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Policy Brief Template

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Created by:

​[Owner.FirstName][Owner.LastName]​

​[Owner.Company]​

Use our free policy brief template to suggest an adjustment or improvement of a policy. As such, it can be used in any sector, industry, or governmental situation as a document you give to policymakers to petition for a change or management of something.

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Summary: (Policy Brief Title)

Structure your policy brief format to add the Issue’s description at the beginning. Think about the main points of this brief you want the policymakers to understand, even if they don’t read further.

This (Title) brief is for the express purpose of the following Issue (“Issue”):

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Recommendations

Give your recommended solutions or policy changes at the beginning. That’s because the policymakers want first to know what you want to achieve by this brief before moving on to your evidence supporting the brief’s goal.

In this (Title) brief, we recommend the following steps to solve the Issue:

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Introductions

Write a brief overview of 1.) the problem, 2.) the background context to it, 3.) the current situation’s causes, and 4.) the current situation’s effects. You’ll expand on points two to four below, so don’t go into too much detail here.

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Brief Background of the Issue

For the policymakers to understand why the Issue is significant, you must provide a brief background.

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Statement of the Problem and Its Significance

Expand on the problem and its significance. You can go into more detail here, as you want to ensure the policymakers understand why it’s vital to implement your recommendations.

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Context and Importance

Present the research you’ve done and the effects it has on communities, systems, entities, or other structures. However, it must be easy to read, so keep the paragraphs short. Remember, the policymakers likely won’t be experts on the topic, so write this template for policy briefs in clear terms.

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Detailed Problem Description

Start by describing the problem. You must explain, with research and evidence, why it’s important, its reach, and any other details about the problem.

Below, we describe the problem of the Issue and the effects of this Issue:

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Impact Analysis

The second part describes in detail what or who this Issue affects. You can show examples of the affected parties and how it affects them. You can add graphs, images, or other research to make it easier to understand.

The affected parties are:

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Precedents or Related Policies

This section is optional, as it ultimately depends on if this Issue has a precedent set for it elsewhere or if policies similar to it are already in existence. You’ll need to give precedent examples of the related policies and state how it was handled these previous times.

Precedents:

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Related Policies:

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Policy Implications

Discuss the various options for revising the policy and how it will change or improve the current situation. You should give clear pros and cons for each option.

Policy Option 1: (Option1.Solution)

We believe that an option is (PolicyOption1.Description). The following research was done to determine the effectiveness of the solution to the Issue:

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The effects of the solution on the Issue will be:

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In this description, clearly add the solution, your research of why you believe this solution will work, and its effects. You should go into detail while keeping it clear and concise.

Pros

  • (Pro.1)

  • (Pro.2)

  • (Pro.3)

Cons

  • (Con.1)

  • (Con.2)

You can add as many options as required. Keep the same format for all possible solutions, so copy-paste the above section below if you have more than two solutions.

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Policy Option 2: (Option2.Solution)

We believe that an option is (PolicyOption2.Description). The following research was done to determine the effectiveness of the solution to the Issue:

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The effects of the solution on the Issue will be:

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Pros

  • (Pro.1)

  • (Pro.2)

  • (Pro.3)

Con

  • (Con.1)

  • (Con.2)

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Recommended Policy

This section will be the crux of the brief. You’ve given the policymakers alternative options, but here you’ll present a clear argument for why you believe a specific policy or solution is best. Add your recommended policy’s description in the box below.

We recommend the following policy:

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Justification for the Recommendation and Its Expected Benefits

Once you’ve described your recommended solution, move on to the next step. In this policy brief format, you’ll present your arguments for the chosen policy, the evidence supporting these arguments, and the benefits you expect it to show.

We recommended the above policy due to the below research and benefits:

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Resources and References

The following resources and references were used to research and justify the brief:

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Conclusion

If you decide to add one, keep it short and powerful. Use this section to draw attention to the urgency of the Issue or the importance of your recommended policy.

In closing, the (Issue) is a critical problem for (Affected.Parties) and should be handled with due consideration. It is of the utmost importance, as (Urgency.Reason1) and (Urgency.Reason2). That is why our proposed solution, (Recommended.Policy) will help (RecommendedPolicy.Benefits).

​[Recipient.Company]​

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Signature
MM / DD / YYYY

​[Recipient.FirstName][Recipient.LastName]​

​[Owner.Company]​

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Signature
MM / DD / YYYY

​[Owner.FirstName][Owner.LastName]​

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FAQ: Policy Brief Template

  • A policy brief template is a document that you use when you want to implement a change in a policy or require a specific policy to become active in handling a situation. It’s almost like an official petition to a company, community, or governmental policymakers to implement a change to help manage a situation.

  • A policy brief template helps you structure your request in an easily readable way, effectively delivering the message to policymakers. It’s a short document to ensure policymakers can scan it for relevant information. It adds all the required information in one document, along with its research and solutions.

  • To write an effective policy brief template, you must add the following sections:

    • Summary of the brief’s contents

    • Introduction to the Issue

    • Background of the problem

    • Recommendations on how to handle it

    • Explanation and research of the Issue

    • Various solutions/policies pros and cons

    • Your recommended policy/solution

    • References and resources

  • Each brief can look different. As long as the required information is included, there’s no right or wrong way to do it. However, following our complete and customizable policy brief template lets you see the ideal way to structure it so policymakers can read it easily. The document is generally between two and four pages long (about 1,000-2,000 words), but it can also be shorter at around 700 or longer at around 3,000. Ultimately, the policy length depends on the subject. However, as policymakers are busy people, we don’t recommend making it longer than 3,000 words.

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Policy Brief Template

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