Dr Katherine Cullerton, Dr Megan Ferguson and Dr Rachel Bacon
Government inquiries provide a unique opportunity to have a real influence on government policy.
It is an important window for advocates to add their voice to matters in their field of expertise, as well as to potentially influence those with opposing views or agendas.
So, what makes the best possible submission? Our study, recently published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, compiles the evidence to allow your expertise to stand out.
While there are many important factors in compiling an effective submission, we’ve identified three that are essential.
Convey expertise with authority
Fortunately for public health professionals, our new research suggests that governments are more likely to listen to the views of experts compared to the lay-public.
However, this relies on conveying your expertise and authority on the matter.
This can be done by outlining your expertise as the submission writer and ensuring your recommendations convey authority.
This means demonstrating knowledge of the field by providing examples of when similar recommendations have been successful, referencing the information you provide, and using a professional, non-combative tone.
Joint submissions from multiple partners may also help convey authority.
Be clear and concise
While you may have a lot to say to demonstrate your expertise and back-up your recommendations, clear and concise submissions are best received.
If you want to provide additional details, provide a link so as to not distract from your key points.
Summarise your main points early in your submission and ensure they stand out from the surrounding text.
It is also valuable to summarise your core issues and positions in quotable sentences- as these may end up being directly reported in the inquiry report.
And finally, use meaningful headings!
Align the submission with the government agenda
With all inquiries, the government will provide the scope of what they are exploring in the Terms of Reference. It’s crucial to stick to these terms.
You may have expertise outside of the scope that you want the government to know, but including this information in your submission may cause it to lose relevance.
Another way to demonstrate that your recommendations are relevant to the government, is to highlight how your submission or recommendation aligns with other government policies.
Alternately, you could use evidence from the government’s own reports to support your recommendations.
While evidence on how to write influential submissions is sparse, we hope these tips provide some guidance to advocates interested in writing effective submissions to government.
We hope further evidence can be generated in this important area to refine these recommendations for advocates internationally.
Read the open access article “An analysis of the features of successful written submissions to government inquiries” here.
Due to the limitations of the study, findings should be interpreted as considerations rather than substantive evidence of their influence.
Dr Katherine Cullerton and Dr Megan Ferguson are both Senior Lecturers, based at the UQ School of Public Health. Rachel Bacon is an Associate Professor at the University of Canberra.
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