Writing Effectively at The World Health Organization

Preparation: Write a briefing note

As part of your assignment, you are required to submit a briefing note to accompany your report or proposal. Write the briefing note as if you are preparing it for someone senior to you in the organization – someone who will be attending a meeting, and providing an update on recently-completed projects and proposals underway in your area. See the Part B Assignment page for details on preparing your briefing note.

Assignment: Preparing your briefing note

For the briefing note, use the headings from the Director-General’s template for briefing notes. These are “background” and “possible messages.

The table below is not part of the standard template; it is provided to give you guide you in preparing a briefing note based on a proposal or report for your assignment. The questions are intended to help you think about the process; they are not intended to restrict you.

BACKGROUND

For proposals

  • Why is the project being proposed?
  • Is it connected to earlier projects?

For reports

  • Why is the topic significant?
  • What public health issue was the project responding to?

POSSIBLE MESSAGES

For proposals

  • Why is the project worthy of support?

For reports

  • Did the project achieve its goals?
  • What are the most significant recommendations?

© WHO 2011