Sample Memo: The Analyst’s Role
Darcy Olsen, Goldwater Institute
This scholarship and performance memo sets out the responsibilities and duties expected of policy analysts who join Arizona’s Goldwater Institute. It also offers advice for enhancing the credibility of papers, reports and other scholarly work.
Memo
To: Analysts
From: Darcy Olsen
Subject: Research guidelines
This is short guide to help you succeed in your role as analysts.
Policy analysis is the heart of the Goldwater Institute. Our objective is to shape, influence and advance public policy in Arizona in a manner that preserves and extends freedom. As Barry Goldwater said, "For the American Conservative, there is no difficulty in identifying the day's overriding political challenge: it is to preserve and extend freedom. As he surveys the various attitudes and institutions and laws that currently prevail in America, many questions will occur to him, but the Conservative's first concern will always be: Are we maximizing freedom?"
Detractors seek occasions to denigrate the Institute, its research, and its scholars, and personal attacks are not unheard of. For these reasons, among others, it is imperative to be professional in appearance and behavior. Whenever representing the Institute, you are expected to maintain the highest standards of personal conduct: respect of others is always in order, regardless of a person's conduct toward you or colleagues. Avoid rhetoric, partisanship and second-guessing a person's motives. Fight clean, with respect, and on the issues only. Our focus is policy, not personalities, partisanship or politics.
Our credibility as an organization, and your personal credibility as a scholar, rises and falls with the quality of scholarship you produce and oversee. Therefore, take no shortcuts, and always be honest.
Analysts are more than researchers: You are idea entrepreneurs. You possess subject-area expertise that puts you in the best position to initiate research and think long-term about strategy, outreach, and events. In addition to carrying out research, you are expected to identify people in your field who can work with the Goldwater Institute at forums, as reviewers, and as Senior Fellows.
You should be researching and discussing current issues but also working to make your issues and views become more relevant and take center stage in the future. Ultimately, you want to set policymakers' agendas-and not the other way around. Current policymakers always focus on what can be done "today," while the Goldwater Institute should be charting the course for "tomorrow."
In a typical year, analysts are expected to write or commission four in-depth policy studies, write and publish at least six op-eds, write at least one "today's news" item per week, and consider putting together a few forums as occasion warrants (these can include journalist roundtables, breakfast speakers, debates, book forums, press conferences, etc.) You should also keep in close contact with legislators, members of the media, and the policy community who have an interest in your research area.
Lucky for you, securing funding is not part of your job. However, networking with sponsors, mingling at events, and the occasional one-on-one visit with sponsors interested in your policy arena is part of the job. Likewise, please regularly share with the development team names of people, businesses, and foundations that might have an interest in your field. No one knows your field like you do, and you are in the best position to give the development team fundraising ideas for your area.
When speaking to the media, remember that you are speaking for yourself. Say, "I believe..." or "Research shows..." You own your ideas and should not hesitate to say so. We don't have a company spokesperson for that reason. You should make yourself available for radio, television and interviews whenever you can. In addition, you work hard and you should feel comfortable accepting honoraria for speeches and events, should one be offered. That said, we are paid to work for the Goldwater Institute and are on our honor to respect that commitment and not spend an inordinate amount of time doing paid work for other groups. Use your best judgment.
Quality. As stated at the outset, our credibility as an organization, and your personal credibility as a scholar, rises and falls with the quality of scholarship you produce and oversee. A single error reported by a journalist could damage your credibility, and destroy a reputation that has taken years to build. You are responsible for ensuring the quality of research in your area. Reviewers, copy editors and colleagues may assist you, but the responsibility is yours. The following guidelines should help you in that quest, and should be considered the minimum steps you take to ensure accuracy. You are encouraged to adopt other methods of your own that are not mentioned here, such as randomly fact-checking claims in commissioned papers and double-checking the accuracy of each footnote/citation you put in your own papers.
Each analyst should find, in advance, three experts who will commit to reviewing the study in question. Also, please ask the reviewer upfront if they would be willing to be named and to speak on the study if called upon to do so. This vests them in the review process, and it can also help if your recommendations are criticized. Reviewers may be policy analysts at other organizations with appropriate expertise, in academia, in business, and also individuals you know to be critical of a free-market approach but honest in their methodology, discourse and criticisms. As always, use your best judgment.
I encourage you to have at least one of the three reviewers critical of your point of view, as their comments will help you know where your analyses can be strengthened. They are also less likely to rubber stamp your submission.
Each reviewer should be given enough time to do a thorough review, at least two weeks, and they should be asked to submit their comments to you in writing. This encourages the reviewer to be as thorough and clear as possible, and gives you something to work from that a phone call doesn't. We do not pay reviewers. If you select a high-profile reviewer, such as a former Superintendent of Education or State Treasurer, and this person has favorable remarks, you should consider asking them for a comment that can be used in corresponding press releases.
At the turn of 2005, the Goldwater Institute put a "Guarantee of Quality Scholarship" promise on the back of every study, a terrific idea originated by the Mackinac Center. Please read that guarantee and be prepared to stand by it. The guarantee is very helpful in responding to journalists and detractors who say things like: "This study is riddled with errors." The analyst can then say, if you can back that up in writing, we guarantee to retract and reprint a correction. It's amazing how far that promise goes with the press. It's also one reason policymakers know they can trust our scholarship. So far, we haven't had to issue any retractions. Let's keep it that way.
Please let me know if you have any suggestions or questions.
Darcy Olsen is president of the Goldwater Institute.