How to Write a Policy Brief

Teacher(s)

du Bus Manon;

Language

English

Main themes

The seminar “How to Write a Policy Brief” offers a practical exploration of the drafting concise and impactful policy documents. It highlights the specific role of policy briefs within decision-making processes, the importance of understanding one’s audience, and the different dimensions that structure a well-developed brief. From a critical and applied perspective, the objective of the seminar is to equip students with the skills to design, write, and present their own policy briefs, while reflecting on the broader issues addressed in their academic programme. A rigorous and reflective approach requires both methodological clarity and concrete practice. Therefore, alongside theoretical insights, the seminar places strong emphasis on hands-on exercises: students will first acquire general knowledge about the function and structure of briefs, before moving to the elaboration of their own written work. The final stage of the seminar will be dedicated to oral presentations and mock briefings, simulating professional contexts of policy communication.

Learning outcomes

At the end of this learning unit, the student is able to :

At the end of this course, students will be able to: identify the different parts and purposes of a policy brief and apply them in practice write a clear, well-structured, and properly referenced policy brief on a topic of their choice present and defend their brief orally in a simulated policy environment work collaboratively through discussions and group work while contributing to a constructive learning atmosphere

Content

The seminar will begin with an introduction to the nature and function of policy briefs. Attention will be given to their audience, their specific structure, and the strategic use of evidence. In the second stage, students will work on the development of their own briefs, drawing on themes from other courses. The final part of the seminar will consist of oral presentations and mock briefings, where students will be expected to defend and debate their work.:

Teaching methods

The seminar combines short ex cathedra explanations—especially at the outset—with interactive discussions and group exercises. Active participation is required at every session. Students are expected to engage with the material, collaborate with their peers, and contribute to a stimulating and positive environment.

Evaluation methods

The final grade is based on the following elements:

• 15% Active participation in class
• 50% Final Task – Policy Brief (written work)
• 35% Final Presentation – Oral Presentation / Briefing

The grades for the in-class participation will carry over to the August session (resit). The August session will include a written work and oral presentation as well.
The written policy brief is considered a postgraduate-level assignment, requiring an excellent standard of academic writing. Plagiarism, insufficient referencing, or other breaches of academic integrity will be sanctioned.
The use of AI is regulated in this course. It is only accepted for spelling and grammar. If AI is used for assessments, students are required to submit a print-screen or transcription of the exchange with the chosen AI, together with a paragraph explaining the reasons for resorting to AI.
Content produced by AI will not be accepted and will result in failure. Given the resources available to students, spelling and grammatical accuracy form part of the assessment criteria.

Faculty or entity

> IEEB