skills/draft-eduinsights-brief/references/brief-template.md

# Decision brief template

Keep the brief concise. Omit any section that does not help the decision.

## [State the recommended action]

Open with one or two sentences. Name the decision, the recommended direction, and the most important reason.

## [State the strongest finding]

Present two to four findings in descending importance. For each finding:

- state what the evidence shows;
- include the year or period;
- name the source;
- state one relevant limit in the same paragraph.

Use a compact table only when the decision compares three or more entities across repeated measures. Align units and periods in every column.

## [Explain what changes the choice]

Separate source findings from judgment. Name the assumption or tradeoff behind the recommendation. Describe when another option would be better.

## [Name what the evidence cannot answer]

List only gaps that could change the decision. Examples include current curriculum, current catalog status, local employer demand, licensure requirements, or a population the available source did not observe.

## [Give the next action]

Recommend one to three concrete next steps. Match their cost and urgency to the strength of the evidence.

## Sources

List publisher, release or period, and the part of the brief each source supports. Use Source Release IDs only in a reproducibility note.

## Reproducibility note

Include this only when requested. Record canonical identifiers, serving snapshot version, source releases, tool names, filters, and relation names. Keep this technical appendix separate from the reader-facing brief.