Members Workshop Four: Writing Policy Briefings – Americas

4 August 2026 3:30pm – 5.00pm CLT / EDT

Structure and language for written policy advice

The policy brief is the most widely used format for communicating research to decision-makers across ministers’ offices, development banks, and regional bodies alike. But the conventions that work for academic writing rarely translate directly to policy audiences. This workshop covers the structure, language, and principles that make a brief influential, provides some possible templates, and gives you time to draft a brief for your own work.

You will come away with…

• A draft approach for a piece of your own research
• A template and structure you can apply to any future brief
• An understanding of what decision-makers look for in policy briefs
• Tips for writing directly and without jargon, aligned with policy analyst expectations

This workshop is one of seven in RESET’s Communications for Influence programme, running May–October 2026. We intend to repeat these courses in 2027. The programme was developed from research with MCET members identifying the skills that matter most for building research influence.

Each session is practical and immediately applicable. You will work with your own research and leave with something you can act on. After each workshop, participants join a shared peer community for ongoing feedback and collaboration. Complete any four workshops, including the capstone, to earn a RESET Communications Certificate. The workshops are free to all RESET members.