WORKSHOP content and goals
Please note: this training has two parts!
First all course participants attend the workshop.
Second, after, the workshop, each participant has a one-on-one online session with the trainer to discuss their policy document in more detail.
We have all read policy documents that seemed to contain more gobbledygook than sense. They lack a clear structure, contain incomprehensible sentences, and do more to confuse than to explain.
So if you have been asked to write a policy document, you are possibly thinking …
Whether this is the first policy document that you need to write or you have already written a couple, this course will help you write with confidence and clarity. This means that you will end up producing a document that hits the mark, because people understand why the policy is needed, what it involves, and what they need to do.
The keywords in this course are clarity, structure, and simplicity. And not English! An editor can help you to improve your English. But without clarity, structure and simplicity, your document might have perfect English, but it will still be hard to read.
Clarity: the preparation for the workshop will help you focus on what the policy that you need to write (or have chosen as an example) is really about. Can you see the wood for the trees?
Structure: the presentation in the first half of the workshop will get you thinking about the ins and outs of structure. You will acquire the tips you need to design a reader-friendly structure for your policy document. Also, you will be informed about which tools and resources UT offers to help you construct your text.
Simplicity: the interactive session in the second half of the workshop gives you the chance to pitch your policy. Can you say in just a few words what your policy is about, who it is aimed at, and what it seeks to achieve? And does your audience instantly grasp what you mean?
Finally, you can bring it all together during a one-on-one, online session with the trainer within three months of the workshop. Then you can check with them whether the document that you are writing hits the mark in terms of clarity, structure, and simplicity.
Please note that the workshop is part 1 of the course and provides general information about how to write a policy document. The subsequent one-on-one session is part 2 of the workshop and gives you the opportunity to work with the trainer on improving the structure and clarity of your policy document.
workshop preparation
You will need to complete a short form in which you briefly describe the following:
- Subject of the policy document that you are working on or have chosen as an example from your department/unit
- Purpose of this policy document
- Who the document is aimed at
- What changes in behaviour/awareness/actions the document intends to achieve
- One thing you feel confident about when writing
- One thing you feel unsure about when writing
This form should be submitted 14 days before the workshop takes place.
Based on this information, you need to prepare a one-minute pitch about your policy document (or the example that you have chosen). This covers what the policy is about, why it is needed, who it is aimed at, and what you want it to achieve.
TIME INVESTMENT
Please note there are three parts!
- Preparing for the workshop: about 1 hour
- Participating in the workshop: 2 hours
- One-on-one online session after the workshop during which you can obtain advice on the policy document you are writing: 45 minutes
Total time commitment is 3.75 hours