UofG Centre for Public Policy

The Centre for Public Policy, in partnership with the Political Economic Futures Forum IRT (PEFF), recently hosted a highly successful Policy Brief Writing Surgery - an interactive development session designed to equip researchers with the practical skills and strategic insight needed to craft compelling, impactful policy briefings.

Bringing together researchers from across disciplines, the workshop showcased the breadth and depth of policy-relevant work being undertaken across the University of Glasgow. Participants worked through a wide range of draft briefings, each addressing complex societal challenges and offering evidence-driven recommendations for policymakers.

A Highly Engaged, Collaborative Session

The session combined expert-led guidance, hands‑on group work, and peer‑to‑peer learning:

Writing for a Policy Audience
Dr Sarah Weakley and Kimberley Somerside from the Centre for Public Policy opened the workshop with a concise and practical introduction to writing for policy audiences. Researchers explored what makes an effective policy brief, how to distil research into accessible insights, and how to tailor messages to the needs of decision‑makers.

Policy Brief Surgery
Participants then moved into small-group discussions, sharing work-in-progress briefings and receiving personalised feedback from the Centre for Public Policy team and colleagues from PEFF. This collaborative environment helped researchers refine their structure, messaging, and recommendations - strengthening both clarity and policy relevance.

Finding Your Audience
The final interactive segment focused on identifying and engaging the right policy stakeholders. Kimberley Somerside and the Dr Dan Fisher provided real‑time advice using examples drawn from the submitted briefings, highlighting routes into political, civil service, think‑tank, and wider policy networks.

Success Stories

We are pleased to include two standout policy briefings developed during the workshop. These pieces were selected for publication due to their strong policy relevance, clarity of communication, and the strength of their actionable recommendations. They offer excellent examples of how research-informed insights can meaningfully shape policy conversations.

Zhou Zhou - Who Sits on Councils Affects Where Money Goes

Zhou Zhou Policy Briefing

Dr Louise Lawson - Women, Work and Care

Louise Lawson Policy Brief 

 

Ongoing Development Opportunities

The Centre for Public Policy offers a wide range of policy engagement and skills development training throughout the year, including workshops, one‑to‑one support, and the Early Career Research Network.

If you are interested in developing your policy engagement skills or would like to participate in future sessions:

• Contact: Kimberley Somerside, Communications & Policy Engagement Lead
• Or connect with the Centre’s Early Career Research Network

We look forward to supporting even more researchers in translating their work into meaningful, high‑impact policy contributions.

 

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First published: 27 March 2026