“Broadly speaking, the short words are the best,
and the old words best of all.”
— Winston Churchill

Parts of a Report

As mentioned earlier, what you report depends on your goals and the expectations of the audience. But, if your communication is in the form of a written report, here are some general guidelines for sections to include, from a variety of sources.
 

Report Part Purpose/Description Specifications/Tips
1. Executive Summary A summary of the report for people who don’t have time to read the entire report. It shares the highlights
•  One page is best - never more than three
 
•  It comes first but is the last piece written
 
•  It usually looks at what was evaluated and why, and lists the major conclusions and recommendations1
2. Introduction & Background A high level explanation of the basic purpose(s) and background of the evaluation
•  Introduces the report contents
 
•  States the intended audience(s) for the report and cautions the reader about limitations which may have affected the collection, analysis, or interpretation of information2
 
•  Describes the following:
 
- how the project was conceived
- why it was needed
- the project goals and objectives
- who was involved in the work
- the project organizational structures1
3. Description of the Program A description of the program being evaluated
Typically includes the following:
 
•  program rationale
 
•  who it is intended to benefit/serve
 
•  activities/strategies used to implement the program
 
•  the setting(s)
 
•  resources devoted to the initiative2
4. Evaluation Methodology A presentation of the methods, procedures, and tools used to conduct the evaluation. How it worked, how we learned
Basic procedures for data collection and analyses are described. Includes a description of:
 
•  the evaluation approach and how it was chosen
 
•  evaluation goals and objectives
 
•  how the evaluator was selected and managed
 
•  how the data collection tools were designed and used
 
•  how well the data collection tools worked
 
•  any limitations of the methodology
 
•  how people were selected to be interviewed, to participate in focus groups, or to receive questionnaires, etc.
 
•  who did the interviewing or facilitating
 
•  the number of people participating and their situation
 
•  how questionnaires were distributed and returned1
5. Presentation of Evaluation Findings Presents results of the evaluation
Some ways to clearly present your evaluation findings include:
 
•  Choose simple ways (like uncomplicated charts and summary tables) to display the data. More detailed data summaries can be included in the appendices. For more about appendices, see Section 7 - Appendix below
  
•  Focus primarily on whether measurable goals and objectives were achieved. Try to relate the findings to evaluation questions posed early on
 
•  Present the findings in parallel with the evaluation questions and methods. Results for the first evaluation question should be presented first2
6. Conclusions & Recommendations Summarizes the findings and makes recommendations for further action This highly read section may summarize findings, make broad judgments about the strengths and weaknesses of the project and its various features, and make recommendations for future, perhaps improved, replications. It may also affect policymakers' and administrators' decisions with respect to future project support.3
 
It is advantageous to organize conclusions in terms of “strengths” and “weaknesses” which focus attention on both positive and negative judgments. The descriptions of strengths and weaknesses must contain
sufficient detail to allow the audience(s) to understand the
rationale and to serve as the basis for recommendations. They must also contain sufficient detail to guide the changes necessary to improve the program or allow for a rational decision to make a change from one program to another more appropriate one.2
7. Appendix Includes supporting data and a collection of the instruments and tools used to conduct the evaluation Offer an appendix at the end of a report and include any supporting documentation that will help the reader understand how you reached your conclusions.
 
Keep this section organized and relevant. Make sure clear and succinct names are given to each section and listed in the table of contents.

Top

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1. Source: Health Canada. (1996). Analysing and interpreting data. In Guide to project evaluation: A participatory approach. Ottawa: Minister of Health & Welfare Canada.
 
2. Source: Atkinson, A.J. & Ashton, C. (2002). Planning for results: The Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Program planning and evaluation handbook. Richmond, VA: Virginia Department of Education.
 
3. Source: Frechtling, J., Sharp, L., & Westat, eds. (1997). Reporting the results of mixed method evaluations. In User-friendly handbook for mixed method evaluations. Arlington, VA: National Science Foundation, Directorate for Education and Human Resource.

 
 
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