REPORT WRITING

Lecture Notes and Class Activity

A report is written for a clear purpose and to a particular audience. Specific information and
evidence are presented, analysed and applied to a particular problem or issue. The information is
presented in a clearly structured format making use of sections and headings so that the
information is easy to locate and follow (Learning Development, University of Leicester, 2009)

A report is a logical presentation of facts and information. The information is needed for
reviewing and evaluating progress, for planning future cause of action and for taking decisions. It
provides feedback on various aspects of the organization (Rai & Rai, 2006)

Types of Reports

Reports may be routine or special. Routine reports are periodical and are usually prepared by
filing in printed formats, to convey information about the progress or status of work progress.

Special reports are required when a special situation or problem arises. An individual or
committee of individuals who have knowledge in the subject matter are appointed to investigate.

Types of Routine Reports

1. Progress Report
- Gives information about the progress of a project or task which is in the progress of
being completed.
- In some organizations there are periodical progress reports – monthly, quarterly, etc.
2. Inspection Report
- Normally intended to detect irregularities or deviation from standards in day to day
work, for example internal audit reports.
- Daily inspection of a factory involves preparation of inspection report.
- Inspection reports may be done without notice. Organisation my keep employees
alerted that any time there may be inspection reports.

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3. Performance Appraisal Report
- It the record of employee’s performance for a specified period of time. Eg annual
performance report.
- This report helps the employee get the feedback on his/her performance.
- The report also helps the superiors to know the performance of each employee.
- Promotion or demotion is done on the basis of this report.
4. Periodical Reports
- Prepared at regular interval on the working of a department or section. The
information required is of routine nature, and may be provided by filling a special
table.

Types of Special Reports

1. First information report

- Required when there is disaster like fire, building collapse.
- It must state what happened, about what time, who first noticed it, and what steps
were immediately taken.
- It is normally prepared by a responsible person on-the-spotfor submission to higher
authority, for example by branch manager for submission to Regional Manager
2. Investigation Report
- Is written after making a thorough study and inquiry. Investigation is made when
there is a problem and the management wants to know the causes, and needs solutions
for solving the enigma.
- The problems may be fall in sales, customer complaints, declining deposits etc
- This kind of report requires great deal of work, thinking, discussion and
considerations.
- Such reports are assigned to a group/committee of experienced individual
s.
3. Feasibility or survey Report

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 - Is written when an organization wants to introduce new service, or a new product in
the market, or make any major changes that may affect the customers and other
stakeholders.
- The report will detail the potential costs, profit, social effects, and then recommend a
reasonable course of action.
4. Project Report
- Written after proposal has been furnished.
- It describes the proposal as projected into the future, showing cash flow and expected
results.

Parts of a Report

1. Title - a report must always have a title indicating the subject of the study or activity, the
period and location of the task or study.
Long reports have a full page for the title.
2. Terms of Reference (TOR)
Details of the assignment: Who assigned the task and the report, on what date, how was
the appointment made, and what are the names of members. It also states what the
assignment is, what the date for submitting the report is and whether the report is
expected to make recommendations.
3. Procedure
Is the second numbered part of the report, which tells about the methods, used for
collecting information.
Methods of collecting information depends on the nature of the study, but few are listed
below:
i. Acquisition of organization records.
ii. Observation, which involves observing a phenomenon and recording what is
systematically observed.
iii. Interrogation, which is a method of asking questions done by (a) interviewing (b)
getting questionnaires filled (c) meeting experts and asking for their opinions (d)
informal talks with randomly selected individuals.
iv. Reference to different kinds of books on the subject.

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4. Findings – Presentation of findings is the main part of the report. The collected
information and facts have to be organized into presentable form with headings and
subheadings:
Eg: I: First division
A: Sub-division
1. Second subdivision
a) Third sub-division

This part is also given a concluding paragraph, in which the finding a synthesized.

5. Recommendations
This section gives the way forward, in line with the problems and the findings.
[Link] committee recommends the following steps

6. Illustrations
A report becomes more readable, clear and effective if findings are explained with
relevant illustrative data like diagrams, graphs, charts, plans and maps. There are several
advantages for using illustrations:
i. They clarify and support the verbal analysis.
ii. They can present a large amount of complex data in compact form and with
precision.
iii. Comparison of data can be seen at glance with charts and graphs
iv. Pictorial representation is more attractive and interesting to most people.

Illustrations should have number and title and should be mentioned in the text of the
report. Titles should be placed above the illustration. Specifically, all diagrams, graphs,
charts, maps, etc used as illustrations must have the following:

i. Proper labels (title) to show what information is being presented,

ii. The scale used if any,
iii. Key to colour/shading/symbols used and
iv. The date of information contained

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GROUP WORK (to be attempted in a group of 5 students)

You are working at Ilala Municipal Council as an Environmental Officer. The KisutuTX Market
was on ITV documentary last night. The major issue was the accumulation of hazardous waste
around the market that has put the health of users of the market at a high risk of contaminating
communicable diseases.

REQUIRED:

With a team of four other officers, visit the market, inspect every part of the market and describe
the cleanliness situation, visit the location of the hazardous waste as describe its dimensions and
possibility of causing health hazards, compile a full report and submit it to the municipal director
by 15th March 2021. In your report, precisely explain the procedure for collection of information.

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 LANGUAGE OF A REPORT

1. Use past tense

2. Use passive voice instead of active voice.

VOICE
The verb phrase can be in active or passive voice. In the sentence containing the
active verb phrase, the subject indicates the agent that carries the action, while in
sentences whose verbs are in passive voice, the subject indicates the thing or
person affected by the action. Example of the subject roles in active and passive
sentences are given below:

1. The boy bit a snake. ( the boy did the biting)

2. The boy was bitten by a snake. ( the boy was affected by the biting)

Let’s summarize the differences between the active and passive sentences:

Active Passive
Is informal in style (Casual or personal It is common in academic writing and
style) therefore formal in style
Makes use of personal pronoun like ‘I’, Personal pronouns may be completely
“we” “you: omitted.
Emphasis is on the performer of the Emphasis is on the action and the
action recipient of the action.

Below, sentences showing the way active/passive represent casual and academic
styles are presented1.

CASUAL STYLE (PERSONAL) ACADEMIC STYLE (IMPERSONAL)

I interviewed several villagers Several villagers were interviewed
I will discuss the results in the next The results will be discussed in the next

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 session session.
You should keep the equipment clean The equipment should be kept clean.
I suggest the following steps to reduce The following steps are suggested to
unemployment. reduce unemployment

In making transformation from active to passive the verb phrase undergoes some changes after
making the thing or person affected by the action the subject. See the changes in the table below:

ACTIVE PASSIVE
SIMPLE rotates is rotated
PRESENT
SIMPLE PAST destroyed was destroyed
PRESENT has built has been built
PERFECT
PAST PERFECT had opened had been opened
Modal ‘will’ will return will be returned
Modal ‘should’ should stop should be stopped

Functions of a Report (Bovee, Thill & Chatterjee (2013), page 375.

1. Informational – to inform
2. Analytical – to present information and analysis
3. Proposal – to propose

Read More on functions of Reports