Briefing Paper Briefing papers are used to keep decision makers informed about the issues they are responsible for. In business organisations of all types briefing papers allows information to flow in all directions between departments and management. Senior managers have a lot of information about an enormous range of topics and issues to retain and they rely on concise, clear, reliable briefings. Written briefing papers are short and aimed at quickly and effectively informing a decision-maker about an issue. A good briefing paper summarises complex information into a short, well-structured document. It is clear, concise and easy to read. The briefing paper should be: • short: one to two pages, and always as short as possible • concise: a short document isn't necessarily concise; concise means every word is used as efficiently as possible • clear: keep it simple and to the point; always keep your reader firmly in mind and include only what matters to that reader • reliable: the information in a briefing paper must be accurate, sound and dependable; any missing information or questions about the information should be pointed out • readable: use plain language and design your briefing paper for maximum readability (use white space, subheadings, lists, font, and other means of making reading easier) As the briefing paper is being used for academic assessment you should also include citations to supporting references from appropriate literature and a reference list at the end. Structure of a Briefing Paper The structure of briefing papers is that they have three main parts: • the purpose (usually stated as the issue, topic or purpose) • a summary of the facts (what this section contains and the headings used will be determined by the purpose of the briefing paper) • the conclusion (this may be a conclusion, a recommendation or other advice, or both) These three main parts are presented under some or all of the following section headings. Remember, any briefing paper you write will only have the sections that are relevant to your purpose and audience. Issue (also Topic, Purpose): A concise statement of the issue, proposal or problem. This section should explain in one or two lines why the BRIEFING PAPER matters to the reader. It sets out in the form of a question or a statement what the rest of the note is about. Background: The details the reader needs in order to understand what follows (how a situation arose, previous decisions/problems, actions leading up to the current situation). Typically this section gives a brief summary of the history of the topic and other background information. What led up to this problem or issue? How has it evolved? Do not repeat information that you're including in the Current Status section. Current Status: Describes only the current situation, who is involved, what is happening now, the current state of the matter, issue, situation, etc. Key Considerations: A summary of important facts, considerations, developments—everything that needs to be considered now. While you will have to decide what to include and what to leave out, this section should be as unbiased as possible. Your aim is to present all the details required for the reader to be informed or to make an informed decision. Keep the reader's needs uppermost in your mind when selecting and presenting the facts. Remember to substantiate any statements with evidence and to double check your facts. Additional details may be attached as appendices. Options (also Next Steps, Comments): Basically, observations about the key considerations and what they mean; a concise description either of the options and sometimes their pros and cons or of what will happen next. Conclusion and/or Recommendations: Conclusions summarize what you want your reader to infer from the briefing paper. Many readers jump immediately to this section, so be sure it covers the points you most want your reader to be clear about. Do not introduce anything new in the Conclusion. If you are including a recommendations section, it should offer the best and most sound advice you can offer. Make sure the recommendation is clear, direct and substantiated by the facts you have put forward. Before you start writing, be sure you are clear about • why you're writing (your purpose) • who you're writing for (your reader) • what that person most needs to know • the points you will cover • how you will structure your information After you have drafted your briefing paper use the following questions as an editing guide: • Is the purpose of the briefing paper clear? • Is the language simple, economical and clear? • Is everything there that needs to be there? • Is anything there that isn't essential to the purpose? • Is the briefing paper easy to read, understand and remember? • Do the sections lead logically from one to another? • Is the briefing paper designed so that it is inviting to the reader? • Is there a good balance between white spaces and text? • Has the briefing paper been carefully edited and proofread?