Organized Reasoning

Tools for Stronger Argument & Clearer Writing

Why it matters

‘Organized Reasoning’ is a collection of ideas and tools to address problems professionals face.

• Documents are long, complex and difficult to follow.
• Links between data, reasoning and decision-making are often unclear.
• Audiences often cannot follow technical discussions.
• Preparing and sharing technical information is challenging.

But these are not just writing problems—they are problems of how reasoning is structured and communicated. Professionals need specific thinking tools to address them.

What makes this approach different

Many writing courses focus on style, structure and audience awareness. Not wrong, but this is not a conventional writing approach. Organized Reasoning training follows a simple premise. Clear writing follows clear thinking.

Therefore, it is both a thinking and a writing course. The workshop shares two toolsets.

• Tools to build strong arguments from technical information.
• Tools to present those arguments clearly in writing.

GB at a seminar in Hong Kong, speaking about a particular application of Organized Reasoning (photo by Simon Cheung)

Organized Reasoning shows how to create clear reasoning from technical data and how to justify recommendations, solutions and decisions. When arguments are well constructed, professional communications can be shorter and more succinct.

Ideas about Organized Reasoning were developed and tested over many years as a university course, in professional workshops and through international practice. The most popular version is an online workshop customized for professionals working with Environmental Impact Assessments.

Workshop Content

Streamline & Clarify Your Professional Documents:

Tools for Stronger Argument and Clearer Writing

 

The tools of Organized Reasoning give you the means for better communication, clearer drafts and feedback, shorter documents and, overall, more efficient processes. They help you streamline your IA efforts, and they do so without changing existing rules—just by doing things better.

The workshop addresses:

• Common errors in arguments and written documents.
• Three features necessary to build strong arguments.
• Five strategies that guide the detailed tactics of argument and writing.
• Specific approaches to build arguments clearly into written documents.
• Steps to keep projects and documents short, efficient and streamlined
• How people implement these tools in their professional practice

Participants learn a revised approach to planning, preparing and writing technical material that they can use immediately on the job.

The workshop has four sessions of 3.5 hours each and a fifth follow-up session, several months later. It includes discussion, practice and supporting materials. Participants are limited to 15 people.

Workshop Leader

Dr. Glenn Brown has over 30 years’ experience as an ecologist and educator specializing in environmental management. He has worked on environmental and training projects for industry, government and non-governmental organizations in North America, Central America, Africa, Australia and Asia.

For 15 years he taught courses on Ecosystem Science and Management and on Analytical Thinking and Communications in the Master’s program in Environment and Management at Royal Roads University, which gave him its Outstanding Teaching award.

He now does consulting work and online training based in Vancouver, Canada. He delivered this course over 50 times live and over 80 times for audiences online.

Comments from Past Participants

“What a great learning experience.”

“Great course, should take it regardless of your level of expertise. Something to learn for everyone.”

“It is useful for anyone needing to make and communicate complex arguments”

“Really well organized, very practical”

“Outstanding presenter.”

“I would highly recommend this course to anyone who is commenting on projects as well as practitioners”

“Very useful and applicable to not only IA but all aspects of the professional world.”

“Glenn was a wonderful trainer; very passionate about his field, and keen to share it. He is an excellent trainer who made a complex topic easy to understand.”

Availability and Sponsors

This year introductory workshops are available online via three organizations.

Environment Institute of Australia and New Zealand (EIANZ). Details on their Events page: here.

International Association for Impact Assessment (IAIA). Details on their online training page: here

International Association for Impact Assessment- Western and Northern Canada Affiliate. Details on their events page here.

Other Workshop Topics

Advanced workshops have been created for people who have completed introductory workshops.

• Next steps with Organized Reasoning
• Applications to improve Information Requests (Requests for Further Information)
• Common errors and fallacies in argument
• Using key words and working definitions
• Practice and coaching with written argument
• Others are in preparation

Past Institutional Audiences

 Training has been provided for over 35 organizations, including:

Australia Department of Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water

ERM Consultants

Hong Kong Institute of Environmental Impact Assessment

Impact Assessment Agency of Canada

Indigenous Advisory Monitoring Committee

JBS&G Consultants

Landsvirkjun, The National Power Company of Iceland

Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board

Port of Vancouver

Yukon Environmental and Socio-economic Assessment Board

More Information

There are descriptions of available documents, PowerPoint presentations and videos on this website here.

For any specific questions email glenn.brown@telus.net.

Other resources include:

Brown, G. (in press). Writing impact assessments with the goal of building strong arguments. In Fischer, T., Bice, S. Jha-Thakur, U. Montano, M. Noble, B. & Retief, F. (eds.) Impact Assessment Encyclopedia. Edward Elgar Publishers, Cheltenham, UK.

Brown, G. (2025). Using tools of argument to improve IA documents: Steps and progress. In Proceedings of the International Association for Impact Assessment Conference IAIA 25: Impact Assessment in the Age of Artificial Intelligence, Bologna, Italy. here.