CARE M&E Report Writing Workshop

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

Report Writing Workshop for FTP 1 _______________________________________________________________________________

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


HOW DOES REPORTING FIT INTO THE BIGGER PICTURE?


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 don’t 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,


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.


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. What is the source of your information? You collect the information: You rely on: Directly from beneficiaries using different data collection

Information given you by implementing partners

Techniques Based on your own field observations

Other sources of secondary data

Or report on tasks you have conducted

Data provided by other CARE staff

Hi, it’s me again, Shpetim.

Review the collected information with the following checklist to determine how useable it is: What will I

do with these Red Cross lists of benefi-ciaries? It’s not in the right format.

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


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?


HOW DO I DECIDE WHAT

INFORMATION BELONGS IN MY REPORT? Guideline #2 – Know the purpose and the audience for your report well and write

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!

accordingly!

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 person’s 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


3. field coordinator 4. monitoring officer Would you

write the same way and include the same info in your report to your super-visor if you were writ-ing to a co-worker?

5. distribution officer 6. field monitor 7. 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?


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). Let’s 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


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?


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?


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?

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

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? What’s 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.

EXERCISE 3 Guideline #4: Use discipline in preparing your report. Think before you write!

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.


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 don’t 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.


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; don’t present it as fact.

It is inappropriate to inject your emotions (okay, but don’t 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:


Gornje Kusce 50 attending Cernica 20 attending Pancelo 10 attending Bratilovce 10 attending ??? 15 attending TOTAL: 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 Analytical In Mitrovica North, the data shows that 332 households have WFP ration cards, while 1680 households are registered with the CSW.

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.


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.

But don’t forget your objectiv-ity – when you explain the data, make sureyour conclusionis true for all

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.

cases. 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 # of

House-holds per

Area

# of Beneficiary Households

Metric Tons of Food Delivered

Metric Tons of Food

Distributed Collective Center “Hotel Banjska” – Zvecan

114 57 1.703 1.5

Collective Center “School” – Mitrovica

390 195 5.452 4.5


This is Guideline # 8, Folks.

Distribution Points # of House-

holds per Area

# of Beneficiary Households

Metric Tons of Food Delivered

Metric Tons of Food

Distributed North Collective Center “Roma Camp Zitkovac” – Zvecan

296 148 4.171 4.171

YRC Zvecan 6000 5000 75.496 73.0 YRC Vucitrn 2600 2536 35.332 35.332 Miroce 34 17 0.641 0 Banjska 174 87 2.480 0 Slatina 24 12 0.425 .425 Gojbulja 544 272 7.747 7.5 Grace 474 237 6.682 6.0 Priluzje 2000 1680 23.582 20.0 YRC Mitriovca 4900 2450 34.050 34.050 TOTAL: 17550 12691 197.761 186.478 CONSISTENCY 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.


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. Don’t 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.


HOW DO I PRESENT QUALITY INFORMATION IN

THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY? This is Guideline # 10, Folks.

Use tables for listing or categorizing more than one of the

same type of information. Don’t 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. It’s 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.)

Don’t leave a question or section totally blank. If you have nothing to report, say so.


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.


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.

CARE M&E Report Writing Workshop

Documents

report writing workshop

kosovo report

analysis report

report writing guidelines

reporting information

sources of information

quality of information

goodquality information