Virtual event
How to Write Better Briefings & Reports
Exclusively for public servants and policymakers
Tuesday, Jul 29, 2025
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Speakers
What to do next
- Catch up on the 8-minute highlights above, or dive into the full recording
- Join the Writing Effectively in Government Community
- Check out our upcoming event How to Rebuild Public Trust
Resources
Join the Writing Effectively in Government Community
The Writing Effectively in Government Community is a community of practice where you can share advice, insights and resources on government writing with peers across the global public service. This community is open to all Apolitical members.
Event Description
Briefings, memos and reports are the policymaker’s power tools — essential for turning evidence into action, and ideas into influence. They help leaders make decisions, communicate priorities and stay accountable.
Knowing how to craft these documents is more than a skill — it’s a career essential for anyone working in policy, or with aspirations to do so. Whether advising ministers, preparing media statements or supporting public consultations, the ability to write clearly, concisely and persuasively under pressure is critical to making an impact.
At this masterclass, we’ll hear from seasoned public sector communicators and policy professionals who will share practical techniques to sharpen your writing, structure your documents for maximum influence and make sure your message lands. Whether you work in policy now, or want to break into the field, this session will help you understand how to craft these critical documents with confidence.
This event will take place on Zoom. Joining instructions will be displayed once you register. The event will be recorded and the recording will be sent to all registrants. It may also be made available on Apolitical's platform for other members of our community to enjoy.
Interested in how Apolitical can support you and your organisation? Learn about collaborating with us.
Image Credit: Pexels
Speakers
Zoë Collier
Visiting professor, EU International Relations and Diplomacy Studies Department, College of Europe
United Kingdom
Myra Latendresse-Drapeau
Director General, Transferable Skills, Canada School of Public Service
Canada
Zoë Collier, has worked for over 30 years in and with the UK civil service and many international administrations. She started her career as a fast stream policy advisor to ministers in the Treasury (Finance Ministry), then moved across to the UK diplomatic service, where she served in the British embassy in Athens, and after that she headed up the Strategy Unit at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. She was Private Secretary to a Cabinet Minister, managing his policy portfolio and working long hours alongside him in Parliament, the department and meetings with stakeholders. She went on secondment to the UK’s National School of Government as a senior lecturer in policy and government. That was when she discovered her passion for training. She now designs and delivers training courses and coaching internationally in policy and strategy development and all the issues associated with it, including policy communication and briefing, stakeholder management, negotiation skills and political thinking. Since 2012, she has run a suite of workshops for the Council of the EU on Political Thinking and Writing Political Briefings.
Myra Latendresse-Drapeau, Myra Latendresse-Drapeau joined the Canadian public service in 2006. After serving different policy positions across ministries such as Canadian Heritage, Employment and Social Development and the Treasury Board Secretariat, she joined the Canada School of Public Service in 2021 where she is now Director General, Transferable Skills. Her teams focus on developing learning opportunities for public servants relating to leadership, policy and decision-making, and business acumen. In this position, Myra gets to work with experts from the public and private sectors on the skills and mindsets required to support the transformation of government. Myra brings to this portfolio years of experience in strategic policy, cultural policy and labour market programs, a passion for public sector innovation, and a commitment to experimenting with new approaches to increase the efficiency, relevance and excellence of Government.
