Purpose:
A final-pass checklist for Embassy staff, policy officers, PD teams, and supervisors to validate that a product meets Plain Writing Act requirements and institutional risk standards.

This is not a style guide.
It is a go / revise / stop tool.

A. Pre-Draft Gate (Do Not Skip)

Before writing, confirm yes to all:

  • ☐ I can name one primary audience (not “the public”).
  • ☐ I know what the audience must be able to do after reading/watching.
  • ☐ I know where this will be published (website, X, Facebook, speech, video).
  • ☐ I know what this product does not do.
  • ☐ I know who owns accuracy and clearance.

If any box is unchecked → do not draft.

B. Structural Requirements (Non-Negotiable)

  • ☐ BLUF appears first (first paragraph or first 2–3 spoken sentences).
  • ☐ The BLUF answers:
    • what this is,
    • why it matters,
    • to whom.
  • ☐ Information is ordered by user need, not by history or process.
  • ☐ Each paragraph contains one idea only.
  • ☐ Headings describe content, not tone (“Next Steps,” not “Looking Ahead”).

C. Sentence Discipline

Verbs

  • ☐ Every sentence has a clear subject.
  • ☐ Verbs describe actions, not abstractions.
  • ☐ Passive voice is used only when the actor is unknown or irrelevant.

Adjectives & Adverbs (critical check)

  • ☐ No adjective is used unless it adds verifiable meaning.
  • ☐ No adverb is used to compensate for a weak verb.
  • ☐ Words like robust, meaningful, significant, enhanced are either:
    • removed, or
    • explained with specifics.

D. Word Choice (Plain English Standard)

  • ☐ Common words preferred over institutional synonyms.
  • ☐ No acronyms without first use spelled out (unless universally known).
  • ☐ No internal shorthand (“stakeholders,” “leveraging,” “capacity”) without definition.
  • ☐ Technical terms are explained once, then used consistently.

E. Lists, Numbers, and Dates

  • ☐ Bullets are used for:
    • steps,
    • conditions,
    • requirements,
    • comparisons.
  • ☐ Bullets are grammatically parallel.
  • ☐ Dates are specific (“since 2022,” not “recently”).
  • ☐ Numbers are concrete (“300,” not “many”).

F. Claim / Non-Claim Discipline

  • ☐ Every factual claim can be traced to a public, attributable source.
  • ☐ Opinions or inferences are clearly labeled or removed.
  • ☐ The product explicitly states what it does not claim when ambiguity is likely.
  • ☐ No implication of:
    • treaty obligations,
    • guarantees,
    • policy changes
      unless explicitly stated in source material.

G. Platform-Specific Checks

Website

  • ☐ Scannable headings
  • ☐ Short paragraphs
  • ☐ Links instead of long explanations

Press / Q&A

  • ☐ Direct answers first
  • ☐ No hedging adjectives
  • ☐ Clear redirect language (“We refer you to…”)

Social Media

  • ☐ One idea per post
  • ☐ No institutional filler
  • ☐ Actionable or informational—not performative

Video / Spoken

  • ☐ Spoken syntax (short sentences)
  • ☐ No stacked clauses
  • ☐ Concrete nouns, not abstractions

H. Final Risk Check (Stoplight)

  • 🟢 Green: Clear audience, clear function, clear limits → publish
  • 🟡 Yellow: Clear intent, minor ambiguity → revise
  • 🔴 Red: Multiple audiences, vague purpose, hedging language → stop

If a supervisor cannot explain the product in one sentence, it is not plain English.

What this checklist already enables

  • Consistent quality across Embassy sections
  • Faster clearance (less back-and-forth)
  • Lower reputational and misstatement risk
  • Easier onboarding later (without training yet)