How to write a policy paper

As indicated on the syllabus, you have to write three policy papers (max. 5 pages). It

requires extensive research and thoughtful synthesis of primary and secondary sources. A
policy paper, however, requires succinct consideration of policy options for a particular
audience (e.g., officials, bureaucrats, politicians, development practitioners, donors).
This means that the format will also be different from a research paper. Some might say
that a policy paper is more “professional” because it is geared towards readers who have a
limited amount of time to make a practical decision, while a research paper is more
“academic” because it pays more attention to the scholarly roots of particular arguments
and judges their merit on intellectual and logical criteria. This exercise is a hybrid
between a policy paper and a research paper. Students will have to use the components and
structure of a policy paper, but use academic arguments and citations

Goals
– To provide a balanced analysis on a particular policy issue
– Analysis is used to help a policymaker make a decision based on your insights
– Makes recommendation, but analysis leading to recommendation is crucial
– Papers can often be written on difficult issues with no clear answer either way

Components of a Policy Paper
Please use the following nine components as guidelines for phrasing the sub-headings in the
paper.

1. Executive Summary: This should be a short summary (approx. 250 words) of the purpose of
the paper and its recommendations. It typically appears single-spaced on the cover of a
paper or position paper. [Because you are not really writing this paper as part of your
job, please indicate in an additional sentence the audience for whom the paper is intended,
e.g., a particular NGO, government agency, legislator/politician, branch of an
international organization. Be as specific as possible.

2. Statement of the Issue/Problem: Phrase the topic as a question that requires a decision.
This can be as short as one question. Here are a few examples:
– What role can the {any political, social, religious organization of your choice}
play in enhancing the {political/economic/social} status of {any disadvantaged group of
your choice}?
– Should {any organization/government of your choice} provide humanitarian assistance
to people in the {any war zone/natural disaster situation of your choice}?
– How should {any country or region of your choice} respond to the investment
interest of {any multinational corporation or financial institution of your choice}?
– Who should take the responsibility for {fixing any development problem of your
choice}?
– When should {any country/organization of your choice} decide to intervene in {any
development problem/crisis of your choice}?

3. Background (of the problem): Include only the essential facts that a decision maker
“needs to know” to understand the context of the problem. Assume that you have been hired
to filter through reams of information on behalf of a very busy and sleep-deprived person.
Be clear, precise, and succinct. If you want or need to give extensive details (on
technical or methodological questions, for example), it is best to do so in one or more
appendixes.

4. Statement of your organization’s interests in the issue: This is meant to remind the
reader of why the issue matters for the country/group/organization that you are advising.
If, for example, you were the National Security Advisor for the US, then it would be
appropriate to review the US’s geo-strategic, economic, or humanitarian interest in the
problem at hand.

5. Pre-existing Policies: This summarizes what has been done (by others and the entity that
you represent) about the problem thus far. Depending on your topic, some of the information
may have already been presented in #3 (e.g., perhaps the problem itself stems from some
other country or organization’s intervention). The objective of this section is to inform
the reader of policy options that have already been pursued, if any. Note that the absence
of action may be considered a policy decision.

6. Policy Options: This section delineates the possible courses of action or inaction that
your organization may pursue. Please provide the decision maker with at least three
potential courses of action. Some of them may be wildly unrealistic in your opinion, but
please pose them as policy options nonetheless. At the same time, it would not be prudent
to overwhelm the decision maker with too many choices. I would cap the menu of options at
five choices–just think of how hard it is to choose your courses each semester.

7. Advantages and Disadvantages of Each Policy Option: Write this section from the
perspective of the entity that you represent. For clarity, you may present the pros and
cons of the options in bullet points or outline format. This may seem like stacking the
deck since some options may have only one advantage and several downsides, but it isn’t
always that obvious. For instance, one measly advantage may conform most fully with the
interests of the organization summarized in #4. It is up to you to advise the decision
maker if it is worth it.

8. Your Recommendation: After prioritizing the relative pros and cons of the above options,
please recommend one option to your employer. Yes, this may require going out on a limb on
an extremely complex issue that challenges your ethical instincts. But if you have agreed
to advise a particular country/organization/person, then you will be asked to make a
recommendation on their behalf.

9. Sources Consulted or Recommended: This is essentially an annotated bibliography in the
event that the decision maker has the interest and time to read up on a specific issue.
Please provide a one to three sentence description and evaluation of each source listed in
this section. Aside from standard books and articles, on-line sources and personal
interviews may be cited. Please see me if you have any questions about the acceptability of
your research materials.

General Comments: Beware of the following pitfalls in writing memos to a political or
executive audience:
– Using flowery or sycophantic language
– Lecturing the audience
– Being too abstract. Make specific suggestions whenever possible
– Focusing solely on your theory rather than the conclusions of your arguments and/or
your research

Remember, your memorandum will discuss a problem needing a solution. Summarize it,
describe it, and then make recommendations. Use detail when necessary, but be concise.
Congressional staffers frequently speak of the “subway test” — that is memos should be
short enough so that Members can read them while taking the subway ride from their offices
to the Capitol.

 

 

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