Write a policy memo on: Do bad economic times lead to more ED visits? {Evidence from state employment rate changes} Using the guidelines below. Policy Memos guidelines These guidelines teach the strategies, mechanics, and structure of a basic policy memo, which then serves as the guiding document for an oral briefing of a decision-maker. The workshop offers ways to manage evidence to make policy recommendations on serious real-world problems. At the end of the workshop, you will be prepared to write short l,000-word memos—a skill you will apply repeatedly as policy writer. Introduction: Know your audience. Keep it short. Though the two genres share many analytical features, a policy memo is not a research report or white paper. In the real world, memos are developed summaries of varying length. At the Kennedy School, the memo is typically a short distillation of the major findings or recommendations on a key issue or significant problem.