BUSINESS REPORT STUDENT GUIDE (35%)

The criteria below relate to the lessons from weeks 1 to 7. Please refer to the
relevant Working Communications pages and extra materials used in these
lessons.

The Business Report Assessment requires student groups to write a Problem Solving
Report Focusing on Recommendations. This report should be from the perspective of
their department in Star Industries. The students must decide which style of writing to
use. This depends ultimately on the audience who will read the report.

Assessment Criteria for the Report per the Course Guide:

The report should be suitable for presentation to a company, not just the lecturer.
Main criteria for successful performance to include relevant aspects from:
• Explanations of a problem or opportunity
• Facts, statistical evidence and/or trends
• Results of studies or investigations
• Discussion and analyses of potential courses of action
• Advantages, disadvantages, costs and benefits of a particular course of action
• Procedures or steps in a process
• Methods and approaches
• Criteria for evaluating alternatives and options
• Conclusions and recommendations with supporting reasons

Additional Assessment Criteria per Marking Guide:

Reports will be marked in the following 5 areas.

1. Report Introduction (10%)

- Relevant Areas may include: Authorization, Problem/Opportunity/Purpose,
Scope, Background, Sources and methods, Definitions, Limitations, Report
organization or more.

2. Report Body (20%)

- Relevant Areas may include: Explanation of problem or opportunity, facts,
statistics, trends, research, results from studies, discussion of potential course of
action/solutions, cost/benefit analysis, procedures and/or processes, methods and
approaches, criteria for evaluating alternatives and options.

3. Recommendations (Could be in either the Report Body or Report Close

depending on the style) (20%)
- Relevant areas may include: Recommendations are realistic, achievable, specific.
Advantages, disadvantages, cost/benefit analysis discussed. Criteria for evaluating
options. Procedures or processes or steps discussed for recommendations.
4. Report Close (10%)
- Adequately summarizes report. Call to action is apparent if needed.

5. Report Writing Style and English (40%)

- Business writing style. Text is succinct and concise. Effective use of Topic
Sentence. Minimal use of 'transition' words (i.e. however, furthermore…etc.).
General English such as range of vocabulary, grammar, structure. Logical sequence
of text, strong cohesion. Overall readability. For formatting correctly ( Headers and
Footers, Page Numbers, Table of contents Section Breaks & Title page) there is a
maximum of 5% included within the 40%