Policy Briefing Memo Assignment Instructions

Overview

Researching, writing, and synthesizing information accurately is important in most successful careers. In the geopolitical realm, such abilities are vital. This is an opportunity to start building or sharpen those skills and construct the basis for a future crucial professional capability. The more experience one has in performing such tasks, the more efficient and competent they will be in dealing with them later.

Fundamentally, the clearer the ideas are written, the less room there is for ambiguous interpretation, and the message can be sent more effectively. This will make a great difference in future professional endeavors, especially in a high- stakes environment.

Instructions

You will write a Policy Briefing Memo Assignment that is a summary and analysis of facts pertaining to an issue and includes a suggested course of action. You will select your topic from the Friedman book. The paper will consist of a statement and information as outlined in the list below. The intent of this memo is to inform another individual who may have solicited assistance to study and make recommendations on a particular matter.

For example, a legislative aide may provide a briefing paper to a congressman or senator for a committee meeting. As the term suggests, briefing papers are short and succinct. Usually written in outline format, a briefing paper must be 1 – 3 pages. Your briefing paper must: provide a summary of an issue; explain a situation that needs correcting; identify any political, cultural, social, and/or financial implications; and recommend a course of action including arguments for and against the suggested action.

· Length of assignment: 3 pages (not counting title page and bibliography)

· Format of assignment: 12-point Times New Roman font, be double-spaced, and use 1-inch margins

· Number of citations: 5 – 6 references to the book

· Acceptable sources: the Friedman book, scholarly resources

· Analysis: At least 7 geopolitically relevant points

Components of a typical briefing paper:

· Name: A note to identify to whom the briefing paper is intended.

· Date: The date of preparation of the briefing paper.

· Subject: The topic or issue of the briefing paper.

· Background: A summary of past and/or current events that provide a context for the topic or issue, including any policies or past practices.

· Analysis: Identification of significant aspects of the topic or issue, the options or courses of action that should be considered (including details about the advantages and disadvantages of each), and actions currently taken or recommended to address the issue.

· Cautionary Notes: Any sensitive aspects of the topic or issue that may affect a person or an organization in a negative way.

· Contact: The name and contact information of the writer of the briefing paper.

See the Policy Briefing Memo Grading Rubric for specific guidelines and grading procedures.

Note: Your assignment will be checked for originality via the Turnitin plagiarism tool.

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