Tools for Communication in Government. Briefing Notes (POSC 6790: Public Policy Process)
My MA degree at Memorial included taking a course in public policy processes. Part of the syllable was focused on communication tools and practices in the policy domain. One such tool was briefing note. Later, I submitted an assignment that evaluated the knowledge and competency I had gain on this topic. The following details how I completed the assignment .....
The topic for my assignment was the Canada Energy Strategy, an energy initiative by Canada's Premiers that sought to position Canada as a global leader in energy development and management. My briefing note was to apprise Newfoundland and Labrador's minister of energy on an upcoming energy conference by Canada's premiers, and to recommend some speaking points
I followed a style recommended in Swain and Swain (2014) as well as guidelines from online writing resources (such as this one and this one)
I also considered many options, including:
- who the main actors are and their influence
- whether the main issues for discussion was properly identified
- determining an appropriate length for the briefing note
I employed a largely formal structure that featured an opening that talked about the purpose of the note and the issue or topic being discussed. I then presented an overview of the problem including emerging and existing trends, and then identified options for the talking points. Finally, I made some recommendations based on what I deduced from my research on the issue to be the most salient talking points
Although the exercise was quite challenging, it was also satisfying as I had opportunity to work on an important, real-life policy issue.