Communication and Report Writing Skills Training

This short course on Communication and Report Writing Skills  is essential for all staff. If you are a manager or officer at any level in business, government, or industry, you must write reports. Whether you want to or not, you write to explain things, to smooth relationships and to convince others of the value of some course of action. Writing must be clear, concise, complete, and correct. It must also convey your message in a courteous    tone. The training will help you to identify the range of this kind of writing, the forms it takes, and the persuasive techniques it requires.

When you have completed this course you will be able to define the key concepts associated with Advanced Report Writing, minutes taking and you will be able to: Identify the main obstacles to effective Report Writing and how to avoid them; Understand the nature of a Technical Report and Project Report; Write from the perspective of the writer and the   reader

Course Objective

At the end of the course, students should be able to:

• To learn the value of good written
• To prepare reports and proposals that inform, persuade, and provide
• To learn how to proofread your work so you are confident it is clear, concise, complete, and
• To provide an opportunity to apply these skills in real work
• Understand the necessity for accurate and effective written and verbal communication
• Understand the basic concepts, principles, techniques and proficiency required for
• Design and implement appropriate communication systems and procedures in various settings

Course Outline.

Expected Training Outcomes

• Advanced Report Writing skills
• The functions of communication
• Barriers to effective communication
• Advanced Report writing skills – Sentences; tips on joining words and punctuation
• Some common report writing faults to avoid
• Writing good paragraphs
• Transitions and ordering the parts
• Overcoming writer’s block: subjectivity; objectivity and bias
• Mapping your business process for effective communication and report writing
• Data collection and analysis for report writing
• Writing of: project proposals and technical reports
• Project progress report template
• Conducting meetings
• Minutes taking

Main Training Modules

Introduction to Communication Skills

• The Concept of Communication
• Introduction to Communication Theory
• The Communication Process
• Elements/Aspects of communication
• Forms/Classification of Communication
• Importance of Good Communication

Communication Media

• Introduction to Communication Media
• Oral Communication media
• Written Communication media
• Visual Communication media
• Audio – Visual Communication media
• Technological Developments in the Communication media

Course Outline.

Barriers to Communication

• Medium barriers
• Physical Barriers
• Comprehension barriers
• Socio –Psychological Barriers
• How to Overcome Barriers

Preparing for an effective meeting

• Types of meetings
• Duties of a meeting administrator – before, during and after a meeting
• Understanding the role of the minute taker
• Preparing the meeting room – identifying the participants
• Revolving flipchart exercise, review of checklist, facilitated whole group discussion

Meeting agendas

• Producing agendas and convening notices
• Facilitator presentation, pairs exercise, facilitated group review

Contributing at the meeting

• Taking notes
• Supporting the chair
• Obtaining clarification assertively
• Facilitated group discussion, pairs practice exercise, facilitated learning review

Writing minutes

• Format
• Best practice for writing minutes
• Timescales
• Small group exercise, facilitated group review and discussion

Practice meeting

• Contributing agenda item
• Leading agenda point discussion
• Effective minute taking
• Large group simulated meeting exercise, with facilitated group review

Minute taking practice

• Review of notes and preparing minutes
• Converting notes into final minutes
• Individual exercise, facilitated group review

Action planning and reflection

• Review of learning and action planning, course feedback
• Individual reflection, action planning exercise with co-coaching, facilitated group review

The minute taking training will be supported with:

• An optional participant pre-course questionnaire and/or pre-course reading on minute taking
• A colour printed workbook with presentation tips, techniques and space for personal notes

Understand a range of tools and techniques for Advanced Report Writing

• Use these techniques to build an effective process that can be used to deliver professional results on a consistent basis from Report Writing activity
• Explain the benefits of having an effective Report Writing process in the Organization

Technical reports may be required for a number of reasons such as:

• Detailing activities and results associated with investigating a customer complaint
• Proving that a particular process or product has been validated and meets specifications – Providing reference material as part of a development project

The value of reports may be that they provide:

• Reference materials that form part of the knowledge bank of the organization – Documentary evidence of investigation or validation of products and processes

Reports are only of value if they are:

• Based on fact – Accessible – Accurate – Complete
• Compiled by people who are competent

Advanced Report Writing should have:

• Quality
• Data & Information
• Information Uses
• Information Mapping

Apply total quality principles to writing Reports

• Quality is conformance to requirements
  The goal is to achieve zero defects
  The cost of quality is the expense of doing it wrong

There are five levels of report writing processes

• Managed and sustainable A robust process is in place and managed
• Organized and repeatable A sound process is in place and is being refined – training is on-going Rudimentary
• A process is taking place but not always enforced
• Ad hoc Little or no coordination of report writing
• Oblivious Reports are written by whoever has time

Way forward After the Training

Participants will develop a work plan through the help of facilitators that stipulates application of skills

acquired in improving their organizations. ASPM will continuously monitor implementation progress after the training.

Training Evaluation:

Participants will undertake a simple assessment before the training to gauge knowledge and skills and another assessment after the training in-order to monitor knowledge gained through the training