Report Writing Report Writing WorkshopWorkshop

Improving the quality of Reporting Improving the quality of Reporting as a learning and monitoring toolas a learning and monitoring tool

April 2007April 2007

Time PlanTime Plan 9 – 9.309 – 9.30 Introduce Ourselves - ExpectationsIntroduce Ourselves - Expectations 9.30 -9.459.30 -9.45 Who do we Report for? 5 Buzz Who do we Report for? 5 Buzz

GroupsGroups 9.45 - 10.30 9.45 - 10.30 Groups Plenary – The Who and Why Groups Plenary – The Who and Why

of Reportingof Reporting 10.30 – 11.0010.30 – 11.00 TeaTea 11 – 11.4511 – 11.45 A Template – One Example of a A Template – One Example of a

Report StructureReport Structure 11.45 - 12.30 11.45 - 12.30 Group work in 5s – Our ReportGroup work in 5s – Our Report 12.30 – 1.3012.30 – 1.30 LunchLunch 1.30 – 2.301.30 – 2.30 Plenary Feedback – presentation of Plenary Feedback – presentation of

reportsreports 2.30 – 3.002.30 – 3.00 How can we apply what we have learntHow can we apply what we have learnt 3 – 3.303 – 3.30 TeaTea 3.30 – 4.30 3.30 – 4.30 Outcomes and Indicators?Outcomes and Indicators?

Who Do You Write a Report For?Who Do You Write a Report For?

Ourselves – our institutional memory – where we Ourselves – our institutional memory – where we learn and encourage others to learn and encourage others to learn from from passed experiencepassed experience

Our Partners – people we work with to achieve Our Partners – people we work with to achieve our objectives, donors as well as boundary our objectives, donors as well as boundary partners (those local agencies who joins us in partners (those local agencies who joins us in implementation)implementation)

Beneficiaries – members those for who the Beneficiaries – members those for who the project is aimed and with whom we have project is aimed and with whom we have planned itplanned it

Researchers, Universities, Government Researchers, Universities, Government agencies, othersagencies, others

Some Basic PrinciplesSome Basic Principles

First a Few Simple IdeasFirst a Few Simple Ideas

Each separate report should be correctly Each separate report should be correctly identified. At the very beginning are the main identified. At the very beginning are the main identifiers, including at least the title identifiers, including at least the title (period and (period and location the report covers) location the report covers) and the author. . and the author. .

Using headers and footers in WORD ensures Using headers and footers in WORD ensures page numbering and that some ‘identifiers’ then page numbering and that some ‘identifiers’ then appear on every page of a document. appear on every page of a document.

Reporting – Key QuestionsReporting – Key Questions

Did you do what you set out to do? What were Did you do what you set out to do? What were you expected outcomes?you expected outcomes?

What progress did you make and what obstacles What progress did you make and what obstacles did you encounter?did you encounter?

What change, for the community, did you bring What change, for the community, did you bring about and.. How do you know?about and.. How do you know?

What now? What will you now do differently?What now? What will you now do differently? Where is the data on which you base your Where is the data on which you base your

report?report? What did we What did we learn?learn?

Now a Suggested TemplateNow a Suggested Template What is the Background/Context to our work, What is the Background/Context to our work,

introduction; brief context history and summary of project historyintroduction; brief context history and summary of project history Was our Project successes!! Was our Project successes!!

How do these relate to our stated Outcomes?How do these relate to our stated Outcomes? What were our indicators of success? What were our indicators of success? If we succeeded Why? If we succeeded Why? (what were the key factors, causes);(what were the key factors, causes);

What Failed in your Project What Failed in your Project (which outcomes were not achieved?) (which outcomes were not achieved?) Why? Why? (reasons);(reasons);

How did the community participate?How did the community participate? Planning the project and management/decision makingPlanning the project and management/decision making What was the community’s contribution What was the community’s contribution

(donations, inputs eg. labour, and cash)?(donations, inputs eg. labour, and cash)? What did we have to change in our plan and why? What did we have to change in our plan and why?

(eg changes in strategies)?(eg changes in strategies)? Were there unanticipated problems?Were there unanticipated problems? What Lessons did we learn? Some key learning pointsWhat Lessons did we learn? Some key learning points What are our Recommendations What are our Recommendations

(specify to whom).(specify to whom).

Background, introduction;Background, introduction;

What was your original clear purpose, What was your original clear purpose, Aim?Aim?

What were the OUTCOMES that you set What were the OUTCOMES that you set yourself for the period under reviewyourself for the period under review

Has the general context changed? Has the general context changed? Economic, Economic, PoliticalPolitical, nationally or locally, nationally or locally

Is this part of a wider effort in which your Is this part of a wider effort in which your agency is one ‘partner’?agency is one ‘partner’?

Project successes!! Why? Project successes!! Why? (factors, (factors, causes)causes)

Were your OUTCOMES accomplished? Were your OUTCOMES accomplished? Was there the desired impact?Was there the desired impact? How did you measure that impact?How did you measure that impact?

Were the success ones you expected? Were the success ones you expected? Were there unexpected successes?Were there unexpected successes?

How do the people in the project describe the How do the people in the project describe the successes – in their words successes – in their words ‘‘Stories of Change’ could be used here!Stories of Change’ could be used here!

Refer to schedules, time lines or case Refer to schedules, time lines or case studies/Stories of Change in appendixstudies/Stories of Change in appendix

Project failures Project failures (in reaching (in reaching objectives) objectives) Why? Why? (reasons)(reasons)

Be honest – that’s primarily how we learnBe honest – that’s primarily how we learn Where projects failed to meet expectations was Where projects failed to meet expectations was

that due to poor capacity/skills of staff or were that due to poor capacity/skills of staff or were the objectives poorly thought throughthe objectives poorly thought through

Did you fail to reach your objectives BUT reach Did you fail to reach your objectives BUT reach unexpected successes?unexpected successes?

Were the factors producing failure things you Were the factors producing failure things you could control or factors over which you had no could control or factors over which you had no control?control?

The community's participation The community's participation (decision making)(decision making)

What part did the community of intended What part did the community of intended participants play in design and implementation? participants play in design and implementation? How?How?

How often did Committees or decision making How often did Committees or decision making fora meet? Were minutes kept?fora meet? Were minutes kept?

Has the community been strengthened by this Has the community been strengthened by this participation? How?participation? How? why not use a quotation from a participant and insert why not use a quotation from a participant and insert

in a highlighted text box)in a highlighted text box) What part did the community have in providing What part did the community have in providing

the data for this report?the data for this report?

The community contribution The community contribution (donations, inputs eg. labour, and cash)(donations, inputs eg. labour, and cash)

Where activities such as training or community Where activities such as training or community cultural events are concerned do participants cultural events are concerned do participants pay in cash for anything? If not why not?pay in cash for anything? If not why not?

If participants do work or contribute professional If participants do work or contribute professional services how is this quantified to be represented services how is this quantified to be represented in the final report?in the final report?

The importance of this element is to show The importance of this element is to show community value and ownership of the projectcommunity value and ownership of the project

Needed changes Needed changes (e.g changes in (e.g changes in strategies)strategies)

What did you have to change to meet the project What did you have to change to meet the project Outcomes? Outcomes?

• Staffing? Training?Staffing? Training?

Were the key staff enabled to do their work Were the key staff enabled to do their work effectively/line management sufficient?effectively/line management sufficient?

Were physical inputs sufficient or altered Were physical inputs sufficient or altered because over or under budget? because over or under budget?

Did you programme have to be substantially Did you programme have to be substantially changed because of external factors (war, local changed because of external factors (war, local obstacles?)obstacles?)

Unanticipated problems;Unanticipated problems;

We can rarely hope to achieve exactly what we set We can rarely hope to achieve exactly what we set out to do because the world is constantly shifting out to do because the world is constantly shifting

and changingand changing Credit programme – higher than expected Credit programme – higher than expected

defaults?defaults? Earthquake. Natural disasters – how did Earthquake. Natural disasters – how did

we respond?we respond? Local officials, community leaders – were Local officials, community leaders – were

they supportive or destabilising?they supportive or destabilising?

Lessons learnedLessons learned

This is often the key to a good report – This is often the key to a good report – what have you learnt from this period?what have you learnt from this period?

How did you conclude that these were How did you conclude that these were areas of learning? areas of learning?

• Was this reviewed by the staff team – are these Was this reviewed by the staff team – are these commonly agreed learning points?commonly agreed learning points?

What have the community learned from What have the community learned from what’s been achieved? what’s been achieved?

• How have you captured this? (Stories of Change)How have you captured this? (Stories of Change)

Recommendations Recommendations (specify to (specify to whom)whom)

Recommendations can have different Recommendations can have different audiences;audiences; staffstaff Management boardManagement board MembersMembers DonorsDonors Other partnersOther partners

Be precise and not vague and rate your Be precise and not vague and rate your recommendations as those most serious and recommendations as those most serious and those of less priority or where more ‘research those of less priority or where more ‘research must be donemust be done

And Finally - And Finally - Always keep in mind Always keep in mind your intended outcomes as the heart your intended outcomes as the heart

of your report – NOT activitiesof your report – NOT activities

ENDEND Remember to try and use ‘reported speech’, direct quotations from your participants,, in the text of your report.

These can be slightly separated from the main body of the text and possibly put in a highlighted box.