Policy Writing Guidelines.pdf - Global Debate and Public Policy ...

Writing Guidelines: Policy Memorandum
Please follow these guidelines when planning and writing your policy memorandum or, in short, policy
memo. The guidelines are aimed to help you design a persuasive policy response to the hypothetical
problems outlined in the scenarios for the first task. These guidelines are also available for download in
Word and PDF formats.
Judges will evaluate your papers based on the qualities outlined in these guidelines, so carefully
following them means increasing your chance of making it to the second stage of the Challenge. You can
find more information on how judges will evaluate your policy memo here. The length of the policy
memo should be between 800 and 1,200 words, not including the list of sources consulted or
bibliography.
I. WHAT IS A POLICY DOCUMENT?
Policy documents, such as policy briefs or memos, are one of the most commonly used policy-making
tools. They communicate information to states’ leaders and decision makers; information that drives the
choices and negotiations, which define modern governance. Persuasive, evidence-based and structured
writing of this type represents one of the most powerful ways of influencing the policy-making process.
A wide range of actors can issue policy documents. Governments are often equipped with hundreds of
advisors across a range of disciplines, but non-governmental actors, such as think tanks, also produce
advisories and other types of policy documents. Policy documents differ in many ways from academic or
legal texts. In the public policy setting, good writing is aimed at immediate effect. A policy memo, for
instance, is likely to be pressed into someone’s hand as s/he hurries down the corridor or skimmed
through while making a phone call.
II. THE POLICY MEMORANDUM
The policy document that you will write during the first stage of the Challenge takes the form of a policy
memorandum (or policy memo). Policy memos take a variety of forms in terms of length, structure and
depth of analysis but share a number of common characteristics. Memos should be clear, concise and
immediately get to the point. The recommended solution should support a broader strategy. The
alternative strategies should be laid out and their benefits and weaknesses discussed. A good memo is:
Policy and problem-oriented: A policy memo is practical and action-oriented. It is not an academic essay
or philosophical musings on the topic. The issue in focus is a real-world problem and the discussion
should be centred on the practical and political dimensions of the issue, as well as the practical solutions
you propose.
Analysis-driven: Building on facts and evidence, a policy memo demonstrates analytical thinking on the
range of possible solutions for the given problem. The arguments put forward for and against different
options should be the result of a measured and balanced consideration of the possible solutions. They
should be clearly grounded in a rational decision-making framework, which takes into account the

impact (outcomes) and feasibility of the alternate policies in terms of effectiveness (the extent to which
the policy solves the problem); efficiency (the contrasting of costs and benefits your government will
face while attempting to realize the policy); equity of stakeholders (the identification of winners and
losers as a result of implementing the policy); and the proposed time-frame. Your arguments should not
be based solely on your opinion or unsubstantiated ideas.
Offers viable recommendations: The goal of your memo should be to persuade a decision maker to
implement the policy that you have devised. Your recommendations should take center stage, but you
should also try to show your memo’s audience why those recommendations are better than
alternatives. Your argument should drive the memo and all sections of the policy memo need to build
the pieces of your case together to convince your target audience. Take the time to think about who will
read your memo and what their priorities, prejudices and perspectives will be. You have to promote
your ideas, especially considering this topic is controversial and you cannot assume readers will share
your opinion or automatically agree with your proposed solution.
Evidence-based: It is important to demonstrate that your claims are well-founded; that is, not just based
on your opinion but rather based on evidence from multiple reputable sources. Wherever possible,
review and cite evidence from a primary source. If a newspaper article quotes a particular scientific
study, look up and cite the original source. We have provided you with a background reading and will
also regularly update the list of sources covering the themes and controversies of Digital Freedom and
Its Limits. These documents are the best place to begin the process of learning about the research and
evidence that underlies the policies you will be creating. Please refer to the citation guide (below) to
learn how to reference evidence in your policy memo.
Well-structured and coherent: The policy memo attempts to describe a problem or a set of contestable
issues, reviews the responses available and recommends a particular course of action - the policy itself.
Ensuring a sensible structure to do so is an important part of the writing process. You need to guide your
target audience through the paper by ensuring all sections and arguments are well-structured, logically
developed and focused on the topic. To achieve this, your memo should contain six key elements[1]:
● Title: Try to keep your title concise, so as not to lose the attention of the reader: 10 words or
less is a common rule of thumb. The title of your policy brief may seem like a minor point;
however, the title is the first thing your audience will read of your brief, so it has to attract them
and ensure they consider your paper. Try to make your title memorable by choosing a
provocative or surprising title, so that it sticks in the reader’s mind. It is often best to
communicate your key message and the need for change in the title.
● Description of the problem and proposition of the preferred policy: Describe the issues that
your government must address at the very beginning of your memo. Here you need to state
what you perceive as the problem (including the people and organizations affected by it), based
on one of the four scenarios. Describe the government’s current stance on the issue and any
previous attempt to resolve it. Propose a response to these issues – the policy itself.
● Comparative analysis of policy options and discussion of their impact: In writing the main part
of your memo, look at alternative proposals and analyze them in a comparative fashion. Defend

your arguments against contradictory evidence where necessary and provide in-depth analysis
aimed at identifying the strategically and practically most viable policy. Introduce strong,
objective evidence alongside this information and evaluate its reliability and applicability.
● Justification of the proposed policy: Based on the analysis, describe the policy for your
government to adopt. Explain both the broad, principled approach that the government should
take, but also detail the practical aspects of the plan. Discuss the impact of the plan and
describe how it would address the issues you set out at the start of the document.
● Concluding remarks: Finally, try to ensure that your memorandum feels complete. After
completing each individual component of your policy memorandum, briefly summarize the
document as whole. Re-introduce the problems or issues that you have explored in a concise
way; re-state your policy; re-examine your key evidence and show your readers why it is
relevant to your argument. Conclude your memorandum by demonstrating to your readers that
your response is logical, relevant and complete.
● Reference list: At the end of the memo, include a list of full references to the materials, which
you have cited.
Understandable and Accessible: Because your audience may come from different backgrounds and may
not be an expert in the field, an effective policy memo uses clear and simple language (i.e. not the
jargon and concepts of an academic discipline in an attempt to impress). A policy memo displays clarity
of ideas by providing a well explained, easy to follow and succinct argument. Do not assume that
government officials will have read as widely on the subject as you have. Try to avoid sensationalising
the descriptive content of your piece by over-using adjectives; rather, focus on explaining why the
evidence you have selected proves that the government should adopt your policy.
Lean lay-out: Policy memos are text heavy documents and do not feature pictures or other decorative
elements. In the header, writers often employ a simple format to announce the memo to decision
makers. Whether you use this format will not affect the score you receive for your submission but are
encouraged to do so. Here is an example:
From: (your registration code – not your name)
To: (the country you are addressing)
Re: (the scenario you are addressing)
Date: (date of submission)
III. CITATION GUIDE AND INFORMATION ON PLAGIARISM
What is plagiarism?
The Central European University’s Guidelines for the Implementation of Academic Dishonesty,
Plagiarism and Other Offences (G-1009-1) explain that “Plagiarism occurs both when the words of
another are reproduced without acknowledgment, or when the ideas or arguments of another are
paraphrased in such a way as to lead the reader to believe that they originated with the writer.”

In other words, plagiarism is the representation of another person’s thoughts or words as though they
were your own. In order to avoid plagiarism, make sure you always acknowledge (i.e. cite) the work of
others in your policy memo. Participants will be disqualified for plagiarism.
There are many citation styles commonly used in academic as well as policy writing. In the Challenge, we
ask you to use the APA embedded style to reference your sources.
The APA embedded citation style
Regardless whether you quote or paraphrase, you should always reference your sources with citations.
Please use the APA embedded citation style. Its usage is detailed in the Publication Manual of the
American Psychological Association, 6th ed. (2010).
Following the APA embedded style you will reference your sources in the body of the text (citations in
parentheses) and fully feature them in the Reference List (full names of authors, title, place of
publication, publisher, date, etc). You can see how we used APA citations in the Background Reading
(hyperlink). An easily accessible APA citation guide can be found on the website of Cornell University
Library at http://www.library.cornell.edu/resrch/citmanage/apa
IV. FURTHER SOURCES TO CONSULT
Harvard Kennedy School of Government. Sample Policy Memorandum. Retrieved from
http://www.hks.harvard.edu/var/ezp_site/storage/fckeditor/file/pdfs/degreeprograms/registrar/sample-policy-memo.pdf
Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Management. (2010). Memo-Writing Guidelines.
Retrieved from http://wagner.nyu.edu/students/services/files/WritingMemos.pdf
Young, E., & Quinn, L. (2002). Writing Effective Public Policy Papers: A Guide To Policy Advisers in
Central and Eastern Europe. Budapest Local Government and Public Reform Initiative (OSI).
Young, E., & Quinn, L. (2012). Making Research Evidence Matter: A Guide to Policy Advocacy in
Transition Countries. Budapest: Open Society Foundations.
[1] Policy memos usually do not contain an executive summary; we ask you not to include one in your
submission.