CMNS 1140 Final Assignment: Recommendation Report (A6)

Research: Credible, Informative, relevant to the Context, sourced ethically, cited

Report: Researched, Analytical, visually enriched, Unified, Coherent, Complete, Clear, Fulfills its Purpose, Explains its Main Message, helps with decision-making

(Assignment is worth 20%; PDF; Submit on Moodle)

Task

Now it is time to write the FINAL REPORT to the real audience—a recommendation report that establishes the credibility of your research, describes the problem, recommends a solution, and provides a series of steps to implement the solution — all illustrated concretely and supported with facts. In Assignment 2, you described the problem that you wanted to address; in Assignment 4, you researched your sources. Use these assignments to help create your final report.

Instructions

Using everything we’ve covered in the course, write a short report of 6-8 pages, single-spaced, solving a real problem for a real audience.

After your cover letter, title page, executive summary and introduction (which includes your main message to the audience)

· Summarize the situation that makes these recommendations necessary, and explain to the audience how this report should be used.

· Describe the PROBLEM in detail (overview first, followed by a detailed explanation/analysis of key features of the problem).

· Spell out the recommended SOLUTION using the same approach as you did for the problem (overview first, followed by a detailed explanation and justification of key features of the solution).

· Identify, explain and justify the steps involved in implementing the recommendation(s). Explain the benefits of following your recommendations. Depending upon the complexity of the problem and solution, you could include a detailed action plan, explaining what has to be done and when, and how long the process should take, including tasks, personnel, facilities, budget, schedule, technologies, evaluations, etc. This would be an ideal location to include graphics and visuals.

· Draw a conclusion for your audience.

· Summarize your recommendations as a list of feasible, realistic actions.

CHECKLIST

Ensure that your report includes the following:

· Three visuals created by you somewhere in the main body of the report

· Letter/Memo of transmittal

· Title page

· Table of Contents

· Table of Illustrations/Table of Figures

· Executive summary (no visuals or references)

· Introduction

· Context/Background

· Purpose

· Scope

· Research Methods used

· Main Message

· Description of the problem/situation

· Your subheadings

· Your subheadings

· Suggested Solution/Opportunity

· Your subheadings

· Your subheadings

· Recommendations (explained and justified; benefits stated)

· Your subheadings

· Your subheadings

· Conclusion

· List of recommendations as action items

· List of References (in APA style; APA style also means you include names and dates in text).

Supplementary parts as appropriate such as glossaries, appendices, etc.

References to use:

A2, proposal

A4, bibliography

Overall grading rubric

Instructor comments on past assignments

Relevant textbook pages, activities on Moodle

Student samples on Moodle (for reference only)

School of Business Style Guide