How to Influence Policy - Policy Brief Writing 2024 PDF

How to identify and influence policymakers Yaryna Basystyuk Public Policy|Southampton December 2024 Summary What is policy? How do you find policymakers? How do you influence them? How to write a policy brief? Q1: WHAT IS POLICY? Policy Cambridge Dictionary definition A...

How to identify and influence policymakers Yaryna Basystyuk Public Policy|Southampton December 2024 Summary What is policy? How do you find policymakers? How do you influence them? How to write a policy brief? Q1: WHAT IS POLICY? Policy Cambridge Dictionary definition A set of ideas or a plan of what to do in particular situations that has been agreed to officially by a group of people, a business organisation, a government, or a political party from the Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press Costigan definition Decisions on what to do about stuff in different circumstances 4 Policy is about decisions You need to know what decision you are trying to influence  Types of policy decision Often: Occasionally Start doing Not to start, stop something or change Stop doing something that something someone is Change the way thinking of doing something is done Evidence vs Policy Evidence Policy Toxicity of substances Regulations for use in industry, drugs, manufacturing, food etc Link between mental health and Provision of services for homeless people homelessness New developments in drone technology Regulations for use of drones – safety, security & privacy Economic and political developments in the Priorities for the UK’s diplomatic US engagement with the US Decisions are made here. Policy makers care about this side Policy-making theory Rationale Feedback Objectives Evaluation Appraisal Implementatio n Monitoring Academic contribution to policy making Rationale Feedback Objectives Evaluation Appraisal Implementatio n Monitoring Winning at policy IDENTIFYING THE IDENTIFYING WHO DEPLOY TOOLS TO DECISION YOU INFLUENCES THAT INFLUENCE THOSE WANT TO DECISION BEING INFLUENCE MADE INFLUENCERS  When identifying the decision is hard… Do your Speak to Get advice Don’t always And research (not people from those have to have remember: your who’ve been it all worked academic before out – but the research) more specific, the better If you can’t say why policy-makers should be interested, they won’t be. Not all research has a contribution to policy Exercise 1 5 MINUTES: THINK WHAT POLICY DECISION MIGHT BE FROM YOUR RESEARCH Q2: HOW DO YOU FIND POLICYMAKERS ? Where are the policymakers? UK National Government UK National Parliament UK Local Government UK Devolved Assemblies International organisations Governments/Parliaments in other countries  Who are the key Identifying influencers? who Civil servants – Director/Deputy Director influences level Learned bodies – RCGP the decision Those affected by decision – being made i.e. the public Parliament – APPG/Select Committees/Politicians PPS can help you do all of this  UK Government Government: Policy decisions at national level Regulations Propose new laws Deliver some services Take a typical Government Department Secretary of State – most senior politician in charge of all the Department’s business Other Ministers – politicians responsible for different elements of Department’s Business. [At least one from House of Lords] Permanent Secretary – most senior civil servant in the department. Director-General, Director, Deputy Director – the next three grades of civil servants. Collectively known as “Senior Civil Servants”. Officials – civil servants of any grade What you can do with gov.uk Find names of Ministers and most senior civil servants - for Government Department & Agencies Latest news, publications, announcements and areas of responsibility for each Find postal and email addresses for Departments Find list of Government consultations, policies, UK Embassies UK Government and AI Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) Office for AI (part of DSIT) AI Safety Institute (established on November 2nd, 2023; Alan Turing Institute; Ada Lovelace Institute Key Industry players: OpenAI, DeepMind, TechUK, the Startup Coalition, Microsoft, Meta, Anthropic, etc. UK Parliament Parliament: Scrutinise work of Government Make new laws Make policy recommendations to Government Parliament includes… Select Committees Bill Committees All Party Parliamentary Groups Individual MPs The Libraries of the House of Commons & House of Lords The Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology What you can do with parliament.uk Select Committees All Party Parliamentary G roups Your Local MP Bills Hansard Parliamentary Office of S cience and Technology Contact details for Office Manager, Clerks etc! Local Government Local Government: Policy decisions at sub- national level Delivery of services Navigating Local Government Local Government websites mainly focussed on accessing services Policy contacts harder to identify. Hampshire County Council Southampton City Council Ask Public Policy|Southampton Good policy brief on National AI Strategy by Local Government Association International organisations In 2023, the United Nations have appointed Dame Zinneke at Luxembourgish Wikipedia Wendy Hall to their high-level advisory body on artificial intelligence (AI) United nations flag by sanjitbakshi Websites Several Public Policy variable – but Some key opportunities can help to sign up to issues to engage navigate mailing lists Exercise 2 5 MINUTES: THINK WHO THE KEY STAKEHOLDERS ARE FOR YOUR RESEARCH Q3: HOW DO YOU COMMUNICATE WITH/INFLUENCE POLICYMAKERS? Is it Will it affordable? actually work? Is it value Is it doable for in the time money? available? Is it legal? Does it require Will doing this legislation? mess up some other stuff?  Plan your interaction #1 Identify Get any Prepare Elevator Plan best Personalis policy evidence “policy pitch way of e contacts stakeholde ready briefs” or engaging – – avoid rs & what similar face to mass you want easy to face emails and them to do read, take meeting; circulars away policy Note: Small messages seminar; meetings may be social more likely to get people to media open up, rather than end of project “Seminar” Plan your interaction #2 Be ready to set any Where possible, find a evidence in wider context “hook” (relate to current – more likely interested in interest/recent expertise rather than report/something they specific evidence have said) Know the counter- LISTEN as well as talk, and arguments and likely be prepared to adjust the questions and concerns message Seek recommendations of Recognise it will take who to talk to next several conversations…  1. Via Government Alternatives consultations and calls for evidence to the 2. Via Parliamentary Select Direct Committee – direct and via inquiry Approach 3. Via All Party Parliamentary Groups 4. Via Local MP (for personal and local issues) 5. Via an intermediary – an influential lobby group To recap: Know the Have the Prepare Know the LISTEN as Seek Recognise it decision evidence “policy counter- well as talk, recommend will take you want briefs” or arguments and be ations of several similar easy prepared to who to talk conversatio to read, adjust the to next ns… take away message messages Exercise at home Begin to design your engagement plan: Next steps: What material to What are the policy prepare? Who to engage?  issues?  How to contact stakeholders? (Front door, side door)? What will you ask them to do? Final Thoughts It takes time One person leads to another Become a usual suspect Public Policy|Southampton can help How to write a policy brief Public Policy| Southampton 2024 By the end of this session you will know: What policymakers look for in a policy brief How to plan your approach What structure, formats and language work for a policy brief How to engage using a policy brief W H AT A R E T H E KEY ELEMENTS OF A POLICY BRIEF? Question 1  Executive summary and a list of key points up front Key Policy recommendations or implications element s of a A clear structure with well signposted sections policy brief Professional, not academic - accessible language to ensure ease of reading Evidence-based Policy brief is Concise, standalone document focusing on a particular issue requiring policy attention – effective in summarizing and highlighting evidence and suggesting policy solutions Short, to the point, jargon free document written for non- specialists; presents research findings to policy actors, highlighting the relevance of the specific research to policy and offering recommendations. Typical brief has four main functions to explain the to present solutions to provide evidence to point the reader to importance of an and policy behind those additional resources on issue recommendations/impli recommendations the issue cations Step 1 Planning and understanding your audience Question 2 W H AT I S T H E A I M OF A POLICY BRIEF? The aim of a policy brief is To change/revise policy To raise awareness To convince the target audience of the urgency of the current problem and the need to adopt the preferred or alternative course of action, serving as an impetus for action The aim will determine who the correct policy audience is Audience Policymakers are busy people Explain why the topic is relevant to them – why should they care? Consider the impacts to people as well as the science. Who is affected? What regions are affected? What are the cost implications? Question 3 WHO IS A POLICYMAKER? You can influence policymakers directly and indirectly Government ministers/Senior Public sector organisations official/civil servants Pressure groups MPs and Peers Local politicians and Charities/Think tanks authorities Trade unions/industry Regional and international policy actors The media Policymakers are: Educated non-experts – so don’t assume they have specific knowledge in the area of your research Already have fairly settled preferences Often believe that ‘Academics tend to be better at explaining what is wrong than coming up with solutions’ Not always want to hear the evidence even if someone can get it in front of them Question 4 IMAGINE YOU ARE A POLICYMAKER – W H AT A R E T H E THINGS ON YOUR MIND WHEN CONSIDERING A NEW POLICY?  Emerging issues Politics – Real world media problem and public Timin What g research do Politics - I ministers have/need? Pace of change POLICYMAKER Politics - lobbyists Implementati on Financial Values constraint framewor s ks Do your homework or ask PPS to help Scan the literature: White and Green papers, Government reports, Parliamentary inquiries and reports Hansard library International policy documents Third sector/NGOs reports Public discourse Media and public opinion Make your case Before starting – analyse political context, realities and any competing narratives Frame the issue - What is the problem (its scope)? Why should the current policy change/be revised? Benefits to the decision-maker of solving the problem Advantages your knowledge provides What should a Policy Brief include? Realistic recommendations/implications/or scenarios Practical and realistic ways of solving the problem Infographics and striking facts (stats, big numbers) Imagine you are a policymaker – ask yourself Are there clear and actionable things I can do as a result of reading this? Is the evidence aligned with the policy problem that the policy maker needs to address? Can you provide solutions to this problem? Are your recommendations specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, timely? Does your policy brief tell a convincing story? Recommendations vs Implications Recommendations are developed to put forward what the author thinks should happen/what is the best course of action Implications are less direct and outline what policy changes the evidence points to Example: one should minimize the consumption of sugar (recommendation) versus it appears that eating too much sugar could increase your chances of diabetes and obesity (implication) Step 2 Writing a policy brief  Brevity (2-4 pages long) A clear structure with well signposted sections Key messages front-loaded The aim Engaging, accessible language of a Practical, achievable recommendations policy Illustrations, pictures, infographics brief is Author credentials References to further reading Policy brief model structure 1. Title - headline and strapline 2. A summary and a list of key points up front 3. Key recommendations/findin gs box 4. Wider context and importance 5. Pull-out quotes/infographics 6. Author’s bio 7. Links to further reading and sources  Use accessible language to ensure ease of reading: short sentences, use of common words Avoid emotive language and let the science speak for itself Don’t assume prior knowledge. Minimise The aim jargon and acronyms Favour active over passive voice of a policy If it’s possible to cut out a word, always do brief is Date it Revise, improve your policy brief - get feedback Tips for making a policy brief more visually engaging Titles really do matter. Chose an impactful headline, something short and descriptive. An abstract. A short summary paragraph. Key messages summary. It can make a big difference to add in a box at the beginning of PB with the key message outlined. Sub-headings and text boxes break up the paragraphs and sections and allow the reader to quickly find sections or key information. Photographs/Charts/ Infographics. Where appropriate they can really liven up a PB. Exercise You’ve been sent 2 different Policy Briefs – what Dos and Dont’s can you spot? Ask the following questions: Is the layout clear and well- structured? Is the Policy Brief visually engaging? Are there any recommendations or implications? Are they clear and actionable? Are they backed up by evidence? What’s missing? Is the tone right? Step 3 Disseminate and engage with a policy brief HOW DO YOU ENGAGE WITH A POLICYMAKER? Question 5 The good news: There is not only one channel/path to impact. There are many. A policy brief is part of a wider engagement strategy  see the policy brief as a opportunity for further engagement It is about understanding your message to the wider world from that wider world’s point of view Practical use of a policy brief Posted online on the university website as a PDF Sent as a PDF to a partner/stakeholder Used for policy meetings, events, and presentations Shared on social media channels of all kinds (Twitter, Linked-in, Facebook) Used as your elevator pitch in your conversations with policymakers and wider audiences Making an impact with your policy brief Identify all potential stakeholders early in the process and have a strategy for engaging them: Send to relevant policymakers (MPs, government officials) – always to a named person Contact relevant charities / pressure groups / trade unions / journalists etc Any emails need to be compelling with a clear ask – otherwise attachments won’t be read Ways to engage Be proactive and seek out existing opportunities to work with policy actors directly Hold a webinar/policy roundtable/seminar with policy actors Capitalise on public support or press coverage of the issue. Do not forget that the press and public shape the atmosphere in which policy is made Have a short video filmed discussing the key findings of your policy brief or podcast recorded Write a blog about your research findings and recommendations Build an online presence, especially using social media – today it is one of the most effective ways to develop your profile as a valued expert by increasing your accessibility to policy makers Engage with Public Policy|Southampton Website: https://www.southampton.ac.uk/publicpolicy Twitter: @PublicPolicyUoS ​ Facebook: @PublicPolicyUoS ​ LinkedIn: @publicpolicyuos ​ Email: [email protected]​ PP|S membership: become a member and get regular insights about the opportunities to engage with policy