A briefing note is a document that is used to inform or advise a person in an organization, usually a decision-maker. A briefing note could provide good news, bad news or understanding of an issue. It could advise the reader to make a decision that will guide the writer's actions. It could advise the reader to take action. Or it could advise the reader to sign a document. The formats of briefing notes vary widely. They could be memos, reports, letters or binders. They could be one page long or a hundred. If the user is a cabinet minister or a senior executive, the format might be rigidly defined and limited to one or two pages. If the user is a colleague, the format might be entirely up to the writer. At its most basic level, a briefing note could be a handwritten note to one's supervisor, saying: "Mary, could I ask you to sign the attached requisition? I have checked our budget, and we have the funds for everything we need to order."
