Scribd
Upload
208 views3 pages

Memorandum - Wikipedia

The document discusses the definition and purpose of a memorandum, which is a written message used in business offices. It describes the typical structure of a policy briefing note, which is a specific type of memorandum used to transmit policy analysis to decision makers. The document also outlines the origins, purpose, structure, and quality criteria of policy briefing notes.

Uploaded by

asd1080
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
208 views3 pages

Memorandum - Wikipedia

The document discusses the definition and purpose of a memorandum, which is a written message used in business offices. It describes the typical structure of a policy briefing note, which is a specific type of memorandum used to transmit policy analysis to decision makers. The document also outlines the origins, purpose, structure, and quality criteria of policy briefing notes.

Uploaded by

asd1080
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 3

Memorandum

A memorandum (abbrev.: memo; from Latin memorandum est,


"It must be remembered") is a written message that may be used in a
business office. The plural form of the Latin noun memorandum so
derived is properly memoranda, but if the word is deemed to have
become a word of the English language, the plural memorandums,
abbreviated to memos, may be used. (See also Agenda, Corrigenda,
Addenda).

In law, a memorandum is a record of the terms of a transaction or


contract, such as a policy memo, memorandum of understanding,
memorandum of agreement, or memorandum of association. Other
memorandum formats include briefing notes, reports, letters, or
binders. They may be considered grey literature. In business, a
memo is typically used by firms for internal communication, while
letters are typically for external communication. Memorandum
formatting may vary by office or institution. If the intended recipient
is a cabinet minister or a senior executive, the format might be Memo written by a staff member
rigidly defined and limited to one or two pages. If the recipient is a during President Carter's tenure in
the White House.
colleague, the formatting requirements are more flexible.[1]

Contents
Policy briefing note
Origins of term
Purpose
Structure
Quality criteria
See also
References
External links

Policy briefing note


A specific type of memorandum is the policy briefing note (alternatively referred to in various
jurisdictions and governing traditions as policy issues paper, policy memoranda, or cabinet submission
amongst other terms), a document for transmitting policy analysis into the political decision making
sphere. Typically, a briefing note may be denoted as either “for information” or “for decision”.

Origins of term

The origins of the term “briefing” lie in legal “briefs” and the derivative “military briefings”.[2]
Purpose

The primary purpose of a memo “for decision” is to support decision making – and also to “help (or
sometimes influence) a decision-maker to make a better decision in a particular problem situation than
he might otherwise have made without the analysis”.[3] Other purposes that the briefing note can serve
include: conveying information; informing decisions, making a request, providing a response to a
question, making a suggestion, presenting an informal report, proposing a solution to a problem, or
documenting a reference for future use. Memorandum can be used to make brief appeals or give
suggestions.

Structure

As the communication mechanism of the policy analysis process, the briefing note should provide a
coherent synopsis of a policy problem, identify different policy options for addressing the problem,
articulate opposing perspectives and advocate a recommended option. The typical structure for a
briefing note includes a description of the proposed policy; relevant background information; a
discussion of key considerations (including implementation concerns, financial considerations,
stakeholder impacts, and possible unanticipated consequences), a summary of arguments for and
against the policy and a recommended decision. Policy documents that start with a proposal and
assemble an argument for that position are more accurately referred to as a government white paper. A
government green paper which raises a policy option and is meant to open a dialogue on the proposal is
more similar in tone to a briefing note than is a white paper.

Quality criteria

There is no universal standard for a briefing note, but it is generally understood to be a concise, coherent
summary of a public policy problem with a clearly articulated logic for following a recommended course
of action. ”Next to a political nose, and a logical brain, the most important skill of the good treasury
[person] resides in [their] fine drafting hand. The concise, coherent and penetrating note is the final
expression of all other talents.”[4] In many governance settings based on the Westminster system, policy
analysts are expected to analyze the issue and write the briefing note from a neutral civil service
perspective. However, the briefing note “for decision” must contain a recommendation, acknowledging
that “to say anything of importance in public policy requires value judgments, which must be explained
and justified”.[5]

See also
Bench memorandum
Grey literature
Memorandum of agreement
Memorandum of association
Memorandum of conversation
Memorandum of understanding
Mémoire
Presidential memorandum
Private Placement Memorandum
References
1. Gary Blake and Robert W. Bly, The Elements of Technical Writing, pg. 113. New York: Publishers,
1993. ISBN 0020130856
2. Simpson, J.A. and E.S.C. Weiner (ed.) 1989. Oxford English Dictionary. 2nd ed. OED Online. Oxford:
Oxford University Press
3. Quade, E.S. 1975. Analysis for public decisions. New York: Elsevier. p. 13
4. Heclo, H. and Rahul Vaidya 1974. The Private Government of Public Money. Berkeley: University of
California Press, p. 58
5. Majone, G. 1989. Evidence, Argument, and Persuasion in the Policy Process. New Haven, CT: Yale
University Press. p. 21

External links
RPI.edu (https://web.archive.org/web/20070427015204/http://www.rpi.edu/web/writingcenter/memos.
html), The Writing Center: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
Washington.edu (https://web.archive.org/web/20080307041941/http://courses.washington.edu/affhs
g/pdf/memoonmemos.pdf), Memorandum Writing, Patrick, Richard F. Elmore, Laurie Werner.
How to Write Briefing Notes (http://www.writingforresults.net/member/text/text_cnt/text_cnt.htm),
Parkinson, Robert B.
Classic Format of a Briefing Note (http://www.writingforresults.net/classic.pdf), Parkinson, Robert B.

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Memorandum&oldid=963942727"

This page was last edited on 22 June 2020, at 17:49 (UTC).

Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site,
you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a
non-profit organization.

You might also like