Officials who need to prepare and write consultation papers will confirm that one of the biggest challenges is to address a variety of different audiences.

Of course it depends upon the context and the subject-matter. Asking residents what they think of the new layout of the local park is obviously different from the Treasury seeking views on complicated aspects of financial regulations. But, in between these extremes, are a wide range of consultations where the multiplicity of potential audiences is becoming a real problem.

When a bureaucrat writes for an audience of similar people, the rules of the game are simple enough. Write with precision, use technically correct language, make good use of references and assume that the reader will read every word ….. How unlike parts of the community sector where we are witnessing a retreat from the traditional written document? Where we have to put pen to paper, the emphasis is on plain English, good use of visual aids, and easy-to use as well as easy-to-read documents.