Enhancing Organizational Efficiency: The Significance of Technical Reports in the Public Sector

Categories: ScienceTechnology

Introduction

Technical report writing is considered a special skill that is critical to every organization, whether public or private. A technical report is defined as a formal report document designed to convey specialized information in a clear and accessible format. Technical report writing is used or produced to report or communicate information on a specific procedure, issue, project or research, and is even used to provide feedback. They can also serve as a report of accountability to the organization. Both government agencies and private organizations use technical reports for those purposes.

Reporting is especially important to the public sector because it provides accountability. Some reports can act as accountability documents that ensure government departments and other state sector entities can be held accountable to the government and the public, and that local authorities and their controlled entities can be held accountable to local communities. When evaluating the efficiency of public sector organizations, the government can depend on these reports, to ensure that public services are being delivered effectively and efficiently.

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There are different types of technical reports that use different formats in an attempt to convey various types of information. Although there are varying formats all technical reports must have accuracy, clarity, objectivity, continuity and conciseness. Generally, the report is divided into sections which allow different readers to access different levels of information. However, this paper would only be dealing with types of technical reports that are relevant to the public sector.

Types of Technical Reports

Feasibility Report

A feasibility report is an analysis that takes all of a project’s relevant factors into account to ascertain the likelihood of the project’s completion which aids in the selection of a project.

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These reports examine the practicality of a proposed project. This report is created to help the decision makers choose between available options. It also determines whether or not the investigated task can be done with the amount of resources available. An example of when to use this would be when an organization is planning a big project. This report would then aid in determining the viability, cost and benefits associated before the financial resources are allocated.

Format of a feasibility report:

  • Introduction
  • Criteria/Constraints
  • Methods of obtaining facts
  • Overview of alternative options
  • Evaluation
  • Conclusions
  • Recommendations

Progress Report

A progress report is a written record of what has been done and what is left to do on a project. It conveys details such as; what sub-goals have been accomplished, what resources have been used, what problems were encountered. The main purpose of progress reports are project monitoring and accountability. An example of when to use this would be when your employer wants to be informed of status of a project. This report would provide a detailed description of everything relating to the project also including any difficulty faced.

Format of a progress report:

  • Introduction
  • Project description
  • Work status
  • Problems encountered
  • Summary and conclusion

Evaluation Report

An evaluation report is a written document that describes how a project was monitored and evaluated. This report type compares the topic to a set of requirements or criteria and determines how well it met those requirements. The purpose of this type of report is to assist in decision-making and to provide a better understanding of the project’s achievements and areas for improvement. An example of when to use this would be after an organization has completed a project. This would then say if the project was successful or not and whether it can be improved on or not.

Format of evaluation report:

  •  Title of evaluation report
  •  Executive summary
  •  Background of project
  • Purpose, intent and design of the evaluation study
  • Results
  • Discussion
  • Conclusions
  • Recommendations and options

Periodic Report

A periodic report is regularly published summary of results reporting on the same activities at different intervals of time (daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly) used by management to follow the current and cumulative progress of operations. These report types can take any form depending on the project and the frequency of reports required. It serves to show comparison and tendencies. An example of when to use periodic report would be for financial reports. In this way if an organization has a monthly or yearly budget using a periodic report they can clearly display and report on the spending.

General format of periodic report

· Introduction

· Status summary and technical summary (this includes tasks proposed, problems encountered, data and analysis)

· Conclusion

How do technical reports benefit organizations?

Technical reporting promotes transparency since it increases organizational communication and collaboration. In the public sector organizations, an annual report is a legal requirement to provide the government and relevant parties with financial data and other information about the institution. Additionally, regular reporting throughout the year enables the government to measure and compare the performances of organizations within the public sector to determine how best to move forward. For example, the government can compare the performances of two similar schools in the same district and implement ways to improve the one with less passes.

The reports provide useful insights for management such as information on spending, profits and growth. Reports also include valuable information that is used to aid in developing future predictions, strategies, budget preparation advice and decision-making improvements, which betters the responsiveness to issues found. For example, if Guyana Power and Light discovers an issue with electrical wires in a particular area, they would be able to respond quickly and solve the issue.

Technical reports help organizations to track success and development and assess patterns or any anomalies that might need further review. For example, if an institution’s financial records do not add up in the report, that institution then be able to work towards identifying the problem and finding solutions. In addition to helping to make critical choices, these reports continue to create an audit record of institutional operations, including documentation recording actual expenditures, revenues, events, and planning programs.

Technical reporting also plays a major role in professional achievement. With the use of employee reports and evaluation, a person’s work performance and ethics are recorded which can allow them to progress to a higher rank and file level. It can also reflect badly on individuals who have not been meeting the expectations of the organization, which in that case can get them suspended, demoted or even dismissed. For example, if an employer is expected to promote an employee, he or she can review the report on staff performance and determine who is most deserving of the position, instead of just choosing someone based on observations.

How do technical reports improve customer service?

Customers are happier when they are served by happier and more productive customer service workers. Technical reporting can be used to enable customer service workers to monitor their own success ratings, control correct change trends and see which workers are better performing in certain areas. The report identifies the top performing workers who can then be rewarded to increase morale. This helps the organization to approach the customer with the most appropriate employee, and it also allows the organization to make use of the development of the agent's expertise.

Technical reports can be used to track an organization’s response time. This is will reveal to the customer service workers if they need to improve the response time. The response time is the most vital component in any customer service department or organization. It does not matter if the service itself is of excellent quality, if it does not get to the customer in a timely fashion, the customer will be dissatisfied. Also if the report shows very low response time this might be an indication that more staff is needed to efficiently carry out services.

Technical reporting can help make informed strategic decisions by tracking over time the extent and type of consumer complaints. By doing this the organization would be more aware and vigilant of customer issues and might even be able to identify them before they could happen. Also if all the issues are reported, if certain issues pop up again it can quickly be fixed or addressed since it was dealt with prior.

Technical reports can help customers to be informed of what is being accomplished and how their questions and complaints are being considered. This can help in providing quality service. With more data about the needs of customers, management is better able to improve customer service and design better service delivery systems. This will keep customers happy and will not be hesitant to return.

Conclusion

In conclusion, technical report writing is the best way to communicate information clearly and coherently in a professional manner. Technical report writing can be used from a wide range since there are various types for varying purposes. It is considered a very important skill in the workplace that has excellent benefits for organizations while also improving the customer service experience.

References

  1. Brady, K (2009, July) What is the state of public sector reporting, and what is it saying about public sector management? Controller and Auditor-General. Retrieved from: https://oag.parliament.nz/reports/speeches-and-papers/state-of-public-sector-reporting
  2. Commbox (n.d) How Data, Analysis, and Reports Can Improve Customer Service. Retrieved from: https://www.commbox.io/how-data-analysis-and-reports-can-improve-customer-service/
  3. Durcevic,S (2020, January 15) How To Extract Maximum Value Of Your Customer Service Data With Professional Customer Service Reports. Datapine. Retrieved from: https://www.datapine.com/blog/customer-service-reports/
  4. Jafar, F (2016, February 28) Types of Technical Report. Slideshare. Retrieved from: https://www.slideshare.net/FARWAJAFAR/types-of-technical-reports-58823792
  5. Kenton,W (n.d) Feasibilty Study. Investopedia. Retrieved from: https://www.investopedia.com/terms/f/feasibility-study.asp
  6. Knutson,K (2028, October 24) 6 Benefits of a Good Management Reporting System. Envisio. Retrieved from: https://envisio.com/blog/6-benefits-of-a-good-management-reporting-system/
  7. Melanie (2019, November 25) Why Business Reporting Is Important For Business Success. Unleashed. Retrieved from: https://www.unleashedsoftware.com/blog/why-business-reporting-is-important-for-business-success
  8. NDT Resource Center (n.d) Technical Reports. Retrieved from: https://www.nde-ed.org/GeneralResources/Report/TechReport.htm
  9. Thomsett-Scott.B (2020, February 4) Technical Reports. PennState University Libraries. Retrieved from: https://guides.libraries.psu.edu/techreports#:~:text=Technical%20reports%20are%20usually%20produced,before%20it%20is%20published%20elsewhere.
Updated: Feb 20, 2024
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Enhancing Organizational Efficiency: The Significance of Technical Reports in the Public Sector. (2024, Feb 20). Retrieved from https://studymoose.com/document/enhancing-organizational-efficiency-the-significance-of-technical-reports-in-the-public-sector

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