Transcript ES2002 Report - Planning the Report

Planning the Project/Report
Business
Business
Writing:Communication:
Planning the Project/Report
Planning the Project/Report
Planning the Project/Report
• Position
• Problem
• Possibilities
• Proposals
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Business
Writing:Communication:
Planning the Project/Report
Planning the Project/Report
Position
• Analyse your audience
– Primary reader
(request/authorise the report)
– Secondary reader(s)
• Consider background information
needed for readers
• Define scope and limitations
Business
Business
Writing:Communication:
Planning the Project/Report
Planning the Project/Report
Scope and Limitations
• Scope - the boundaries of your
investigation
• Limitations - anything which
hinders or limits the quality of your
research/findings of the report
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Business
Writing:Communication:
Planning the Project/Report
Planning the Project/Report
Example 1
• TriTech - Travel & entertainment
expenses are eating into profits
• VP of Administration asks Director
of Accounting Services to
investigate
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Business
Writing:Communication:
Planning the Project/Report
Planning the Project/Report
Position
Who is the report for?
• Primary reader: VP of Administration
• Secondary readers: Company’s CEO;
President of Administration
Business
Business
Writing:Communication:
Planning the Project/Report
Planning the Project/Report
Position
What do the reader(s) need in terms of
background information?
• TriTech’s company philosophy
• reasons for authorisation of report
• authoriser of the report
Business
Business
Writing:Communication:
Planning the Project/Report
Planning the Project/Report
Position
• Scope: Travel and entertainment
expenses by employees in the last two
years
• Limitation(s): Precise financial impact
of cost-saving measures difficult to
project due to fluctuations in airfares
and hotel rates
Business
Business
Writing:Communication:
Planning the Project/Report
Planning the Project/Report
Problem
• Problem statement defines what you
are investigating
• Problem is usually defined by the
person authorising the report
• Purpose statement defines the
objective of the report
Business
Business
Writing:Communication:
Planning the Project/Report
Planning the Project/Report
Problem
1. Identify the problem
 What do we spend on T & E?
 Why are T & E expenses so high?
 How can T & E expenditure be reduced?
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Business
Writing:Communication:
Planning the Project/Report
Planning the Project/Report
Problem
2.
Develop a purpose statement
 To analyse the T & E budget
 To evaluate the impact of recent changes
 To suggest ways to tighten control
Business
Business
Writing:Communication:
Planning the Project/Report
Planning the Project/Report
Possibilities
• Consider all possibilities
• Make sure the possibilities are relevant
• Be mindful of biased thinking
Else
Conclusions and recommendations will
be invalid if the actual causes of the
problem are not identified in the report.
Business
Business
Writing:Communication:
Planning the Project/Report
Planning the Project/Report
Example 2
• Company X - organised training
programme for its staff
• Report to evaluate employees’
attitude towards the programme
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Business
Writing:Communication:
Planning the Project/Report
Planning the Project/Report
Possibilities
1. Identify all relevant issues
job
satisfaction
class
time
selection for
programme
duration of
programme
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Business
Writing:Communication:
Planning the Project/Report
Planning the Project/Report
Possibilities
2. Formulate hypotheses
Hypothesis - an unproved theory, proposition,
etc., tentatively accepted to explain certain
facts or to provide a basis for further
investigation.
Business
Business
Writing:Communication:
Planning the Project/Report
Planning the Project/Report
Possibilities
2. Formulate hypotheses
•
Workers’ level of job satisfaction is higher
after taking the class.
•
Workers are dissatisfied with the selection
procedures to identify participants.
•
Workers dislike class times.
•
Workers believe programme is too long.
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Business
Writing:Communication:
Planning the Project/Report
Planning the Project/Report
Proposals
List tentative solutions to the problem
(based on the hypotheses)
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Business
Writing:Communication:
Planning the Project/Report
Planning the Project/Report
Proposals
Hypothesis - Workers are dissatisfied with the
selection procedures to identify participants
Proposal - Allow workers to volunteer
for the programme
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Business
Writing:Communication:
Planning the Project/Report
Planning the Project/Report
Proposals
Hypothesis - Workers dislike class times
Proposal - Continue class times after
working hours, but offer incentives;
eg. leave in lieu or shopping vouchers
Business
Business
Writing:Communication:
Planning the Project/Report
Planning the Project/Report
Proposals
Hypothesis - Workers believe programme
is too long
Proposal - Revise and shorten programme
based on staff input
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Business
Writing:Communication:
Planning the Project/Report
Planning the Project/Report
Position
Problem
Introduction
• background/problem
• purpose
• scope & limitations
Possibilities
Findings
Conclusions
Proposals
Recommendations
Business
Business
Writing:Communication:
Planning the Project/Report
Planning the Project/Report