REPORT WRITING

WORKSHOP
FOR THE
FOOD TRANSITION PROJECT
STAFF

9 AND 10 OCTOBER, 2000

Materials developed by
Mary Picard, Ph.D.
Monitoring & Evaluation Advisor
CARE International in Kosovo

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AGENDA TOPICS:
HOW DOES REPORTING FIT INTO THE BIGGER PICTURE?
HOW DO I OBTAIN QUALITY IN THE SOURCE(S) OF
INFORMATION FOR MY REPORT?
HOW DO I DECIDE WHAT INFORMATION BELONGS IN MY
REPORT?
- WHAT IS THE PURPOSE AND WHO IS THE AUDIENCE FOR
MY REPORT?
- WHAT ARE SOME BASIC COMPONENTS OF A REPORT?
WHAT IS THE MOST APPROPRIATE AND EFFECTIVE WRITING
STYLE FOR THIS REPORT?
HOW DO I PRESENT QUALITY INFORMATION IN THE MOST
EFFECTIVE WAY?
(THE GUIDELINES FOR REPORT WRITING WILL BE
INTRODUCED INTO THE DIFFERENT TOPICS.)

EXERCISES
1 ON QUALITY OF INFORMATION SOURCES
2 ON KNOWING THE PURPOSE AND AUDIENCE OF YOUR
REPORT
3 ON DISTINGUISHING BETWEEN AN ACCOMPLISHMENT, A
PROBLEM, ETC.
4 ON OBJECTIVITY
5 ON ANALYSIS

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HOW DOES REPORTING

FIT INTO THE BIGGER PICTURE?

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REPORT WRITING GUIDELINES

1. The quality of the information you report is only as good as that
of the information you collect or the source of the information.
If you feel you are not getting good-quality information, you need
to discuss this with your supervisor so that s/he knows the
problem is not with the reporting but with the collection.
2. Know the purpose and the audience of your report well and write
it accordingly.
3. Make sure your report has a structure, such as an outline with
headings and sub-headings, or sections with questions. This will
help you and the reader navigate your way through the report.
4. Use discipline in preparing your report. THINK before you write!
If you are writing about the work you have just completed, think
carefully what it is that is important to report and what is not.
Learn to think and write critically.
5. Be concise and state your point. Avoid detailed and descriptive
narrative that burdens the reader with more than s/he needs to
know.
6. Be objective in your reporting. Present the facts; do not make
unsupported claims. Do not generalize about a situation or a
problem but say who it pertains to. It is better to say you dont
know than to (a) present an incomplete picture which you know will
only raise questions for the reader, or (b) fill the gaps with
speculation, extrapolation, or opinion.
7. Related to 5. above, be as analytical as you can rather than
descriptive. Aggregate, summarize, mention trends or patterns,

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point to exceptions, and prioritize issues according to their

magnitude and need for attention.
8. Be consistent in reporting information. Treat the same type of
event, situation, problem, activity, or whatever it might be, the
same from one instance to the next. Be consistent as well in the
manner in which you present or report the information from one
report to the next.
9. Use logic to prepare your report in a coherent fashion from one
paragraph or section to the next.
10. Select the most effective way to present the information. Use
tables to show quantitative information or to report events or
activities for which there is some pattern.

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HOW DO I OBTAIN QUALITY

IN THE SOURCE(S) OF INFORMATION
FOR MY REPORT?
Guideline #1: The quality of the information you report is only as
good as that of the information you collect or the source of the
information. If you feel you are not getting good-quality
information, you need to discuss this with your supervisor so that
s/he knows the problem is not with the reporting but with the
collection.
Hi, its
me again,
Shpetim.

What is the source of your information?

You collect the information:
Directly from beneficiaries
using different data collection
Techniques
Based on your own field
observations
Or report on tasks you have
conducted

You rely on:

Information given you by
implementing partners
Other sources of secondary data
Data provided by other CARE
staff

Review the collected information with the following checklist to

determine how useable it is:
Do I have reason to believe the information is not accurate?
Is the source from which the information was obtained in any
way questionable?
Is the information incomplete? Is it specific enough for my
purposes? What is it that I still need to know?
Is it in a format that is suited to my analysis or the database
I am using?
If it is given to you orally, do you write it down and note the

What will I
do with
these Red
Cross lists
of beneficiaries?
Its not in
the right
format.

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source?
What does the information tell me? Is it a detail that has no
relevance or importance for my analysis? Am I able to aggregate
it with other similar types of information?
Does the information have some value? What do I need to do to
make this information more useful to me and my project? Is
there something I can do?

GROUP EXERCISE 1
Provide examples of difficulties you have in using the information
you are given. What do you find yourself doing in this situation? Do
you ignore the information or try to resolve the problems? If so,
how and can you think of better ways to address them?

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Guideline #2
Know the
purpose and
the audience
for your
report well
and write
accordingly!

HOW DO I DECIDE WHAT

INFORMATION BELONGS IN MY REPORT?
The first criterion to use when answering this question - how
do I decide what information belongs in my report is knowing
the purpose and the audience for whom you are writing!

Reports have a variety of different purposes. Here are some of the

main ones:
1. To know whether activities according to a project plan are being
accomplished.
2. To know whether tasks according to a staff persons workplan are
being accomplished.
3. To highlight any problems being encountered in project activities
in order to address them or communicate them to the entity
which is responsible for resolving them.
4. To track progress at different levels of the project progress
against objectives, outputs, or activities to demonstrate to the
donor we are fulfilling our contractual obligations and/or for our own
satisfaction that we (the project) are having positive results.
5. To see whether beneficiaries are satisfied with the project or
have a different view from our own; to then report these
differences to a higher level of decision making; and create some
dialogue between the project and beneficiaries on the issue.
6. To aggregate information which can be analyzed and used for
different purposes within or even after the life of the project.
The audience can also vary. Each has a different level of decision
making, accountability and involvement in the project. Here are
some examples with which you are familiar:
1. the donor(s)
2. the project manager

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3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

field coordinator
monitoring officer
distribution officer
field monitor
beneficiary

Here are some questions that you should ask yourself before you
begin to write your report:
For whom am I writing this report? What can I assume and
not assume that this person(s) already knows?
In reviewing each question or section of the report format I am
given, do I understand why that question is important and what
purpose it serves? More specifically, do I know what the larger
question(s) is behind the issues raised in my report format?
Is the information I am providing in my report appropriate for
the questions which my supervisor must then answer in his/her
report?
What types of quantitative recording must be done by partners
and by staff which I will need to aggregate or summarize in my
report?
What actions or decisions must my supervisor make with the
information I provide?
What will my supervisor do with my report? Will it be used for
further reporting?
What effect will this information have in the immediate term and
in the longer term? Whom and what will it affect?

GROUP EXERCISE 2
Divide up into groups composed of staff who prepare the same type of report.
Using your report format as a base, ask yourselves, for each section of the
report why your supervisor needs this information and what s/he will do with it.
What actions and decisions will be made with this information?

Would you
write the
same way
and include
the same
info in your
report to
your supervisor if you
were writing to a coworker?

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There are some givens and having a structure for your report
will give you (and the reader!) some guideposts and a way to
navigate through the report (guideline #3). Lets look now at
some of the basic components of a report . . .
I.

OVERVIEW

II.

PROGRESS BY ACTIVITY

A.

Activity #1
1.
Accomplishments or Achievements Against the Plan
2.
Constraints Affecting Progress (or Problems
Encountered)
3.
Actions to Address Constraints
4.
Planned Activities for Next Period

B.

Activity #2
1.
As above
2.
As above
3.
As above
4.
As above

etc.
III. OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
Examples:
A.
Relationships with Partners
B.
Management Issues
C.
Administration Issues
D.
Operational Issues
IV.

LESSONS LEARNED

V.

CONCLUSIONS OR RECOMMENDATIONS

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But what do these sections mean and what types of

information do I include?
I.

OVERVIEW OR SUMMARY

To prepare the reader for what is to come, it is always useful to

start with a brief summary or overview for the period being covered
by the report. Present the reader with the bigger picture first.
Situate your project, component, or activity (whatever the scope
of your report) within a broader context. If you are reporting on
the whole project, describe the external conditions (political,
social, economic, etc.) affecting it and which might explain
adjustments you have had to make in your project.
Example: UNMIK has still not issued the definition for Category II, hence, the
commencement of Category II benefits has been delayed.

Similarly, if you are reporting on a specific component, e.g., food

distribution, mention those external conditions or constraints
specific to your component.
Example: A security alert prevented us from distributing food to the villages
of x, y, and z this month.

Describe broad trends relating to the project, component, or

activity. In what direction is the project going? How would you
describe the overall performance of the project? Are we on track
with the overall plan? What generalizations can be made about
the activities and different aspects of the work? Are there any
major problems or concerns affecting the whole?

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Example: Overall, the project is progressing according to plan. Food is being

delivered and distributed without any major blockages, however, delays are
occurring in all areas due to the late submission of distribution logs. Monitoring
activities are continuing with an average of 50 spot-checks a day. As noted in
the previous report, our assessments show a large number of non-eligible Cat. I
recipients, currently at 2,000 for the whole region. We are working with our
implementing partners to reduce the numbers.

Summarize accomplishments in bulleted form at the highest level

of aggregation for your project, component, or activity.
Example: The following targets were achieved:
50,000 tons of food delivered (80% achieved)
1500 spot-checks completed (60% achieved)
5 IPs trained in filling out reports (100% achieved)

_________________________
II.

PROGRESS BY ACTIVITY

A. Activity #1
1. Accomplishments or Achievements Against the Plan
2. Constraints Affecting Progress (or Problems Encountered)
3. Actions to Address Constraints
4. Planned Activities for Next Period
After the overview section comes a more detailed section that
breaks the big picture down into smaller parts. Generally, this is
done by taking one activity or component at a time and providing a
certain level of detail for each one. However, our main interest is in:
What was done by whom and where and how well it was done?
If there were targets set, to what extent were they achieved?
Or if you are operating according to a plan or pre-set schedule,
did you achieve what you planned to do? If not, why not?

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What problems, constraints, or difficulties did you encounter

which impeded progress, affected the performance of the
work, or prevented you from getting the work done?
Are the problems or constraints internal to the project or
external, i.e., within or outside your control? Can they be
overcome? Who is accountable? How will the project adjust,
if these difficulties will continue to exist?
Whats next after these accomplishments in this reporting
period? Prepare the reader for what is to come and a preview
of what will appear in the next report.

Guideline
#4: Use
discipline
in
preparing
your
report.
Think
before
you write!

Guideline
#5: Be
concise and
state your
point.
Avoid
detailed
and
descriptive
narrative

EXERCISE 3
Work individually on this. For each numbered sentence in the
example paragraph, identify it as (a) an accomplishment, (b) a
problem or constraint and whether it is internal or external, (c)
an action to address a problem or constraint, (d) a planned
activity, or (e) a detail which is not necessary or does not belong.
Paragraph:
{ This week field staff focused more on the secondary distribution done by
MTS. | They checked all delivery points in the AOR to ensure the distribution
was running properly and that food was being picked up at distribution points. }
There were problems during the field activities and, in many cases, villagers
were complaining to the MTS branches about the reduction in numbers of
beneficiaries. ~ But the community leader at the Roma delivery point in Gjilan
requested a reduction in the number of beneficiaries from 363 to 315, because
some households were now better off.  We ensured that the food for the
months of August and September were distributed. We informed all delivery
points that the reports to the branch offices are due on the 2nd of the month.
We will collect the reports from the branch offices next week. We still
have not received the WFP food distribution plan for next month. We hope
we will receive it soon.

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WHAT IS THE MOST APPROPRIATE AND

EFFECTIVE WRITING STYLE
FOR MY REPORT?
With a reporting structure or format, we are given some boundaries
for the types of information to include in our report. A structure
also offers us a certain logic and gives coherence to the report, as
section I then leads logically to section II, etc. Yet, even when we
have the information all there, are confident that the data is
reliable, know our audience, and know what to include in the report,
we still need to pay attention to our writing style: what is
appropriate and effective in conveying the gems of information I
have at my disposal?
For this section, I will draw heavily on guidelines 6 9.
OBJECTIVITY
Guideline #6: Be objective in your reporting. Present the facts;
do not make unsupported claims. Do not generalize about a situation
or a problem but say who it pertains to. It is better to say you dont
know than to (a) present an incomplete picture which you know will
only raise questions for the reader, or (b) fill the gaps with
speculation, extrapolation, or opinion.
Quantitative types of information are always easier to state.
The only caution in using quantitative information is that numbers
more immediately convey a sense of the facts or the truth,
when they could be incorrect or inaccurate.
For every gem of information, qualitative OR quantitative, go
over it in your mind and be sure it is a statement of the reality or
the truth.

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Do not make a claim or assertion for which you do not have the
data to back it up. Every statement of truth requires evidence.
Be very careful not to take what is true for one place or one
situation and generalize; similarly, do not forget, when you make
a statement, to refer to whom, how many, where, and when
Although the type of reporting you do does require that you
engage your thinking, your intellect, and your ability to assess, it
is important to alert the reader when you yourself are making an
observation or comment; dont present it as fact.
It is inappropriate to inject your emotions (okay, but dont let it
affect the whole tone of your report) or your biases in a report.
Always state the source of the information you report.

EXERCISE 4
Entire group together : Critique the following paragraph and table in
terms of their objectivity and rewrite them in a more appropriate
fashion.

The staff conducted 5 community meetings in one municipality to

elicit feedback from villagers on their perception of the CSW
scheme. In the community meeting I attended in the village of
Cernica, all people attending were well-informed about Category I
criteria. It seems that there is widespread understanding of the
scheme in this municipality. But I would agree with the beneficiaries
that there are still people who do not meet the criteria and are still
very vulnerable. We should try to find ways to help everyone, not
just those in Category I.
Below is a summary of the meetings:

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Gornje Kusce
Cernica
Pancelo
Bratilovce
???
TOTAL:

50 attending
20 attending
10 attending
10 attending
15 attending
115 attending

ANALYSIS VS. DESCRIPTIVE DETAIL

Guideline #6: Be as analytical as you can rather than descriptive.
Aggregate, summarize, mention trends or patterns, point to
exceptions, and prioritize issues according to their magnitude and
need for attention.
Analytical writing is a blend of information and thinking. A very
simple type of analysis is to apply a set of questions to the data. It
seeks to explain the data or the information. This is very different
from merely presenting the data as is and not reflecting on it.
There can be as many levels of analysis there are levels of causation.

Example:

Descriptive
In Mitrovica North, the data shows
that 332 households have WFP ration
cards, while 1680 households are
registered with the CSW.

Analytical
In Mitrovica North, the data shows
that 332 households have WFP ration
cards, while 1680 households are
registered with the CSW. This
indicates that only 20% of households
registered with the CSW are
vulnerable and meet the Cat. I.
criteria. This tells us that . . .

In examining the data, we return to the set of questions being

posed even before the data were collected.

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But dont
forget
your
objectivity when
you
explain
the data,
make sure
your
conclusion
is true
for all
cases.

But in order to be explanatory, we need to summarize and

aggregate our information. And in order to aggregate, we need
to have consistent information for all cases or events.
In aggregating or looking at the bigger picture, we look for
patterns or trends and seek to identify them. The danger is
there is always some degree of interpretation involved in
reviewing the data.
We also look for the exceptions and seek to explain them.
Our own judgment and intellect really come into play when we
begin to prioritize the issues and problems based on the
explanations that emerge from our analysis.

EXERCISE 5
Divide into small groups. Review the data below and see what kind of
analysis you can do on it. What questions could you ask about this
data? What conclusions can be reached? What trends do you see?
What problems emerge from this analysis which need to be further
investigated and how would you prioritize the problems?
Table: The Delivery and Distribution of WFP Food in Mitrovica
North to Vulnerable Households
Distribution Points

Collective Center
Hotel Banjska
Zvecan
Collective Center
School Mitrovica

# of
Households per
Area
114

390

# of
Beneficiary
Households

Metric Tons
of Food
Delivered

57

1.703

Metric
Tons of
Food
Distributed
1.5

195

5.452

4.5

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Distribution Points

North
Collective Center
Roma Camp
Zitkovac Zvecan
YRC Zvecan
YRC Vucitrn
Miroce
Banjska
Slatina
Gojbulja
Grace
Priluzje
YRC Mitriovca
TOTAL:

# of
Households per
Area

# of
Beneficiary
Households

Metric Tons
of Food
Delivered

Metric
Tons of
Food
Distributed

296

148

4.171

4.171

6000
2600
34
174
24
544
474
2000
4900
17550

5000
2536
17
87
12
272
237
1680
2450
12691

75.496
35.332
0.641
2.480
0.425
7.747
6.682
23.582
34.050
197.761

73.0
35.332
0
0
.425
7.5
6.0
20.0
34.050
186.478

CONSISTENCY

This is
Guideline
# 8,
Folks.

Consistency in reporting applies to many different levels:

- from one reporting period to the next
- from one report level to the next all the way up the hierarchy
- within a report, from one paragraph to the next
- and within a section, for each instance reported
As mentioned in the section on Objectivity, what you do to one
piece of information you must do to another. If you ask, who,
what, when, and where, for one event, do the same with the
next.

Example: In the village of Binac, Vitina, we did 3 spot-checks and 4

household assessments. In the village of Livoc, we did 3 spot-checks
and 2 household assessments. And in the village of Cernica, we did 2
spot-checks and 5 household assessments.

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If you are missing a piece of information, simply state that it is

not available rather than leave the reader wondering. This can be
very frustrating.
LOGIC
Guideline # 9: Use logic to prepare your report in a coherent
fashion from one paragraph or section to the next.
There should be a flow and links from one paragraph to the next.
If you are writing a narrative section, break it up into clear
paragraphs and make sure each paragraph deals with one issue.
Consider the placement of the information you will report so that
its placement in the document gives it the right level of meaning
and importance. Dont bury a piece of information you wish to
highlight to the reader in a long paragraph about other things; it
may go completely unnoticed.
What piece of information in the following paragraph would you
separate out for more emphasis?
The food distribution and delivery went well this week. The correct food
was brought to the delivery sites and picked up by the MTS to the
distribution points. People in the villages of Cernica, Binac, Donja Budriga,
Bosce and Partes came to the distribution points. Only in the village of
Gornje Kusce the MTS branch boycotted the distribution because
tensions in their village were high and they were afraid to distribute. We
expect distribution to continue to go well in these other villages.

Be sure not to contradict yourself in your report. Sometimes this

happens inadvertently because you left out an explanatory piece
of information.

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This is
Guideline
# 10,
Folks.

HOW DO I PRESENT QUALITY INFORMATION IN

THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY?
Use tables for listing or categorizing more than one of the
same type of information. Dont bunch them up in a paragraph.

Use tables especially for any type of statistics. If the figures

are large and complicated, it is better to do the table in an Excel
spreadsheet and import it into your Word document. This will
help avoid calculation errors.
Use bullets for simple lists, e.g., tasks or accomplishments, rather
than full sentences in paragraph form. Its easier to read and
more to the point.
Use headings and sub-headings to separate sections.
Use bolding and different fonts to distinguish between, for
example, a question and an answer. (Note the formatting of this
manual as an example.)
Dont leave a question or section totally blank. If you have
nothing to report, say so.

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APPENDIX 1
SOME DEFINITIONS
Accomplishments or Achievements
What did you accomplish? can refer to all tasks undertaken,
completed, or conducted during the reporting period.
What did you achieve? means the same as accomplish but is often
used in the context of projects to refer to the extent to which you
achieved or reached some target(s) within your plan. It has the
connotation of comparing planned against actual.
Both accomplish and achieve have a positive sense, a sense of moving
forward or progress being made.
Implement, Conduct, Complete, Undertake, Execute, Fulfill
These are all very similar but, to distinguish nuances, here are some
examples:
implement a field activity usually refers to an activity that appears
in the implementation plan for the project
conduct (or carry out) an assessment
complete (finish) all household spot-checks
undertake a task non-specific; can refer to any type of action
taken
execute a project more formal than implement
fulfill (or meet) the requirements of the donor
Constraint, Problem, Concern, Issue
A problem is a general term and is often separated out in a progress
report to explain why activities could not be completed, targets not
fully achieved, or the overall performance could not be rated high.

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Constraint refers more specifically to an obstacle or stress factor

that slows or impedes progress. We speak of resource constraints,
time constraints, financial constraints. Depending on the context,
problem and constraint can refer to the same thing.
We can refer to external or internal constraints.

Ex.: The security situation is an external constraint affecting the

viability of our project activities.
Ex.: The lack of a field coordinator is an internal constraint
affecting the performance of our distribution activities.
Both constraints and problems can be encountered, overcome,
resolved, or addressed.
Concern is not a problem per se but an expression by someone of a
potential (or real) problem.

Ex.: The villagers are concerned with the security situation.

Ex.: The reduction of donations is a great concern to village leaders.
Issue can be used interchangeably with concern:

What are your issues or concerns?

but is a more general term to refer to the matter or subject itself
for which a concern is being expressed.

What is the main issue here? It is the lack of employment

possibilities among the population.
Both issues and concerns can be raised, addressed, or dealt with.