Effective Government Writing
Write more effective public-sector documents
We’ve been training government writers for over 45 years. This workshop brings together input from leaders, reviewers, and decision-makers for what they want to see in quality writing. You will learn how to:
write documents that are clearer, more usable, and easier for readers to act on
resolve challenges specific to government writing
apply research-based principles for strong writing
use a step-by-step writing process to reduce writing and editing time by 50%
The course applies to every document you write—briefing notes, cabinet reports, policy documents, procedures, correspondence, emails, and more.
The content is practical, interactive, and hands on
You will collaborate, discuss, ask questions, learn from peers, and do exercises. Each person comes with a document in mind to write. We will walk you through a writing process live to get a real piece of work done during the workshop.
Tailored to you
When you sign up, we ask:
what documents you write
where you struggle
what you hope to get out of the workshop
for an optional sample document
We use what you tell us to customize the workshop.
Course details
7 hours of live content, plus 3.5-hour self-paced follow up
Online (Zoom)
Day One—December 8, 2026 9:00 - 12:30 pm MST
Day Two—December 10, 2026 9:00 - 12:30 pm MST
$750 per person
Certificate of completion
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We limit attendance to 20 people per session. This keeps workshops interactive and gives everyone a chance to ask questions.
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Absolutely! If you want to register more than 10 people, please email us. We can discuss hosting a private session customized to your team and documents.
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Yes. All participants get access to the recording for one week after each session.
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The training is valuable for anyone who writes or reviews municipal documents—from admin staff to senior leaders.
When your team shares a common vocabulary and approach, documents get clearer and the review process gets faster and smoother.
Module 1—Think Deeper to Write Faster
We’ll walk you through a new writing process that:
reveals the reasons behind workplace writing struggles and how to solve them
adapt to the needs of different audiences, including minister, senior leaders, and the public
creates a strong, readable structure
helps you deepen your thinking and analysis
allows you to write much more quickly and confidently
Course content
These three modules cover all the core skills necessary to be a strong writer
Module 2—Write in a Clear, Accessible Style
We cover how to:
refine first drafts quickly
write in a clear, professional style
write concisely without losing important context
avoid government jargon and insider language
structure active, strong sentences
explain technical content to non-technical readers and the public
Module 3—Think, Write, Edit + AI
The first two modules give you the foundation to be a faster, more effective writer. This module gives you a step-by-step workflow to integrate AI into that process. We cover ways to use AI to:
assess your audience, purpose, and structure
speed up the process
act as a thinking partner and writing coach
perfect tone to be appropriate for the audience, purpose, and context
edit and proofread thoroughly and quickly
We also cover where it’s appropriate to avoid using AI and rely on your judgment and expertise. This guidance prevents AI from creating confusing text, time cost, and hallucinations.
Build strong analysis that supports decision-making
Communicate complex information clearly while respecting accuracy, context, and political sensitivity
Move documents through review with less stress, clearer feedback, and fewer unnecessary revisions
This is the most informative writing training that I have taken during my 16 years in government. The instructors were clear and effective communicators who could readily answer our questions.
— Civilian Review and Complaints Commission for the RCMP
I’ve taken this course three times, and I’ll probably take it again. Each time I learn something new and I continue to build my skills as a writer.
— Office of the Child and Youth Advocate
I was reflecting on the best courses I’ve taken and this was hands down one of the best. So applicable to my daily work.
— Ministry of Environment and Parks
Other live webinars
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Effective Municipal Writing
Municipal writers produce a wide range of documents every day—from quick emails to formal council reports and public notices.
Our Effective Municipal Writing workshop provides practical tools to help you write clearly and effectively for a variety of audiences, using real examples from municipal documents.
Live virtual workshop
November 24 and 26, 2026
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Effective Briefing Notes
Live virtual public workshop
Dates TBD
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Think Deeper to Write Faster
This half-day webinar covers our step-by-step process to create stronger documents.
The material applies to every document you write—reports, briefings, policies, procedures, emails, and more. This half-day can be taken as a standalone course or as Part 1 of our longer Effective Writing course
Live virtual public workshop
Date TBD
