REPORT WRITING

ASSIGNMENT #02 SEMESTER FALL 2019

SUBMISSION DATE (DEC 02, 2019)
BY
FAIZA SAJID
18071517-009
COMMUNICATION SKILLS
BS. ENGLISH (CELTS) 3rD SEMESTER
SUBMITTED TO
MAM KANWAL
Center for Languages and Translation Studies
Contents:-
 Report
 Report structure
 Effective report
 Reporting process
 Principles of reporting
 Types of reporting
 References
 REPORT WRITING
Report:-
A report is a written presentation of factual information based on an investigation or research. The
purpose of a report is to give an account of something, to offer a solution to a problem, or to
answer a question. Reports form the basis for solving problems or making decisions, often in the
subjects of business and the sciences. The length of reports varies; there are short memorandum (memo)
reports and long reports.
Report structure:-
Reports follow a standardised format. This allows the reader to find the information easily and focus on
specific areas. The following are elements of report:-
Elements of Report
1. Title Page
2. Table of Contents
3. Abstract or Executive Summary
4. Introduction (or Terms of Reference and Procedure)
5. Findings and/or Discussion
6. Conclusions
7. Recommendations
8. References
What makes an effective report?
A report is a structured written presentation developed as a response to a specific purpose, aim or request.
The purpose of a report is to give an account of something, to offer a solution to a problem, or to answer a
question (Curtin University of Technology, 2004). Reporting is primarily a tool to enhance
accountability, assist in organisational learning and decision- making, and improve communication both
internally and externally (AccountAbility, 2003). An effective report has the following characteristics. It
is:
 Appropriate to the purpose – this is clearly identified from the outset, so that the
conclusions and or/recommendations will be relevant;
 Appropriate to the audience – the reader’s knowledge will influence the type of background
detail that will need to be in the report and the emphasis that will be placed on particular issues of
interest.
 Accurate and complete – this is essential for a high quality report;
  Logical – this enables the report to be easily understood;
 Clear, concise and well organized with clear section headings – this will assist in leading the
reader logically to the conclusions and recommendations.
Reporting Process
A good reporting process is a cyclical one that ensures feedback and consequently decision making can
take place between organisations and concontractor.
The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) (2002) states: Reports alone will provide little value if they fail to
inform stakeholders or support a dialogue that influences the decisions and behaviour of both the
reporting organisation and its stakeholders.

Report Development is primarily the responsibility of the report writer, who should discuss with the
contractor (in the case of contractual reports) the type of report that should be written and what form it
should take. Data collection is an integral part of this stage in the reporting process. One of the key issues

with data collection is that much effort can be expended into producing data but the use of the data can be
unclear (Canadian Health Services Research Foundation, 2003). The collection of data should be clearly
relevant to the report outcomes and recommendations and should be accurate and reliable.
Report Analysis may be the responsibility of both the report writer and contractor. For example, the
report writer should include outcomes and/or recommendations in their report relevant to their
organisation. The contractor should be involved in analysing comparisons and performance to
benchmarks. This will include comparing performance between organisations where applicable and
considering outcomes in relation to standards and benchmarks.
Report Feedback to the report writer is primarily the responsibility of the contractor. True report
feedback is more than a notification that the report has been received. The contractor is responsible for
providing feedback on the content and analysis of the report and on the outcomes for the organisation in
relation to industry standards, benchmarks and goals. The report writer should also provide feedback to
staff of the organisation, where appropriate.
Decision Making is one of the key outcomes of report writing and if the cycle is followed, writing
reports will be seen as a valuable task of an organisation.
Principles of Reporting
Reporting principles are an integral part of a good reporting framework to ensure that both the writer and
report user share a common understanding of the underpinnings of the report. The principles should be
applied to all report preparation, particularly to the development of performance assessment reports.
Principles contribute to a foundation upon which future reports will continue to evolve based on new
knowledge and learning. Reporting principles are goals to which a reporter should strive and some
organisations will not be able to fully apply them immediately.
The Global Reporting Initiative Sustainability Reporting Guidelines include an excellent set of principles
to underpin report preparation and writing. The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) is a long-term multi-
stakeholder international process, whose mission is to develop and disseminate Sustainability Reporting
Guidelines to assist organisations report on the economic, environmental and social dimensions of their
activities, products and services (Global Reporting Initiative, 2002).
The GRI principles are grouped in four clusters, that:
1 form the framework for the report (transparency, inclusiveness, auditability);
2 inform decisions about what to report (completeness, relevance, sustainability, context);

3 relate to ensuring quality and reliability (accuracy, neutrality, comparability); and

4 inform decisions about access to the report (clarity, timeliness).
As stated by the GRI (2002) “the principles of transparency and inclusiveness are the starting point for the
reporting process and are woven into the fabric of all the other principles. All decisions about reporting
(eg., how, when, what) should take these two principles and associated practices into consideration.”
Transparency as an overarching principle is the centrepiece of accountability. It requires full disclosure
of the processes, procedures and assumptions in report preparation.
Inclusiveness is based on the premise that stakeholder views are integral to meaningful reporting and
therefore organisations should systematically engage stakeholders to help focus and continually enhance
the quality of its reports.
In determining what to report on, the principles of completeness, relevance, and sustainability context
play a key role:
 Completeness refers to disclosing all information that is significant within the boundaries,
timeframe and scope of the report.
 Relevance relates to the significance attached to pieces of information to inform decision making
of the stakeholders. It is the degree of importance assigned to particular aspects and indicators,
and represents the threshold at which information becomes significant enough to be reported.
 Sustainability context recognizes that reporting organisations need to report on the challenges,
risks and opportunities of sustainability, both within the broader macro system and as an
organisation.
The quality and reliability of the report content are guided by the principles of accuracy, neutrality and
comparability:
 Accuracy refers to achieving a degree of exactness in reported information that allows users to
make decisions with a high level of confidence.
 Neutrality recognizes that reports should avoid bias in the selection and presentation of
information and should strive to provide a balanced account of performance.
 Comparability refers to ensuring that reports support comparison over time and between
organisations. A level of consistency should therefore be maintained in the boundary and scope
of reports.
Accessibility of reports is governed by the principles of clarity and timeliness. Put simply, stakeholders
should receive information they can easily understand, in a time frame that allows them to use it
effectively.
The auditability principle refers to the extent to which the reported data and information is recorded,
compiled, analysed and disclosed so that internal and external stakeholders can attest to its reliability.
Types of Reports:-
Although all reports should include the basic elements and principles outlined above, there are unique
reporting formats eg:
 Memo
 Minutes
 Lab reports
 Book reports
 Progress reports
 Justification reports
 Compliance reports
 Short and long reports
 Information or analytical reports
 Proposal reports
 Vertical or lateral reports
 Internal and external reports
 Periodic reports
  Functional reports
 Contractual or annual reports
 Project reports
 Evaluation reports
 Research reports
 for decision makers
 for academic journals
 Evaluation reports
 Annual reports
Memo reports:-
A memo report is an informal report format often used to reply to a request for information.
Memo reports are intended for internal use. To begin a memo report, key the heading words and
information to print about one inch from the top of the page, as you would for any memo.
Contractual reports:-
Contractual reports are often seen as the most difficult and onerous reports to write. Contractual reports
are primarily required for accountability and performance assessment purposes. Aucoin & Jarvis (2004)
state: “Accountability is fundamentally a two-dimensional process. It involves not only those who report
but also those who receive reports. The former are obliged to render accounts; the latter are obliged to
extract accounts. The latter should not be passive recipients of reports. Those who receive reports must
question these reports. The accountability process, in short, should be an interactive as well as an iterative
process.” .
Project reports should provide detail on the overall project at the point of completion. They
should be written in a way that enables the reader to assess the quality and importance of the
information with the aim of persuading the reader to agree with the conclusions and
recommendations.
The final project report is an important element in closing a project. Project reports are usually
written by the project manager and provide detail on the overall project at the point of
completion. Dwyer et al (2004) commented that a project report is useful as:
 An historical record of the project and its achievements
 An opportunity to reflect on the project as a whole
 A comparison on the project outcomes to the original plan
 A way of informing stakeholders of any outstanding issues
 A summary of what went right and wrong for subsequent projects
 A way of recording recommendations for future projects and strategies for sustainability.
The project report should not be structured as a chronological record of the project process.
Rather it should be logically structured in a way that avoids repetition and enables the reader to
assess the quality and importance of the information with the aim of persuading the reader to
agree with the conclusions and recommendations. Formal hand over of the report should also be
considered. For some projects, it may be useful to produce a short summary document for
communication of the recommendations and outcomes with key stakeholders. Distribution of this
to participants in the project also demonstrates that their input was valued.
Evaluation reports are normally prepared at the midpoint and at the end of a project/program. They
generally cover most if not all evaluation indicators, including the relevance, efficiency, effectiveness,
impact and sustainability of the project/program.
Research reports:-
The Canadian Health Services Research Foundation (2001) developed an effective approach to writing
‘reader-friendly’ research reports for decision-makers, which is now being followed by a number of
Australian organisations including the SA Department of Health (personal communication). This
approach is useful for reporting on research that is answering questions about how to make the health
system work better. It is therefore a research summary for decision makers and not for an academic
journal.
Research Reports for Academic Journals:-
Academic journals usually provide detailed instructions regarding the format required for submitting
paper.
Research reports for academic journals follow a distinct format depending on whether they relate to
empirical or humanities research. Academic journals usually provide detailed instructions regarding the
format required for submitting a paper. As highlighted in the principles of effective report writing, clear
writing communicates the findings within the field.
Annual reports:-
An annual report is a good marketing tool that presents the actions and accomplishments of an
organisation during the financial year. It provides public evidence of financial stability and showcases the
achievements of an organisations.
References:-
AccountAbility. (2003). Impacts of Reporting: Uncovering the ‘Voluntary vs Mandatory’ Myth.
Accountability Quarterly 4 Sep. 2003 (AQ21).
Aucoin, P. & Jarvis, M. (2004). Results-based Reporting: Smart Practices for Improving Public
Accountability. International Political Science Association Conference, British Columbia.
Australasian Reporting Awards. (2004).
Canadian Health Services Research Foundation. (2001). Reader-Friendly Writing – 1:3:25.
Communication Notes, Canada.
Canadian Health Services Research Foundation. (2003). Finding the Fulcrum: What are effective
levers for change in healthcare? 4th
Annual Invited Exchange, Mississauga.
Commonwealth of Australia. (2003). Department of Family and Community Services Triple
bottom line report. Canberra, Australia.
Curtin University of Technology. (2004). Study Skills Report Writing. Retrieved 19 September
2004