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Report Writing

Report writing

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171 views5 pages

Report Writing

Report writing

Uploaded by

tasneemkhalid1818
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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| Report Writing: Pysumnsttes Process, principles and styles Introduction 1 Introduction ne Writing reports is often seen as a time consuming and pointless exercise Efedive 3 However, by sharing information, reports can help develop common purposes and reporting aims, spread successful imovations, build on successes, and avoid reinventing twhets and dupleating mstaes (Lomeay, 2003) voy * ‘This issue of JournalWatch focuses specifically on reporting and is the third JournalWatch in a series that includes Evaluation in Primary Health Care (Magarey, eee a 2003) and Performance Indicators in Primary Health Care (Kalucy, 2004). It Lessee covers: Presentation 1 ‘is "Effective reporting - process and principles: ii Reporting 14 > Types of reports an eine ~ Reporting styles Presentation tips * Reporting in the future Bibliography 16 Editorial team ~ Tania Manser Summary Manser Consulting Effective report a Elizabeth Kalucy > The purpose of a report isto give an account of something, to offer a solution to a problem, or to ansner a question. > Bllen Mantyre ‘A good reporting process is a cyclical one that ensures that feedback and decision making can occur between organisations and contractors/funders. Reporting principles (transparency and inclusiveness) should be applied to any report preparation to ensure that both the writer and report user share a common understanding of the underpinnings of the report. Produced by Carmen Navarro Fiona Thomas & kylie Dixon es ~ Contractual reports ere primary requ for accountability and performance Pte etn te lea heli pt ep Aelia ey a eee cee rae eae ae a ener eee paper > eee ey seal ae yea eee ee ee eee tree aca eee esas oe een ts eee ares » rr Information Service, 2004 , F 2004 JournalWatch P. ‘Conted from page 3) > The Canadian 1:3:25 approach to writing ‘reader friendly’ research reports for decision- makers is recommended. This approach is useful for reporting on research that is, answering questions about how to make the health system work better. ~ 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. ~ An annual report is 3 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 organisation, Summary Reporting styles ~The Balanced Scorecard Management System is a useful framework in which to report on organisational strategies and directions. It enables organisations to clarify their vision and strategy and translate them into action. ~ Bennett's Hierarchy provides a logical framework in which to collect, measure, analyse and report on performance information. The Hierarchy describes a cause-and-effect chain through the identification of outcomes at seven levels. It provides a structure for a performance story, and enables organisations to identify any gaps in their knowledge. ~ Narrative reporting is particularly useful in strategic planning because it provides a medium, for defining relationships, sequencing events, determining cause and effect and setting priorities among items under consideration. Presentation Tips Presentation is a key element in successful report writing. Formatting, revising and proof reading are important processes for good presentation, ~All reports should have an Executive Summary that presents the essential elements of the report from the introduction through to the recommendations and outcomes. ~ Reports should be visually appealing and easy to read. Diagrams, figures, charts, tables ‘and graphs can all add interest to a report. Reporting of the Future ~ Consumers are having a greater say in the information they want presented by an organisation and this is leading to a market-led reporting model. ~ Reporting is moving from being periodic to continuous with updated information being transmitted to users. ‘The emphasis on non-financial performance measures for economic, social, health, safety and environment issues will continue to grow. * Within this changing environment. expectations and demands of contractors/funders to report writing should be kept reasonable and realistic. 2008 Journatwaten Effective reporting What is an effective report? ‘Areport isa structured written presentation developed as a response toa specific purpese, ‘aim or request. The purpose of a report isto give an account of something, to offer a solution to a problem, orto answer a question (Curtin University of Technology, 2004). Reporting is. primarily @tool to entance accountabilty, assist in organisational learning and decision- ‘making, and improve communication both internally and externally (Accountability, 2003). ‘An effective report has the following characteristics. Its: ~ appropriate to the purpece - this is clealy identified from the outset, co that the ‘conclusions and or/recommendations wil be relevant; ~ appropriate to the audience ~ the reader's knowledge wil influence the type of background ‘tall that wil need to be in the report and the emphasis that will be placed on particular fssues of interest ~ accurate and complete - this i essential for a high qualty report; logical - this enabies the report to be easily understood: clear, concise and well organized with clear section headings - this will azest in leading the ‘eader logically to the conclusions and recommendations. (Curtin Universty of Technology, 2004, Monash University, 1998) What is the Reporting Process? ‘A.good reporting process is a cyclical one (Figure 1) that ensures feedback and consequently decision making can take place between organisations and contractors. The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) (2002) states: Reports alone wil provide litle value if they fall to inform stakeholders or support a

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