Communicating Persuasively in Policy Making
Disclaimer: The summaries and interpretations provided on this page are unofficial and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by the Canada School of Public Service (CSPS).
Summary
- Isabella Chan serves as Senior Assistant Deputy Minister at Natural Resources Canada and emphasizes effective communication as the most portable and essential skill for career advancement in government
- Effective communication manifests in both written forms like briefing notes and oral presentations when briefing deputy ministers and ministers
- Mastering effective briefings is an art that develops with experience and can be refined over time, making it a valuable skill that transfers across different departments and agencies
- The first fundamental principle of effective communication is knowing your audience and avoiding assumptions about their knowledge level of your specific file or issue
- Analysts should not assume directors or director generals are familiar with files they’ve been following closely, so they must provide necessary context for decision-makers to reach desired outcomes
- Being adaptable is crucial because briefing schedules often change, requiring the ability to compress 30-minute presentations into 15 minutes while maintaining essential elements
- Effective briefers must identify core elements and package information into bite-sized pieces that guide the audience through complex topics without overwhelming them
- Briefings should be viewed as information exchanges rather than one-way information dumps, considering what the receiver needs to hear and what feedback might be gathered
- Public servants often enter briefings with passion and deep knowledge but must balance their recommendations with information they can gather from their audience
- Decision-makers may possess additional information that could influence outcomes, so briefers should remain open to adapting their recommendations based on audience input
- Public servants must adhere to values and ethics codes, providing non-partisan advice that enables informed decision-making by political leaders
- Maintaining objectivity requires using data to inform decisions and support recommendations with concrete evidence rather than personal opinions
- Consultation is essential for good public policy development, as regulations and legislation typically include consultation periods to gather diverse perspectives
- Consulting stakeholders helps ensure policy advice considers impacts beyond the immediate scope and accounts for direct and indirect effects on various groups
- Staying curious and seeking information helps public servants understand broader government context through documents like Speech from the Throne and ministerial mandate letters
- Leaders should model information sharing behavior by being generous with knowledge and helping team members understand how their work fits into broader government priorities
- When facing potential rejection of proposals, public servants should prepare alternative options beforehand rather than accepting defeat
- Rejection should not be taken personally but viewed as an opportunity to find different approaches to achieve the same policy outcomes
- Leaving ego behind allows for more creative problem-solving when initial recommendations are not accepted
- Concrete examples are powerful tools for illustrating abstract policy concepts and making legislation or regulations more relatable to audiences
- The Canadian Environmental Protection Act example demonstrates how mentioning specific applications like banning BPA in baby bottles makes abstract legislation immediately understandable and compelling
Actionable Advice
- Study your audience before briefings and research their background knowledge and perspective on your topic
- Prepare multiple versions of your briefing for different time constraints, identifying the most essential elements for shorter presentations
- Focus on providing context and background information rather than assuming your audience knows your file details
- Practice condensing complex information into bite-sized, digestible pieces that build understanding progressively
- Approach briefings as two-way information exchanges by preparing questions to gather insights from your audience
- Use data and evidence to support your recommendations rather than relying on personal opinions or assumptions
- Conduct consultations with relevant stakeholders before making policy recommendations to gather diverse perspectives
- Read government priority documents including Speech from the Throne and ministerial mandate letters to understand broader context
- Share information generously with your team members to help them understand how their work connects to government priorities
- Prepare alternative options and approaches before presenting recommendations in case your primary proposal is rejected
- Reframe rejections as opportunities to find different paths to the same policy outcomes rather than personal failures
- Develop concrete, real-world examples that illustrate the practical importance of abstract policies or legislation
- Practice explaining technical concepts using relatable examples that non-experts can immediately understand and visualize