Training package for policy briefs

The term policy brief refers to a type of document that synthesises and summarizes evidence on a specific topic to support policy-making. This training package covers content on how write and use policy briefs. The supplementary materials at the end are for optional further reading.

Key learning objectives include:

identifying key components of a policy brief;

describing the role of policy briefs in evidence-informed policy-making and the benefits of its use;

preparing your own policy brief.

Development and use of policy briefs

The online courses below provide comprehensive guidance on different aspects of writing policy briefs and the situations where a policy brief is appropriate.

Topic	Source	Title	Format	Duration	Cost and access
Writing and using policy briefs	EVIPNet	SURE guides for preparing and using evidence-based policy briefs Please review all content in Modules 1-6.	Online course	3–4 hours	Free, no login required
Writing and using policy briefs	Northwest Center for Public Health Practice at The University of Washington (PH Learn Link)	Policy briefs: from plan to action	Online course	1 hour	Free with registration and login
Development of policy briefs: general principles for researchers	WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean	Session 1: Introduction to policy making processes Policy brief as a tool for policy-making A recommended template for developing policy briefs Session 2: Sources of evidence for policy brief development Sources of evidence for policy brief development Key considerations in developing a policy brief Priority setting for policy problems to be addressed by policy briefs Using IMEMR for identify health knowledge produced in countries of the Region	Workshop recordings and presentations	2 hours	–
Advanced workshop for development of policy briefs for researchers	WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean	Session 1 Use of systematic reviews of effects in policy brief development Qualitative evidence and qualitative synthesis in policy briefs Use of cost and economic evaluation evidence in policy brief development Session 2 National data and surveys for policy brief development Organizing and facilitating policy dialogues Identifying and addressing barriers to implementation Developing the monitoring and evaluation section for a policy brief Sample of qualitative findings from Glenton et al. 2013 (LHW Review) Summary of previous workshop general principles of policy brief development	Workshop recordings and presentations
Advanced workshop for policy makers: Using policy briefs in health policy-making	WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean	Video Advanced workshop for policy makers: Using policy briefs in health policy-making Presentations Requesting, assessing and using policy briefs as a policymaker Understanding policy briefs Capacity-building programmes for evidence-informed policy-making Using a policy brief in a policy dialogue that engages key stakeholders Using policy briefs for making changes on the ground and monitoring progress	Workshop recordings and presentations

Supplementary materials

All supplementary materials are optional. The text materials provide useful examples, scenarios and summary tables to support further learning, writing and application of policy briefs in practice.

Topic	Source	Title	Format	Duration	Cost and access
Writing policy briefs	The Writing Center University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	Policy briefs	Text	30 minutes	Free, no login required
Writing policy briefs	Linking research and public policy in Latin America (VIPPAL) - an initiative of CIPPEC	Toolkit: How to communicate research for policy influence Please review: Toolkit 2 – Policy Briefs	Text	30 minutes	Free, no login required
Writing and using policy briefs	SUPPORT project	SUPPORT Tools for evidence-informed health policy-making Please read: Paper STP 13	Text	1 hour	Free, no login required
Writing and using policy briefs	EVIPNet Europe	Evidence briefs for policy. Using the integrated knowledge translation approach. Guiding manual.	Text	3–4 hours	Free, no login required
Writing policy briefs	London School of Tropical Hygiene	A guide to writing policy briefs for research uptake	Short document	1 hour	–
Key elements of Policy Brief	University of Montreal	UMontrealX: Knowledge Translation 2 - Policy Brief	Online course	5 weeks	Free, login required