This post is written by Mehrdad Safaei, Policy and Data Analyst, Research Assistant, Simon Fraser University, Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy, Government of Canada

  • The problem: Determining which data should be used in a briefing note is tricky.
  • Why it matters: Using data can empower briefing notes and policies.
  • The solution: _Dividing the briefing notes into three categories; simple, complicated, and complex. _

Being surrounded by IoTs, data, and new analysing techniques and tools such as machine learning has brought us new opportunities to support our briefing notes. But are we using available data tools and resources in briefing notes effectively (and in the policy cycle on a broader scale)?

Each briefing note is telling a story on a defined subject and it demonstrates the available options/actions and information. Using the relevant and accurate data with the correct tool will support the purpose of a briefing note by creating a holistic story. It can also boost the re-evaluation phase of the policy cycle in the future, as the data will become more precious over time.

To understand what type of data and tools you need for each briefing note, I suggest creating a checklist and defining which categories your briefing note fits into:

  • Simple: The briefing note is based on a simple object. For example, informing the minister of health on the current Covid-19 cases in Saskatchewan. Having a time-series graph that shows the historical data and the current number with the predictive patterns can be very useful.

  • Complicated: In this category time is important. Unpredictable changes may happen, various sectors should be considered, and collaboration is needed among all components. For example, measures need to be taken to decrease the Covid-19 cases in Saskatchewan. Here, we have a variety of options/sectors that should be considered in the calculation: should we make masks mandatory? Should we announce a lockdown in the entire province or just affected areas and departments? Which businesses should remain open - and so on. It is hard but possible to break down a complicated task into simple tasks and then, for each task, we can apply the relevant model and data to support the scenarios. Having a data dashboard can tell plenty of stories and be functional.

  • Complex: The nature of the issue consists of many parts that are not directly connected. For instance, creating economic recovery and growth after Covid-19. Here, the involved elements are enormous and have sophisticated relations with each other. It’s important to establish multi-disciplinary individuals/teams across the ministries and third parties who can share the data internally and externally in order to achieve comprehensive analytics results. Powerful data stories from a large group can support your briefing note.

Each briefing note is telling a story on a defined subject and it demonstrates the available options/actions and information.

Data can always support your briefing notes and help you to generate better insight. By breaking down each briefing note into simple, complicated, and complex, you will be able to determine your datasets and the type of analysis that you need. A good picture is worth a thousand words.

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