Writing is part of the bread and butter work of professionals in all government departments. Some of these are for ministerial consumption—briefs, letters, questions on notice.
If governments are to implement good policy and administer programs effectively and efficiently then the analysis they receive must be coherent, well argued and clear. Good writing is therefore a means to realise a good administrative end.
Clear and plain writing is also the hallmark of professionalism. Good writing is one measure of analytical competence. It demonstrates clarity and precision in thought and argument, which are bankable skills for a professional. Don’t let poor writing win you a reputation for incompetence.
This course is suitable for all levels of staff and can be tailored to suit the needs of your organisation.
Types of writing covered in the course
- Ministerial briefs are written to outline or explain the issues that departments handle. They explain the data, evidence and arguments so that governments can understand the policy or the programs that they administer—and thereby deliver better services to the Australian people.
- Current issues briefs provide ministers who are exposed during question time with relevant information. The good news brief is a variation on the Current Issues Brief form.
- Ministers take questions from members of parliament on notice and formally respond with a written reply—the question on notice.
- Ministerial letters (referred to simply as ‘ministerials’) are written in response to letters from members of the public, interested parties, constituents etc.
Expected outcomes
Participants will be able to:
- understand the expectations of a minister and minister’s office
- define the purpose of the document
- properly plan their writing so that it has a logical structure
- marshal the necessary information—neither too much nor too little
- organise their material into a document that has strong structure and integrity
- edit the document
- examine it from the reader’s point of view
Participants
All departmental employees, especially those writing briefs and other ministerial documents.
Program delivery
This course can be delivered over one or two days. Trainees become competent by working through a graded series of exercises.
Prerequisites
Participants are encouraged to bring with them a piece of writing that they have done already.
