


Recent topics

Conservation in protected areas: Do local people benefit?

Making migration safer

Overcoming ambiguities in decentralisation

Natural resources: the climate change challenge


Elements of written communication Structure

How the information is organized

Design How it is presented

Content What it says


Title

Masthead

Lead

Policy message

Publisher

Main text

Structure

Photo


Photo

Graphic

Policy implications

Caption

Caption

Main text


Boxes

Text

2-3 paragraphs per heading

60-120 words per paragraph

1900 words total

Headings

One level of headings

3-6 words each


Publisher info

Further reading

2-3 vital items

Keywords

Cases

70-100 words each

Authors: Photos, names, positions, emails

Series info


DesignAttractive format

A4 size (actually, A3 folded)

Clear headings

Orange echoes masthead

2 columns

Highlighted info in shaded boxes


Photographs: 4 colour - attractive but expensive

Boxes in two colours (black and orange)

Colour says “read me!”

Narrow columns: 5-6 words, easy to read

Like a newspaper – readers scan down the middle of the column


Photo: Well composed, subjects not looking at the camera

Graphic: Clear, easy to understand

Caption: reversed over transparent rectangle

Caption: Explains graphic

White space

Dotted orange border


Elements all aligned to grid

Easy in a desktop publishing program like Adobe InDesign

Hard to do in Word!

Text flush left, ragged right


Publisher’s logo

Cases in shaded box

4 pages total

Reference material

“Don’t read me!”


Content

Title

Lead

Pol

icy

mes

sage

sExample from Bolivia

Title: grabs attention, tells reader what is in the document

Lead: grabs attention, sets the scene, tells reader what to expect in rest of document

Policy messages: if they read only this, they will have got the message!

Main text: divided into short sections, each on a different aspect


Captions explain and build on photo – make photo not just decoration

Boxes contain info that does not fit into text

Short, easy-to-read text: don’t make the readers work to understand what you are saying

Bolivia

Example from India

India

Analysis of ex-

amples

More analysis


More analysis

Even more

analysis

Policy implic-ations

Policy implic-ations

Graphic and caption

Graphic: contrasts situation before decentralization (orange) with after (blue)

Caption: Explains graphic

Policy implications: What does it all mean for policy?

4-5 points


Cases

Self-contained, highlight main points only

Reference material

Where to go for more information

Key refs only

Cases

Further reading

“This issue”

Who helped put it togetherThis issue


Elements of an NCCR brief

Title Policy message Lead Main text Cases Boxes Table or graphic Photos Further reading Authors This issue


Elements of an NCCR brief Title

Max 80 chars Policy message

Max 640 chars Lead

Max 700 chars Main text

Max 7000 chars At least 6 subtitles Final section = Policy

implications Cases

Max 1630 chars 3 different countries

Boxes Ca 440 chars

Table or graphic Max 1

Photos Max 3 With captions

Further reading 2-3 key refs only

Authors Name, position, institution,

email This issue

Academic adviser, policy adviser, editors, design

anatomy of an nccr policy brief

Documents

nccr brieftitlemax

nccr north south

nccr northsouth

policy adviser

policy implicationscasesmax

types of information

policyresearch evidence

important development