This article is written by Rachael Lovett, Stakeholder Engagement Manager at the Welsh Government.

  • **The problem: **Writing for government can be a significant challenge with so many different demands competing for our attention.
  • **Why it matters: **Contending with extensive revisions further down the clearance process can take up even more precious time, and delay communicating important messages.
  • **The solution: **Paying early attention to purpose and audience, combined with building in review time can be a game changer.

I’ve worn many hats during my career as a civil servant. A single role might involve project management, advocacy, compliance and more.

But I never thought of myself as a writer until recent years. As it turns out, ‘non-fiction writer’ is just another hat I wear in this varied and rewarding vocation.

That doesn’t always mean it’s easy.

Create space to hone a rock-solid draft and it’s much more likely to sail through the clearance pipeline.

Maybe you can relate to feeling stuck and stressed, staring at a blank screen with multiple deadlines looming. Or perhaps, even more, disheartening, pouring your heart and soul into a piece only for it to be returned with a frenzy of track changes and comments.

I’d certainly been there one too many times. So I decided to learn all I could about the art of writing, both in the context of government and beyond.

Along the way, I discovered the same three essential factors were endorsed again and again. These are now the backbone of my writing process, and it all starts with one question…

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What is your purpose?

As enlightening as it would be, I don’t go on a journey of self-discovery every time I sit down to write. I do try to understand what needs to happen as a result of writing it.

Will the reader have a decision to make? Am I looking for answers to help solve a problem? Perhaps guiding a service user to successfully navigate a complex system?

The five Ws are a well-known and effective tool to help narrow down the desired outcome. Mind maps, flow charts and even lists and sticky notes can come in handy at this stage. I like using them to organise ideas and transfer busy thoughts from brain to paper.

Whether it’s to inform, persuade, instruct or something else, it helps to keep what I’m trying to achieve front and centre when writing. Keeping a one-sentence summary somewhere in view can serve as a useful reminder to stay on track.

Who is your reader?

Next up, understanding the ‘who’ is just as important as knowing the ‘why’.
It’s so easy to get trapped in ‘writer mode’ where the message revolves around our own perspective.

But here’s the thing: as civil servants, we are dedicated to serving ministers and the public. Our choice of language, tone and structure are tools to serve the people we need to connect with.

That’s where switching to ‘reader mode’ comes in.

A little research is a big help when it comes to finding a voice that resonates with the intended audience. How might they pass on the information to another person? What is their lived experience and what language would they use to describe it? What is it they need to know? Is it different to what I want to tell them?

How can this be better?

It’s tempting to finish writing and hit send right away. ‘Job done, I can move on to the next task, right?’.

Wrong!

Create space to hone a rock-solid draft and it’s much more likely to sail through the clearance pipeline.

But did you know there’s a difference between proofreading and copy editing? Rather than simply checking spelling and grammar, copy editing is about making sure a piece will achieve its purpose and speak to the intended audience – the two elements we invested time in at the beginning.

Proofreading has its place and should never be overlooked. But reviewing with an editor mindset has been a real eye opener for me.

I find these questions helpful to get started:

  • Does every word count? If it doesn’t contribute to the purpose, get rid of it.
  • Is there any unnecessary jargon? Could I phrase this in a way that sounds less like ‘government-speak’?
  • Does the reader have to work hard to find out what they need to do?

So, give thought to purpose and audience as a minimum, and don’t skip the review stage. If you just remember these, then like me you’ll find writing for colleagues, ministers and the public a much more positive experience.

I’ll wrap up with one final nugget that has stuck with me from all that training – write to express, not to impress. Keep that in mind and you’ll be most of the way there.

(Image Credit: Unsplash)