Business Writing Final report.

ENGL 3170 Assignment: Recommendation Report & Presentation

For this assignment, you should choose a company you are familiar with (ideally somewhere you have worked or volunteered, but could be an office or business you frequent) and identify a problem. The problem should be small in scope (don’t try to take on the national debt or housing market meltdown) but should have more than one possible solution. For example, you might choose a restaurant that needs to increase sales, a business plagued by ineffective communication or a store with customer service problems.

You are allowed to work with a partner; however, as a pair you will be responsible for the final report & the presentation. If you work with a partner, you need to turn in a description of what each group member contributed to the report (e.g. specific sections or duties). You are also in charge of applying team dynamic techniques to address any issues with your partner and you will both receive the same grade for the projects.

The Recommendation Report will be a formal long report, but the sections differ a little from the model report in Chapter 15 of your book. You can use the book for general guidelines on report writing, but be sure you are including all the below sections.

REQUIRED Elements (Organize in the order listed below):

Front Matter: The front matter uses roman numerals for page numbers, follow the number guidelines below (see a full report in figure 15.3 starting on page 701 in the book).

The front matter will include:

· A Letter of Transmittal in the format of a Letter (if no longer employed or don’t work there – this is an external document)/ or a Memo (if currently employed there – this is an internal document). This should be one page at the most and should introduce the report to your audience (much in the way your job cover letter introduces yourself to the company you are applying to). This doesn’t have a page number shown on it.

· A Title Page: Listing report title, authors, person or people prepared for, and the date. This counts as the first page of the front matter but does not have a page number shown on it.

· A Table of Contents: Lists the sections of your report. First page number listed here – starting with Roman numeral ii.

· List of Illustrations: Lists the illustrations (visuals) in your report. Continue page numbering in this section. If this is on its own page, it is Roman numeral iii.

· An Informative Abstract (Half a page max, typically one long paragraph): This is a short summary of the entire report including recommendations. Continue Roman numeral page numbering.

Report: The below elements are the main body of the report – you use normal page numbers starting with “1” for the rest of the report:

· Introduction – Briefly introduce the report topic and supply any necessary background information.

· Problem & Purpose – Briefly explain the problem and purpose was.

· Research – Describe any research you did to investigate the problem and what you learned from it.

· Recommendations Discussion – Note that the format of your recommendations may be different depending on your topic. But your recommendations section needs to:

· Present AT LEAST TWO alternatives to resolve the problem (e.g. to resolve the parking problem on campus you could make parking free to students, lower daily rates, or put parking costs into student fees)

· Discuss pros, cons, costs, etc. of each possible solution you present (e.g. Free parking pro: students will be happy, con: university will spend more).

· Conclusion:

· Identify which alternative would best serve your purposes and:

· Show how advantages of recommendation outweigh disadvantages (e.g. Although costs for the university would initially rise, it would be worth it because…)

· Offer details about benefits of recommendation (e.g. This could increase enrollment, increase attendance to classes/decrease lateness, retain students/faculty)

· Discuss steps they need to take to implement the recommendation) (e.g. To implement you need to remove parking pay stands, distribute permits to students, etc.)

· Specify any additional action required to proceed with your recommendation

Back Matter (these are optional depending on what you include in your report):

· Works Cited page (if you used text or visuals from a source this is mandatory)

· Appendix items – e.g. surveys, glossary, additional charts, etc. (include a title page before any of these items if you do include an Appendix). If you worked with a partner, you are required to include a list describing the different tasks that each person performed for the report.

Additional Details:

Format and Design: Your report should be approximately 10-12 pages including front matter (but not back matter). You can go over or under this page count as long as you are meeting the assignment requirements and including relevant information. It should be single spaced with one space between paragraphs (no indentations for paragraphs). The report should be typed in a standard, professional font in 11 or 12pt size. This is a professional report and needs to appear as such. It will need to be held together in a professional way – with a binder clip, paper clip, staple, folder, etc. (don’t just hand me a stack of pages). It should also be error-free and clean (printed from a good printer – no wavy lines or dying ink cartridges), clear divisions, visual presentations, etc. Be sure you’ve given yourself ample time to complete the work and print it before coming to class – counting on the printer in the classroom to be functioning is not a good plan.

Visuals and Graphic Highlights: Use visuals (graphs, tables, etc.) to help your reader process the nuts and bolts of your report. (AT LEAST THREE ARE REQUIRED). ALL figures should be introduced prior and followed by explanatory text, and should be cited correctly if they are pulled from a source. Also make sure the graphics are easy to understand when they are printed – you may need to print them in color or format them differently if they are printed in black and white. You’ll also want to organize the information so it’s easy to read using headings, subheadings, and bullet points (more info on headings on pg 532-534 of the book).

	Final Report Grading Criteria
Content	Report includes all required sections outlined in assignment description and sections are fully developed. List of figures and table of contents page numbers lead to appropriate pages. Includes at least three relevant visuals. Visuals and other source material are appropriately cited. There are no unnecessary sections. 13 pts	Minor content edits needed. 10 pts	Some content edits needed. 8 pts	Several or more major content errors. 6 pts	Content is completely lacking. 2 pts
Organization	Report sections follow organization outlined in assignment description. Ideas are logically organized and transitions between paragraphs are smooth. Visuals are well placed and introduced. 12 pts	Minor organizational edits needed. 10 pts	Some organizational errors. 8 pts	Several or more major organizational errors. 6 pts	Materials are severely disorganized. 2 pts
Grammar and Style	Materials are free from grammatical and spelling errors. Materials employ an engaging, concise, and professional voice. Report reads smoothly with no confusing points and avoids unnecessary repetition. 13 pts	Minor grammatical or stylistic edits needed. 10 pts	Some grammatical or stylistic edits. 8 pts	Several or more major grammatical or style errors. 6 pts	Severe problems with grammar and style. 2 pts
Formatting	Report is single spaced with one space between paragraphs. Font is 11 or 12 point and professional. Report contains headings that are uniform and professional. Visuals are clearly labeled and formatted. Page numbers follow the directions outlined in the assignment description. Printed clearly and held together in a professional way. 12 pts	Minor formatting edits needed. 10 pts	Some formatting edits needed. 8 pts	Several or more major formatting errors. 6 pts	Severe formatting problems. 2 pts
Total Points (Possible 50):