Jakarta – PWYP Indonesia held a basic training on preparing policy briefs for public policy advocacy for civil society organizations on 19 and 20 July 2022 online and attended by members of the PWYP Indonesia coalition. This training aims to provide a reference for understanding and knowledge of PWYP Indonesia Coalition members in preparing and writing a structured and effective Policy Brief according to the organization’s field of expertise and advocacy. Participants in this training can develop the quality of the Policy Brief preparation of each coalition member organization.
Present as trainers at this training included Victoria Franggidae, Herni Ramdlaningrum, and Eka Afrina Djamhari, Perkumpulan Prakarsa. This training lasted two days and had material and practice in making policy briefs. This training is intended for each representative of the PWYP Indonesia coalition members. This training is expected to increase the understanding of the participants involved as public policy advocates for their respective organizations. This is important to support research conducted by coalition organizations in providing input for stakeholders in deciding strategic policies at both the central and regional levels.
One of the advocacy tools that civil society activists can use is through the preparation of policy briefs. Policy Brief is a medium that briefly outlines the rationale for selecting specific policy alternatives or proposed actions on current policies (Nicola & Walsh, 2008). Policy briefs can also be the primary tool for communicating study findings to stakeholders to adopt the proposed alternatives (Young & Quinn, 2007).
In short, policy briefs serve as an impetus to take action. To make a significant impact on policymakers, a policy brief must not only be conceptually appealing but also visually appealing. This is because policymakers need more time to read findings or recommendations. Overseas Development Institute (ODI) survey findings revealed that most policymakers only spend 30-60 minutes reading about a particular issue (Walsh & Jones in ODI, 2007). Therefore, policy briefs should be attention-grabbing and present recommendations and information systematically and memorably.
Author: Chitra Regina Apris
Reviewer: Meliana Lumbantoruan