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Informal Reports

Reports• Allow managers and co-workers to stay informed, review opinions, plan, and make decisions.

• Considered legal documents.

• Must be accurate, complete, objective, selective, and structured.

Successful Reports

1. Content:• Purpose:

• Select and include the information necessary for actions to be taken or decisions to be made.

• Consider the reader’s needs and background knowledge.• Organize the material logically for the reader.

Successful Reports, cont’d.

2. Clarity:• Use correct grammar and spelling.• Include overviews, transitions, and topic sentences.• Cite your sources.• Use visual aids.• Outline the criteria for options and conclusions.

Successful Reports, cont’d.

3. Skimmability:• Use easy-to-read fonts and font sizes

• Use clearly distinguishable headings

and sub-headings to organize data.

• Use white space and avoid a

cluttered format.

Reports should be reader-centered and user friendly.

Informal vs. Formal Reports Informal reports

• are 1–10 pages in length,

• follow a letter or memo format,

• use personal pronouns and contractions,

• include some visual aids, and

• are routine and internal.

Formal reports:• are 10–100 pages;• don’t use personal pronouns

or contractions;• include a title page, cover

letter, table of contents, and abstract; - formal style

• Indicative of the organization• are based on extensive

research or study;• include many visual aids; and• are distributed to external or

internal superiors.

Direct or Indirect Approach Are you persuading or just informing?

The direct approach is• used for informational and analytical

reports, and• used for routine, non-sensitive

information for recurring or one time events.

Informational format:Purpose/introduction/backgroundFacts and findingsSummary

Analytical format:Purpose/introduction/backgroundConclusions or recommendationsFacts and findingsDiscussion and analysis

The indirect approach• expects resistance from the reader,

and• requires persuasion or education of

the reader.• builds gradual acceptance

Analytical format:Purpose/introduction/background Facts and findingsDiscussion and analysisConclusions or recommendations

Reader Agrees

Little Persuasi

on Needed

Reader does not

AgreeNeeds More

Persuasion

Report Style

1. depends on audience and organization,

2. is written for primary and secondary readers,

3. uses clear references (pronouns and proper names) and unbiased language.

Short Reports • Purpose:

• Information – collect data for the reader – provide routine information

• Analytical and Recommendation - interpret data & propose a course of action, procedure, change in policy, etc.

Short Reports • PURPOSE – TYPES of Information Reports

• Periodic• Produced at regular intervals

• E.g., Monthly sales reports, service data

• Incident• Addresses who, why, what, where, when and how; provides only facts

• E.g., Accident report or Safety Incident Report

• Investigative • Responds to requests for information, details and sometimes analysis

• Compliance• E.g., Legal reports, Quality Reports, Audits

• Situational• Summarize event details; hi-lite learning benefits; justify expenses

• E.g., Sales call reports, trip reports,

• Progress reports• Monitor progress and status of a project; discusses problems; budget

Short Reports • PURPOSE – TYPES of Information Reports Cont`d:

• To-File Reports• record decisions, discussions, and directives; and• are filed for future reference.

• E.g., Board of Director Meeting Records

• Summary Report• High level report – condenses information for management

• Proposals• Directed Externally or Internally• address how problems can be solved,• sell goods and services, and• suggest changes to policy or spending for future improvements.

• E.g., Selling goods or suggesting that management support researching a company fitness plan

Informal Report

Informal Report

Short Reports • PURPOSE – TYPES of Analytical Reports:

• Recommendation Report• are commissioned by the recipients,• evaluate and express professional opinions, and recommend actions/interventions

• E.g., Supplier review reports - Workplace Time Management Systems Review

• Justification Report• detail the rationale for purchases, hiring, or policy change; and• outline what is needed and why it’s needed.

• E.g., Hiring additional personnel

• Feasibility Report• evaluate projects and alternatives and consider costs and benefits• ask questions such as “Do we need it?” and “Will it succeed?”

• Yardstick – Comparison Report• Which option is best based on predetermined criteria• E.g., Comparing travel agencies

FEASIBILITYSTUDY

Executive Summary (PSD)

I. Introduction

II. Project Strategic Context

III. Technical Analysis

IV. Institutional Assessment

V. Environmental Assessment

VII. Financial and Socio-Economic Analysis

VI. Stakeholder Analysis

VIII. Conclusions

IX. Project Implementation Plan

IX. Appendices

Short Reports

• Frequency of submission:• Periodic• One time (specific issue or project)

• Format• Opening summary (no heading)• Work Completed• Work in Progress• Work to be Completed• Closing/Forecast (no heading)

Manuscript format; with headings and sub-headings

Short Reports – Formats and Distribution

Prepared Form

Report

Letter Report

Formal Report

Memo Report

Good for circulating dataNot more than 10 pgs.Informal, conversational style

From one organization to another on company letterhead

Time-saving, preprinted forms with standard headings – e.g., Sales Reports, Incident Reports

The Writing Process I. Plan:

• What do you need?• How long will it take?• Who will complete each

task?

II. Research:• Brainstorm.• Think about the “big

picture”.• Ensure that your data is

current, valid, reliable, and accurate.

III. Compose and revise:• Create an outline.• Save copies of your

work.• Ensure that your work

answers questions the reader would ask.

• Proofread.

Elements of Informal Reports 1. Introduction (Background):

• Detail the purpose of the report or reason for the report.• Preview the key points.• Outline the data collection methods.

2. Findings/Results/Facts:• Organize the data by subheadings.

3. Summary/Conclusions/ Recommendations:• List in order of importance (most to least).• This section is often most interesting to the reader.

Headings and Subheadings

Two main types:

1. Functional headings• Example: Introduction, Findings, Summary

2. Descriptive or ‘talking heads’ • Reflect the content of the report, summarizing key

points• Example: New Policy on E-mail

Headings and Subheadings should be... • Short and clear – limit to 8 words

• Parallel –sentence structure and words balanced

• Ranked –show relationship between first and second levels• E.g.,

CAPS AND CENTERED

Use

subheadings only if you have more than one

• Free of typographic widows and orphans• Don`t refer to this, that, these or those

• Without quotation marks (“New Policy on E-mail”)

Visual Aids and Graphics

Serve two main purposes:

1. Make numerical information easier to understand, and

2. clarify and simplify data.

The Most Effective Visual Aids are…

• Clearly titled and labeled

• Uncluttered and easy to understand

• Accurate

• Serving a purpose

• Integrated at the correct place

• Supported by an explanation

Types of Visual Aids and Graphics

Data Representation

Tables

Matrixes

Pie Charts Bar Charts

Picture Charts

Line Graph

Simple Table

Complex Table

Matrix – Qualitative Data

Pie Chart

Bar Chart, Vertical

Picture Graph

Line Graphs – Gantt Chart

Line Graphs – Flow Chart

Line Graphs – Organizational Charts

Do`s and Don`ts for Graphics

Data Represent

ation

Tables

Matrixes

Pie Charts Bar Charts

Picture Charts

Line Graph

Do: Use graphics that are consistent with your message

Minimize distortion – scale of charts and labels

Round off decimals to the nearest whole number

Apply consistent style for titles, numbers, sizing of charts and graphs

E.g., Table of equal importance should be of equal size

Don`t: Bury important information by presenting too much data in a graphic

– show only what is absolutely essential

Don`t distort data by omitting relevant information

Let the graphics upstage you