A briefing note is the most common deliverable Ace Strategies produces for clients. This playbook is the house standard — follow it every time, even under pressure.
Staff-Only Document
This playbook is for Ace Strategies staff only. It is not the same as any deliverable prepared for Invest Australia Alliance (IAA) members, who have their own separate library at /alliance/members/knowledge/.
When to Use a Briefing Note
Reach for a briefing note when the client needs:
- A short, structured written answer (typically 1–3 pages) to a specific question
- Quick orientation on an emerging policy, regulatory, or political development
- Context and recommendations before a meeting, media appearance, or decision point
If the request is open-ended strategy work, use a strategy memo instead. If it is a media response, use the Media Enquiry Protocol.
Structure
Every Ace briefing note uses the same five-part structure:
- Headline + Bottom Line — one-sentence answer at the top. Bold it.
- Context — two or three sentences on why this matters now.
- Key Points — three to five bulleted findings, ordered by importance.
- Analysis — one or two paragraphs connecting the points and drawing out the "so what."
- Recommendations — numbered, actionable, and owned. Say who should do what by when.
Any section can be expanded, but never dropped. If you have no recommendations, the brief is not finished.
Research Standards
- Source everything. Every factual claim needs a footnote or an inline citation to a named source.
- Triangulate. A claim supported by a single partisan source is a claim the client will ask about. Find two independent corroborations.
- Date everything. Polling, media, and political context move fast. Include the date of the source in the citation.
- Flag uncertainty. If a claim is contested, say so in the note — don't paper over it.
Turnaround
| Urgency | Expected turnaround | Reviewer |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | 2 business days | Peer review + editor |
| Urgent | Same day | Editor only (peer review deferred) |
| Flash | 2–4 hours | Self-review, editor notified after send |
For anything faster than "urgent," call the editor before you start. Do not promise a flash turnaround without clearance.
Review Checklist
Before you send a briefing note to the client, confirm:
- [ ] Bottom line is stated in the first sentence
- [ ] Every factual claim has a source
- [ ] Recommendations are specific and have owners
- [ ] No IAA-only or client-confidential material has leaked in from another engagement
- [ ] House Style Guide has been followed (headings, tone, Australian English)
- [ ] File is saved to the correct client folder with the date-prefix naming convention
Common Failure Modes
- Burying the lede. If the client has to read past the first paragraph to get the answer, rewrite.
- Over-hedging. "May, could, might" in every sentence signals you don't have a view. Take one.
- Kitchen-sink recommendations. Three sharp recommendations beat ten vague ones.
- Drift between analysis and recommendations. The recs must follow from the analysis. If they don't, one of the two is wrong.
Templates
Starter templates live in Content Templates & Examples. Use the briefing-note-standard.md template as a starting point, not as a shortcut — every brief still needs to be tailored to the client and the question.