Unit - V

Overview Project proposals Characteristics and structure Project reports – types Characteristics structure Appraisal reports performance appraisal product appraisal Process and mechanics of report writing visual aids abstract executive summary recommendation writing definition of terms.

Project proposal A project proposal is written, to make an offer and to try to convince an individual such as supervisor or a future customer to accept it.

Proposal A proposal is a description of the work you will complete on a project. The details included in a proposal depend on the projects scope and who will read the document.

Type of proposals Grant proposals : For funding proposals to all levels of government. Business proposals: For all types of business proposals. Technical proposals: For all types of project and services. Project proposals: all type of project – for all sector Sales proposals: all type of product and service.

Characteristics of project report Ask question summarize the project Break – down the project into a nice “To Do ” list Split the project into phases -initial first draft - Bug squashing and customizing - finalization

Give your clients a timeline Estimate your time involved use the multiple choice price strategy Offer a satisfaction guarantee End with a call to action write and format professionally

Guidelines for writing project proposal Addressing Real Need Probabilities for project success and value for money Project application and economic value Project originality Social dimension Unlikelihood of project being funded by other sources Wide applicability

Structure of project proposal Cover Title page Acknowledgement Table of content Terms of reference Summary Introduction Main body of the report Conclusion Recommendations Appendices

Project business report A project business report is a formal communication written for a specific purpose; it includes a description of procedures followed for collection and analysis of data, their significance, the conclusion drawn from them and recommendations, if required.

Characteristics of Business Project Report Accuracy Simplicity Completeness Brevity Appearance Readability Reliability Economy Timelines Logical Content

General Principles in Preparing Project Reports Purpose: Every report must have a specific and sound purpose. A clear statement of the purpose helps in the preparation and use of the report. Organization: The elements of a report should be properly planned and well-organized in the right sequence. Scheduling: Reports should be scheduled in such a way that they can be prepared without undue burden on the staff and with sufficient time for their preparation. However, too long a time interval between collection of data and presentation of the report may render the report obsolete and useless. Cost: The cost of a report should always be less than the benefit. Accuracy: The information given in a report should be accurate and reliable. Communication: As already stated, every report is meant for communicating information to a person or group of persons. Short but Clear Title: The title of a report should be indicative of the contents of the report, It should be attractive too.

Language: The language used in the report should be understandable to the people for whom it is intended. Routine Nature: Reports, particularly routine reports, should be prepared in a routine manner. Paragraphs: It is desirable to divide the report into a umber of paragraphs. Each Para should be devoted to a particular aspect. Concise: The report should deal with the matter as concisely as possible. If details of certain aspects are essential to be incorporated in the body of the main report, they may be separately appended to the report and references to such appendices may be given at the relevant places in the report. Recommendations: If recommendations are to be made, they should be given at the end of the report under the heading of suggestions or recommendations. Signature and Date: It is important that the person preparing the report should put his signature and date. Signature acts as a check on the reliability of the findings of the report.

Types of Project Business Report On the Basis of Legal Requirement: On the Basis of Formality On the Basis of Function On the Basis of Frequency On the Basis of the Nature of the Subject On the Basis of the Number of Persons On the Basis of Subject Matter On the Basis of Length

1. On the Basis of Legal Requirement: On the basis of legal requirement the report can be classified as follows: Statutory Reports: Reports which are required to be prepared in accordance with the provisions of any law are known as statutory reports. Non-Statutory Reports: Formal reports which are not required under any law, but which are prepared to help the management in framing policies or taking other important decisions, are called non- statutory reports. 2. On the Basis of Formality: On the basis of formality the report can be classified as follows: Formal Reports: Formal reports are reports prepared in the prescribed or recognized form and presented according to the established procedure and through proper channel. Informal Reports: Informal reports do not have any uniform structure. They are prepared according to the convenience and requirements of the organization.

Informal reports thus may take the following forms: Short Reports: Simple letter format or memo form presentation style is simple and only facts are reported. Progress Reports: Contain information regarding the progress of a specific program of work or project. Help management in taking appropriate decisions. Staff Reports: To resolve particular staff problem in a simple and straight forward manner. Justification Reports: To justify a particular recommendation or a course of action.

3. On the Basis of Function: On the basis of function the report can be classified as follows: Informational Report: An informational report contains only the data collected or the facts observed in an organized form. It presents the situation as it is. It does not contain any conclusions or recommendations. It is useful because it presents relevant data put together in a form in which it is required by the management to take decisions. Interpretive Report: An interpretive report, like an informational report, contains facts but it also includes an evaluation or interpretation or analysis of data and the reporter's conclusions. It may also have recommendations for action. An interpretive report, which consists principally of recommendations, is also called a recommendation or recommendatory report.

4. On the Basis of Frequency: On the basis of frequency the report can be classified as follows: Routine Reports: These reports are also called "ordinary reports". These are sent regularly to the management from different branches of the organization in order to feed the management with facts relating to the functioning of an undertaking, Regular and actual information is included in these reports, Special Reports: These reports are related to a single occasion or situation. A report on the desirability of opening a new branch or on the unrest among staff in a particular branch is special reports. Special reports deal with non- recurrent problems.

5. On the Basis of the Nature of the Subject: On the basis of the nature of Subject the report can be classified as follows: Problem-Determining Report: In a problem-determining report, we try to determine the causes underlying a problem or to ascertain whether or not the problem actually exists. Technical Report: In a technical report, we present data on a specialized subject, with or without comments. 6. On the Basis of the Number of Persons: On the basis of the number of persons the report can be classified as follows: Reports by Individuals: Reports by Committees or Sub-Committees 7. On the Basis of Subject Matter: On the basis of Subject matter tile report can be classified as i) Marketing Report ii) Accounting Report iii) Production Report etc.

8.On the Basis of Length: On the basis of length the report can be classified as follows: i) Short Report ii) Long Report

REPORT WRITING

Meaning and Definition of Report A business report is an orderly, objective communication of Factual information that serves some business purpose A report is a formal communication written for a specific purpose: it includes a description or procedures followed for collection and analysis of data their significance. The conclusion drawn from them and recommendations, if required.

Objectives of Report Writing Measuring Executive Performance Help in Combating Changes Information Controlling Help in Co-ordinating Contact Record keeping Recommends Action

Importance of Report Writing Conveyor of Information Help Management to Review and Evaluate Office Operations Tool for Measuring Performance Reports Help in Making Desirable Changes Reports Help in Measuring the Effectiveness of the Organization

Process of Report Writing Investigating the Sources of Information Taking Notes Analyzing the Data Making an Outline Writing the Report

Styles of Report Writing Letter-Style Report Schematic Report - Terms of Reference - Action taken -Findings -Conclusions -Recommendations

Mechanics/ Techniques of Writing a Report A report can best be written by following the guidelines given below: 1. Assemble the Material Collect all relevant material-notes, documents, facts, illustrations etc. Check to see that you have all the information needed. 2. Plan the Report i) Consider the purpose of your report: who is it for, why does he/she want it, how will he/she use it. ii) State the aim and emphasis of the report briefly. iii) Decide what information is important and what is irrelevant. iv) Arrange the points of information in a logical sequence and in order of importance. Make rough notes. v) Draft a working plan on a separate sheet of paper. vi) Decide where you might need illustration or diagrams. 3. Draft the Report Write the introduction: state the subject, state the purpose, and summarize your findings. Write the body of the report. Write the conclusion (and recommendations). Summarize the report in a sentence.

4. Edit the Report Examine the draft. Does it fulfill the aim? ii) Check your grammar, spelling, punctuation and style. Read the text aloud to yourself, or, better, to someone else. Check you illustrations. Finally, if possible, let someone qualified to give constructive criticism after looking at your draft.

Abstract Abstracts, like all summaries, cover the main points of a piece of writing. Abstracts use the same level of technical language and expertise found in the article itself. Abstracts are typically 150 to 250 words and follow set patterns.

Goals of Abstracts Abstracts typically serve five main goals: Readers decide if they should Read an Entire Article Help Readers and Researchers Remember Key Findings on a Topic Help Readers Understand a Text by Acting as a Pre-Reading Outline of Key Points Index Articles for Quick Recovery and Cross-Referencing. Allow Supervisors to Review Technical Work

Types of Abstracts Descriptive Abstract: A descriptive abstract outlines the topics covered in a piece of writing so the reader can decide whether to read the entire document Informative Abstract: informative abstract provides detail about the substance of a piece of writing because readers will sometimes rely on the abstract alone for information. Informative abstracts typically follow this format: i) Identifying information (bibliographic citation or other identification of the document). ii) Concise re-statement of the main point, including the initial problem or other background. iii) Methodology (for experimental work) and key findings. iv) Major conclusions.

Visual Aid Supporting of material – some other information in pictures. Types of visual Aid Tables Graphs Charts Photographs Maps

Table - Dependent table - independent tables - Phrase table graphs -Rectilinear Graph

Multiple line graph

Bar graph

Pie graph

Scatter graph

Chart Organization chart Flow chart Photographs Maps

Executive summary The executive summary provides the reader with an overview of the report's essential information. It is designed to be read by people who will not have time to read the whole report or are deciding if this is necessary; therefore, in your executive summary you need to say as much as possible in the fewest words. The executive summary should briefly outline the subject matter, the background problem, and the scope of the investigation, the method of analysis, the important findings arguments, and important issues rose in the discussion, the conclusion and recommendations

Writing Executive Summary Plan to create a summary each time you write a business report exceeding four pages. Write the summary after you write the main report, and make sure it is no more than 1/10 the length of the main report. List the main points the summary will cover in the same order they appear in the main report. Add supporting or explanatory sentences as needed, avoiding unnecessary technical material and jargon. Read the summary slowly & critically, making sure it conveys your purpose, message & key recommendations. Check for errors of style, spelling, grammar, and punctuation. Ask a fellow writer to proof-read and edit the document. Ask a non-technical person - e.g., your parents or your spouse - to read the document. If it confuses or bores them, the summary probably will have the same effect on other non-technical readers.

Recommendation Writing The recommendation section of the report contains specific ways to resolve the referral questions by addressing the evaluation's key findings. In this section, evaluators suggest strategies and interventions that are designed to facilitate change and result in improved outcomes for the individual.

Characteristics of Recommendations Recommendations, like Objectives, should be SMART Specific Measurable Achievable Result-oriented Time-bound

Factors that Influence Specificity of the Recommendations Evaluator's training and background. Individual's needs, goals. motivation, and desires. Setting. Availability of resources and services. Cost of services.

Definition of Terms Definition is a concise statement of the most significant constituents or features of an objector idea. In the professional world, where new terms are being continually coined or sometimes old terms give new meanings or the writer might be using in a specific way, the effective definition of term is required.

How to Define Repetition of Key Terms Inappropriate Class and Differentia Grammatical Parallelism Qualifying Phrases Word Choice in Genus and Differentia

APPRAISAL REPORT Performance appraisal is a method of evaluating the behavior of employees in the work spot- job performance. According to Flippo, “ a systematic, periodic and so far as humanly possible, an impartial rating of an employee’s excellence in matters pertaining to his present job and to his potentialities for a better job”

Objectives of performance Appraisal Feedback Compensation Data base Personal development Training & Development Promotion decision Improves supervision