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Report Writing
Guide 6
Guide 6
Report Writing
Reference
Copyright 2009 by Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere, Inc. (CARE). All rights reserved.
Table of Contents
Introduction ........................................................................................................... 1
Preparation for Writing ........................................................................................... 3
The Purpose of the Report................................................................................................ 3
The Reporting Process ..................................................................................................... 4
The Roles of the Writer and the Editor ............................................................................... 4
Planning the Report ........................................................................................................ 5
Collecting Information for the Report ................................................................................ 6
The Content............................................................................................................ 9
Using a Report Model ...................................................................................................... 9
Demonstrating Impact................................................................................................... 10
Sections of the Report................................................................................................... 11
Templates ............................................................................................................ 41
Project Tracking List ..................................................................................................... 42
Report Information Checklist .......................................................................................... 43
Report Template ........................................................................................................... 44
Report Writing
Questions Answered
In the Report Writing Guide, you will find answers to
the following questions:
Why is the donor report important?
What questions should the report answer for the
donor?
What is the general reporting process?
How are the roles of the report writer and the editor
different?
How do I plan my report?
What information and materials do I need to have
before I begin writing?
What information goes in each section of
a report?
What are some effective writing practices
that will help improve the language, style
and format of a report?
Acronyms and
Abbreviations
CARE
CSO
OVC
Chapter 1
Introduction
As the project manager, you are responsible for demonstrating progress to the donor.
Whether an individual, foundation or government entity, the donor provides the
financial resources that make the project possible. Donors want to see evidence of a
return on their investment, and your job is to provide that evidence in a clear,
specific, detailed and accurate way.
The report is the primary way that you demonstrate this progress. An effective
report is one that shows how project activities are directly leading to the goal of the
project and creating an impact on the lives of participants.
This Guide explains the reporting process, the role the report plays in maintaining
the quality of CAREs work, and the information you need to write an effective report
on your project.
It provides tips and techniques that you can use in every aspect of the process. You
will learn about:
Materials and information you need before you begin
Types of content to include
Effective writing practices
Ways to ensure minimal editing will be needed
The focus of this Guide is the donor report, but the principles can be applied to any
type of report you need to write. Using it will help you make the writing process
faster and ensure the production of high quality reports.
Page 1
As with learning any new skill, the more you practice it, the better you get. In this
case, the more reports you write, the more proficient you will become and the easier
and faster the process will be. For this reason, it is recommended that you take
every opportunity that you can to practice.
Page 2
Chapter 2
Page 3
There are many organizations that donors can choose to fund, but they select CARE
because we have a reputation for the highest levels of performance and a
commitment to responsibility and accountability. Each report represents CARE to the
donor and is our opportunity to demonstrate accountability and good stewardship of
financial resources.
Page 4
Role of Editor
The editor will usually request clarification or additional details. The amount of time
on this back-and-forth communication can be reduced significantly if you produce a
clear, detailed, and accurate report for the editor to check.
Some documents are meant to persuade, others to entertain, and still others
to inform. Remember that the primary purpose of reports is to inform the
donor about the progress of your project.
Audience Who will be reading this report?
Knowing who the audience is in this case, CAREs donors gives you an
idea of the kind of language to use and how much technical detail to include.
Because donors are professionals who partner with us in our work, you will use
formal language for your reports.
Page 5
Unless you are certain that the donor possesses a high level of technical
knowledge about the project, you will want to use fairly non-technical
language. When you do use technical terms, you will need to give a brief
explanation of their meaning, so all readers can understand the information.
Format What does the report need to look like?
Every type of document follows some format. Sometimes the writer can
choose the format for the reports. If the donor does not provide a specific
format, you may use the template included in the appendix.
Deadline When do I have to turn the report in?
It is critical that you know when the report is due and that you turn it in on
time. When CARE receives funding from a donor, we agree to report on the
project at regular intervals. Part of being responsive to our donors is meeting
the reporting deadlines. Make sure you factor in time for editorial review.
Editors need time to edit, proofread, and possibly communicate with you to
clarify unclear information.
Page 6
DO S
DONTS
Page 7
to February 2009
_______
Goal of the project: To ensure that OVC realize their right to protection and care that
years
A particular challenge in Uganda is that the large number of young OVCs lacking adequate
care is overwhelming already-burdened extended family and community care structures.
The need to care for young children exacerbates hardship in households already fractured
by the impact of HIV, either by keeping productive women out of work or elder siblings
out of school. Girls are particularly affected when younger siblings need care, they are
more likely to stay home and end their schooling than are boys. Families and communities
need sustainable solutions for the care of the youngest OVCs, such as safe child care
settings that reduce the burden on female caregivers.
Page 8
Chapter 3
The Content
After you have all of the materials you need, you are ready to write the content of
the report. This content should provide the donor with information that is:
Clear and easily understood
The donor should be able to understand exactly what is being stated in the
report with little effort.
Detailed and specific
All of the information the donor wants or needs should be in the report. There
should be no questions left in the donors mind after reading the report. The
report should answer all of the basic questions: who, what, when, where, why,
how, and how much or how many. You need to provide details to support your
statements.
Accurate
The data in the report must be accurate in every way, including statistics and
results. You must double check all information to make sure it is correct.
Page 9
Demonstrating Impact
During the project implementation process, you will be engaged in ongoing
monitoring, that is, keeping track of project activities and outputs. However, when
you write about those activities, you do not want to provide just the key facts. You
also need to reflect on their meaning.
The section on project activities, in particular, needs to include analysis and
interpretation of those activities based on a strong understanding of the projects
objectives. You need to ask yourself what the data you are presenting means and
how it should be interpreted. To help in this process, you should solicit and include
in the report input from project staff, partners and participants.
Ultimately, the report needs to show how the project is progressing toward the
desired impact. Impact means durable improvements in human well-being and
social justice that result from the intervention. Your project should be making
incremental steps toward those improvements, and the report needs to show that
progress by demonstrating the effects, effectiveness, and sustainability of its
activities.
Effects
Effects are the changes in knowledge, attitude, or practices that have occurred as a
result of CAREs interventions. Effects are also known as results or outcomes.
Example
A project that aims to reduce mother-child HIV transmission broadcasts public service
announcements about a womens clinic that offers HIV testing. An example of the
effects of that activity would be an increase in the number of women who come to the
clinic for testing and who indicate that they heard about the clinic on the radio or
were referred by someone else who heard the announcement.
Effectiveness
Effectiveness is the extent to which an activity leads to reaching project objectives
efficiently and in a sustainable fashion.
Example
A project to increase girls leadership skills supports three local schools in establishing
school governments. To illustrate the effectiveness of this activity, the report could
include information on a number of results, including:
The number of girls who now hold positions in school governments and the
specific skills they are gaining through those positions
Page 10
Sustainability
Sustainability is the continuation of benefits or effects generated by a project after
its termination.
Example
Project staff working on an early childhood development project are distributing
materials and training teachers. The report can discuss how the teachers will be able
to use the materials and information to train each new teacher that comes to work at
the school in the future.
By addressing these three elements, you will be able to successfully explain the
implications of the activities you are describing in your report and the extent to
which those activities are leading to meeting project goals.
Introduction
Provide a brief summary of the project, including project timeline, overall goal
Page 11
timeframe may be for a part of the project or the life of the project.
Make sure that all of the activities you describe clearly relate to and support an
objective.
Include participant numbers (direct/indirect; male/female) for all activities.
Be as specific as possible when describing
Useful Phrases
activities and results, for example:
No:
Yes:
activities that were completed, but should also include the impact on the
participants and the difference these activities made in their lives.
Activity-Focused:
Impact-Focused:
Page 12
Useful Phrases
To address these issues, CARE
As a result of these activities, CARE
These adjustments reflect CAREs aim to
meet the specific needs of the
individual participants
Next Steps
Provide a list of five to ten priority activities for the next reporting period. Please be
specific and indicate the month that the
Useful Phrases
action will be completed when possible.
In the next six months, CARE will
For example, 400 students will receive
school supplies (July) or Water systems
In <a specific month>, CARE will
will be installed at two schools (August).
Photos
Good photos help to put a face to the project. They enhance
the report because they appeal to the readers emotions,
maximize the impact of the report, and add a layer of detail.
Include three to five photos of project activities.
Make sure to identify people in the photos.
Akosua speaks
Expenditure Report
Provide a breakdown of expenditures to date according to the following
standard categories.
Useful Phrase
Use the template on the next page if the
The table below shows how the X
donor has not provided a specific format.
Foundations gift of $x has been used
Include a sentence to introduce the
to support the activities described
table.
above.
Include a clear and detailed explanation
if a low spend down is reflected in the expenditure report.
Page 13
Item
Amount
Personnel
Professional Services
Materials, Services, and Consumables
Equipment
Travel and Transportation
Rent and Utilities
Sub-Grants to Partners
Financing/Depreciation/Miscellaneous
CARE Technical and Administrative support (9% of gift total)
Total
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
Conclusion
Include a few sentences reiterating
Useful Phrase
With generous support from, CARE is
On behalf of CARE thanks and looks
forward to reporting on continued project
progress in another six months.
CARE thanks the X Foundation for support
of this important work.
Work Plan
Include your work plan in the report. See the sample in the appendix.
Relate the activities directly to their objective.
Make sure timeframes are reasonable.
See Appendix C for sample of a work plan.
Page 14
DO S
DONTS
Be as specific as possible
Page 15
Chapter 4
Consistency
Consistency is very important. The facts and illustrations, as well as the format and
writing style, need to be consistent other throughout the report. Your format and
writing style also need to be consistent. The information you include must be
consistent both within the report and with details that have been provided in other
reports or the proposal.
Page 16
Donors see errors in data immediately. Notice the problem in the following two
sections:
One section states, CARE conducted a total of 16 workshops in the two
villages
Another section states, CARE conducted 12 workshops in Xela and 5
workshops in Chichicastenango
The problem is that the numbers do not add up. This is an error that must be
identified and corrected.
When a report has a contradictory or vague explanation for low spend down or other
financial problems, the donor questions whether CARE is spending their money
wisely and in a timely way. This is a significant concern for donors because they
require their gift to be spent as planned throughout the course of the project period.
There will be some repetition in the document, such as highlights in the
Introduction section repeated in the Project Activities and Results section.
However, it is best to avoid repeating information because it becomes confusing for
the reader and often results in errors in data.
Adequate Details
Details are important to include in the report to give the donor a more vivid image
and complete understanding of project activities and achievements. Using details
keeps the report from being vague and incomplete, and ensures that all of the
donors questions are answered. Essentially, details will answer the questions Who?
What? When? Where? How? How many or how much? and Why?
Here are some examples:
No Details: CARE improved the capacity of farmers.
Details:
The second example is better, because it answers the questions: How many farmers?
Where are the farmers from? On what were they trained?
No Details: CARE purchased desks for the schools.
Details:
CARE purchased 45 desks for each of the five schools to improve the
learning environment for the children.
The second example is better, because it answers the questions: How many desks did
CARE buy? How many schools received the desks? Why did CARE purchase the
desks for the school?
Page 17
Clear Language
Clear language means that you choose the appropriate words to express your ideas
and use sentence structure that is easy to follow. Here are some ways that you can
make the language in your report clear.
Do you know what hydrostatic contravolution is? You might, but your reader
probably does not. To make this easier for the reader to understand, you should
include a definition, as in:
CARE adapted the pumps to overcome hydrostatic contravolution that is, the tendency
of water to seek its own level in the high water table of South Fredonias plains.
Page 18
(object)
(verb)
(object)
CARE staff carried out a baseline survey in the three target communities.
(subject)
(verb)
(object)
(additional information)
Active
You should use the active form of verbs in the report as much as possible to give a
sense of action and to emphasize CAREs active role in achieving project goals and
objectives.
Page 19
Plain:
CARE hired specialized trainers from the youth NGO sector and
from national training organizations. CARE, its partners and
these trainers developed educational materials for use in future
training programs.
CARE Language
All CARE reports have many words in common. Some of these are used alone, and
others are often combined with other words to make phrases. The appendix contains
a list of verbs, nouns, and adjectives that are commonly used in CARE reports.
Following many of the words, in parentheses, are other words that are often used
with it.
Familiarize yourself with each word or phrase, and look up any unfamiliar words in a
dictionary and note their definitions. Review the list often so that these words
become part of your working vocabulary.
CARE also has some preferred terminology. For instance, the people who benefit
from the CARE project are now called participants, not beneficiaries. Project
staff is typically referred to as CARE, CARE staff, or project staff. Preferred
terminology can change, so it is best to talk with your supervisor about any terms
that you should or should not use.
See Appendix B for words that are
frequently used in CARE reports.
Page 20
Chapter 5
Page 21
Solution
Page 22
Appendix A
Report Sample
The following is an example of one type of donor report. The report you write may
have a different format, but the key elements will be similar. This sample is just a
basic model that you can use to get an idea of what goes into a report and how the
content fits into the format.
To use this model effectively, do the following:
Read the content carefully to see what type of information is given
Look at the format to see how the content is presented
Review the correct grammar and spelling
Familiarize yourself with the style and tone of the report
Page 23
Project Name:
Project Location:
Reporting Period:
Gift Amount:
$445,000
CARE Contact:
Sara Kriksciun
Introduction
For many children in Ghana, the realities of extreme poverty manifest themselves harshly in
their young lives. Often, their parents pull them out of school at young ages to work, a
phenomenon that only perpetuates the cycle of poverty; when these youth grow older, they are
excluded from better paying jobs due to their lack of education. And the cycle continues.
Page 24
Project Activities
The goal of the Rural Education Project is to collaborate with civil society to reduce child
labor, improve social services and boost cocoa production by jointly analyzing community
problems and designing and implementing lasting solutions. In line with this goal, the project
has four key objectives, which are to:
Page 25
Page 26
E. Exercise books: The project provided an additional 8,000 exercise books to the 40
new schools during this reporting period, bringing the total distributed thus far to
40,000. These materials improve the quality of the learning environment and support
student achievement.
Objective 3: Increase the capacity of school management committees and CSOs to
demand efficient services from appropriate and responsible local government
authorities.
A. School management committee training: The project trained 1,120 members of
school management committees groups of parents that work together to support a
particular school. The training focused on committee organization, management and
members responsibilities, including their role in communicating school needs and
challenges to district officials. CARE staff visited the committees on a monthly basis
during this period to monitor their progress. As a result of this training, committees
are taking a more active role in the schools, which includes contributing money to pay
for needed supplies and equipment. Additionally, parents are working with district
assemblies to increase government support for schools, which has resulted in the
construction of new classrooms and facilities at a number of schools, as described in
greater detail in the successes section below.
B. School performance improvement plans: As a result of the community planning and
analysis exercise carried out at the initiation of Phase II, each of the 40 new schools
have performance and improvement plans that outline existing challenges and future
objectives. School management committees and teachers are now using these plans to
prioritize activities and measure progress.
Objective 4: Work with farmer groups and government extension workers to improve
cocoa production.
A. Farmer groups: The project has helped to establish 70 farmer groups, with
approximately 7,000 members (20 percent women), which are well-organized and
recognized by district and community stakeholders. The groups have issued
membership cards and collect monthly dues, the payment of which is recorded on
individuals cards. Membership affords farmers access to training, credit, shared
equipment, communal land and labor (members help weed each others fields).
B. Extension worker training: Extension workers (agricultural experts) have been
trained on modern cocoa production practices, adult teaching methods, record keeping,
facilitation skills and group management. As a result of this training, extension agents
are providing better quality training and are visiting farmer groups more frequently
and consistently.
C. Community-based animators training: The project trained 140 community-based
animators in leadership and group management during this period. The animators,
Report Writing Guide
Page 27
each of whom works with about 50 farmers, are responsible for organizing farmer
groups to meet with extension workers to learn about modern cocoa practices. They
also keep records of group activities and meet with CARE staff on a monthly basis to
provide updates and address challenges.
D. Farmer group leaders training: 700 executive members of farmer groups received
training in proposal writing skills, action plan development, proper recordkeeping and
group dynamics. The training also educated leaders about the dangers of child labor.
E. Extension visits: During this period, 14,000 cocoa farmers received support from
extension workers to implement more efficient cocoa production practices.
This section helps emphasize achievements
and show learning from project challenges.
The Rural Education Project has achieved a number of important successes during this
reporting period, including:
Increased enrollment and attendance rates in both districts: The 2007/2008 academic
year brought an increase in enrollment and attendance rates at the 70 participating
schools in the Anafo Ano South and North districts. This has come about as a result
of community outreach and school-based improvements, including the introduction of
new materials and more interactive teaching practices. The table below shows the
growth in enrollment rates across the districts over the past year.
Simple tables
clarify
information.
Academic
Year
2007/2008
Beginning of
year
enrollment
30,581
District
Ahafo Ano
South
Ahafo Ano
2007/2008
18,841
North
Overall total for 2007/2008 academic year
Current
enrollment
31,881
Enrollment
difference
1,300
19,441
600
1,900 students
Increased parental support for schools: Parents, through their membership in school
management committees, have increased their participation in schools. In each of the
40 new communities, school management committees have pooled money to provide
vulnerable students with supplies, including uniforms, footwear, exercise books and
lunch. Parents in all 40 communities have also extended their support to teachers by
providing teacher meals. In four schools in Ahafo Ano North (Boagyaa II,
Page 28
Increased district support for schools: District-level officials have demonstrated strong
support for the project during this period. This is partly a result of the work of school
management committees, which have been trained to voice their needs in front of local
government. Both district assemblies have contributed to the construction of new
classrooms. In the Ahafo Ano South district, new classrooms were built in three
communities (Nkyesedanho, Attakrom and Bonsokrom) in 2008. Likewise, in Ahafo
Ano North, the district funded the construction of new classrooms at three additional
schools (Kyekyerewere, Suponso and Konkori) in 2008. In addition, a district
assembly has constructed a teachers bungalow for one of the participating schools to
ease teacher accommodation problems. The assembly has also launched a school
lunch program in the Kokoteasua and Nyameadom communities (in Ahafo Ano South)
to support enrollment and attendance rates.
Increased cocoa output: During this period, 14,000 cocoa farmers have directly
benefited from the project. The average production rate has increased from 30 (65kilogram) bags each to 50 (65-kilogram) bags per farmer. As demonstrated in the
table below, cocoa production in Ahafo Ano North increased from 63,000 bags in the
2007 cocoa season to 86,000 bags in 2008. In Ahafo Ano South, production increased
from 186,472 bags in 2007 to 201,542 bags in 2008.
District
Ahafo Ano
South
Ahafo Ano
North
Production
Difference
Cocoa Season
2008
Well-organized farmer groups: The 70 farmer groups organized by the project are
functioning efficiently and offer important benefits to the approximately 7,000
members, of whom 1,400 are women. As noted above, each group has issued
membership cards and collects monthly fees, which are deposited into group bank
accounts. As of January 2009, the 70 farmer groups had collected a total of $6,092
(USD). In addition, farmers have established group nurseries and farms and regularly
work together to weed individual members farms. Ten of the groups have used their
collective savings to purchase 10 additional cocoa spraying machines to add to those
donated by the project. Furthermore, farmers have put their proposal writing training
into practice and have established a relationship with the agricultural supply company
Page 29
Wienco, 2 which has provided loans of tools and supplies to farmers. In addition, all of
the 70 groups have established group action plans and are implementing activities to
reduce child labor, increase cocoa production and provide educational opportunities
for children.
Challenges
Some of the most significant challenges CARE faced during this reporting period include:
Poor recordkeeping: Because most cocoa farmers are illiterate/innumerate and do not
track their sales, it has been difficult for CARE to monitor the sale of cocoa among
participants. To address this, 700 farmer group leaders were trained during this
reporting period in recordkeeping, among other skills.
Cargill Involvement
During this period, CARE staff held several meetings with Cargill Ghana staff to review
project progress and visit participating communities, as demonstrated in the table on the next
page.
www.wienco.com/cocoa.htm.
Page 30
Number of
Cargill reps
in attendance
10/27/08
Two
Meeting
date
11/04/08
Ten
Number of
Meeting agenda
CARE staff
items/activities
in attendance
Three
Visit of Cargill Ghana
staff to see and assess
project activities
Four
Invitation to Cargill
factory commissioning
Results of
meeting
Team pleased with
field activities and
provided positive
feedback to CARE
staff
50 farmers
participated in the
event as well,
which
strengthened the
relationship
between Cargill
and farmers
In addition to the above meetings, two Cargill employees volunteered their time to the project
to support a community drama production on child labor in late September, 2008.
Next Steps
CAREs priorities over the next six months include (but are not limited to):
1. Hosting an agricultural forum for the 70 farmer groups;
2. Helping the 70 farmer groups to obtain fair trade certification;
3. Building the capacity of school management committees to advocate for government
funding and services;
4. Working with CSOs to improve the quality of education in 70 schools;
5. Conducting a Phase I evaluation;
6. Raising awareness among community members about child labor;
7. Training farmer groups in improved practices; and
8. Increasing the involvement of district officials in project interventions.
Page 31
Abigail Osei
Abigail Osei is a 12-year-old student at the Adadekrom primary
school, where she is in the third grade. Before this year, she
had been out of school for two years because her parents, who
are poor cocoa farmers, could not pay for books or a uniform
and did not support her in attending school. One day, Abigails
father came home and told Abigail that she was going to attend
school the next day. At first, Abigail was confused why was
her father all of a sudden encouraging her to go to school?
Then, her father explained that he had just come from a
meeting, organized by CARE, where he had learned about the
benefits of education and the harm caused by child labor. Now,
Abigail attends school every day, and her parents even
contribute to her school materials. Recently, Abigail got to
participate in the trip to meet role models an excursion that
would not have been possible without Cargills support. Abigail
Abigail speaks during a
said, I loved getting to sit on a bus and travel to the district
school assembly.
capital to meet doctors, nurses, police officers and even a
woman lawyer. Now I know that one day I can become a doctor too!
Akosua Bempah
Akosua Bempah is a 52-year-old cocoa farmer
who lives in the community of Kunsu Cam. She
has six children and has spent her entire life
working as a cocoa farmer. After joining a farmer
group and receiving training and access to modern
equipment, she increased her yield in January
2009. Akosua said, I am older, but I do not worry
about keeping my farm going. Now that I am a
member of a farmer group, it is the responsibility
of the group to ensure that all members receive
assistance on their farms at the right time. I now
keep records of my expenditures and income. My
income has doubled, and I am using this money
to support my children.
Page 32
Project Photos
Page 33
Expenditure Report
Cargills contribution of $445,000 to the Rural Education Project in Ghana has a current fund
balance of $150,646. The table below provides a breakdown of expenses to date.
Item
Personnel (CARE staff salaries and benefits)
Professional Services (consultants)
Materials, Services and Consumables (project supplies, training
materials, etc)
Equipment (computer and communication equipment)
Travel and Transportation (all travel costs, including vehicles)
Rent and Utilities (local office communication and rent costs)
Financing/Depreciation/Miscellaneous
CARE HQ Technical and Administrative support (9% of total)
Total
Fund Balance
Amount
$78,931
$372
$145,403
$1,641
$20,983
$6,471
$553
$40,000
$294,354
$150,646
Conclusion
With Cargills continued support, CARE is partnering with 70 cocoa-growing communities in
Ghanas central Ashanti region to achieve sustainable improvements in the quality of
education and increased cocoa production. Thus far, the project has been very successful in
mobilizing parents, teachers, district officials and farmers to work together to make positive
changes on the areas schools and farms, while reducing child labor. CARE thanks Cargill for
their investment in this program, and we look forward to reporting on further
accomplishments.
This section briefly restates the use of the
funds and thanks the donor for the gift.
April 2009
Page 34
Appendix B
Page 35
Numbers: Spell out numbers 1-9; Use numerals for 10 and above.
Exceptions: Always spell out numbers used with age. For example: He is six years old.
Always use numerals with millions.
For example: 2 million people
Percentages: Spell out the word percent and use numerals for the numbers.
For example:. 5 percent
Abbreviations:
Spell out and include abbreviation in parenthesis in first reference,
For example: CARE is working with the University of El Salvador (UES) on a project
Punctuation:
Do not use a comma after last word or phrase in a series.
For example: CARE staff purchased desks, pencils, chairs and tables for the school.
Use semicolons for bulleted lists, with and in second to last point and a period at the
end. For example:
Specifically, the projects goals are to:
Ensure that girls under the age of 18 in the project areas are aware of their rights;
Build capacity of local community-based organizations to effectively advocate for
girls rights; and
Increase motivation and ability of decision-makers in key government agencies to
proactively address girls rights.
Page 36
Page 37
Verbs
Access (health care, education)
Adapt (a plan)
Adopt (new practices)
Address (barriers, inequality, poverty)
Advance (goals, objectives)
Advocate (for rights, for change)
Aim (to any verb)
Allocate (funds, resources)
Benefit (communities, women and girls)
Build (capacity, partnerships, infrastructure)
Call for (change)
Challenge (existing laws)
Claim (rights)
Collaborate (with partners)
Combat (poverty, disease)
Commit (to participating, to implementing)
Construct (clean water systems, fences)
Create (opportunities, partnerships)
Dedicate (funds, resources)
Demonstrate (progress, effectiveness)
Determine (interest, effectiveness)
Foster (relationships)
Develop (skills, capacity, common goals)
Deliver (outcomes)
Direct (resources)
Distribute (information, materials)
Document (achievements, abuses)
Empower (women, families, communities)
Enable (women to, families to)
Encourage (improved behaviors, change)
Engage (participants, partners)
Enhance (quality, benefits)
Ensure (outcomes, participation, results)
Establish (partnerships, objectives, goals)
Expand (opportunities, activities)
Facilitate (workshops, meetings)
Focus on (results, women)
Form (partnerships, groups)
Formulate (goals, objectives, plans)
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Nouns
Ability (to generate income, to help)
Access (to health care, to resources)
Achievement
Activity
Actor (key_, local_)
Advocacy
Agenda
Agent (of change, or change agent)
Aid
Approach
Assistance
Barriers
Best practices
Campaign
Capabilities
Capacity
Capacity building
Catalyst (for change)
Collaboration
Commitment
Community (global_, local_)
Competence
Crisis
Cycle (of poverty, of violence)
Development
Dignity
Direction
Disparity (between rich and poor)
Documentation
Economic shocks
Economies
Empowerment (of women, of communities)
Environment
Equality
Equity (gender_)
Expansion (of the program)
Expertise (organizational_)
Faith leaders
Focus (on women)
Gender (equity, issues)
Goal
Governance (good_)
Household
Impact (project_, on communities)
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Verb Forms
When reporting on activities and achievements that occurred in the past (specifically
in reporting project activities and results), use the simple past tense. In English, the
simple past tense of regular verbs are formed by adding ed to the end of the base
form. For example:
Base Form
Implement
Reach
Support
Simple Past
Implemented
Reached
Supported
Simple Past
Advocated
Replicated
Created
Some verbs have spelling changes in the simple past tense. For example:
Base Form
Commit/ Benefit
Equip
Intensify
Simple Past
Committed/Benefitted (double t)
Equipped (double p)
Intensified (-y changes to i)
For irregular verbs, you must memorize the simple past tense form. Below is a list of
common irregular verbs in the simple past.
Base Form
Be
Become
Begin
Breed
Bring
Build
Buy
Choose
Come
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Simple Past
Was, Were
Became
Began
Bred
Brought
Built
Bought
Chose
Came
Base Form
Cost
Cut
Dig
Draw
Drive
Fly
Go
Get
Hit
Simple Past
Cost
Cut
Dug
Drew
Drove
Flew
Went
Got
Hit
Base Form
Lead
Put
Ride
Run
Say
See
Spend
Spread
Understand
Simple Past
Led
Put
Rode
Ran
Said
Saw
Spent
Spread
Understood
Appendix C
Templates
This chapter contains templates that you can use to manage the report writing
process and to write the report, if you do not have an existing template. It contains:
Project Tracking List
Report Information Checklist
Report Template, with Project Work Plan Template
Page 41
Page 42
Activity
Facilitated capacitybuilding workshop on
organic composting
Result
21 women are using
organic compost in
home gardens
Participants
21 families
(106 people)
Impact/Outcome
Families have improved
food intake and
increased income from
sale of organic produce
Gift Amount:
From
To
Relationship of this project and its objectives to the overall program and its objectives:
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Report Template
Caption
Project Name:
Project Location:
Project Duration:
Amount Requested:
CARE Contact:
Introduction
Project Activities and Results
Successes and Challenges
Next Steps
Human Interest Story
Photos
Expenditure Report
Conclusion
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Annex
Project Work Plan
Mo/Qtr
Mo/Qtr
Mo/Qtr
Mo/Qtr
Mo/Qtr
Mo/Qtr
Mo/Qtr
Mo/Qtr
Goal:
Project Start-Up Activities
Hire and train staff
Select partners
Conduct a baseline survey
Objective 1
Activity 1.1
Activity 1.2
Activity 1.3
Objective 2
Activity 2.1
Activity 2.2
Activity 2.3
Objective 2
Activity 2.1
Activity 2.2
Activity 2.3
Page 45
Guide 6
Report Writing
Self-Study
For the Project Manager
Learning Objectives
After you read the Report Writing Guide resource material and complete the selfstudy section, you should be able to:
Identify the characteristics of a language and style that should be used in CARE
donor reports
Copyright 2009 by Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere, Inc. (CARE). All rights reserved.
Editor
3. What are the four key questions you should answer as you plan
your report?
1.
2.
3.
4.
Page 1
Your Notes
Chapter 3
With the right information identified, you are ready to write the
content of the report. Chapter 3 gives you guidelines for writing
content that will be clear, detailed, and accurate. Answer the
following questions to review the content of the chapter. Refer to
the Guide, as needed.
1. What is the difference between the facts about project activity
and the impact of project activity?
Page 2
Your Notes
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
3. List ways you can make the language in your report clearer.
4. What are four questions you should ask yourself as you review
the report you have written?
1.
2.
3.
4.
Page 3
2. How does the report describe the impact that was made by the
project? Write a one- or two-sentence summary of that impact
below.
3. Does the report include photos? If so, how do they add to the
effectiveness of the narrative?
Page 4
Your Notes
4. Evaluate the report for its effectiveness and answer the
following questions. Be prepared to discuss your answers.
Is it easily understandable?
Is it consistent?
Is there adequate detail?
Is the language clear?
5. Think about your own writing. For each item, check the boxes
below that indicate what you consider your strengths and areas
for improvement. Discuss these with your supervisor or
colleague.
Strength
Area
Improvement
Area
Demonstrating impact
Page 5