Guidelines for content providers

Please add the information directly into these guidelines/templates

Core informationArticle title:Article owner:Targeted publication date:Target audience:

Strategic focus of article

Strategic focus Describe if/how your article can be linked to the specified strategic focus

Article key messagesWhat are the 3 key messages (1 sentence for each) that you want readers to take home?

Key message 1Key message 2Key message 3

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Article templateRead the guidance below and then replace the template text directly with your content.

Title: Short and catchy headline (max 70 characters, highlight = 55 characters)

Subheading: This is your optional subheading (optional – max 140 characters)

Month day, year

Summary: Give an overview of the article. This is the ‘hook’ to make the reader want to read more. Bear in mind that the title, image and summary are the only things that will make readers click through. Put yourself in the reader’s shoes – would it interest you? (max 255 characters)

Body text:Now that you have the reader’s attention, you want to keep it! People only read things that are relevant and/or interesting. Make sure you clearly include your three key messages in the article. Make sure that strategic relevance of the article is clear.

Tell a story; have a beginning, middle and end (next steps/looking ahead). Write in short sentences – be clear and concise. Use a simple and direct style (active, not passive voice). Use subtitles to break up the paragraphs. Aim for paragraphs to be 100-150 words long.

Add quotes, but make them interesting and meaningful. Do not have a huge quote from any given person, break it up or paraphrase.

If your article focuses on a particular project, think about covering the following elements: 1) Describe the project/initiative, your role in it and how the need for it was identified. 2) What were the stages of implementation? Has the process now been completed? 3) Was the project modified at any point - if so, why? 4) Were there any issues that needed to be resolved during the implementation - if so, how were

these resolved? 5) What were your highlights of the project? 6) Have you seen any impact from the project to date?7) Can you describe a moment or situation when you felt the initiative was making a difference?8) What are the plans for the future?9) Is there a call to action? If so, make it clear.

Word count: ca. 400 words for main text

Side barsAdd additional information to related topics here, such as:

- Related links- Contact details- Biography (of people interviewed/featured)- Definitions- Info about a related project- Fun facts, e.g. ‘did you know’

Related linksProvide link names and hyperlinks (internal and external links)

Side bar 1Enter titleEnter information

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Etc…

PicturesEvery article should have 1-3 pictures (please include in this template with a caption and if possible directly as an email attachment). Pictures format should be jpg/png and they should ideally be cropped and resized to:

Insert picture (jpg) Insert picture (jpg)

Copyright: if applicable Copyright: if applicable

Source of picture: if applicable Source of picture: if applicable

Caption: Caption:

Insert picture (jpg) Insert picture (jpg)

Copyright: if applicable Copyright: if applicable

Source of picture: if applicable Source of picture: if applicable

Caption: Caption:

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Additional writing tips

When you’re writing, bear in mind that…

… users scan, skim and read. That is, they scan down headlines and sub-headlines. They skim text for keywords that tell them whether the information is relevant for them or not. And they read only when the detail is clearly relevant and interesting.

Style Use “inverted pyramid style” – the most important information comes first; details and

additional information comes later. Answer the “W questions” (who, what, when, where, why, how) Use short sentences (ca. 20 words max) and keep overall length as short as possible. Avoid

repetition. Use plain English/simple language (e.g. “start” instead of “commence”) Use active rather than passive constructions (e.g. “the team developed a new program”

instead of “a new program was developed by the team”) Avoid jargon – always spell out acronyms the first time you use them in a text, and explain

technical information in the sidebar Use American spelling

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