WRITING A TECHNICAL REPORT

It is said that planning is the most important aspect of any project. Even before the first step in
actualizing a project or proposal is done, careful planning is necessary for its practical implications. By
answering the questions in the pre-task, you are led to consider some critical aspects that group works
tend to skip to avoid offending others. Skipping this crucial aspect may prove detrimental as it is also a
reality that plans may be revised as the project is being done or that some members may not meet
expected output. Thus, a technical report is needed to see what tasks are accomplished, what aspects
should be improved and what specific steps must be done, and what information are needed to
accomplish predetermined goals.

A technical report is defined as a document that highlights technical or scientific information intended
for a greater audience. In our context, this is a manuscript that details the multimodal advocacy
campaign. This report contains in-depth information about the project, its or novelty compared to other
existing campaigns, specific details about the campaign, and other related information like schedule,
working bibliography, and some other details as your teacher deems necessary.

As an academic paper, it has the following sections characterized by specific attributes:

Title – This serves as the “name” of the manuscript. It should present, with clarity, what the project is
about, what specific change is advocated, or what is the end goal of the project.

List of names – this acknowledges the efforts done by the proponents. This section shows the their
responsibility over the report.

Introduction – This section presents the background of the campaign buttressed by conceptual and
research literature. This section is also supported by scientific journals or scholarly articles. The rationale
of the advocacy must be presented and explained. It is ideal that the niche or distinguishing features of
the advocacy is presented because proposals should be novel and innovative.

Mutimodality – It is crucial to identify the multimodal nature of the advocacy campaign and how these
will manifest in the campaign. Communication materials must be carefully weighed and considered
given the allotted time, resources available, and expertise of members. A poster is easier to create and
cheaper to produce compared to an audio-visual presentation but it is limited and can only be made
available to a lesser number of audience.

Advocacy – An advocacy is an activity set at soliciting public support. Not all causes may be viewed as an
advocacy, only those that promote or uphold positive change. For example, activities like promoting
smoking, death penalty, or product placements (advertisements) are not advocacies. The previous
module has discussed several points in developing advocacies, and social action has always been SEE –
JUDGE – ACT.
Campaign – what specific activities will be done to promote the advocacy. Specific communication
materials should also be considered to effectively promote and disseminate information must be
considered. Materials on violence against children will vary depending on the target age group –
materials will be simpler for young children compared to teen-agers.

References – this section contains a list of books, journals, or other materials where information was
culled. This should follow the latest edition of the American Psychological Association Citation format.

Aside from these sections, a timetable or Gantt Chart, list of tasks, contact details, etc. may be required
so as to see the overall plan of the project, that tasks are distributed fairly, and that outputs are
appropriate and well-thought of.

Take note that you might do several drafts as revisions may be necessary or that you might be asked to
expound on specific sections.

Here are some reminders in revising your manuscript:

Always cite your sources. The value of a good advocacy diminishes if salient points are copied from
someone’s work.

Look for relevant information from credible sources. The internet may be filled with updated
information but be wise in choosing credible sources. Grey literature appears legitimate but is not
scholarly and reliable.

Always edit your work, observe writing conventions, and follow mechanics and format.

Observe the schedule. Though it may be difficult given the current pandemic, not working on a
timetable might bring complications like having tons of work to accomplish towards the end of the term.

WRITING A PROGRESS REPORT

A progress report is one of the types of technical reports that presents the status of a particular
project. It states whether or not the project is being carried out on schedule; it gives the recipient an
update of what have been accomplished so far, what are currently being done, and what are yet to be
accomplished. Likewise, the report discusses possible problems in relation to the accomplishment of
the project. Recommended solutions to the identified problems are also underscored.
Based on the nature of a progress report, the report has the following parts:

Introduction: This part presents an overview/background of the report. The overview includes the
nature of the project and its major stages.

Work Completed: This section of the report highlights the things that had already been accomplished.
The details are presented in bulleted form, and each detail begins with the past form of the verb.

Work Remaining: This part of the report stresses the things that are yet to be carried out. The details
are presented in bulleted form, and each detail begins with the base form of the verb.

Problems/Adjustments: This section of the report emphasizes the possible problems that may be
encountered and the respective adjustments to be made in order to deal with the identified problems.
The details are presented in bulleted form, and are presented in complete sentences.

At this juncture, you will be asked to have a quick look at the status of your advocacy and MAC-
AVP by identifying the things that you have already accomplished, those that are currently being carried
out, and the problems that you may encounter as you proceed with the accomplishment of the final
requirement for the course, English for Purposive Communication. In so doing, you will be able to
monitor your progress along the way.