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WRITING Briefing Notes for Results (G030)

Workshops > Government > Complete List > Writing Briefing Notes for Results

WHY SHOULD YOU ATTEND?

The briefing note is a key communication and decision-making instrument in government and other organizations. It can vary in format from a one-page memo to a binder with a hundred pages. But, regardless of format and length, a briefing note must efficiently provide the intended reader with the content needed to take a decision, frame an issue or consider a course of action. Whether you write to determine your thoughts or to put them on paper or, as with most people, to do both, this workshop will increase your effectiveness in developing content and writing briefing notes of maximum value to the recipient.

Furthermore, you will receive access to a specialized web site that provides a free post-workshop resource that supplements and enhances the workshop content and serves all who prepare briefings - briefings for anyone from colleagues and supervisors right up to cabinet ministers and senior executives. The site provides over 300 pages of guidance and over 260 templates (each in MS Word and WordPerfect) for briefing notes, briefing books, memos and letters and offers a forum for questions and discussion.

WHAT WILL YOU LEARN?

Addressing writing tasks systematically eases the writing process. This workshop breaks down writing briefing notes into a series of manageable tasks using an innovative step-by-step model that shows how to:

give yourself a frame of reference to provide sound guidance throughout the process;
develop compelling content for your briefings;
select the optimal medium or media for communicating your briefings;
build effective organizational structures, design formats with eye appeal, write with clear and concise style, and apply the final touches needed for succesful briefings.

Agenda Day 1
8:45— 9:15 AM	Overview of the Workshop Definition of a briefing note; introduction to the basic concepts, method and structure used in the workshop; role of the website and forum as post-workshop resources
9:15 – 10:15 AM	Establishing the Frame of Reference Value of a frame of reference. Defining: your frame of reference; your result or objective in communicating; the appropriate audience for your message; the authority required for your message and matching authority to audience; approvals; barriers and competition to your message; your time lines - a deadline, a schedule and a personal time budget.
10:15— 10:30 AM	Break
10:30– 12:00 AM	Researching and Selecting Content and the Transmission Medium Content versus format and style; ensuring content that is relevant to your result/objective, audience and authority; abstract versus concrete content/language, substance versus froth - plain language; fact versus opinion versus argument relative to audience need; impact of positive versus negative expression; relative benefits of oral and written transmission media and of combinations. Exercises: Use of abstract versus concrete content/language; changing negative to positive expressions
12:00 – 1:00 PM	Lunch
1:00 - 1:30 PM	Initial Drafts and Organization Approaches to writing first drafts and principles of organization Exercise: Principles of organization and use of headings
1:30 - 2:30 PM	Format and Style Principal components of a briefing note; executive briefing notes and how to reduce a four-page memo to two pages; using short words, action verbs, short sentences and sub-paragraphs and acronyms. Exercise: Principles of style and cumulative impact
2:30 – 2:45 PM	Break
2:45– 4:45 PM	Briefing Note Exercise Based on a five page backgrounder/scenario sent prior to the workshop, participants will write a briefing note on a flip chart, present their outputs to the workshop, and explain the decision made in the writing process. The instructor will critique and lead a question and answer/discussion of each group's briefing note.
4:45– 5:00 PM	Wrap-up and workshop evaluation Final touches to the briefing note, recap of templates and resources available on the website and evaluation

Instructors

Stephen Goban

A CEC director, and principal of SBG & Associates, Mr. Goban has undertaken marketing and strategic communications for companies, associations and government departments.

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