ODI How To Write A Policy Brief
ODI How To Write A Policy Brief
ODI How To Write A Policy Brief
Policy briefs are concise, standalone documents focussing on a particular issue requiring policy attention.
They can be particularly effective in bridging the research and policy divide. Typical policy briefs have four
main functions: to explain and convey the urgency of the issue; to present policy recommendations or
implications on the issue; to provide evidence to support the reasoning behind those recommendations;
and to point the reader to additional resources on the issue.
When planning a policy brief, there are several factors to keep in mind. The RAPID Framework provides a
good set of questions to think through and considers the political context, evidence, links and external
factors. These can help zero in on the targeted policy actors and processes.
After having a clear understanding of the policy environment in which you are working, you will need to plan
both the content and format of your brief. To develop the main content elements, there are four main steps:
These elements will translate into different sections of the policy brief (see overleaf).
Generally, policy briefs are four pages in length (around 2200 words, including references and tables).
They are usually organised as follows:
In addition to having solid content, policy briefs should also be visually engaging. Common techniques
employed to capture the reader’s eye include the creative use of:
These elements can highlight key messages, ideas, facts and statistics. They are also a clever way of
telling a bigger story than space may allow in the main body of the text. For example, a picture can make
the situation more real and tangible by visually telling the story of why the issue is important. A graph can
also help situate the topic in a wider context.