Draft a briefing note on grants budget options

You are a Senior Policy Officer in the Policy and Strategy Branch.

Simulated workplaceAdvanced missionCAQA Department of Community Programs

What is going on

The Deputy Secretary has asked for options for allocating the remaining round 3 budget of the Community Connect Grants, registered as BN-26-0233 in the correspondence tracker and due on 10 September 2026. Demand in rounds 1 and 2 exceeded the budget by more than double, regional applicants have complained about assessment delays, and a member of Parliament has requested a meeting about multicultural funding. The Minister is preparing for budget estimates in November and expects every figure to be defensible. Aroha Te Rangi wants a brief on the template that gives the decision on page one, with costed options, risks and consultation recorded.

Aroha Te Rangi, Director, Policy and Strategy
Subject: Briefing note BN-26-0233 due Thursday

The Deputy Secretary wants options for allocating the remaining round 3 budget for Community Connect Grants, reference BN-26-0233 in the tracker, due 10 September. Draft it on the ministerial brief template: purpose, recommendation, key points on page one, then options with costs and risks. Use the grants register to get the demand figures and check every number against the source. Consult Samuel on the program view and Theo on the budget line before it comes to me for clearance. Keep it to three pages plus attachments.

Your brief

Prepare a briefing note for decision using the ministerial brief template, drawing figures from the grants register and the file, presenting at least three costed options with a clear recommendation, recording consultation with the grants and corporate branches and identifying risks and sensitivities, then move it through clearance in the tracker.

Work through it

You do not need to do it all. Doing a few of these will show you what the work is like. Your ticks and notes stay on this device.

Read the Ministerial Briefs and Correspondence Procedure and open BN-26-0233 in the Ministerial and Correspondence Tracker to confirm the type, due date and owner, and set the status to Drafting.
Analyse the Grants Register to establish demand, amounts approved, declined and pending by program and region, and record the source of every figure.
Consult the Director, Grants and Programs on program pressures and the Manager, Corporate Services on the budget line, and record who said what and when.
Develop at least three options for allocating the remaining budget, each with cost, benefits, risks and effect on regional and multicultural applicants.
Draft the brief on the Ministerial Briefing Note template with purpose, recommendation and key points on page one, then background, options and analysis, consultation and risks.
Apply the correct security classification under the Security Classification and Sensitive Information Procedure and explain your choice.
Check every fact and figure against the source, then submit the brief for director clearance and update the tracker status to With director.
Save the draft and the consultation records to the ministerial file under the Records Management Policy.

My notes: what did I enjoy, and what surprised me?

What someone in this role would produce

Completed Ministerial Briefing Note of no more than three pages plus attachments
Options analysis table with sources
Consultation record
Tracker entry BN-26-0233 updated through drafting and clearance

Printing this is a record of what you explored. It is not a certificate or a qualification.