Policy brief, manifesto or report: which publication do you need?

Choose the document around the reader’s task

These are practical editorial distinctions. The commissioning organisation may have its own prescribed structure. Check that requirement before writing or designing.

WHO’s policy-brief template is a useful primary reference for a focused problem, evidence and options. It is not a template for every kind of programme or campaign publication.

Keep evidence, interpretation and commitments distinct

Keep a source register for factual claims, including the source, date, geographic coverage and the particular figure used. Record assumptions and unresolved points rather than quietly replace them with confident wording.

In a report, a finding should remain distinguishable from the action the organisation proposes. In a programme document, a commitment should not be presented as an achievement already delivered. If the final work includes numbers or charts, the underlying approval and source need to be available to the responsible editor.

If substantial research or data analysis is required, scope that work separately. Typesetting is not independent verification, and it should not be sold as one.

Plan a reading route before laying out the pages

Prepare an outline with the purpose of each section. Give the reader an opening summary, descriptive headings and a way to find supporting detail. A short version can direct readers to a longer document, but the two must not contradict each other.

Choose the page count after reviewing the material. A longer document may need a contents page, recurring section markers, footnotes or endnotes and an accessible digital version. A brochure needs a different content density and reading order.

Keep charts legible and source notes readable. Tables should have clear headings and units. Do not remove useful context merely to produce a cleaner-looking spread.

Separate private working files from approved public content

Before sharing material, decide which files are confidential, who is authorised to approve the publication and which content may appear in the final release. Source records and internal comments should not automatically become part of the public handover.

Sage’s privacy promise covers company and private content shared for production. We do not publish commissioned work, names or testimonials without the required permission. Ask how files will be transferred and handled before sending sensitive records.

Use concept artwork when a public example is needed but a client engagement cannot be shown. Label it clearly. A strong example does not need to disclose an actual client’s private project.

Make approval a separate production step

Agree one content owner, the review sequence and a deadline for consolidated corrections. Record which version has factual approval and which has design approval. Freeze the release copy before sending it to print or publishing it.

Check the complete export: covers, contents, page numbers, captions, sources, links and any summary version. Keep a dated master so the next edition has a clear starting point.

For a quotation, share the document type, approximate length, intended audience, approved material, confidentiality requirements, output formats and deadline. The final price follows that scope rather than a universal package rate.