One of the key ambitions of the GreenFORCE project is to build capacities on how the consortium partners are able to establish bridges from research to policy arenas. This includes improving the policy relevance of their written outputs. Policy relevant writing involves complementary skills to researchers that aid in routing key messages to actors who are alien to the research community, including policymakers, and various professionals. Thus, Nordregio led an internal workshop-seminar in Skopje on January 24, 2023 focusing on writing policy briefs. The policy writing workshop covered general guideline highlighting key elements of a research-based policy brief in terms of structure, but also addressing the questions of:

• WHY? what is the purpose or purposes? What is the relevance?
• WHO? who issues a policy brief and who is targeted (the recipient)? What is the relevant policy area or competent authority?
• WHEN? when is the appropriate moment? What is the political mood? what is the stage of a policy cycle? what it the topic at the moment?
• HOW? How to make a jump from research results to policy relevant messages and recommendations? How to be transparent of the limitations? How to use stakeholders to evaluate and validate the practical application of recommendations? etc.

The workshop gave an opportunity for the project partners to share their experiences in writing policy briefs, policy-relevant text and discuss the challenges and the role of the researcher. Building on this first effort, partners will continue reinforcing their capacities by formulating five policy briefs, participating in policy-relevant events, and develop a proposal for macro-regional collaboration in the Western Balkans.

To read the full report on the event click here.