Plain Language Law: Countdown to Organizational Change

1. Plain Language Law:Countdown toOrganizational Change Melodee Mercer Veterans Benefits Administration

2. Veterans Benefits Administration If you are determined to have a disability…

3. Veterans Benefits Administration If we determine that you have a disability…

4. Changing a BureaucracyTop 10

5. 10 It’s an evolution, not a revolution

6. 9 Look at the history of writing programs in your agency

7. Look at the history of writing programs in your agency 9 Muddy language is not confined to policies alone. Each of you has seen replies to simple questions in which the meaning was lost through hopelessly obscure wording. When a person writes to the Veterans Administration, he is entitled to an easily understood, frank, and courteous reply. If our replies cannot be understood, they are not only not worth writing, but they simply create additional work. General Omar Bradley, the second administrator of VA, 1947

8. Look at the history of writing programs in your agency 9 Plain Letters – 1955 Feelings – 1978 Just Plain English – 1985 Writing for Real People – 1991 Reader-Focused Writing Initiative

9. 8 Make managers the customer

10. 7 Pick a starting point that will have the most impact

11. 4a Forms design 4b Reference writing Regulation writing Tier 3 Collaborative writing • Briefing paper • Congressional • Management briefing Tier 2 RFW Tools Letter Writing Tier 1 Orientation

12. Large organizations should pilot in small sections 6

13. 25 Pre-training Letters 10 10 5 43 Post-training Letters 3-8 9-13 14-15 Criteria 28 15 0 3-8 9-13 14-15 Criteria CIRCE Evaluation of letter

14. 5 Find a training mechanism that will uniformly reach the most employees

16. 4 Be sure to train reviewers from the beginning

17. 3 Your standard for ‘good writing’ should be what your readers think is good

18. VA: Service Connected Disability • Injured while on duty (but, not on leave) • Injured while in the service anytime • Injured on any job

19. VA: Service Connected Disability • Injured while on duty (but, not on leave) • Injured while in the service anytime • Injured on any job

20. VA and IRS • You never cashed your check. • ‘You will receive a new check shortly.’ You will receive your check by (2 weeks from date of letter)

21. 2 Recognize that poor writing is copied throughout your organization

22. Regulation Manual Letters

23. Regulation Regulation Manual Manual Manual Letters Letters Letters Letters Letters

24. 1 Bring all of the key players in the room together

25. So, how has it worked? • Trained over 7200 employees • Teach classes in letter writing, collaborative writing, regulation writing, white papers, and Congressional responses • Briefed Managers • Updated the correspondence manual to reflect RFW principles • Regulation Rewrite Project • In many offices, it continued without high level advocacy • VBA Insurance won a 2011 ClearMark Category Award for best revised document in the public sector

26. Changing a Bureaucracy Top 10 10. It’s an evolution, not a revolution. 9. Look at the history of your writing programs. 8. Make managers the customer. 7. Pick a starting point that will have the most impact. 6. Large organizations should pilot in small groups. 5. Find a training mechanism that will uniformly reach the most employees. 4. Be sure to train reviewers from the beginning. 3. Your standard for good writing should be what your readers think is good. 2. Recognize that poor writing is copied throughout your organization. 1. Bring all key players together. Have fun!