Here’s the story. When DR SUNNY GOH taught this programme under the same Title for the last decade, it was so successful that the Training Institute discussed sharing his Intellectual Property or getting him to conduct Training of Trainers to outsource his approval writing methods. It was a attempting idea, but concerned that his © AOS Plan and © PM Outline may not be correctly applied especially during the process of customisation, he declined the offer. Today, he has been using his succinct AOS methodology and successful PM pedagogy to conduct in-house bespoke courses.
The Good News is that an abridged version of this programme (from two days to one day without the extended writing practice) is now on offer as a public run for staff writers in both private and public sectors, as well as the academia and voluntary organisations.
Unlike discussion and information papers, a persuasive approval paper requires certain staffing to prep it, and certain skills to package it such that the approving authority cannot but support its content without much hesitation. The workshop will show you how Secondary Information, Additional Information and Essential Information – all different grades of inputs – can be synergised into one knowledge package. Next, the knowledge package will be structured into a narrative (there are different types) to ensure a seamless argument flow. Finally, the strategic versus technical content will be presented using their strengths and minimising their limitations in a qualitative-quantitative balance. Sounds complicated? No, it isn’t. It’s convincing.
Dr Sunny Goh is a Trainer of Trainers (TOT) and has taught many writing coaches to teach writing programmes he has designed for government servants and private sector officers. He was head of the International directorate in Mindef’s Defence Policy Office, where he has written Cab Memos, budget papers and presented Singapore’s position at international fora. He was a member of the SAF Scholars Selection Board and chairman of a university’s Resource Panel.
He was also a Desk Editor at The Straits Times, where he taught reporting and interviewing skills at its School of Journalism. In all, his participants had included CEOs, professors, staff writers, technical specialists, undergraduates and students. It doesn’t matter how high a participant’s work status may be – all that mattered is a penchant for learning.
As a volunteer, he was a Mediator with the Ministry of Law, a Council Member of the Singapore Red Cross Society and writes regularly for the local and regional media.
