Policy Memo: Policy memo is a document used to help people make policy decisions.
In the
real world your policy memo might be one of several policy memos received by city leaders.
You MUST use the memo format shown on the next page. This assignment is
a critical thinking assignment where you put some of the research methods
skills into action. Hint—hint: you might want to write up the executive
summary after you complete the policy memo analyses.
I want you to select one problem that you found in the Ferguson Report and
use that problem as the basis for your policy memo. The Ferguson Report
discusses issues with the police department and with the municipal court.
Your problem can relate to police OR court.
Consider the following:
Who are you writing the memo to/for? This is important for you to keep in mind because the audience
will determine the tone of your memo. Your audience will also determine the approach you will use. Is
your memo addressed to an elected official? Is your memo addressed to co-workers? Is your memo
addressed to subordinates?
o State the problem clearly and concisely. The problem statement is the main reason that you are
writing the memo in the first place.
o Analyze the problem. Remember that the purpose of the memo is help people make decisions. You
will need to present your position as well as alternative positions.
o Use statistics or other examples to illustrate what action needs to take place. Make sure that you cite
to the sources in your memo using APA formatting.
o It is a good idea to explain the problem and the reason for a new or different policy agenda.
o Don’t be shy—state the policy choice that will solve the problem. Make sure that you explain why
this choice is preferable to other choices. Make sure that your solution does not violate laws or
constitutional guarantees.
o Policy memoranda are concise and to the point. Keep in mind that concise isn’t a synonym
for short. It just means that you do not have to be overly wordy and repeating yourself.
Most policy memos are addressed to the decision makers.
Format your policy memorandum as you would any memo. State who it is to, who it is from, the
date, and the subject. A memo is not very long—a couple of pages. But, you have to cover a lot
of material in those pages. You should include subheadings to make your memo easier to read.
Your memo should have one inch margins throughout. Your memo must have correct spelling
and punctuation. Always right click on any red or green lines in your papers. If the word is
spelled correctly then add that word to your dictionary so that the red line goes away.
Format for Policy Memo:
Memorandum
To:
From:
Date:
RE:
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Executive Summary should succinctly summarize the issue in
review and state the recommended policy. It is important to understand
that you might not actually analyze a policy in effect. Many times, there
is no policy in effect and your responsibility is to recommend the
establishment of a policy in response to a particular issue.
PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION
In this section of the Memorandum, you should elaborate on the problem
encouraging the need for policy implementation. It is important to be as
specific as possible when you identify the problem. A general statement
of a problem does not encourage reaction among the administrators you
are attempting to persuade. You should state any evidence you have that
a problem actually exists. If you choose to include statistics, it is
important that you include the source of those statistics, particularly for
credibility purposes. The more evidence you can present here, the better!
IMPLEMENTATION OF POLICY OPTIONS
You are ready to suggest policy options. This is the section of the
Memorandum where your ideas and recommendations are showcased.
You should identify and explain each policy option in response to the
specific problem. Do not mention the benefits of the policy options at
this time, as you will include both the pros and cons of the policy options
during the next components of the Memorandum.
ANALYSIS OF POLICY OPTIONS
It is very important to remain objective as you create this component of
the Memorandum. It is sometimes difficult to state the negative
implications (the cons) of our own idea. However, proper analysis of a
Criminal Justice Policy and competent communication require
objectivity. This section of the Memorandum forces you to analyze the
policy and identify potential problems with your recommendation. This
is also a helpful measure in appreciating the perspective of the inevitable
opponents of your policy recommendation.
Positive implications (of your policy)
This is where you state the benefits of your policy. Show who will benefit and how.
Negative implications (of your policy)
This is where you state the possible problems and issues with implementing your
policy.
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Finally, you will conclude your Memorandum with a short summary of
your recommendation/s.
