11 Proposals and Formal Reports

Introduction Proposals o Informal o Formal Research Writing Formal Reports Elements of Formal Reports

Proposals Purpose is to persuade the reader Internal or external May be written in response to a RFP Ask for action, business, or funding Stress reader benefits

Elements of Informal Proposals Introduction Background Proposal, Method, and Schedule Costs and Budget Staffing and Qualifications Benefits Request for Authorization

Elements of Formal Proposals Front matter: o Copy of the RFP o Cover Letter o Abstract or Summary o Title Page o Table of Contents o List of Figures

Elements of Formal Proposals, cont’d Body: o Introduction o Background or problem statement o Detailed proposal and method o Schedule o Budget or cost analysis o Staffing o Authorization o Benefits and conclusion

Elements of Formal Proposals, cont’d Back matter: o Appendix o References

Common Mistakes in Writing Proposal Not client-focused Similar to competition Not credible Inaccurate budget RFP instructions not followed No clear plan/solution Project solution does not match purpose

Researching and Collecting Data What are you looking for? How much time do you have? Is it important for the report?

Researching and Collecting Data, cont’d There are many ways to find sources o In-house o Publicly available o Restricted

Researching and Collecting Data, cont’d Primary o Research you carry out o Communicate directly with the source o Interviews, surveys, observations Secondary o Retrieve existing information that someone else has compiled o Library and online searches

Researching and Collecting Data, cont’d Where to look: o Internet searches o Online databases (library) o Books and journals/magazines o Company records o Interviews o Observations

Formal Reports Accounts of major projects Present organized information to decision- makers In-depth analysis and extensive research Organization may have a “house” style

Preparing to Write Formal Reports Why are you writing the report? What is it about? Who is the audience? Will there be other reports on the same subject? How long? How formal does it need to be?

Writing Style for Formal Reports Use: o Impersonal tone o Short paragraphs o Consistent verb tenses o Angle brackets <> around URLs

Writing Style for Formal Reports, cont’d Avoid: o “I,” “we,” “us” and “you” o Contractions

Creating a Work Plan Identify the problem being addressed o Purpose of the report Describe the planned research methods Develop an outline Provide work schedules with deadlines

Time Management Set priorities Start early Break tasks into smaller parts Ask for more information or resources when needed Tell people if you are running behind

Peer-Reviewing and Team Writing Minimize differences between people’s writing o Agree on writing style/format Use the edit function o People can comment on drafts Make sure everyone is satisfied with the contents

Elements of Formal Reports Front Matter o Cover o Title Page o Letter of Transmittal o Table of Contents and List of Figures o Executive Summary  10 per cent of length of report  Overview of report’s most important information

Elements of Formal Reports, cont’d Body o Introduction  What the issue is  What to expect in the report o Discussion of Findings o Conclusions  What the findings mean o Recommendations  What steps to take next

Elements of Formal Reports, cont’d Back Matter o Appendices  Supplementary information o References or Works Cited  APA  MLA o Glossary