Writing an Effective One-Pager for Science Policy: Hill Slope Stability and Climate Change

In the world of science policy, effective communication is key. The ability to convey your ideas to busy policymakers can make the difference between your work being understood and acted upon—or ignored. This is where a well-crafted one-pager becomes a crucial tool. In this post, I’ll walk you through how I approach writing a one-pager, specifically based on my work in hill slope stability and the impacts of climate change.

Why a One-Pager?

Policymakers, especially at the federal level, are flooded with information. With limited time and often a lack of technical expertise in many areas, they rely heavily on staff and brief documents to get up to speed quickly. A one-pager serves as your calling card a concise, visually appealing, and content-rich document that can be quickly scanned for key information. It’s not just a summary; it’s your pitch.

Your goal is to clearly state the problem, provide relevant data, propose solutions, and offer a clear “ask” or action that you want the policymaker to take. While the content of the one-pager is important, the format must also be highly readable and skimmable. Most importantly, the document must leave the reader with a clear understanding of what you want and why it matters, both scientifically and politically.

What to Include in a One-Pager

For my one-pager on hill slope stability and climate change, I followed a structured approach that can serve as a guide for any science-focused one-pager:

• Title and Introduction: Your title should be short and to the point, summarizing the core message. In my case, the title was “Hill Slope Stability and Climate Change: The Risks and Solutions for Vulnerable Communities.”
• Key Message/Policy Ask: The policy ask is the heart of the one-pager. It should be positioned near the top of the page. My policy ask was: “Support increased federal funding for research on hill slope stability and mitigation techniques, and encourage the development of localized early warning systems for at-risk communities.”
• The Problem: Summarize the issue, such as how climate change is exacerbating risks of hill slope failures through increased rainfall and snowmelt. Make sure to explain why this matters locally and nationally.
• Supporting Data: Include key data from your research. Use simplified graphs or visuals that show trends or key findings relevant to policy decisions.
• Proposed Solutions: Break this into short-term and long-term recommendations. In my one-pager, I discussed early-warning systems as a short-term solution and additional research funding for predictive models as a long-term solution.
• Visual Elements: Visuals like maps or infographics can help communicate complex data in a digestible format.
• Contact Information: Ensure you provide your contact details at the bottom so policymakers or staffers can follow up with you if needed.

How to Use the One-Pager in a Congressional Meeting

When meeting with a lawmaker or their staff, the one-pager acts as a leave-behind document that reinforces your discussion. After introducing myself and summarizing the key points of my research verbally, I handed the one-pager to the staffer. In many cases, they skimmed it while I spoke, using it to follow along with the conversation.

Here are a few tips:

• Keep it simple: The one-pager should not require explanation. It must stand alone, which is why clear language and concise points are essential.
• Highlight your policy ask: Lawmakers often need to understand your key request within the first few seconds of reading. Placing the policy ask at the top ensures that even if they read nothing else, they’ll know what you need from them.
• Use bullet points: Long paragraphs can be a turn-off in a busy office. Bulleted lists allow readers to grasp key facts quickly.

Adapting Your One-Pager for Different Audiences

While my one-pager was crafted with a federal audience in mind, one of its strengths was adaptability. For state or local policymakers, I could easily tweak the document to highlight region-specific data or a more localized policy ask, such as state-level funding for slope monitoring systems. This adaptability ensures that I can continue to use the one-pager across multiple advocacy platforms without having to reinvent the wheel each time.

Want to learn more? Check out my post on AGU's Congressional Visits Days for more insights into science policy communication!