Editing Memorandum (section)

===Quality criteria===
There is no universal standard for a briefing note, but it is generally understood to be a concise, coherent summary of a public policy problem with a clearly articulated logic for following a recommended course of action. ”Next to a political nose, and a logical brain, the most important skill of the good treasury [person] resides in [their] fine drafting hand. The concise, coherent and penetrating note is the final expression of all other talents.”<ref>Heclo, H. and Rahul Vaidya 1974. The Private Government of Public Money. Berkeley: [[University of California Press]], p. 58</ref> In many governance settings based on the [[Westminster system]], policy analysts are expected to analyze the issue and write the briefing note from a neutral [[civil service]] perspective. However, the briefing note “for decision” must contain a recommendation, acknowledging that “to say anything of importance in public policy requires value judgments, which must be explained and justified”.<ref>Majone, G. 1989. Evidence, Argument, and Persuasion in the Policy Process. New Haven, CT: [[Yale University Press]]. p. 21</ref>

In addition to keeping a proper memo concise and easily comprehensible, there are a few other important features. The style and tone of a memo should always be kept professional, no matter who the audience may be.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Salina Saharudin|date=2009-07-17|title=The Memorandum|url=https://www.slideshare.net/salina2309/the-memorandum|access-date=2021-09-22|archive-date=2021-04-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210422203717/https://www.slideshare.net/salina2309/the-memorandum|url-status=live}}</ref> This etiquette ensures that no matter who reads the message, it is presented professionally and respectfully. It is common to also see briefing notes with numbered paragraphs, in order to create an efficient and well-organized paper.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Salina Saharudin|date=2009-07-17|title=The Memorandum|url=https://www.slideshare.net/salina2309/the-memorandum|access-date=2021-09-22|archive-date=2021-04-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210422203717/https://www.slideshare.net/salina2309/the-memorandum|url-status=live}}</ref> Since entering the digital age, signatures are not commonly seen at the end of a memo. However, when a briefing note was handwritten in earlier years, they typically included a signature.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Smithsonian Institution Archives|date=2011-11-17|title=Evolution of the Memo|url=https://www.slideshare.net/SIArchives/evolution-of-the-memo|access-date=2021-09-22|archive-date=2022-04-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220410035821/https://www.slideshare.net/SIArchives/evolution-of-the-memo|url-status=live}}</ref> Today it is still acceptable to sign or initial a memo if the writer wishes to.