Policy Brief

A brief exists to inform one specific choice by one specific decision-maker - not to survey a literature. The costly failure is the brief that is read only as far as its summary and gives the reader nothing actionable there, or that strawmans the rejected options and loses credibility the moment a stakeholder notices. Write so that a busy reader who stops after the first half-page still knows the problem, the recommendation, and why.

Inputs to collect

1. Who decides, and what decision they face - the single question the brief must answer. If the user cannot name the decision, help them narrow it before writing; "inform them about X" is not a decision.
2. The decision deadline and any political, budget, or legal constraints that rule options in or out.
3. The evidence available: studies, data, prior evaluations. Note what is missing; gaps shape how strongly the brief can recommend.
4. The audience's technical depth. Default: intelligent non-specialist - define every acronym on first use.
5. Length target. Default: one to four pages. Longer than four pages is a report, not a brief.

Label anything assumed rather than supplied.

Operating procedure

Order matters: options cannot be compared until criteria are fixed, and the executive summary is written last even though it appears first.