Writing Studio Professional and Business Writing

Memos and reports

You will be able to structure a memo, briefing note or report so a decision-maker can act after reading the first page.

Do this first

Take a report or long document you are working on and write a five-sentence executive summary: purpose, main finding, why it matters, your recommendation, and the next step with a date. Then check every figure in it against the body.

Steps

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Name the decision the document serves
Before outlining, write down who will read it, what they must decide or do, and by when. Memos, briefing notes and reports share one test: can the reader act on it? Material that does not serve that decision goes in an appendix or out.
Write a summary that stands alone
Many decision-makers read only the executive summary, so it must give the purpose, main findings, implications and recommendation in plain language. Keep it to about a page, or roughly 5 to 10% of a long report, and use exactly the same figures and terms as the body. Draft it after the body, then place it at the front.
Use a decision structure
A common briefing note order in the Canadian public service is purpose, summary, background, current status, considerations or options, and recommendation, usually in two pages or fewer. Formats vary by organisation, so ask for the house template and a strong past example.
Give options, then recommend
Present two or three realistic options, including the status quo where it is genuinely possible, and compare them on the same criteria (cost, time, risk, impact). Then recommend one and explain why in terms of the reader's priorities.
Write headings that carry the message
Swap label headings such as “Results” for message headings such as “Enrolment fell 12% after fees rose”. A reader who skims only the headings should get the argument, and the first sentence under each heading should state its point.
Make numbers easy to use
Round figures to the precision the decision needs and compare them with something meaningful: last year, the target, the budget. Use a table when readers must compare more than a few values, and give each chart a title that states what it shows.

Templates

Briefing note

BRIEFING NOTE FOR: [Name, title]
FROM: [Name, title]
DATE: [date]
SUBJECT: [Topic, phrased as the decision or issue]

PURPOSE
[For decision / For information]: [one sentence on what the reader needs to decide or know].

SUMMARY
[Three to five sentences: the issue, the main finding, the recommended option and the deadline.]

BACKGROUND
[Only what the reader needs to understand the issue.]

CURRENT STATUS
[What is happening now, including deadlines or pressures.]

OPTIONS
1. [Option A]: [benefits]; [costs]; [risks]
2. [Option B]: [benefits]; [costs]; [risks]
3. [Status quo, if realistic]: [consequences]

RECOMMENDATION
[Option X], because [two or three reasons tied to the reader's priorities].

NEXT STEPS
[Who does what by when.]

Five-sentence executive summary

This [report / review / analysis] [assesses / evaluates / compares] [topic] to [purpose].
We found that [main finding, with the key figure].
This matters because [consequence for cost, people, risk or timeline].
We recommend that [who] [specific action] by [date].
If approved, [first step, owner and date].

Internal memo

TO: [Name or team]
FROM: [Name]
DATE: [date]
RE: [Topic and the action needed]

[Opening paragraph: the main point or request, and any deadline.]

[Body: context and evidence, under short headings or numbered points.]

[Closing: what happens next, who to contact, and by when.]

Check your draft

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Does the first page say what the document is for and what I recommend?
Could someone make the decision from the executive summary alone?
Do the summary's figures and terms match the body exactly?
Does each heading state a point rather than only name a section?
Are the options compared on the same criteria?
Is there a clear recommendation and a next step with an owner and a date?
Have I moved detail that does not serve the decision into an appendix?
Does it fit the length and template the reader expects?

In your field

Scientists and engineers know IMRaD, which places the answer near the end; business and government reports invert it, with findings and recommendations first and method in brief or in an appendix. Keep the technical rigour, but express uncertainty in terms of what it means for the decision.

Common mistakes

Writing the executive summary as an introduction that promises findings instead of stating them.
Following the order in which you did the work rather than the order in which the reader needs answers.
Presenting a single option and calling it a recommendation, which leaves the reader nothing to weigh it against.
Letting figures in the summary drift out of line with later edits to the body.
Using label headings that force the reader through every paragraph to find the point.

Go further

Policy Briefs (UNC Writing Center)How to structure a brief for decision-makers, from executive summary to recommendations, with a before-and-after example.
Executive Summaries (Writing@CSU, Colorado State University)What an executive summary contains, how long it should be and how to phrase recommendations.
How to write an effective briefing note (University of Birmingham)Practical advice from a university public affairs team on short briefing notes for policy audiences.
The Pyramid Principle by Barbara MintoThe classic method for putting the answer first and grouping supporting points logically beneath it.