Technical and Professional Writing
Engl 402 Spring 2018
R&D Project Completion Report, Letter Format to a Client
Due: 3 p.m. Friday, April 6, to Blackboard.
Like a progress report, a completion report informs their audience about the status of a project. They differ in that a completion report informs their audience about the end-product of a project and is written when the project is completed.
The primary audience for this letter is a client who will use the information from your research, and a secondary audience is a user of the graphic you created. Each member of the team must write a Completion Letter.
The time frame for this report is from your Progress Report to the due date (March 19 to April 6).
Your letter must include:
- Introduction—statement of the purpose, context, and overview of important information to help readers understand the information that follows.
- Work Completed—indicate the main project tasks and sub-tasks, and report how all aspects of the work were completed.
- This section must include a discussion of what your team has accomplished since the start of the project, and
- what you specifically have accomplished.
- Problems— explain problems encountered with work completed and problems anticipated as work continues; describe plans for handling problem areas.
- Conclusion—summarize and evaluate the status of the project; if needed, indicate any further work that might be needed or advisable; AND include a brief final evaluation of your team members' contributions.
- Appendix: A copy of everything you wrote for the R&D Report or (if you did not contribute writing) identification of what you contributed to the R&D Graphic and an explanation of how this represents a fair and equal contribution to the project.
- The goal of the appendix for this report is to document your contributions to the project.
- Appropriate formatting and language for a letter to a primary user (the client) and a possible secondary user (of your graphic; it is possible the secondary user has been given your graphic by the primary, such as a doctor given a poster on a new drug by a drug company the doctor will then post in their office).
Below is an e-mail you may use, in order to provide context:
To: You
From: Elijah Coleman, Management
Date: 4-1-18
Subject: Project Completion Report Needed for Primary Client
<your name>,
Congratulations on completing the project you undertook, and completing it on time and on budget. I have been asked by our primary client for you to supplement the report and recommended graphic you drafted with completion reports by each member of your team. In addition to going to our human resources as a part of our wrap-up and record-keeping, your reports will be reviewed by our client and their staff to ensure due diligence and accuracy in reporting.
In light of this, please ensure you have recorded and are able to report on relevant and important tasks our client may need to know. This may include any issues you may have had and how you addressed them. Their legal team may be interested in that section as they evaluate whether you addressed any issues ethically and legally.
The client prefers the report to be sent to them as a letter. Human Resources and I will also need copies. It is also likely parts of your reports will be sent to others, including the CEO, and so your letters should take into account the potential for multiple audiences. I realize the latter may seem obvious, but I have been asked by Human Resources to remind people about this.
I will need a copy of the letters from each member of your team by Wednesday. Please address the letter to the client, and send it to them through Human Resources.
You may contact either me or Michael in Human Resources if you have any questions.