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REPORT WRITING

WORKSHOP
FOR THE
FOOD TRANSITION PROJECT
STAFF

9 AND 10 OCTOBER, 2000

Materials developed by
Mary Picard, Ph.D.
Monitoring & Evaluation Advisor
CARE International in Kosovo
Report Writing Workshop for FTP 1
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AGENDA TOPICS:

HOW DOES REPORTING FIT INTO THE BIGGER PICTURE?

HOW DO I OBTAIN QUALITY IN THE SOURCE(S) OF


INFORMATION FOR MY REPORT?

HOW DO I DECIDE WHAT INFORMATION BELONGS IN MY


REPORT?

- WHAT IS THE PURPOSE AND WHO IS THE AUDIENCE FOR


MY REPORT?

- WHAT ARE SOME BASIC COMPONENTS OF A REPORT?

WHAT IS THE MOST APPROPRIATE AND EFFECTIVE WRITING


STYLE FOR THIS REPORT?

HOW DO I PRESENT QUALITY INFORMATION IN THE MOST


EFFECTIVE WAY?

(THE GUIDELINES FOR REPORT WRITING WILL BE


INTRODUCED INTO THE DIFFERENT TOPICS.)

EXERCISES
1 ON QUALITY OF INFORMATION SOURCES
2 ON KNOWING THE PURPOSE AND AUDIENCE OF YOUR
REPORT
3 ON DISTINGUISHING BETWEEN AN ACCOMPLISHMENT, A
PROBLEM, ETC.
4 ON OBJECTIVITY
5 ON ANALYSIS
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HOW DOES REPORTING


FIT INTO THE BIGGER PICTURE?
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REPORT WRITING GUIDELINES

1. The quality of the information you report is only as good as that


of the information you collect or the source of the information.
If you feel you are not getting good-quality information, you need
to discuss this with your supervisor so that s/he knows the
problem is not with the reporting but with the collection.

2. Know the purpose and the audience of your report well and write
it accordingly.

3. Make sure your report has a structure, such as an outline with


headings and sub-headings, or sections with questions. This will
help you and the reader navigate your way through the report.

4. Use discipline in preparing your report. THINK before you write!


If you are writing about the work you have just completed, think
carefully what it is that is important to report and what is not.
Learn to think and write critically.

5. Be concise and state your point. Avoid detailed and descriptive


narrative that burdens the reader with more than s/he needs to
know.

6. Be objective in your reporting. Present the facts; do not make


unsupported claims. Do not generalize about a situation or a
problem but say who it pertains to. It is better to say you dont
know than to (a) present an incomplete picture which you know will
only raise questions for the reader, or (b) fill the gaps with
speculation, extrapolation, or opinion.

7. Related to 5. above, be as analytical as you can rather than


descriptive. Aggregate, summarize, mention trends or patterns,
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point to exceptions, and prioritize issues according to their


magnitude and need for attention.

8. Be consistent in reporting information. Treat the same type of


event, situation, problem, activity, or whatever it might be, the
same from one instance to the next. Be consistent as well in the
manner in which you present or report the information from one
report to the next.

9. Use logic to prepare your report in a coherent fashion from one


paragraph or section to the next.

10. Select the most effective way to present the information. Use
tables to show quantitative information or to report events or
activities for which there is some pattern.
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HOW DO I OBTAIN QUALITY


IN THE SOURCE(S) OF INFORMATION
FOR MY REPORT?

Guideline #1: The quality of the information you report is only as


good as that of the information you collect or the source of the
information. If you feel you are not getting good-quality
information, you need to discuss this with your supervisor so that
s/he knows the problem is not with the reporting but with the
collection.

Hi, its What is the source of your information?


me again,
Shpetim.

You collect the information: You rely on:


Directly from beneficiaries Information given you by
using different data collection implementing partners
Techniques
Based on your own field Other sources of secondary data
observations
Or report on tasks you have Data provided by other CARE
conducted staff

Review the collected information with the following checklist to


determine how useable it is: What will I
do with
these Red
Do I have reason to believe the information is not accurate? Cross lists
Is the source from which the information was obtained in any of benefi-
ciaries?
way questionable?
Its not in
Is the information incomplete? Is it specific enough for my the right
purposes? What is it that I still need to know? format.

Is it in a format that is suited to my analysis or the database


I am using?
If it is given to you orally, do you write it down and note the
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source?
What does the information tell me? Is it a detail that has no
relevance or importance for my analysis? Am I able to aggregate
it with other similar types of information?
Does the information have some value? What do I need to do to
make this information more useful to me and my project? Is
there something I can do?

GROUP EXERCISE 1

Provide examples of difficulties you have in using the information


you are given. What do you find yourself doing in this situation? Do
you ignore the information or try to resolve the problems? If so,
how and can you think of better ways to address them?
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HOW DO I DECIDE WHAT


Guideline #2
INFORMATION BELONGS IN MY REPORT?
Know the
purpose and
The first criterion to use when answering this question - how
the audience
for your do I decide what information belongs in my report is knowing
report well the purpose and the audience for whom you are writing!
and write
accordingly!

Reports have a variety of different purposes. Here are some of the


main ones:
1. To know whether activities according to a project plan are being
accomplished.
2. To know whether tasks according to a staff persons workplan are
being accomplished.
3. To highlight any problems being encountered in project activities
in order to address them or communicate them to the entity
which is responsible for resolving them.
4. To track progress at different levels of the project progress
against objectives, outputs, or activities to demonstrate to the
donor we are fulfilling our contractual obligations and/or for our own
satisfaction that we (the project) are having positive results.
5. To see whether beneficiaries are satisfied with the project or
have a different view from our own; to then report these
differences to a higher level of decision making; and create some
dialogue between the project and beneficiaries on the issue.
6. To aggregate information which can be analyzed and used for
different purposes within or even after the life of the project.

The audience can also vary. Each has a different level of decision
making, accountability and involvement in the project. Here are
some examples with which you are familiar:
1. the donor(s)
2. the project manager
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3. field coordinator
4. monitoring officer Would you
5. distribution officer write the
6. field monitor same way
and include
7. beneficiary the same
info in your
report to
Here are some questions that you should ask yourself before you your super-
begin to write your report: visor if you
were writ-
ing to a co-
For whom am I writing this report? What can I assume and worker?
not assume that this person(s) already knows?
In reviewing each question or section of the report format I am
given, do I understand why that question is important and what
purpose it serves? More specifically, do I know what the larger
question(s) is behind the issues raised in my report format?
Is the information I am providing in my report appropriate for
the questions which my supervisor must then answer in his/her
report?
What types of quantitative recording must be done by partners
and by staff which I will need to aggregate or summarize in my
report?
What actions or decisions must my supervisor make with the
information I provide?
What will my supervisor do with my report? Will it be used for
further reporting?
What effect will this information have in the immediate term and
in the longer term? Whom and what will it affect?

GROUP EXERCISE 2
Divide up into groups composed of staff who prepare the same type of report.
Using your report format as a base, ask yourselves, for each section of the
report why your supervisor needs this information and what s/he will do with it.
What actions and decisions will be made with this information?
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There are some givens and having a structure for your report
will give you (and the reader!) some guideposts and a way to
navigate through the report (guideline #3). Lets look now at
some of the basic components of a report . . .

I. OVERVIEW

II. PROGRESS BY ACTIVITY

A. Activity #1
1. Accomplishments or Achievements Against the Plan
2. Constraints Affecting Progress (or Problems
Encountered)
3. Actions to Address Constraints
4. Planned Activities for Next Period

B. Activity #2
1. As above
2. As above
3. As above
4. As above
etc.

III. OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

Examples:
A. Relationships with Partners
B. Management Issues
C. Administration Issues
D. Operational Issues

IV. LESSONS LEARNED

V. CONCLUSIONS OR RECOMMENDATIONS
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But what do these sections mean and what types of


information do I include?

I. OVERVIEW OR SUMMARY

To prepare the reader for what is to come, it is always useful to


start with a brief summary or overview for the period being covered
by the report. Present the reader with the bigger picture first.

Situate your project, component, or activity (whatever the scope


of your report) within a broader context. If you are reporting on
the whole project, describe the external conditions (political,
social, economic, etc.) affecting it and which might explain
adjustments you have had to make in your project.

Example: UNMIK has still not issued the definition for Category II, hence, the
commencement of Category II benefits has been delayed.

Similarly, if you are reporting on a specific component, e.g., food


distribution, mention those external conditions or constraints
specific to your component.

Example: A security alert prevented us from distributing food to the villages


of x, y, and z this month.

Describe broad trends relating to the project, component, or


activity. In what direction is the project going? How would you
describe the overall performance of the project? Are we on track
with the overall plan? What generalizations can be made about
the activities and different aspects of the work? Are there any
major problems or concerns affecting the whole?
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Example: Overall, the project is progressing according to plan. Food is being


delivered and distributed without any major blockages, however, delays are
occurring in all areas due to the late submission of distribution logs. Monitoring
activities are continuing with an average of 50 spot-checks a day. As noted in
the previous report, our assessments show a large number of non-eligible Cat. I
recipients, currently at 2,000 for the whole region. We are working with our
implementing partners to reduce the numbers.

Summarize accomplishments in bulleted form at the highest level


of aggregation for your project, component, or activity.

Example: The following targets were achieved:


50,000 tons of food delivered (80% achieved)
1500 spot-checks completed (60% achieved)
5 IPs trained in filling out reports (100% achieved)

_________________________

II. PROGRESS BY ACTIVITY

A. Activity #1
1. Accomplishments or Achievements Against the Plan
2. Constraints Affecting Progress (or Problems Encountered)
3. Actions to Address Constraints
4. Planned Activities for Next Period

After the overview section comes a more detailed section that


breaks the big picture down into smaller parts. Generally, this is
done by taking one activity or component at a time and providing a
certain level of detail for each one. However, our main interest is in:

What was done by whom and where and how well it was done?
If there were targets set, to what extent were they achieved?
Or if you are operating according to a plan or pre-set schedule,
did you achieve what you planned to do? If not, why not?
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What problems, constraints, or difficulties did you encounter Guideline


which impeded progress, affected the performance of the #5: Be
work, or prevented you from getting the work done? concise and
state your
Are the problems or constraints internal to the project or point.
external, i.e., within or outside your control? Can they be Avoid
detailed
overcome? Who is accountable? How will the project adjust, and
if these difficulties will continue to exist? descriptive
Whats next after these accomplishments in this reporting narrative

period? Prepare the reader for what is to come and a preview


of what will appear in the next report.

Guideline EXERCISE 3
#4: Use
discipline
in Work individually on this. For each numbered sentence in the
preparing example paragraph, identify it as (a) an accomplishment, (b) a
your
report. problem or constraint and whether it is internal or external, (c)
Think an action to address a problem or constraint, (d) a planned
before
you write!
activity, or (e) a detail which is not necessary or does not belong.

Paragraph:
{ This week field staff focused more on the secondary distribution done by
MTS. | They checked all delivery points in the AOR to ensure the distribution
was running properly and that food was being picked up at distribution points. }
There were problems during the field activities and, in many cases, villagers
were complaining to the MTS branches about the reduction in numbers of
beneficiaries. ~ But the community leader at the Roma delivery point in Gjilan
requested a reduction in the number of beneficiaries from 363 to 315, because
some households were now better off.  We ensured that the food for the
months of August and September were distributed. We informed all delivery
points that the reports to the branch offices are due on the 2nd of the month.
We will collect the reports from the branch offices next week. We still
have not received the WFP food distribution plan for next month. We hope
we will receive it soon.
Report Writing Workshop for FTP 13
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WHAT IS THE MOST APPROPRIATE AND


EFFECTIVE WRITING STYLE
FOR MY REPORT?

With a reporting structure or format, we are given some boundaries


for the types of information to include in our report. A structure
also offers us a certain logic and gives coherence to the report, as
section I then leads logically to section II, etc. Yet, even when we
have the information all there, are confident that the data is
reliable, know our audience, and know what to include in the report,
we still need to pay attention to our writing style: what is
appropriate and effective in conveying the gems of information I
have at my disposal?

For this section, I will draw heavily on guidelines 6 9.

OBJECTIVITY

Guideline #6: Be objective in your reporting. Present the facts;


do not make unsupported claims. Do not generalize about a situation
or a problem but say who it pertains to. It is better to say you dont
know than to (a) present an incomplete picture which you know will
only raise questions for the reader, or (b) fill the gaps with
speculation, extrapolation, or opinion.

Quantitative types of information are always easier to state.


The only caution in using quantitative information is that numbers
more immediately convey a sense of the facts or the truth,
when they could be incorrect or inaccurate.

For every gem of information, qualitative OR quantitative, go


over it in your mind and be sure it is a statement of the reality or
the truth.
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Do not make a claim or assertion for which you do not have the
data to back it up. Every statement of truth requires evidence.

Be very careful not to take what is true for one place or one
situation and generalize; similarly, do not forget, when you make
a statement, to refer to whom, how many, where, and when

Although the type of reporting you do does require that you


engage your thinking, your intellect, and your ability to assess, it
is important to alert the reader when you yourself are making an
observation or comment; dont present it as fact.

It is inappropriate to inject your emotions (okay, but dont let it


affect the whole tone of your report) or your biases in a report.

Always state the source of the information you report.

EXERCISE 4
Entire group together : Critique the following paragraph and table in
terms of their objectivity and rewrite them in a more appropriate
fashion.

The staff conducted 5 community meetings in one municipality to


elicit feedback from villagers on their perception of the CSW
scheme. In the community meeting I attended in the village of
Cernica, all people attending were well-informed about Category I
criteria. It seems that there is widespread understanding of the
scheme in this municipality. But I would agree with the beneficiaries
that there are still people who do not meet the criteria and are still
very vulnerable. We should try to find ways to help everyone, not
just those in Category I.

Below is a summary of the meetings:


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Gornje Kusce 50 attending


Cernica 20 attending
Pancelo 10 attending
Bratilovce 10 attending
??? 15 attending
TOTAL: 115 attending

ANALYSIS VS. DESCRIPTIVE DETAIL

Guideline #6: Be as analytical as you can rather than descriptive.


Aggregate, summarize, mention trends or patterns, point to
exceptions, and prioritize issues according to their magnitude and
need for attention.

Analytical writing is a blend of information and thinking. A very


simple type of analysis is to apply a set of questions to the data. It
seeks to explain the data or the information. This is very different
from merely presenting the data as is and not reflecting on it.
There can be as many levels of analysis there are levels of causation.

Example:
Descriptive Analytical
In Mitrovica North, the data shows In Mitrovica North, the data shows
that 332 households have WFP ration that 332 households have WFP ration
cards, while 1680 households are cards, while 1680 households are
registered with the CSW. registered with the CSW. This
indicates that only 20% of households
registered with the CSW are
vulnerable and meet the Cat. I.
criteria. This tells us that . . .

In examining the data, we return to the set of questions being


posed even before the data were collected.
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But dont
But in order to be explanatory, we need to summarize and
forget aggregate our information. And in order to aggregate, we need
your
to have consistent information for all cases or events.
objectiv-
ity when
you In aggregating or looking at the bigger picture, we look for
explain
the data,
patterns or trends and seek to identify them. The danger is
make sure there is always some degree of interpretation involved in
your
reviewing the data.
conclusion
is true
for all We also look for the exceptions and seek to explain them.
cases.

Our own judgment and intellect really come into play when we
begin to prioritize the issues and problems based on the
explanations that emerge from our analysis.

EXERCISE 5

Divide into small groups. Review the data below and see what kind of
analysis you can do on it. What questions could you ask about this
data? What conclusions can be reached? What trends do you see?
What problems emerge from this analysis which need to be further
investigated and how would you prioritize the problems?

Table: The Delivery and Distribution of WFP Food in Mitrovica


North to Vulnerable Households

Distribution Points # of # of Metric Tons Metric


House- Beneficiary of Food Tons of
holds per Households Delivered Food
Area Distributed
Collective Center 114 57 1.703 1.5
Hotel Banjska
Zvecan
Collective Center 390 195 5.452 4.5
School Mitrovica
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Distribution Points # of # of Metric Tons Metric


House- Beneficiary of Food Tons of
holds per Households Delivered Food
Area Distributed
North
Collective Center 296 148 4.171 4.171
Roma Camp
Zitkovac Zvecan
YRC Zvecan 6000 5000 75.496 73.0
YRC Vucitrn 2600 2536 35.332 35.332
Miroce 34 17 0.641 0
Banjska 174 87 2.480 0
Slatina 24 12 0.425 .425
Gojbulja 544 272 7.747 7.5
Grace 474 237 6.682 6.0
Priluzje 2000 1680 23.582 20.0
YRC Mitriovca 4900 2450 34.050 34.050
TOTAL: 17550 12691 197.761 186.478

CONSISTENCY

Consistency in reporting applies to many different levels:


- from one reporting period to the next
This is - from one report level to the next all the way up the hierarchy
Guideline - within a report, from one paragraph to the next
# 8,
Folks.
- and within a section, for each instance reported

As mentioned in the section on Objectivity, what you do to one


piece of information you must do to another. If you ask, who,
what, when, and where, for one event, do the same with the
next.

Example: In the village of Binac, Vitina, we did 3 spot-checks and 4


household assessments. In the village of Livoc, we did 3 spot-checks
and 2 household assessments. And in the village of Cernica, we did 2
spot-checks and 5 household assessments.
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If you are missing a piece of information, simply state that it is


not available rather than leave the reader wondering. This can be
very frustrating.

LOGIC

Guideline # 9: Use logic to prepare your report in a coherent


fashion from one paragraph or section to the next.

There should be a flow and links from one paragraph to the next.

If you are writing a narrative section, break it up into clear


paragraphs and make sure each paragraph deals with one issue.

Consider the placement of the information you will report so that


its placement in the document gives it the right level of meaning
and importance. Dont bury a piece of information you wish to
highlight to the reader in a long paragraph about other things; it
may go completely unnoticed.

What piece of information in the following paragraph would you


separate out for more emphasis?

The food distribution and delivery went well this week. The correct food
was brought to the delivery sites and picked up by the MTS to the
distribution points. People in the villages of Cernica, Binac, Donja Budriga,
Bosce and Partes came to the distribution points. Only in the village of
Gornje Kusce the MTS branch boycotted the distribution because
tensions in their village were high and they were afraid to distribute. We
expect distribution to continue to go well in these other villages.

Be sure not to contradict yourself in your report. Sometimes this


happens inadvertently because you left out an explanatory piece
of information.
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HOW DO I PRESENT QUALITY INFORMATION IN


This is
THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY?
Guideline
# 10,
Folks.
Use tables for listing or categorizing more than one of the
same type of information. Dont bunch them up in a paragraph.

Use tables especially for any type of statistics. If the figures


are large and complicated, it is better to do the table in an Excel
spreadsheet and import it into your Word document. This will
help avoid calculation errors.

Use bullets for simple lists, e.g., tasks or accomplishments, rather


than full sentences in paragraph form. Its easier to read and
more to the point.

Use headings and sub-headings to separate sections.

Use bolding and different fonts to distinguish between, for


example, a question and an answer. (Note the formatting of this
manual as an example.)

Dont leave a question or section totally blank. If you have


nothing to report, say so.
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APPENDIX 1
SOME DEFINITIONS

Accomplishments or Achievements

What did you accomplish? can refer to all tasks undertaken,


completed, or conducted during the reporting period.

What did you achieve? means the same as accomplish but is often
used in the context of projects to refer to the extent to which you
achieved or reached some target(s) within your plan. It has the
connotation of comparing planned against actual.

Both accomplish and achieve have a positive sense, a sense of moving


forward or progress being made.

Implement, Conduct, Complete, Undertake, Execute, Fulfill

These are all very similar but, to distinguish nuances, here are some
examples:

implement a field activity usually refers to an activity that appears


in the implementation plan for the project
conduct (or carry out) an assessment
complete (finish) all household spot-checks
undertake a task non-specific; can refer to any type of action
taken
execute a project more formal than implement
fulfill (or meet) the requirements of the donor

Constraint, Problem, Concern, Issue

A problem is a general term and is often separated out in a progress


report to explain why activities could not be completed, targets not
fully achieved, or the overall performance could not be rated high.
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Constraint refers more specifically to an obstacle or stress factor


that slows or impedes progress. We speak of resource constraints,
time constraints, financial constraints. Depending on the context,
problem and constraint can refer to the same thing.

We can refer to external or internal constraints.

Ex.: The security situation is an external constraint affecting the


viability of our project activities.

Ex.: The lack of a field coordinator is an internal constraint


affecting the performance of our distribution activities.

Both constraints and problems can be encountered, overcome,


resolved, or addressed.

Concern is not a problem per se but an expression by someone of a


potential (or real) problem.

Ex.: The villagers are concerned with the security situation.

Ex.: The reduction of donations is a great concern to village leaders.

Issue can be used interchangeably with concern:

What are your issues or concerns?

but is a more general term to refer to the matter or subject itself


for which a concern is being expressed.

What is the main issue here? It is the lack of employment


possibilities among the population.

Both issues and concerns can be raised, addressed, or dealt with.

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