1. Business Writing: Planning the Project/Report Business Communication: Planning the Project/Report Planning the Project/Report

2. Business Writing: Planning the Project/Report Business Communication: Planning the Project/Report Planning the Project/Report Position Problem Possibilities Proposals

3. Business Writing: Planning the Project/Report Business Communication: Planning the Project/Report Position Analyse your audience –Primary reader (request/authorise the report) –Secondary reader(s) Consider background information needed for readers Define scope and limitations

4. Business Writing: Planning the Project/Report Business Communication: Planning the Project/Report Scope and Limitations Scope - the boundaries of your investigation Limitations - anything which hinders or limits the quality of your research/findings of the report

5. Business Writing: Planning the Project/Report Business Communication: Planning the Project/Report Example 1 TriTech - Travel & entertainment expenses are eating into profits VP of Administration asks Director of Accounting Services to investigate

6. Business Writing: Planning the Project/Report Business Communication: Planning the Project/Report Position Who is the report for? Primary reader: VP of Administration Secondary readers: Company’s CEO; President of Administration

7. Business Writing: Planning the Project/Report Business Communication: Planning the Project/Report Position What do the reader(s) need in terms of background information? TriTech’s company philosophy reasons for authorisation of report authoriser of the report

8. Business Writing: Planning the Project/Report Business Communication: Planning the Project/Report Position Scope: Travel and entertainment expenses by employees in the last two years Limitation(s): Precise financial impact of cost-saving measures difficult to project due to fluctuations in airfares and hotel rates

9. Business Writing: Planning the Project/Report Business Communication: Planning the Project/Report Problem Problem statement defines what you are investigating Problem is usually defined by the person authorising the report Purpose statement defines the objective of the report

10. Business Writing: Planning the Project/Report Business Communication: Planning the Project/Report  What 1. Identify the problem  Why  How do we spend on T & E? are T & E expenses so high? can T & E expenditure be reduced? Problem

11. Business Writing: Planning the Project/Report Business Communication: Planning the Project/Report  To analyse 2.Develop a purpose statement  To evaluate  To suggest the T & E budget the impact of recent changes ways to tighten control Problem

12. Business Writing: Planning the Project/Report Business Communication: Planning the Project/Report Possibilities Consider all possibilities Make sure the possibilities are relevant Be mindful of biased thinking Else Conclusions and recommendations will be invalid if the actual causes of the problem are not identified in the report.

13. Business Writing: Planning the Project/Report Business Communication: Planning the Project/Report Company X - organised training programme for its staff Report to evaluate employees’ attitude towards the programme Example 2

14. Business Writing: Planning the Project/Report Business Communication: Planning the Project/Report 1. Identify all relevant issues job satisfaction selection for programme class time duration of programme Possibilities

15. Business Writing: Planning the Project/Report Business Communication: Planning the Project/Report 2. Formulate hypotheses Hypothesis - an unproved theory, proposition, etc., tentatively accepted to explain certain facts or to provide a basis for further investigation. Possibilities

16. Business Writing: Planning the Project/Report Business Communication: Planning the Project/Report 2.Formulate hypotheses Workers’ level of job satisfaction is higher after taking the class. Workers are dissatisfied with the selection procedures to identify participants. Workers dislike class times. Workers believe programme is too long. Possibilities

17. Business Writing: Planning the Project/Report Business Communication: Planning the Project/Report List tentative solutions to the problem (based on the hypotheses) Proposals

18. Business Writing: Planning the Project/Report Business Communication: Planning the Project/Report Hypothesis - Workers are dissatisfied with the selection procedures to identify participants Proposal - Allow workers to volunteer for the programme Proposals

19. Business Writing: Planning the Project/Report Business Communication: Planning the Project/Report Hypothesis - Workers dislike class times Proposal - Continue class times after working hours, but offer incentives; eg. leave in lieu or shopping vouchers Proposals

20. Business Writing: Planning the Project/Report Business Communication: Planning the Project/Report Hypothesis - Workers believe programme is too long Proposal - Revise and shorten programme based on staff input Proposals

21. Business Writing: Planning the Project/Report Business Communication: Planning the Project/Report Position Problem Possibilities Proposals Introduction background/problem purpose scope & limitations Findings Recommendations Conclusions