Balancing standardisation and creativity in policy communication

In the world of policy, clarity, precision, and structure are non-negotiable. Standardisation—through formatting, terminology, and institutional style guides—has long been the bedrock of professional communication. It ensures documents are recognisable, comparable across time and sectors, and legally sound. Yet, as communication contexts shift rapidly, especially in the digital age, a critical question is emerging: Is standardisation enough to make policy documents impactful, usable, and accessible?

Across Africa and beyond, governments and development institutions are producing well-researched policies, strategic frameworks, and technical reports that remain unread or poorly understood by the very people meant to implement, support, or benefit from them. In many cases, the issue is not the content but the presentation. Highly standardised documents often speak the language of institutions, not people. They tend to prioritise internal logic and compliance over external understanding and usability.

Why standardisation still matters
We must acknowledge what standardisation does well. It creates consistency, especially across bureaucracies. It ensures documents follow legal and procedural frameworks. It allows for seamless peer review, institutional memory, and cross-sector referencing. Without it, policy communication could become chaotic and inconsistent.

Standard formats also signal professionalism. For legal teams, funding agencies, and multilateral organisations, templates and approved terminology are essential for maintaining legitimacy. These documents serve as anchors for formal processes, and changing them too dramatically can introduce risk. However, the limits of standardisation are becoming more apparent.

The reality is that most policy documents are still created with “top-down” consumption in mind: senior officials, donors, and technical reviewers. Yet, today’s policy environment is far more complex and participatory. Implementation relies not just on leadership but also on community actors, local governments, civil society organisations, frontline workers, and, increasingly, youth and digital audiences.

These groups rarely engage with 40-page PDFs filled with technical jargon. More often, they rely on summaries, infographics, radio explainers, WhatsApp messages, short videos, and interactive platforms. When documents are overly standardised—dense with text, designed for print, or full of abstract terms—they alienate precisely the audiences whose buy-in is essential.

Creativity as a communication tool
This is not an argument against rigour. It is an argument for multi-format communication—one that embraces creative storytelling, visualisation, and local relevance as tools for accessibility and impact. For example, in Kenya, a county-integrated development plan (CIDP) was turned into a short animation in Kiswahili and aired on community TV stations. In Uganda, health policy updates were delivered via drama skits on local radio, reaching remote villages with clarity and cultural resonance. Pan-African research organisations are increasingly producing two-pager briefs, infographics, and digital dashboards alongside their main reports, making policy insights more user-friendly.

These creative formats are not “dumbing down” the message. On the contrary, they distil complexity in a way that respects the audience’s time, context, and ability to act. Done well, creativity expands a document’s reach without compromising its integrity.

Finding a hybrid approach
What is needed is a mindset shift. Instead of seeing standardisation and creativity as opposing forces, policy practitioners should see them as complementary. A hybrid approach allows institutions to maintain formal documentation for legal and archival purposes. Produce accessible summaries and multimedia formats tailored to different stakeholders. Encourage internal teams to co-design messages with communication specialists and end users. Test which formats generate the most engagement, feedback, or uptake—and adapt accordingly.

As policy professionals, the goal is not just to produce well-written documents. It is to shape decisions, guide implementation, and support change. That cannot happen if policy remains locked in language and formats few can engage with. Although standardisation gives us structure, creativity provides us with a voice. Together, they ensure policy does not just sit on shelves—but makes a difference on the ground.