peace and conflict in theory and practice

2500-word briefing paper: An individual briefing paper of 2500 words for someone about to be sent to work in an area of conflict, providing necessary background to the dynamics of the situation and the particular concerns for the organisation involved.

The Briefing Paper’s Format

Briefing papers are designed to help organisations understand the essentials of a policy issue. The essence of a briefing paper is that it must be short and must focus on the key issues at stake for the given organisation on the question raised. It must contain only the most essential analysis and evidence to buttress its conclusions.

In format it must include the following:

1. A title in the form of Policy Options for X (organisation) on Y (policy issue).

2. A description of the organisation, its aims and objectives in general and its position in relation to the conflict. If you choose a national or international organisation, then you must specify to which particular department of the government or regional or international organisation the briefing paper is addressed.

3. A contextualisation of the issue in terms of a brief history of the conflict, current developments and issues, and the problems it raises for the given organisation and any relevant past stances of the organisation on the issue. You should also refer to other major actors in the area.

4. A statement of the options available to the organisation, including possible ‘costs’ and ‘benefits’, including your own recommendations.

The main text of your briefing paper must be around 2500 words. But you may attach footnotes not only giving references but also indicating assumptions or background details on the issue. Such footnotes and bibliography do not form part of the 2500 word total.