policy-memo

Policy Memo Skill

A policy memo exists to drive a decision, not to demonstrate research. The decision-maker reads the top and

wants: what's the issue, what are my realistic options, what do you recommend, and what happens if I say yes.

This skill writes that — BLUF (bottom line up front), honest options with trade-offs, and a defensible

recommendation.

Required Inputs

Ask for these only if they aren't already provided:

• The issue / decision — what must be decided and why now.
• The decision-maker — who reads it (minister, exec, board) and what they care about / can authorize.
• Context — relevant background, constraints (legal, budget, political), stakeholders.
• The options — the realistic choices (or ask the skill to develop them), and any evidence/data.

Output Format

MEMO — [subject]

To / From / Date / Re — standard header.

Bottom line (BLUF) — 2–3 sentences: the issue, your recommended option, and the key reason. A busy reader should get the decision from this alone.

Issue — the precise question to be decided, and why it needs a decision now.

Background — only what's needed to decide (concise; detail goes to an annex). Facts, constraints, what's at stake.

Options — 2–4 realistic options (including status quo). For each: what it is, pros, cons, cost/feasibility, and who's affected. A comparison table helps:

| Option | Pros | Cons | Cost / feasibility |

|---|---|---|---|

Recommendation — the option you recommend and why it best fits the goals and constraints. Be decisive; acknowledge the main trade-off you're accepting.

Implementation & risks — key steps, timeline, who does what, and the main risks + mitigations.

Next step / decision requested — exactly what you're asking the reader to approve.

Quality Checks

• [ ] The bottom line up front gives the recommendation in the first paragraph
• [ ] The issue is framed as a precise, decidable question
• [ ] Options include the status quo and show honest trade-offs (cost/feasibility, not just pros)
• [ ] The recommendation is decisive and justified against the stated goals/constraints
• [ ] Implementation, risks, and the specific decision requested are all present

Anti-Patterns

• [ ] Do not bury the recommendation at the end — decision-makers read the top
• [ ] Do not present a fake menu (one real option + straw men) — options must be genuine
• [ ] Do not dump all the research — include only what's needed to decide; annex the rest
• [ ] Do not hedge into non-recommendation — name a choice and own the trade-off
• [ ] Do not ignore feasibility/cost/politics — an un-implementable recommendation is useless

Based On

Government & executive decision-memo practice (BLUF, options analysis, evidence-based recommendation, implementation).