Delivery Mode
Face-to-face or virtual workshop.
A mix of interactive activities including hands-on exercises and simulations to apply concepts.
Duration
1 day
How to Develop Good Report Writing Skills
Build the skills to prepare clear, structured and evidence-based reports that support informed decisions.
Well-written reports help organisations understand complex issues, assess options, make decisions and take action. Whether you are preparing business reports, board papers, project updates, evaluation reports, briefing papers or recommendations, your writing needs to be clear, logical, concise and supported by evidence.
This practical course will help participants develop greater confidence in planning, structuring and writing high-quality reports. Participants will also explore how to use AI tools effectively and ethically to improve drafting, editing, summarising and quality assurance, while maintaining accuracy, confidentiality and professional judgement.
Is this course right for you?
This course is designed for professionals who need to produce reports, briefings, board submissions or other structured workplace documents.
It is suitable for those who want to improve their ability to write about complex information in a clear, concise and useful way.
You will benefit from this course if you want to:
- Write clearer, more professional reports
- Improve the structure and flow of your documents
- Present complex information in a simple and accessible way
- Develop stronger conclusions and recommendations
- Write more effective executive summaries
- Reduce unnecessary detail, repetition and ambiguity
- Use AI tools appropriately to improve efficiency and writing quality.
Participants explore the role of reports in supporting decision-making, accountability, planning and communication. This includes identifying the audience, purpose, required outcome and key questions the report must answer.
This section introduces practical techniques for clarifying the scope, identifying information needs, organising evidence and developing a clear report plan before drafting begins.
Participants learn how to structure reports in a logical and reader-friendly way, including the use of headings, sections, signposting, summaries, appendices and supporting material.
Participants apply plain English principles to report writing, with a focus on clear sentences, precise language, active voice, reduced jargon and concise expression.
This section focuses on techniques for explaining technical, detailed or complex information in a way that is easy for readers to understand and use.
Participants examine how to organise facts, findings and evidence to support analysis. They also consider how to avoid unsupported claims, unclear reasoning and excessive description.
Participants learn how to develop conclusions that flow logically from the evidence and recommendations that are clear, practical and aligned to the report’s purpose.
This section focuses on how to prepare concise executive summaries that communicate the report’s purpose, key findings, conclusions and recommendations.
Participants practise techniques for reviewing reports for clarity, accuracy, consistency, structure, tone and readability.
Participants explore how AI can support report writing, including brainstorming, outlining, summarising source material, improving clarity, editing drafts and testing readability. The course also covers ethical risks, including confidentiality, privacy, accuracy, bias, hallucinated information, over-reliance on AI and the importance of human review.
1 day
Face-to-face or virtual workshop.
A mix of interactive activities including hands-on exercises and simulations to apply concepts.
Practical application
This hands-on course includes practical writing and editing activities. Participants will review sample reports, identify common problems and practise improving structure, language, analysis and recommendations.
Where appropriate, participants may work with their own report examples or realistic workplace scenarios to apply the techniques directly to their role.
Who should attend?
This course is ideal for:
- Professionals who prepare reports, briefings or board submissions
- Managers and team leaders who write or review reports
- Project, policy, program and operations staff
- Technical specialists who need to communicate complex information clearly
- Governance, risk, compliance and assurance professionals
- Anyone seeking to improve the quality, clarity and impact of their workplace reports.
By the end of this course, you will be able to:
