Some of the information you gather from the Clarity Audit will be easy to analyze and use to build your strategy for a plain language initiative. For instance, if the audit shows that your organization has no policy on clear language and no explicit support from the top, getting that support will be a priority.
You can summarize a lot of the information using the ranking system at the end of each section of the Audit. For instance, you can calculate how many respondents felt that your municipality is doing well at clear language training. If that percentage is low, you’ve identified another priority.
Some of the information can be used to help your joint clear language committee decide where to invest energy for the highest return. For instance, if most of the respondents say that report writing is a big problem, then reports might be a good focus for a pilot project.
And finally, some of the information will help you move your initiative forward. Watch for people who put extra thought and energy into completing the Clarity Audit™. These are your potential allies and champions. Get in touch with them and find a way to get them involved!
As you analyze the results of your audit and start setting priorities for action, here are a few links and resources to help you with specific issues.
| If you need to work on … | Try these resources |
|---|---|
| Clear language policy | View a sample clear language policy from the Ontario Literacy coalition at: www.on.literacy.ca/who/clear.htm. |
| Clear language style guide | View a very comprehensive clear language style guide for the U.S. Securities Exchange Commission at: www.sec.gov/pdf/handbook.pdf. |
| Measuring readability | Read about readability metrics on the Impact Information Web site at: www.impact-information.com. Try the Reading Effectiveness Tool at: www.eastendliteracy.on.ca/clearlanguageanddesign/readingeffectivenesstool/ |
| Focus group testing | Read: Goldsmith, Penny et al. Reaching your Readers: A Fieldtesting Guide for Community Groups. Vancouver: Legal Services Society of B.C., 1993. Available from clad@idirect.ca |
| Training | Take the Plain Train online tutorial at: www.plainlanguagenetwork.org/plaintrain/ View an international listing of professional clear language writers, editors and trainers at: www.plainlanguagenetwork.org/memberdirectory.html |
| Writing for your workplace | Read: Bailey, Edward P. Plain English at Work. New York: Oxford University Press, 1996. |
| Writing for your union | Read: Making it Clear: Clear Language for Union Communications, CLC, 1999 |
| Writing email | Read: Booher, Dianna. E-Writing. New York: Pocket Books, 2001 |
| Writing on the Web | Visit the Web site of usability guru Jakob Nielsen at: www.useit.com. |