WRITING A BRIEFING NOTE JSGS Professional Workshop Series

WRITING A BRIEFING NOTE JSGS Professional Workshop Series Copyright ©Heather Mc. Whinney, 2016 www. schoolofpublicpolicy. sk. ca

JSGS PROFESSIONAL WORKSHOP SERIES WORKSHOP LEARNING OUTCOMES By the end of this workshop, you should be able to: o Write a clear, concise, precise, reliable and consistent briefing note for a government official. o Write a briefing note that is strategic and meets the needs of the reader. o Understand the different types of briefing notes and how their purpose differs. www. schoolofpublicpolicy. sk. ca 2

JSGS PROFESSIONAL WORKSHOP SERIES WHAT IS A BRIEFING NOTE? o A briefing note is a government or governance document of 1 -3 pages that informs an official about an issue. o Briefing notes are used by many organizations. o Briefing notes can be written on any matter, including legislation, policy matters, governance issues, events, and protocol. www. schoolofpublicpolicy. sk. ca 3

JSGS PROFESSIONAL WORKSHOP SERIES WHY ARE BRIEFING NOTES PREPARED? o To inform an official about an ongoing or recent issue or situation. o To provide options for going forward on a particular file. o To suggest public responses for the minister to give on sensitive issues. o To prepare for conferences and meetings. www. schoolofpublicpolicy. sk. ca 4

JSGS PROFESSIONAL WORKSHOP SERIES BRIEFING NOTES FOR GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS Documents should be: o Reader-centered o Clear and concise o Precise o Objective o Reliable o Consistent o Well-designed 1 www. schoolofpublicpolicy. sk. ca 5

JSGS PROFESSIONAL WORKSHOP SERIES CLARITY AVOID USE INSTEAD A considerable amount/number of Much, many, numerous Despite, in spite of, however, although But Therefore, thus, as a result For this reason In addition And Regarding, in regard to, concerning, in reference to On, about In the event that If Due to the fact, in view/light of the fact that Because, since For the purpose of, in order to To, for Significant, important Key, critical To a certain extent, to some extent -- www. schoolofpublicpolicy. sk. ca 6

JSGS PROFESSIONAL WORKSHOP SERIES CONSISTENCY Sentences, headings and bulleted and numbered lists must be parallel (grammatically consistent. ) Non-Parallel List o Power. Point slides can enhance a presentation. o Keep them simple and it’s important to have less than 20 words per slide; o Assigning visuals to a supporting role o It’s best to use parallel points on your slides. www. schoolofpublicpolicy. sk. ca 7

JSGS PROFESSIONAL WORKSHOP SERIES CONSISTENCY (continued) Parallel List o Use Power. Point slides to enhance a presentation. o Keep the slides simple. o Use less than 25 words per slide. o Assign Power. Point slides to a supporting role. o Make sure the points on your slides are parallel. www. schoolofpublicpolicy. sk. ca 8

JSGS PROFESSIONAL WORKSHOP SERIES ACTIVITY ONE: CRITIQUING AND COMPARING A POWERPOINT SLIDE www. schoolofpublicpolicy. sk. ca 9

JSGS PROFESSIONAL WORKSHOP SERIES WHO INITIATES THE BRIEFING NOTE IN GOVERNMENT? WHO PREPARES IT? The Initiator o The minister or Executive Office, sometimes in consultation with department officials and communications staff. o Cabinet Secretariat The Writer o The writer of the Briefing Note is the person with the most knowledge of the file. o The Briefing Note is usually vetted and edited by several officials. www. schoolofpublicpolicy. sk. ca 10

JSGS PROFESSIONAL WORKSHOP SERIES FOUR TYPES OF BRIEFING NOTES o Information Briefing Notes o Direction/Decision Briefing Notes o Response Briefing Notes o Meeting Notes www. schoolofpublicpolicy. sk. ca 11

JSGS PROFESSIONAL WORKSHOP SERIES INFORMATION BRIEFING NOTE o Conveys information on a particular issue or event. o Focuses on background, current status and discussion (analysis). o Often has this format: Title Issue Background Current Status Action Being Taken (not always included) Discussion/Analysis (not always included) www. schoolofpublicpolicy. sk. ca 12

JSGS PROFESSIONAL WORKSHOP SERIES DIRECTION/DECISION BRIEFING NOTE o Presents options so the official can make a decision or gain direction on how to proceed. o Often has this format: Title Issue Background Current Status Discussion/Analysis (not always included) Options Recommendation www. schoolofpublicpolicy. sk. ca 13

JSGS PROFESSIONAL WORKSHOP SERIES RESPONSE BRIEFING NOTE o Used to prepare the minister to speak to issues in the legislature/parliament or in media interviews. o Often has this format: Title Issue Background Current status Discussion/Analysis (not always included) Anticipated Questions (not always included) Suggested Responses www. schoolofpublicpolicy. sk. ca 14

JSGS PROFESSIONAL WORKSHOP SERIES MEETING BRIEFING NOTE o Prepares a Minister or Official for a meeting. o Contains the agenda and may include speaking points. o Often has this format: Date and Place of Meeting Attendees Agenda Item 1 Agenda Item 2 www. schoolofpublicpolicy. sk. ca 15

JSGS PROFESSIONAL WORKSHOP SERIES PARTS OF A BRIEFING NOTE: TITLE AND RECIPIENT/SENDER o The title should be self-explanatory but say more than “Briefing Note. ” o The recipient and sender information goes before or after the title or at the bottom of the document. o Often the titles and initials of those who have approved the BN go at the beginning or end. Example of a Title “Provincial Health Officer Report on Gambling in British Columbia” 2 www. schoolofpublicpolicy. sk. ca 16

JSGS PROFESSIONAL WORKSHOP SERIES PARTS OF A BRIEFING NOTE: THE ISSUE STATEMENT o Appears after the title. o Is a brief statement explaining why this and why now? Not usually more than three or four lines. o May be in question form. o Avoids being a call for action. o Avoids words that express an opinion such as inadequate and insufficient. www. schoolofpublicpolicy. sk. ca 17

JSGS PROFESSIONAL WORKSHOP SERIES EXAMPLES OF ISSUE STATEMENTS o Questions are expected at council after a misleading report was published in the Huffington Post on September 13, 2016, claiming that among medium-sized cities Saskatoon has the highest property taxes in Canada. o Should the government accept the Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation’s proposal to take over responsibility for the province’s fish hatchery? The change of responsibility would include transfer of staff and programs of the Fish and Wildlife Development Fund. www. schoolofpublicpolicy. sk. ca 18

JSGS PROFESSIONAL WORKSHOP SERIES ACTIVITY TWO: CRITIQUING AND REVISING AN ISSUE STATEMENT www. schoolofpublicpolicy. sk. ca 19

JSGS PROFESSIONAL WORKSHOP SERIES PARTS OF A BRIEFING NOTE: BACKGROUND o Provides a chronology of events, agreements or legislation, usually in point form; often organized by date. o Outlines facts and/or policies on the issue. o Indicates when the issue was last reviewed and subsequent actions. o Gives positions of participants, jurisdictions, stakeholders and agencies. o May provide examples of similar events and their outcome(s) in the same or other jurisdictions. www. schoolofpublicpolicy. sk. ca 20

JSGS PROFESSIONAL WORKSHOP SERIES EXAMPLE OF A BACKGROUND SECTION From a British Columbia BN on the partition of non-pine forest. o The allowable annual cut (AAC) for the Morice Timber Supply Area (TSA) is 2 165 000 m³/year. This cut includes a non-pine species partition of 550 000 m³/year. This AAC has been in effect since February 1, 2008. o The Chief Forester included the 550 000 m³/year non-pine AAC partition in his AAC decision to protect the mid-term timber supply and the nonpine profile. o The AAC partition has been overharvested by about 928 000 m³. o There are two major forest tenure holders: Morice TSA and Canfor. o Canfor has overharvested its share of the existing AAC partition (i. e. nonpine mid-term timber supply). 3 www. schoolofpublicpolicy. sk. ca 21

JSGS PROFESSIONAL WORKSHOP SERIES CURRENT STATUS SECTION o Outlines what is happening with the situation, issue, case, agreement, policy or legislation right now. o Sometimes called “Current Situation. ” www. schoolofpublicpolicy. sk. ca 22

JSGS PROFESSIONAL WORKSHOP SERIES EXAMPLES OF A CURRENT STATUS SECTION On June 12, the Standing Committee on Human Resources Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities is tabling its report, Raising Adult Literacy Skills: The Need For A Pan-Canadian Response. The Opposition and media will likely focus on three findings from the report: o The government is not doing enough or demonstrating leadership in addressing the national problem of illiteracy in Canada. o The social and economic costs of illiteracy are an estimated $10 billion annually, according to the 1988 Canadian Business Task Force on Literacy. o The federal and provincial governments should develop a pan. Canadian accord on literacy and numeracy skills development. 4 www. schoolofpublicpolicy. sk. ca 23

JSGS PROFESSIONAL WORKSHOP SERIES THE DISCUSSION SECTION o Sometimes called “Analysis. ” o Analyzes key political and financial considerations, risks and options. o Indicates effects on primary and secondary actors. o Draws inferences about the issue in an unbiased manner. www. schoolofpublicpolicy. sk. ca 24

JSGS PROFESSIONAL WORKSHOP SERIES EXAMPLE OF A DISCUSSION SECTION o The archeological assessment report suggests that the park has negatively impacted and depleted the archeological value of the site. o To assist in protecting the remaining archeological value, the report recommends Osoyoos Indian Band involvement in park management. o This involvement would be facilitated by the signing of a MOU between the Osoyoos Indian Band, BC Parks and the Archeological Branch. What do you think of this example from a real briefing note? 5 www. schoolofpublicpolicy. sk. ca 25

JSGS PROFESSIONAL WORKSHOP SERIES OPTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS SECTION o Outlines possible courses of action and their impact on key players. o Analyzes the pros and cons of each course of action. o Is usually followed by a “recommendations” section, in which the writer of the BN puts forward one option. www. schoolofpublicpolicy. sk. ca 26

JSGS PROFESSIONAL WORKSHOP SERIES EXAMPLE OF OPTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS Option One o Delay Coastal Gas Link Pipeline assessment report by three weeks • Implications: Enable reassessment of strong Aboriginal title by Environmental Assessment Office … Option Two o Status quo: Proceed with current proposed timelines • Implications … Recommendation o Option One … 6 www. schoolofpublicpolicy. sk. ca 27

JSGS PROFESSIONAL WORKSHOP SERIES THE RESPONSE SECTION o Provides a suggested response for the minister or official to make in a media interview or the legislature/parliament. o Should be sensitive to political realities. Example of a Response “We will take the time to consider all of the recommendations in this report and take actions to advance our continued efforts to deliver gaming to the citizens of BC in the most socially responsible manner possible based on the evidence available. ” 7 www. schoolofpublicpolicy. sk. ca 28

JSGS PROFESSIONAL WORKSHOP SERIES FINDINGS OF A BC STUDY ON BRIEFING NOTES o Officials and published guidelines agree that briefing notes should be concise, succinct, analytical and provide selective content. o Briefing Note writers lack writing skills. o Little training is provided. o Officials often do not receive the information they need on an issue or enough information to make a decision. o Most officials interviewed would prefer a more flexible and efficient Briefing Note process with less editing and automation. 8 www. schoolofpublicpolicy. sk. ca 29

JSGS PROFESSIONAL WORKSHOP SERIES SUMMARY o Briefing notes must capture the strategic context that matters for the reader. o They must be impersonal, reader centered, clear, concise, precise, objective, reliable, consistent and well-designed. o There are four main types of briefing notes: information, direction/decision, response and meeting preparation. o Research has found that officials are often dissatisfied with the briefing notes that they receive. www. schoolofpublicpolicy. sk. ca 30

JSGS PROFESSIONAL WORKSHOP SERIES SAMPLES OF ACTUAL BRIEFING NOTES o http: //www. publicsectorwriting. com/wpcontent/uploads/2010/03/EXAMPLE-Briefing-Note-for-Information. pdf o http: //www. openinfo. gov. bc. ca/ibc/search/results. page? config=ibc&sorti d=1&P 110=high_level_subject: FOI%20 Request&P 110=dc. subject: FOI%20 R equest&rc=1&as_ft=i&as_filetype=html&sortid=1&date=30 o This is a link to BC government documents requested through “freedom of information. ” o If you search under a random date, you should find some briefing notes. o Unfortunately, many sections of the briefing notes are redacted (blanked out) for privacy reasons. www. schoolofpublicpolicy. sk. ca 31

JSGS PROFESSIONAL WORKSHOP SERIES SOURCES OF BRIEFING NOTES IN THIS PRESENTATION The sample briefing notes come from the following sources: British Columbia Government. Open Information. http: //docs. openinfo. gov. bc. ca/D 52841714 A_Response_Package_FIN-201400111. PDF http: //docs. openinfo. gov. bc. ca/D 9749515 A_Response_Package_EAO-201400077. PDF http: //docs. openinfo. gov. bc. ca/D 27498914 A_Response_Package_FNR-201400127. PDF Public Sector Writing: http: //www. publicsectorwriting. com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/EXAMPLE -Briefing-Note-for-Information. pdf www. schoolofpublicpolicy. sk. ca 32

JSGS PROFESSIONAL WORKSHOP SERIES ENDNOTES Doyle, Susan (2013). The characteristics of good government writing. Retrieved from http: //web. uvic. ca/~sdoyle/E 302/Notes/Characteristics. html 2 http: //docs. openinfo. gov. bc. ca/D 52841714 A_Response_Package_FIN-201400111. PDF 3 Adapted from: http: //docs. openinfo. gov. bc. ca/D 27498914 A_Response_Package_FNR 2014 -00127. PDF 4 http: //www. publicsectorwriting. com/wpcontent/uploads/2010/03/EXAMPLE-Briefing-Note-for-Information. pdf 5 http: //docs. openinfo. gov. bc. ca/Response_Package_MOE-2015 -50169. pdf 1 www. schoolofpublicpolicy. sk. ca 33

MODULE FIVE, PRESENTATION THREE ENDNOTES 6 http: //docs. openinfo. gov. bc. ca/D 9749515 A_Response_Package_EAO-201400077. PDF 7 http: //docs. openinfo. gov. bc. ca/D 52841714 A_Response_Package_FIN-201400111. PDF 8 Cunningham, Colleen (2007). Effective and efficient briefing: Improving the template and the process in British Columbia. Ebriefings. ca www. schoolofpublicpolicy. sk. ca 34