1. Eva Ludi, ODI Paul Mundy, www.mamud.com From project report to policy brief

2. Kottelmann, here is your report back. Why don’t you just summarize the most important items and send it to me as an SMS… Cartoon: Dirk Meissner

3. You have written your report… Now, how do you turn it into a policy brief?

4. An example World Overview of Conservation Approaches and Technologies (WOCAT) Global network of Soil and Water Conservation (SWC) specialists WOCAT’s mission is to support innovation and decision-making processes in sustainable land management by  analysing and synthesizing experiences  developing and applying standardized tools for documenting, monitoring, evaluating, sharing and using knowledge

5. The basis Database with  400 technologies  260 approaches  from over 40 countries Book describing 42 case studies 364 pages!

7. The process One of authors drafted a Natural Resource Perspectives policy brief First draft written from perspective of a project collaborator Project achievements in foreground Not the general messages

8. The draft

9. Example “WOCAT distinguishes between agronomic, vegetative, structural and management measures.” “A useful distinction can be made among agronomic, vegetative, structural and management measures.”

10. Example “55% of the technologies presented in the book are combinations of various agronomic, vegetative, structural and/or management measures.” “More than half of the technologies presented by WOCAT (2007) are combinations of various agronomic, vegetative, structural and/or management measures.”

11. The policy brief

12. 4 pages 3500 words The policy brief

13. Don’t try to edit Do not try to edit a 300-page report down to 1500 words! Two problems  Hard to throw things away  What remains has no natural flow

14. Don’t try to edit Instead  Take a step back  Look at the research through a telescope  Think of the big picture  Then write from scratch

15. Getting from here to there What is the big picture?  What problem did the project address?  What did the project try to find out?  What did it find out? Who is your audience?  Who is your policy audience?  What aspects are of interest to policymakers?  What do you want them to do differently? What did the report say about policy?  Many reports already have a section on policy

16. Start at the beginning Write the lead Work out the body structure  Problem – effects – causes – solution  Example 1 – example 2 – analysis – solution  Problem – intervention – results  Aspect 1 – aspect 2 – aspect 3 – analysis Write the body Put the supporting material together  Cases, boxes, tables, graphics, photos, more information… Decide on your recommendations

17. Start at the end Decide on your recommendations Work out the body structure  Problem – effects – causes – solution  Example 1 – example 2 – analysis – solution  Problem – intervention – results  Aspect 1 – aspect 2 – aspect 3 – analysis Write the body Put the supporting material together  Cases, boxes, tables, graphics, photos, more information… Write the lead

18. A policy brief should…. …be based on evidence but not focus on details …generalize context-specific findings …relate to the big picture

19. More information WOCAT report  http://tinyurl.com/yhfrrht http://tinyurl.com/yhfrrht Policy brief  http://tinyurl.com/ykyv7nz http://tinyurl.com/ykyv7nz