Writing Clearly: Avoiding complex language in drafting policies and procedures
Good Practice Guide #44
AUA Office University of Manchester, Sackville Street Building, Sackville Street, Manchester M60 1QD Tel: +44 (0)161 275 2063 Email: aua@aua.ac.uk aua.ac.uk Š AUA 2016
Written by Steph Talliss-Foster & Richard Booth
Contents
About the authors Richard Booth
Introduction to Plain English: What is it? Why is it important? Where to start drafting policies and procedures: Setting aims and laying out the process
Richard’s career began at Green Alliance, an environmental policy think tank based in Westminster, where he oversaw the organisation’s events and managed the corporate membership scheme. Seeking a new challenge, Richard
Who to include in policy construction: Senior sponsorship, inclusion and ownership What are you trying to say? Examples of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ writing First drafts: And second, third and fourth
re-trained as a barrister and joined the Bar Pro Bono Unit as a caseworker. The Unit is the UK’s only charity providing assistance from professionally-qualified barristers to those who cannot afford to pay and who do not qualify for legal aid. After an internal restructure, Richard was appointed Head of Casework and led colleagues in streamlining the organisation’s often complex and lengthy casework process. Richard moved into the HE sector in November 2015, taking up his current role of Student Casework Manager at Birmingham City University. He works
Implications for redrafting across the HEI: How plain English and ‘legalese’ documents can co-exist Approval: Trial by committee, change by stealth Implementation: Training, template letters and beyond
alongside Steph Talliss-Foster and line-manages the casework team in administering and advising on the University’s procedures. Richard is interested in quality and assurance, encouraging active engagement amongst stakeholders, and enhancing the student experience by making procedures more accessible and easier to navigate. Richard holds a BA (Hons) in Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic from the University of Cambridge and an MA in Medieval Studies from the University of Toronto. He completed the Graduate Diploma in Law and the Bar Professional Training Course at City University London. Richard is a Barrister Member of Gray’s Inn.
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Steph Talliss-Foster Steph began her administrative career in university finance, quickly realising that quality assurance held
Introduction to plain English What is it? Why is it important?
more interest for her than balance sheets. Having worked to help secure TDAP for Newman University
What is plain English?
College (now Newman University), Steph served on the
Plain English is writing using clear language. It doesn’t mean a dumbing-
QAA Advisory Group revising Section 5 of the Code of
down or dilution of message but consistently using the simplest possible
Practice on Academic appeals and student complaints on academic matters
language.
(2007). Having worked in the Birmingham area for many years, Steph decided that a change of scenery (and weather) was in order and moved to work at the
Plain English isn’t new. The Plain English Campaign was established in 1979
University of Wales, Lampeter and still has dear friends in the area. Steph
with the aim of ridding public documents of “gobbledegook, jargon and
worked briefly at the Solicitors’ Regulation Authority before taking up her
misleading… information.” (plainenglish.co.uk 2016).
current role as Assistant Director of Student Services (Complaints and Appeals)
Plain English Campaign’s Official Website. [online] Available at: http://
at Birmingham City University. Steph’s professional interests include
www.plainenglish.co.uk/ [Accessed 17 July 2016].
regulatory matters, quality and standards, continuing professional development, and service improvement. Steph recently project-managed a
Why is plain English important?
major procedure review at Birmingham City University aimed at presenting
For anyone who writes regularly, plain English is important in helping to
information in plain English, achieving the Plain English Campaign’s Crystal
produce writing that is:
Mark accreditation for all revised procedures. Following on from this project,
Clear
Steph delivered a presentation at the OIA’s annual open meeting in 2016 along
Concise
with the BCU Students’ Union President. Steph advocates the importance of
Has the right tone
wellbeing underpinning effective work and study and so runs a monthly knitter
With practice, it can be quicker to write in plain English.
natter group. Steph holds undergraduate degrees in both Law and Psychology, and postgraduate degrees in Applied Forensic Psychology, Legal Practice, Professional Practice, Learning and Teaching, and Research Practice. She is currently studying for a PhD in Psychology. Steph is a Fellow of both the AUA and HEA, and a Graduate member of the BPS.
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For the reader, plain English means written work is: Easy to read Easy to understand Quick to read Being written with the reader in mind means it can feel friendlier.
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It has the potential to improve efficiency. The gobbledegook examples used in
Trying to think of a final title too early can block the process. In the same
this guide have a total of 292 words. The plain English examples have 198 words.
way, not having a title (even a working title) can mean you wander off the
That means fewer pages for you to read and print out (if you’re in to that sort of
topic. You can look again at your title when you’ve finished the first draft
thing). Documents written in plain English are more likely to be understood first
to make sure it reflects the document you’ve written.
time, meaning less time needed to re-read. What is your document about? To help in being clear about your message, it might be useful to write a
Where to start in drafting policies and procedures
short introduction: “This procedure reflects our commitment to helping you drink more tea.
Setting aims and laying out the process
We believe drinking tea is important and want to make sure the highest
Start at the beginning, think of the end
Who is your document for?
Seems obvious, but all journeys need some sort of map that pinpoints the end
Although you may write a procedure for a specific group of people (such as
and highlights at least one route to follow. Imagine you are trying to write a
students) there will always be other people who read it (such as university
procedure for how to make a cup of tea – where do you start? Are there
staff, student union staff, parents, friends, relatives).
assumptions you can make (such as owning a kettle, tea bags, cups, and having
There is a temptation to believe that writing in the ‘third-person’ is clear:
access to water and electricity)?
“All students are responsible for supplying their own tea bags” is fine but
quality tea is available for all enrolled students and staff of the University.”
when you get to specific instructions it gets strange: Consider the following:
“Students must make sure that they allow the tea bag to brew for the
What status will your document have?
length of time that is preferred”.
Are you writing a policy? A procedure? A process? Or guidance? Depending on
This makes it seem like there is an agreed preferred brewing time that all
what you are writing, the language you use will be slightly different. For example,
students need to stick to.
a procedure is an agreed way of doing something, so will be narrower about
A good way to avoid ‘third-person’ references is to explain who the
what choices are available (for example ‘must’ or ‘will’). Guidance is about
procedure is aimed at:
suggesting how something might be done so offers choices (for example ‘might’
“This procedure is for all enrolled students of the university, including any
or ‘may’).
member of staff also enrolled as a student.” You can then go on to make more personal references:
Think about the title (but not too much). Titles are important in giving quick
“You must make sure you allow the tea bag to brew for your preferred
information about a document. “A procedure for making tea” is more helpful
amount of time. We are not responsible for supplying tea bags”.
than “A procedure for making very hot drinks using plant leaves in a bag”. 6
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Who to include in policy construction Senior sponsorship, inclusion and ownership
placement of commas. Try not to become too emotionally involved; step back and think of the wider experience you are gaining. Remember you are writing a procedure that will be used by others and you can use this experience to inform your future writing.
Finding a home University procedures are usually approved by a committee. As all committees have terms of reference, check you’re submitting to the right one. Committees are usually chaired by a senior member of staff, so you’ll need to make sure you
What are you trying to say? Examples of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ writing
keep the chair informed of progress. You don’t want to spend a large amount of time writing a procedure only to find that it’s already been done elsewhere in the
Unless you take time to think about how something is written, you don’t
university or (worse still) that there’s no support for what you’re trying to do. If
always notice good writing. Bad writing isn’t always obvious unless you
you’re still reading this, chances are you’re thinking about writing your
look for it; bad habits in a version of a procedure are usually inherited in
procedure in plain English. Make sure you appropriately manage expectations, as
each new version.
what you write may be very different from what has been written before.
Addressing the middle ground
Consultation
In higher education, as in most areas of public life, certain words and
Consulting others can be frightening and time-consuming. As the saying goes ‘there are three sides to every story’ but when it comes to writing a procedure you can expect many more than three opinions to be expressed. To risk another saying: ‘too many cooks spoil the broth.’ That can be true of consultation. You’re looking for a manageable but fair number of people who can represent relevant groups. If your university has a students’ union and 17 academic schools, it wouldn’t seem right to have 3 representatives from each school and just one person from the students’ union. However, it is important to make sure that each representative is able to gather opinions from those being represented and also feed back to them on progress. In this way, it is useful to have senior staff as your representatives, but it can be a challenge finding suitable dates that everyone can make.
phrases are used because they are generally understood. Sometimes these
Ownership and letting go
need to be clear about the definition you give for that word or phrase.
Writing a procedure can be rewarding but can be hurtful. Imagine spending hours of your time writing something that you feel could be a new best-seller which is torn apart by committee for everything from guiding principles to your 8
words and phrases don’t fit with the plain English approach. For example, when looking at cheating in an assessment, many universities refer to ‘poor scholarly activity’. If you are someone who regularly deals with cheating cases, you may have a good idea of what it means, but it isn’t plain English, and it’s unlikely that your students will know what you expect of them. Sometimes, the word you want to use has a specific legal implication. For example, a student telling you something isn’t always the same as a student disclosing something. So what can you do? Do you have to re-learn phrases or stick to the legal wording and abandon plain English? The good news is there is middle ground. If a word or phrase has a specific meaning and is widely understood but isn’t plain English, you can use it. You just
So how do you do ‘plain English’? Think about the information you need to get across. Now re-word that as if you were explaining it to someone. We’ve come up with some simple 9
examples and some more complex ones to show you how it can be done:
Passive language Passive writing can be harder to read than active writing. Passive writing
Simple examples
means it can be harder to work out who is responsible for doing something.
This: The Complaints Procedure covers complaints from anyone who receives, requests or is affected by our services.
Simple examples of passive writing are easy to identify e.g. ‘the dog was
Becomes: Anyone who receives, requests or is affected by our services can
walked by me’.
raise a complaint.
Complex writing can mask passive writing e.g. ‘the student was told that he
This: As an applicant, the university requires you to provide your contact
had until Friday to return his library books’.
address and your student ID number when you make an application for
This: Anyone wishing to request a coursework extension must submit their
hardship funding.
form at least 7 days prior to the assessment deadline.
Becomes: You must include your contact address and student ID number on
Becomes: Submit your extension form at least 7 days before the
your hardship fund application.
assessment deadline.
This: This allows adequate time for Early Resolution to be attempted first.
This: A meeting will be held.
Becomes: This period will include the time taken for early resolution.
Becomes: We will hold a meeting.
This: I trust this information is helpful and look forward to hearing back from you in due course in respect of your decision to take the matter to the appeal stage. Becomes: Please let me know if you would like to appeal this decision.
More complex This: As it is your responsibility to provide all evidence you feel is relevant to your case at the most appropriate time, it is anticipated that you will have supplied such evidence either at an earlier stage or, in the event that
This: These general principles apply to all University procedures which are of
you appeal on the grounds of new evidence, the evidence will have been
direct relevance to students.
submitted alongside your request for a review. You may submit no further
Becomes: These general principles apply to all University procedures which are
evidence after your request for a review has been submitted.
directly relevant to students.
Becomes: As it is your responsibility to provide all evidence you feel is
This: Decision-making staff will be properly trained, resourced and supported to ensure that decisions are made fairly and consistently at an appropriate level. Becomes: We will ensure that staff who make decisions have the necessary training, resources and support to make fair and consistent decisions.
relevant to your case at the most appropriate time, you may not submit further evidence after your request for a review has been submitted. This: Implementing a formal process will make sure that all staff are receiving the right experience as they progress and will be of assistance in ensuring our teams receive the most suitable staff. Becomes: A formal yearly process makes sure staff have the right experience and our teams have the best staff.
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Using capitals
Academic Research Strategy Executive or Procedure for Outstanding or
Using capital letters is fine as long as they are grammatically necessary and not
Overdue Payments).
distracting to the reader. If you need to make reference to a specific action or process, you can do this with an explanation: This: We aim to process a Formal Complaint and any associated review within 90 calendar days. Under the 90 calendar day timeframe you must meet any deadlines we set for providing additional information or material and attending meetings. Becomes: We aim to process a formal complaint (made under the formal complaint stage) and any associated review within 90 calendar days. Under the 90-calendar-day timeframe you must meet any deadlines we set for providing further information or documents and attending meetings. A picture paints a thousand words Flowcharts and other diagrams can be a really useful way of getting a message across. Remember though, the flowchart or diagram must stick to plain English principles and be clear and easy to follow.
Flowcharts Some procedures may need to set out steps in a process that must be followed. Going back to our earlier example of making tea, everyone has different ways of making tea, but not everyone will be able to make tea how you want it. This is the same for setting out process steps in a procedure. You can either describe how to do something or you could create a flowchart. Whether a flowchart is needed will depend on how complex the process you are describing is. If you want to use a flowchart, roughly sketch out the steps, who is involved and how long the process might take. It’s useful to refer to the accepted symbols used in creating flowcharts as these can help you to design your process and save you time in your editing process later on. Once you have your rough sketch, go back through it and try to imagine where it could all go wrong (is a decision needed? Who should make the decision? Can anyone else make the decision?). Basic word processing software can be helpful in making your flowchart clear
Jargon, sayings, idioms
and look professional.
You may be tempted to use a phrase that you feel is widely understood, but bear in mind these can usually be sayings that have a local or national meaning
All processes have a start and an end, which in
and don’t make sense to international readers. For example, the saying ‘we’re
flowcharts is usually an oval shape
in the same boat’ is used to mean ‘we’re in the same situation’, but for some readers this would be confusing and distracting. Higher education can rely heavily on abbreviations and acronyms. This is fine, but remember not everyone reading your document will know what you’re
Arrows are used to move through the flowchart in a specific direction Rectangles show a process
talking about. Use the full version (followed by the abbreviation) the first time you use a name or title such as, Common Undergraduate Assessment Strategy
Whilst parallelograms indicate an input or output
(CUAS). Also, remember that the document you are writing might be given a shorter name by someone else. Make sure the title you give your document cannot be shortened to something that’s rude or offensive (such as the 12
A diamond indicates a decision 13
Let’s make tea!
It’s not just about the words you use. Think about the following: Make sure the choice of font and overall appearance aren’t distracting; Well-placed diagrams and spaces allow your reader to easily find which section to move to next Think about how your document would be read by someone with a learning difficulty or a visual impairment. Depending on the size font you have used, you may find it useful to produce a larger-font version Don’t be tempted to use complicated presentation styles or fonts – your reader will appreciate it being simple and clear Left-aligned text is usual; text that is also aligned on the right (or ‘justified’) can be difficult to read Headings can help maintain focus when reading, and can be helpful in telling someone which section to look in to find an answer
First drafts... And second, third and fourth There is no substitute for careful reading. Our advice would be that you can never proof-read your work enough. A useful habit when proof-reading is to read your document out loud. Make sure you read every word that is there, and don’t fill in words that aren’t. Smaller, connecting words are often missed of misspelled. Did you spot that we used ‘of’ in that last sentence, instead of ‘or’? Check also that the information flows. If your procedure makes reference to stages of a process, make sure you include all relevant information about a stage before moving on. Flowcharts are useful to summarise how stages can fit together.
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Each time you proof-read your work focus on a different area. For example, your first proof-read might focus on spelling, your second on finding simpler words to
Imagine you are explaining the above, line-by-line to someone. Ask
use, your third on sentence length, and your fourth on meaning. Editing in this
yourself if there is a simpler word you can use:
way will help you become quicker and more fluent in plain English writing. Get someone else to read your draft. Depending on the sensitivity of the procedure get someone unfamiliar with the area to read your draft. If your procedure is business-sensitive, check before asking someone outside the area to read it. We would advise caution – don’t keep asking the same person to read your work as they may not be as focussed on the fifteenth reading as they were on the first. Prepare yourself for their feedback. You may say you want honest feedback but are you ready to receive it? Practice Pick a paragraph or two of your academic regulations or an existing procedure. Start with something fairly simple to begin with such as the paragraph in your academic regulations which describes how many assessment attempts a student has or how a student requests extra time to submit their coursework. We imagine it will have a fair share of jargon words such as ‘resit’, ‘attempt’, ‘permitted’. Think about what the paragraph you have chosen is trying to say overall. We’ve used the following: ‘Each module is comprised of two examination components. The maximum number of examination attempts for all modules is two. If you are absent from
Each All modules is are made up comprised of two examination components. The maximum number of examination attempts for all modules is two. You have two opportunities to pass each examination. You will not have attempted If you absent from two or more papers examinations, that you have been entered for but do not attend. for which you have made an examination entry, you will be deemed not to have made an attempt at the papers for which you were absent. If you do not pass any examination at the second attempt on the second attempt at the examination for any module, you receive a grade of ‘fail’, your registration will be terminated. If you receive a grade of ‘fail’ for do not pass the Ddissertation examination, you will have failed the Ddissertation module in its entirety. If you receive a grade of ‘fail’ for do not pass the Ddissertation, but the mark is higher than 35%, and you have passed the Ddissertation examination you may submit a revised version of the Ddissertation, at a new date we set. You must choose a different research topic if you fail the Dissertation and choose to re-take it If you re-take a failed dissertation, it must be on a different topic.
two or more papers for which you have made an examination entry, you will be deemed not to have made an attempt at the papers for which you were absent. If, on the second attempt at the examination for any module, you receive a grade of ‘fail’, your registration will be terminated. If you receive a grade of ‘fail’ for the Dissertation examination, you will have failed the Dissertation module in its entirety. If you receive a grade of ‘fail’ for the Dissertation, but the mark is higher than 35%, and you have passed the Dissertation examination you may submit a revised version of the Dissertation, at a new date we set. You must choose a
We’re getting there. On this next pass we’ll strip out all extraneous words: All modules are made up of two examinations components. You have two opportunities to pass each examination. You will not have attempted two or more examinations that you have been entered for but do not attend. If you do not pass any examination at the second attempt, your
different research topic if you fail the Dissertation and choose to re-take it.’ 16
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registration will be terminated. If you do not pass the dissertation examination, you will have failed the dissertation module in its entirety. If you do not pass the dissertation, but the mark is higher than 35%, and you have passed the dissertation examination you may submit a revised version of the dissertation, at a new date we set. If you re-take a failed dissertation, it must be on a different topic. One more read-through just to make sure it still makes sense: All modules are made up of two examinations. You have two opportunities to pass each examination. You will not have attempted two or more examinations that you have been entered for but do not attend. If you do not pass any examination at the second attempt, your registration will be terminated you will be withdrawn from the course. If you do not pass the dissertation examination, you will have failed the dissertation module in its entirety. If you do not pass the dissertation, but the mark is higher than 35%, and you have passed the dissertation examination you may submit a revised version of the dissertation, at a new date we set. If you re-take a failed dissertation, it must be on a different topic. We’re done: All modules are made up of two exams. You have two opportunities to pass each exam. You will not have attempted two or more exams that you have been entered for but do not attend. If you do not pass any exam at the second attempt, you will be withdrawn from the course. If you do not pass the dissertation exam, you will have failed the dissertation module.
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If you do not pass the dissertation, but the mark is higher than 35%, and you have passed the dissertation exam you may submit a revised version of the dissertation. If you re-take a failed dissertation, it must be on a different topic.
Implications for redrafting across HEI How plain English and ‘legalese’ documents can co-exist Although you may feel it’s the right approach, it will take a long time for everyone else in your organisation to agree, and longer to re-write everything in plain English. This is likely to mean that some of your organisation’s procedures will look and sound very different from the others. Think about how long it took you to write in plain English. Now think about all the documents your organisation has that should be re-written. It may seem impossible to achieve: it isn’t. As we said earlier, most university procedures are usually approved by a committee. The committee may have a plan of when key procedures are to be reviewed. If so, use that schedule to make your plain English changes. If there is no plan for reviewing procedures, you can still add to existing documents to make them easier to understand. If you can’t add to the document, think about creating a separate guidance document that’s written in plain English, or a flow chart that can help explain complex processes.
Approval Trial by committee, change by stealth Having your procedure considered by a committee needn’t be terrifying. If possible, go to the committee meeting so you can talk to people about your work. You are more likely to get approval (even if conditional) if you are able 19
to explain your work. The committee may not be willing to approve unless they understand what you’ve done and/or why you’ve done it. Be prepared to defend your position if you have to. Committee consideration can feel like another consultation. Don’t be afraid to remind the committee that there has already been a consultation, and that the version they are being asked to approve is the agreed position. However, keep in mind that the members of a committee will usually be senior staff who have a lot of experience and insight to offer. Don’t let the committee become too focussed on the fine detail, as this can result in changes by stealth that impact your plain English approach.
Implementation Training, template letters and beyond The committee approved your procedure? Congratulations! Although it should be time to make that cup of tea and relax, it’s likely that you need to publish your procedure, make sure relevant people are trained, and write your template letters. Where you choose to publish your procedure will depend on who it is aimed at. If it’s a staff procedure, you may not want to publish it where students can see. If it’s a procedure for students, you need to publish it somewhere that all students can access. If a student is likely to need your procedure in a time of crisis, make sure it is easy to find. If you are publishing your procedure on your webpage or intranet site, use all relevant keywords to help your reader find it. Don’t leave it too long to write your training materials. That way you will still have a clear memory of the more detailed areas of your procedure and be familiar with writing in plain English.
associated template letters. To make sure you prepare all possible template letters, it’s useful to think of the process as a relay race where a baton is passed between different people (sometimes it can go back to a person who’s already had it). It can be helpful to write template letters if you’ve used a flowchart in your procedure. Make sure you use the plain English approach in your letters. If you want someone to take action, make it clear. When you write a letter (as with writing the procedure), be careful in your editing. The language used in the procedure should be the same as in the letter. If something is called a stage in the procedure, call it a stage in the letter. Just because an acronym is explained in full in the procedure doesn’t mean you don’t need to explain it again in the letter. It’s likely that you know the name of the person you’re writing to. If so, sign off with ‘yours sincerely’. If you don’t know the name of the person you are writing to you should use ‘yours faithfully’. Top tips Write what you need to say without thinking about it too much. Take it step-by-step to begin with: Edit your work line-by-line actively looking for simpler words you could use Edit your work looking for words that you can cut out Read through again to make sure it says what you need it to say If you’re struggling to find simpler or fewer words, consider using a flowchart or diagram instead. Get someone else to read your work and make suggestions for change. As you get more practice, you can begin to write in plain English as you go without having to go back and edit.
Depending on what your procedure is about, you are likely to need 20
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