Communication skills for public servants: where to learn for free

Communication

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• UK Government Communication Service Guidance (opens in a new tab) — An extensive collection of guidance covering a wide range of communications topics including digital, campaigns and strategy | Varying
• Engaging Citizens and Communications Path (Govloop) (opens in a new tab) — This four course learning path gives practical advice for policymakers looking to improve their communication skills | Short

Public speaking and presenting

• Public Speaking: Ten Tips from GovLoop’s Founder (opens in a new tab) — A quick fire look at hacks for improving public speaking | Super short
• TED Style Speaking Master Class (opens in a new tab) — Unlock the secrets of the best TED speakers with this three part video course | Short
• Introduction to Public Speaking (opens in a new tab) (The University of Washington) — A five-lesson course for all levels of public speaker | Medium
• How to tell a story about your policy: the basics of writing and presenting for public servants (Apolitical) (opens in a new tab) — A three-part interactive and animated crash course in the basics of storytelling for public servants | Super short
• Presentation skills: Speechwriting and Storytelling (Tomsk State University) (opens in a new tab) — A six-part course focusing on structuring the content of presentations to become an excellent storyteller | Long

Written communication

• Writing a Policy Brief (opens in a new tab) — Some broad advice and tips to keep front-of-mind when writing policy briefs | Super short
• How to Write a Policy Brief (opens in a new tab) (IDRC) — An easy-to-use presentation with simple, clear instructions on how to write a good policy brief. Includes useful examples | Super short
• How to Plan, Write and Communicate an Effective Policy Brief: Three Steps to Success (opens in a new tab) —  This step-by-step guide outlines how to make the most of your policy brief, through strategic planning, well formulated writing and targeted distribution | Short
• Writing User-Friendly Documents (Plain English Network) (opens in a new tab) — Some general advice for writing user friendly documents — a must read for all public servants | Short

Social media

• Social Media Ethics (opens in a new tab) — Just because you can tweet it, doesn't mean you should. Learn to do the right thing on social media with this super speedy course | Super-short
• Social Media for Government (opens in a new tab) — An easy-to-watch short course outlining the powerful ways social media can be used by government | Short