New handbook to help public servants write gooder

A new Government writing handbook has been launched as a companion to the Australian Government Style Manual and it’s full of commonsense advice for anyone who has any kind of writing role in the public service.

For example: “It is vital to understand who needs your content and why they need it. This applies whether you’re writing a ministerial brief, content for a digital service or instructions in a print brochure. If you don’t understand who you’re writing for, you risk writing something that isn’t accessible or useful.”

That’s valuable advice. As is this: “Using plain language benefits everyone. It builds trust, improves comprehension and makes content accessible for more people.

“Using plain language is not ‘dumbing down’ your writing – it’s opening it up. Using plain language lessens the cognitive load for all readers. This includes people with high literacy levels who are time-poor and have a lot to read.”

Public servants would be doing themselves and everyone who reads government issued documents a great service by taking this handbook seriously.

Designed to sit on the desks of public servants, just like the weightier style manual (which is now completely digital) once did, the handbook is for “everyone who writes, edits or approves Australian Government content”. It is also online.

It was 1966 when the Commonwealth Government first published a style manual for its writers and had it installed in 34 computers over the following year.

Harold Holt was the Prime Minister in 1966 and noted when launching the manual that it “had its genesis” in a 1964 report of a parliamentary Joint Select Committee.

Australia’s population then was 11,540,764 and the nation was becoming more multicultural — and plain language in government writing was becoming more essential.

Nevertheless, bureaucratic speech went on to pervade the public service.

Each update of the style manual (now in its seventh edition) has tried to address and counter that.

This new handbook to accompany the manual, developed by the team behind the Australian Government Style Manual, does it in spades and presents as a refreshing and valuable tool.

Another example: “We all use jargon and technical terms as part of our daily work. But these terms exclude everyone else. Even when readers share your terminology, they can be confused by a term that has different meanings in different contexts.

“Avoid jargon unless you’re sure readers understand it. If you can’t avoid technical terms, make sure you explain them in plain language.”

That’s gold.

Here’s more: “Be concise. Don’t use too many words, even if they are short and simple. It’s important to be concise.

“Imagine you open a document crammed with a poorly structured mass of words. There’s a good chance you won’t read it. This is because people equate the number of words with the effort it will take to read and respond.”

And even better: “Grammar is about your readers. There are strong reasons for paying attention to grammar in your writing.

“Good grammar respects your readers and their time. It shows them that you’ve made an effort to write something they can understand quickly.

“Poor grammar is jarring and likely to distract readers. This makes it harder for them to focus on your meaning.

“There’s a risk some readers will disengage, believing you lack credibility or aren’t interested in meeting their needs.”

With so much great writing advice in one easy to access handbook, there’s now no excuse for poorly written, jargon loaded government papers just screaming to be ignored.

Assistant Minister for the Public Service Patrick Gorman launched the handbook in Federal Parliament on Monday (25 November), describing it as a “significant step in improving communication standards” across the Australian Public Service.

“The handbook offers public servants practical guidance and examples to enhance their writing,” he said.

“Public servants write for the Australian public. The handbook highlights that writing with clarity, purpose, and consistency is crucial for creating content that informs, educates, and engages all citizens.

“This is for the Australian people who rightly expect clear communication from the public service.

“It is about ensuring every message is clear and focussed on the audience. Because every public servant plays a vital role in delivering clear, cohesive messages.”