helping with report

BUSMGT 712

Individual Report (20%) Quarter Three 2021

Weighting:	This assignment is worth 20% of your final grade and is marked out of 34.
Submission instructions:	Submit your report as well as your Excel file (it should contain the data you worked on and your calculations) to Canvas. The Excel file will not be marked and does not contribute to your grade, but we reserve the right to check if the information in the report corresponds to the information in the file.
Word count:	The stipulated word count for the report is 1300 words (±10%, line spacing 1.5, font and size: Times New Roman 12). The word count includes tables but excludes the cover page, the executive summary, reference list and any appendices. Your executive summary should be on the cover page and should not exceed 200 words .
Graphs, tables and charts:	Graphs, tables and charts should be produced using Excel or other statistical software. Please note that graphs, tables and charts should only be used to add real value to the analysis, so they need to be selected and created carefully, and when included, must be discussed in your text.
Format:	Please use a professional report structure that

includes an executive summary, introduction, conclusion (recommendations), and reference list. Organise your work using headings and sub-headings and check your grammar and punctuation carefully.

Other instructions:	A draft can be submitted via Canvas for language feedback from the Business Communication Team, up to 60 hours prior to the submission deadline. Answers should be word processed in Word or PDF format.
References:	You should use a minimum of 4 references in APA 7 format to support your analysis in sections A2 and B, BUT NOT A1, as you are only required to compute and work with the data provided in A1. (in-text references are included in the word limit, but the references list is excluded).
This assignment links to the following learning outcomes:	LO1: Evaluate and select suitable models and quantitative tools to analyse business problems. (Capability 1 and 3) LO2: Apply the skills necessary for the analysis of small to medium data sets of moderate complexity. (Capability 2) LO3: Extract relevant patterns from sets of data to transform into information and interpret the results effectively. (Capability 3) LO4: Communicate findings, results and recommendations from business analysis models verbally and in a written manner to the audience from a variety of backgrounds. (Capability 4) LO5: Apply the concepts, tools and practices including data collection techniques to contribute to the managerial decision-making process. (Capability 1 and 2)
And helps to develop these Graduate Attributes:	1. Disciplinary knowledge and practice 2. Communication.

Brief/Context

You are a policy analyst working for a leading independent New Zealand business consultancy firm – GSM Consulting. GSM consulting is investigating effective ways to control the COVID-19 pandemic.

Your manager, Dr Wang, has tasked you with writing a report highlighting key insights regarding the COVID-19 pandemic and the effectiveness of vaccinations. To do so, he has provided you with a dataset. The dataset includes key health variables such as the number of daily total cases, total deaths, and people vaccinated for Group 6 countries, BRICS countries, and New Zealand from January 2020 to June 2021. The dataset also includes other socio-economic variables for these countries, such as population, population density, stringency index, GDP per capita, and life expectancy, amongst others.

Please work only with the data that has been provided and do not seek or include additional variables outside of the data set in your analysis.

However, you may derive new variables by using the existing data provided; for example, you can derive a ratio that equals ‘New cases’ divided by ‘Population’ if it would provide useful insights for your discussion.

The detailed data is available in an Excel file called “COVID19_Q3_2021.xlsx”, which has been uploaded to module ‘ B: Important Information & Assessments for This

Course ’ on Canvas.

Detailed Tasks

Dr Wang would like you to analyse the data provided using descriptive methods of analysis (please do not use other kinds of analytics such as regression for this report). Therefore, your analysis should include descriptive statistics only (such as mean, median, standard deviation, correlation, distribution, confidence interval, hypothesis testing etc.) as well as visualisations of the data. Both sections A and B are compulsory and must be answered.

Section A) Focusing on 2020 data:

1) Describe the general situation of the COVID-19 pandemic for Group 6 countries, BRICS countries, and New Zealand.

2) Based on your analysis for A1, which country (or countries) appears to be better positioned to recover from the pandemic? Justify. (Hint: your answer should be well supported by your descriptive analysis of the data, as well as appropriate secondary sources)

Section B) Now, you may use the whole dataset (2020 and 2021) to answer the following question:

1) Based on data analysis and any supporting secondary evidence, in your view as a consultant, can the COVID-19 vaccinations effectively control the pandemic for all of these 12 countries listed in the dataset?

Conclude your report by providing one or two clear, concise recommendations to Dr Wang for effective pandemic management.

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