you will research, plan, and write a formal recommendation report to convince your local government( any local government in CANADA) that it should do more to address a problem in your community.
Choose a real problem in your community, such as:
A construction project that is harming a salmon-bearing river.
A shortage of affordable rental housing.
An invasive plant that is spreading in local parks.
A hot spring that is being damaged by commercial tourism.
A number of collisions involving cyclists.
To convince the local government to act, your report should detail:
The nature and extent of the problem.
Why the problem is concerning and what benefits could be achieved by solving it.
One or more approaches that the reader might consider (including doing nothing new), but you do not recommend.
One or more recommendations for the local government. Remember to make them specific, measurable, and realistic.
Length
The main body of the report should be about 1500 words long. This word count includes the introduction and conclusion, but not the executive summary, transmittal letter, or other parts of the report outside the main body.
What’s new?
You have written a report before in this course, but this report will be more involved. Here are four important differences.
This is a recommendation report, not an informational report. Your report should summarize data and research as before, but also analyze them, and make one or more suggestions based on your analysis.
For example, you might find that there is a history of cyclist injuries in your area; that studies show fewer injuries occur in corridors with protected lanes; that a protected lane along a similar street in another community cost $100,000; and that funding is available through provincial government grants. Your analysis suggests that a 2 km protected bike lane along Oakview Street would prevent four injuries per year, so you recommend that the local government apply for a $100,000 grant to build a protected bike lane in this location.
Your textbook uses the term “justification report” for a report that offers unsolicited recommendations.
Your report should use real data, not fictional data. This will require research and data gathering.
This is a formal report for an external audience. This calls for a professional tone that is also accessible and clear. The report will need to include an executive summary and other formal report elements, which are listed in the requirements sections below.
This report should follow the indirect writing plan. You are trying to convince the local government to invest time, money, or other resources. You will need to persuade them that the problem is significant and that your recommendations are the best way to help.
Requirements—Work Plan
Before you start writing your report, you must submit a work plan to your Open Learning Faculty Member. (See the Assignment 7: Formal Report Work Plan to submit).
Your work plan must include a:
Statement of problem
Statement of purpose
Strategy for conducting research
Preliminary outline with descriptive headings
Work schedule
See Figure 12.2 of your textbook for an example work plan.
Activity 6 (“Complete the First Parts of Your Final Report”) in Module 10 has some suggested steps for getting started, which will prepare you to complete the work plan.
All the dates in the work schedule should be in the future. Do not list work that has already been completed.
Submit your work plan to your Open Learning Faculty Member as soon as it is ready. Your Open Learning Faculty Member will check that your plan is complete and feasible. This is a graded part of this assignment.
Requirements Checklist—Report
The finished report must include the following:
Title page
Transmittal letter
Executive summary
Table of contents
Table of figures
Introduction
Body
Conclusion/recommendations
Works cited
Note
The finished report may include these optional elements:
Appendix
Index
Glossary
Three or more different types of visual support, such as tables, line graphs, and photographs—At least two pieces of visual support must present data, whether in chart or table form.
Note
You must create any charts and tables yourself. Do not recreate or reuse something you found online or in a book.
You may use photographs taken by other people, if the copyright owner has given permission (for example, by making the photo available under a Creative Commons license). All photos must be cited using APA citation style.
The finished report must use:
Descriptive headings, rather than functional headings.
Four or more sources.
APA citation style.
Data in the report must be real, not invented. This is a change from Assignment 5: Short Report.
Note
Plan your report with a detailed, descriptive outline that shows a hierarchy of your main points and subpoints. You do not need to submit this outline, but it will guide your research and writing.
Complete as many rounds of revision as required to make your report clear, concise, well-organized, and original. You do not need to submit any drafts other than the final version.
About the Report
Even though you are using real data about a real problem, you may pretend you are writing the report on behalf of a real advocacy group, such as the BC Cycling Coalition, or a group you invent.
Your report has not been requested by the local government, but you can assume they often receive unsolicited reports and welcome them.
Government budgets are limited, and there are many other potential priorities, so you will need to make a strong case for your cause.
This assignment is a report, not a proposal, so you do not need to present a detailed plan to solve the problem you identify, as you did in Assignment 6. Your report should highlight ways the government could help, but these will be brief overviews and will not require itemized budgets, schedules, staffing, or other details.
About the Local Government
Make sure you understand the difference between your local government and other levels of government, such as the provincial or federal government. Your local government manages your city, village, municipality, regional district, or First Nation.
Pick a problem where the local government has an important role to play. Some problems, such as health care funding or maritime safety, fall under the jurisdiction of other levels of government. You may need to do some research to confirm that your problem is something the local government could address.
If you prefer not to discuss your real local government, you may pretend you live in a different location.
