The best person to evaluate the accuracy of a report is the recipient. The recipient is in a better position to check if the report meets his /her informational requirements. The following key elements can be used to evaluate a report;
- Clearness
- Concise
- Completeness
- Accuracy or correctness
- Clear
Information has to be understood at the first reading. The report has to be easy to read with legible writing and a clear message.
Clear Unclear
Rotated the mattress so the Turned the bed over.
head end became the foot end.
- Concise
Your report is only to be as long as you need to include the necessary information. Use short, simple sentences. Do not use jargon or words that aren’t required.
Concise Not concise
On his return he was asked to And then I said to him that if
put the groceries away. it was possible he should put
the groceries away when he
came back from the shops.
- Complete
Ensure all required information is in the report.
Complete Incomplete
He pushes carrot out of his mouth He spat out his dinner again.
whenever I feed it to him.
- Correct
Every piece of information must be accurate and verifiable.
Accurate Inaccurate
I will ask Terry if he likes being Someone said Terry’s brother
called ‘bags’ and by whom. gave him the nickname ‘bags’ because his trousers always hang around his butt and he likes it.
- Organisation
Poorly organized reports can leave readers feeling lost and confused, so it’s important that reports be well-organized. The best way to organize information will depend somewhat on the type of report and the complexity of the situation. A simple incident report might work best if organized in chronological order. An inspection report, on the other hand, might flow better if organized by type of violation (e.g., blocked exits in three areas) or by location (e.g., problems noted room-by-room).
- Objective
Objective reports are fair and impartial, not influenced by emotion or opinion. One key to being objective is to avoid words whose connotations change the tone of the report.
Subjective: The man attacked an old bag lady.
Objective: The man attacked an elderly homeless woman.
Template like the one below can be used when evaluating reports;
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REPORT EVALUATION TEMPLATE
NAME OF REPORTER……………………………………………………………………………………….. DATE WRITTEN………………………………………………………………………………………………… SUBJECT OF THE REPORT………………………………………………………………………………… RECEIPIENT………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Overall rating and comments _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Signature of the evaluator |
The report evaluation template can be distributed using the following channels;
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Hand delivery |
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Courier |
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Fax machine |
The distribution method depends on the distance between the report writer and the recipient, mode of communication available, timeframe among other factors.
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NOTE The above distribution methods have been discussed in earlier sections. |
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