It’s easy to forget that a lot of policy decisions aren’t made by the politicians we see in the press every day. Often the real power to implement new ideas lies below the radar—with purpose-driven, career civil servants. These policymakers’ face many political, practical, and psychological constraints, but foundations, nonprofits, and others working in the social sector nevertheless have the opportunity to educate them about new ideas and influence their decision-making.

1. Public Servants Are Time Poor
Public servants are busy. If you want them to read what you have to say, aim for short, snappy writing focused on the main point you want to make. Use graphics and visuals as shortcuts; research suggests the human brain decodes visuals 60,000 times faster than text.

2. Process, Timelines, and Scalability Matter
Policymakers like to get real, and fast. Tell them how long it will take to implement your proposal and to start seeing results. Can this project be completed in six months or will it take five years? If it has been trialed already or implemented elsewhere, say how long it took from start to finish, and to achieve results.

3. Be Upfront About Risks or Challenges 
Again, public servants are realists; they’re quick to point out possible flaws or pitfalls, and they’re wary of risks when spending public money. Are there unintended negative consequences to your policy?

4. Focus on Concrete Results, and Ideally Solve for Multiple Problems 
Policymakers have to bring others on board. Make their life easy. What’s the most powerful evidence you can use to show your idea will have real impact?

5. Avoid Factual Overload
A few statistics can be powerful, but too many are confusing and easily forgotten. Situate figures by comparing to a global average, or make them meaningful by relating to everyday values readers can grasp quickly.

6. Make It Clear Which Partners You Need and How Much Money It Will Take
It usually requires more than one department to carry out an entire proposal. Think about which other agencies or government stakeholders need to be involved, and which private or nonprofit organizations could be potential partners.

7. Bolster Your Case with Existing Implementation Examples 
Like all of us, public servants feel more confident advocating for an idea if they know another region or country—or better yet, several countries—has implemented it successfully.

8. Stay as Apolitical as Possible
Try to focus on evidence and facts, rather than the politics that may surround them, and to use a platform trusted across the spectrum to voice your ideas.

Read the full article about reaching policymakers by Lisa Witter and Odette Chalaby at Stanford Social Innovation Review.