Memorandum

Memos can thus communicate important information efficiently in order to make dynamic and effective changes.

For example, if the intended recipient is a cabinet minister or a senior executive, the format might be rigidly defined and limited to one or two pages.

The typical structure for a briefing note includes a description of the proposed policy; relevant background information; a discussion of key considerations (including implementation concerns, financial considerations, stakeholder impacts, and possible unanticipated consequences), a summary of arguments for and against the policy and a recommended decision.

Policy documents that start with a proposal and assemble an argument for that position are more accurately referred to as a government white paper.

[9] There is no universal standard for a briefing note, but it is generally understood to be a concise, coherent summary of a public policy problem with a clearly articulated logic for following a recommended course of action.

”Next to a political nose, and a logical brain, the most important skill of the good treasury [person] resides in [their] fine drafting hand.

The concise, coherent and penetrating note is the final expression of all other talents.”[10] In many governance settings based on the Westminster system, policy analysts are expected to analyze the issue and write the briefing note from a neutral civil service perspective.

However, the briefing note “for decision” must contain a recommendation, acknowledging that “to say anything of importance in public policy requires value judgments, which must be explained and justified”.

It is common to also see briefing notes with numbered paragraphs, in order to create an efficient and well-organized paper.