Briefs are written to summarise information. They are sometimes written to provide information about a specific issue to a senior manager or minister. They are often written to get a decision or approval about an issue.

In some departments, a brief is known as a ‘minute’, which should not be confused with meeting minutes. If the brief is for a minister they may also be known as a ministerial briefing, which should not be confused with ministerial correspondence or ministerial statements.

A brief should include:

• identifying information, including who it is to, who it is from, the date and the subject
• talking points
• background – history and context of the topic
• options (may be required for complex topics) – the available choices, which are then examined in the issues section
• issues – an analysis of the topic and the reasons for the recommendations
• recommendations – a clear decision or course of action requiring approval.

Briefs are designed to condense and present an issue for managers or ministers, who are likely to have little time to consider and digest information. Briefs should present information clearly, in logical groupings, and with analysis clearly tied to recommendations. Each point should be made in a separate, short paragraph; the paragraphs are usually numbered.

Any options are often presented for the decision maker to simply circle or tick, to ensure that the result is clear (eg ‘approved/not approved/discuss further’).

The minutes of a meeting are designed to provide an accurate, summarised record of discussions and decisions taken at meetings. The minutes can be shared with other staff or departments, or used as part of a formal record.

When taking minutes, it is a good idea to use the agenda to set up a template, so you can easily add notes into the relevant areas of proceedings. Each item on the agenda becomes a heading in your template. Add a list of attendees at the beginning.

As the meeting proceeds, aim to capture summary notes under each heading as discussions occur. Pay particular attention to any decisions or action items identified. Use dot points to separate ideas or speakers, and aim to capture general ideas and issues rather than a detailed account of every contribution.

It's a good idea to review the minutes soon after they are taken, while the meeting is still fresh in your mind. This will allow you to fill in any gaps and clarify your notes before the minutes are finalised.

Ministerial statements are official submissions by government ministers to the Australian parliament on aspects of their portfolio.

Ministerial media releases are released through the press for public consumption. They may be about particular announcements or events, or statements and responses to community issues and concerns.

These documents are generally written in a formal style, but should still be clear and unambiguous.