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Policy Memo1EDUC1130:ECON1301ECONOMICS OF EDUCATION IJOHN TYLERRecommendations,for,Writing,Policy,MemosWriting good policy memos is an important skill. It involves more than simply writing outyour ideas. These are a few ideas that may help in learning this art form.1(1) Write for a Policy AudienceKeep in mind that the reader is typically an extraordinarily busy person with too much to read.Consequently, you must grab the reader’s attention in the first paragraph, and hold it. Thisimplies that the first paragraph should state clearly what the memo is about and its bottom line message.It also implies that every paragraph must say something important. If it does not, it should not be in thememo. Similarly, every sentence should contribute to your argument. Especially when writing shortmemos of 1-2 pages, sentences that fail to move your argument forward should be omitted.A good memo persuades the reader that your argument is important. It should not be a listingof facts or options without a point of view. Instead, it should include your interpretation of thefacts, and/or your analysis of the attractiveness of alternative options.Avoid jargon. Most people in policy positions don’t like it. One reason is that they typicallycannot use it in talking to the media, and often policymakers rely on memos from staff for draftlanguage to use in answering questions.Often headings are useful in organizing the memo. They draw the reader’s attention toimportant points you want to make, and avoid awkward transitions.Avoid long lists of proposals (or for that matter, anything else). The reader’s eye tends to skipover long lists.You may need to re-write the introductory paragraph after completing the memo. Often, theprocess of crafting the content of the memo helps clarify your memo’s main point, which youshould emphasize in the opening paragraph. Often there is a paragraph in the body of thememo that works better as an opening paragraph than the opening with which you started.“””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””” 1This document was prepared by Richard J. Murnane and teaching assistants in his class at the Harvard GraduateSchool of Education.2Write strong and concise paragraphs. Use strong topic sentences to inform your reader of the purposeof each paragraph. State the main idea of each paragraph within the first two sentences. Thencontinually tie your discussion to your focus or main point. Explain, both along the way and in yourconclusions, how everything fits together.In a memo, you can only make a few main points. Choose carefully. Make sure issues of importancetake up equivalent space: the more important, the more space, and vice versa.Be direct when you write. Memos should be clear and concise – remember the adage that quality isbetter than quantity. In the interest of making maximum use of space, keep your sentences short, useadjectives and adverbs sparingly, and avoid parenthetical remarks. Memos should not havesubstantive footnotes.Be precise in your word choice. For example, don’t say “and” when you mean “even though.”Express key statistics in creative, meaningful ways. Again, the reader’s eyes will skip over long listsof numbers or words the importance of which is not explained.In an opinion piece, anticipate questions and debate. Add support to your assertions byincorporating examples or facts that support your main statements. If possible, briefly note opposingopinions and why you discount them.Try out your memo on a colleague. It is often difficult to judge by yourself how well a memoworks.(2) Follow the Steps to Writing a Good EssayBreak your writing down into manageable pieces. Doing so not only helps you manage your timebetter, it also allows you to concentrate on one activity at a time rather than trying to do everything atonce. This also may make the argument in your final product clearer to the reader. Plan and gather ideasSpend some time brainstorming and gathering the ideas and thoughts you will need toinclude in your essay. Refer to your notes and readings for important concepts. Collect factsand examples to support your answer. Organize and develop a focusThink, make notes, and prepare the material you want to use before you begin to write.Consider the most effective way to present that material to your reader. A short topic outlineis sometimes a good way to organize thoughts. WriteFlesh out your outline with facts and examples. Remember to provide strong topic sentencesand transitions between ideas so that your arguments are clear to the reader. See moresuggestions above.3 Revise and polishTry a draft out on a colleague or friend. Can s/her understand your argument and discernyour main points? Never rely on your first draft; its best to write a draft, let is sit cold, thencome back, read, and revise.(3) Citations (the Economics format)Be sure to properly cite within the text any evidence you discuss that is linked to a particular studyrather than is just the general knowledge of the profession. The correct format is the last name andyear of the paper or book. For example, the correct format is: “Long (2000) found …” or “Onestudy found … (Long, 2000).” Also note the page number if using a quote.In referencing material that you might use in your policy memos, please use the economicsmethod of citing a work. Below are two examples. The first is an example where you don’t use theauthor’s name in the narrative, but are using material that needs to be cited. The second is anexample where the authors’ names are used in the narrative.“Research also shows, however, that there is little in a teacher’s personnel file that would helpadministrators identify who are the best and worst teachers in any given school or school district(Rivkin et al. 2005).”“Nevertheless, Toch and Rothman (2008) point out that while our knowledge of how to effectivelyand fairly evaluate teachers has grown substantially in the past decades, the “vast majority ofdistricts” still do not employ a credible system of measuring the quality of teachers’ work.”If you have citations in the body of your memo, then at the end of your policy memo you wouldhave a reference section as below. I’m not overly concerned with exactly how you structure theentries in the “Reference” section as long as they are there with last name first and in alphabeticalorder.Note: you may well have a policy memo that has no statements that need referencing. But be sureto reference any statements that do require backup. If you have any citations in the body of yourmemo then you will need to include a reference section at the end. The reference section should beformatted as below.ReferencesRivkin, Steven, Eric Hanushek and John Kain. (2005). “Teachers, Schools andAcademicAchievement” Econometrica, 73(2):417-458.Toch, Thomas and Robert Rothman. (2008) “Rush to Judgment: Teacher Evaluation in PublicEducation in Education Sector Reports, January 2008. Follow this link for a similar paper written from scratch