For advocacy purposes, policy briefs are generally aimed at high-level policy-makers, who have the power to make decisions. A policy brief outlines a policy issue and the alternative actions and gives the rationale for deciding on a specific policy action for which the Reproductive Health Supplies Coalition is advocating.
Its purpose is to persuade decision-makers that the problem is urgent and there is a critical need to adopt the recommended policy solution, compelling them to act. As such, it is a professional paper rather than an academic one and should be evidence-based, concise, and focused.
The general structure of a policy brief is as follows:
- Title of the paper
- Executive summary
- Context and importance of the problem
- Critique of the policy option(s)
- Policy recommendations
- List of supporters of the recommendations
- Appendices and references
Title
The title aims to catch the reader’s attention and thus needs to be descriptive, punchy, and relevant.
Executive summary
This short one or two paragraph summary explains the brief’s purpose and its recommendations. It should clearly outline the problem, a statement of why the current policy must change, and the Coalition's recommended policy actions.
Context and importance of the problem
This section lays the ground work for your argument and clearly states the problem so as to persuade your audience that the issue is urgent and requires action (e.g., frequent stockouts of reproductive health (RH) supplies at all levels of service delivery result in an increased number of unintended pregnancies, higher levels of maternal and child mortality, and higher rates of abortion).
* This information was drawn from Young, Eoin and Lisa Quinn. No year. "The Policy Brief." (Retrieved 8/25/06); and Prof. Tsai. 2003. "Guidelines for Writing a Policy Brief." (Retrieved 8/25/06).
