What is a Policy Brief?

A policy brief is a short publication specifically designed to provide policy makers with evidence on a policy question or priority. Policy briefs

  • Bring together existing evidence and present it in an accessible format
  • Use systematic methods and make these transparent so that users can have confidence in the material
  • Tailor the way evidence is identified and synthesised to reflect the nature of the policy question and the evidence available
  • Are underpinned by a formal and rigorous open peer review process to ensure the independence of the evidence presented.

Each brief has a one page key messages section; a two page executive summary giving a succinct overview of the findings; and a 20 page review setting out the evidence. The idea is to provide instant access to key information and additional detail for those involved in drafting, informing or advising on the policy issue.

Policy briefs provide evidence for policy-makers not policy advice. They do not seek to explain or advocate a policy position but to set out clearly what is known about it. They may outline the evidence on different prospective policy options and on implementation issues, but they do not promote a particular option or act as a manual for implementation.

From:

Cover of Connecting food systems for co-benefits
Connecting food systems for co-benefits: How can food systems combine diet-related health with environmental and economic policy goals? [Internet]
Policy Brief, No. 31.
Parsons K, Hawkes C.
© World Health Organization 2018 (acting as the host organization for, and secretariat of, the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies)

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