One thing we know with government roles, often we need information from technical experts for non-technical audiences. This could be for a number of different reasons that may include:
- to interpret policy, procedure or regulations;
- to advise CEO's or Ministers;
- to guide the writing of policy, procedures or regulations;
- to guide decision making
There are a number of relevant scenario's but whatever the situation is, the important thing to remember is that the technical information needs to be able to be understood by a wide range of audience, many of whom will not have the technical knowledge of the writer or topic. So, how do we ensure that happens?
There are several tips that would be relevant for any form of writing, the most important for technical writing include:
Know your Audience!
What are the needs for that particular audience? What is the reason they want the information? Ensure you understand this and then plan and tailor how you write (content/style) to their need and level of knowledge about the topic.
What is the desired outcome?
Information should focus on the original question or reason for the communication ie if it is a new policy - how can the information be conveyed that doesn't confuse the reader/audience.
Structure is key.
Having a structure to your communication helps the information flow and makes it easier to understand. Use headings to help with that and get a peer to review your work to give feedback on this before it is finalized.
Simplify
Technical terms are normal in some roles across government such as legal, accounting and audit, regulatory compliance for example, and at times you will have to use technical terms as it might be mandatory to refer to them in a certain way. If this is the case, ensure you either break them down or provide a lay-persons explanation alongside the terminology.
Jargon and acronyms
Try and avoid these where possible, imagine in the future when you may have won the lotto and moved to the Italian seaside and are no longer with the organization to provide explanations of what you are trying to say - will the reader understand what has been written?
Use scenarios
If it is appropriate to help understanding, use scenarios and examples to help translate your information. This is really relevant when writing training material for staff and could also help the public understand your policies in real-world terms.
AI
With the growing use of AI, many agencies are being encouraged to use AI to help with tasks such as writing reports and also for deciphering what they say. The important thing here is, always ensure a human has proof-read and edited the writing.
Technical expertise is an essential part of the government landscape and plays an important role in a range of functions to help agencies thrive. It is also an art to be able to write technical advice and information, and as a regular reader and recipient of the technical advice and reporting, I really hope these few tips have helped those experts to consider when providing information for us non-techy colleagues.
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