Report Writing for Municipalities
About this course
In-person (2 day)
Virtual (modular, 9 hours)
Good reports to council enable councillors to make the best decisions. While staff writers may have deep technical knowledge, they are often unable to communicate key issues and recommendations clearly and simply to busy, non-technical readers. Too often councillors must read stacks of reports that are rambling and unclear.
This course provides strategies and techniques to ensure your policy reports, recommendations and project updates are clear, concise, and persuasive.
Download course outline (in-person) Download course outline (virtual)Who should attend this course
It’s ideal for those who need to write complex documents that are clear, readable and persuasive.
We recommend a course size of 15 to 20 participants to encourage healthy group interaction and allow for individual coaching.
You learn to
- apply a flexible, reliable framework to quickly shape your message
- use the writing process to create better reports in less time, every time
- use our helpful template to quickly structure your reports
- decide what to include and how much detail is necessary
- get right to the point without rambling
- use informative headings, lists and layout to make your document scannable
- present facts, figures, and visuals in a clear way
- write in sentences that are concise, readable and engaging
What to expect
We know people learn best by doing, so this course gives you many opportunities to practice as you learn. You participate in both group and individual learning projects and receive coaching from your facilitator. You use samples of your own council reports to assess your writing and pinpoint areas for improvement. As well, you plan and write a report on a topic of your choice so you can immediately apply your new skills.
You receive a comprehensive manual containing checklists and other job aids to help transfer what you have learned to your back-at-work writing.
A course that complements these skills:
Not sure which course is right for you? Check our Course Matrix to find the solution that fits your needs.