Presentation at the AERC/GDN Policy Briefs workshop - Accra, Ghana, June 2014.

1. Creating messages for policy: The art
of the policy brief
Andrew Clappison and Zeinab Sabet
June 6-8, 2014 Accra, Ghana

2. Objectives of this session
What is a
policy
brief?
Planning
for policy
influence
Messaging
Structure
and
design
Wrap-up Surgery

3. 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?

6. 2. Planning for policy Influence

7. 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?

8. 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?

9. 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

10. 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

11. 3. The art of creating an effective message

12. Good research merits good
communication
Qualityofresearch
Quality of communication
Source: Communicating Food Policy Research, IFPRI (March
2005)

13. 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?

14. 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?

15. 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?’

16. Message pyramid
Source: Communicating Food Policy Research, IFPRI (March
2005)

17. 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.”

18. 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

19. 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.

20. Remember…
All great ideas are simple at heart!

21. 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).

22. 4. Policy brief structure

23. 1. Executive
Statement
2. Introduction
3. Methodology
4. Results and
Conclusions
5. Implicationsand
Recommendations
6. References

24. 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)

25. 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.”

26. 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.

27. 4.3 Methodology
3. Methodology
• Less is more
• Remove jargon
• Put yourself in the policymakers
shoes

28. 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

29. 4.5 Implications and Recommendations
5. Implications and
Recommendations
• Recommendations: What
specifically do you think should
change? (Max 3)
• Implications: What general policy
changes/actions do the results
point to?

30. Implication and Recommendation examples
The 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”

31. 4.6 References
6. References
• Don’t include everything
• Choose those that most strongly
support your recommendations

32. 4.7 Be visual…
“Effective
policy
entrepreneurs
– or champions
– will make the
most of
networks and
connections”

33. Wrap-up: What we have covered
What is
a policy
brief?
Planning
for
policy
influence
Messaging
Structure
and
design
Wrap-up Surgery

34. 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

35. Creating messages for policy: The art
of the policy brief
Andrew Clappison and Zeinab Sabet
June 6-8, 2014 Accra, Ghana