Beginning at the Top of the Pyramid

Let’s begin to develop a pyramid outline. Following is an example of a Dialogue with the Reader Worksheet. You will see how this worksheet is used in the pyramid structure.

Type of report: Policy note

Purpose	To outline benefits of suggested changes in agricultural policies for Country Y
Reader	Sector Manager, country ministry
Reader’s Main Question	How would country Y benefit from the suggested changes in agricultural policy?
Main message	Land-sharing policies will accelerate technology adoption in Country Y’s major crops; targeted subsidies will reduce government spending while promoting a more competitive agricultural sector.

The main message constitutes the highest category in the pyramid structure and will be placed near the beginning of the report (“bottom line on top”). The task now is to develop the next level of categories, continuing the dialogue with the reader.
Look at the main message above and try to determine what questions you as a reader would want to have answered. These questions will direct you to further answers that will form the next level of categories.