Design for Customers. Write for Results.
This toolkit helps technical writers create clear, effective documents for public sector audiences. Work through the interactive worksheets, choose the right format for your message, and check your writing's readability.
How to Use This Toolkit
Start by identifying your audience and planning your document using the interactive worksheets. Then select the appropriate report format and incorporate visuals where they add value. Finally, check your readability scores to ensure your writing is accessible to your intended readers.
Know Your Audience
Before you write, take time to understand who will read your document and what they need. Complete this worksheet to focus your energy and effort on what matters most to your readers.
User Focus Tool
Next Step: Use your answers here to guide the Form a Plan worksheet below.
Plan Your Document
Now that you know your audience, decide on format, structure, and deadlines. These questions will jump-start your planning process.
Form a Plan
Choose the Right Format
Professional reports fall into two categories: Direct Reports that AIM (Analyze, Interpret, Make recommendations) and Indirect Reports that ACE (Answer questions, Collect information, Examine problems). Choose based on your purpose.
Direct Reports
Use direct reports when you need to analyze alternatives, interpret findings, and make recommendations. Readers want to see your key points up front.
Purpose: Replaces the "point paper" or "white paper." Allows management to make key decisions quickly and move on.
Use when you need to: Report information, make comments on a project, or provide solutions on one issue.
Writing Guidelines
- Cover only one sheet of paper (front and back okay)
- Give a summary headline, followed by 2-3 paragraphs of brief text
- Offer key information in descending order
- Allow the reader to understand the report's essence in 45 seconds
- You may include detailed attachments
Purpose: Analyzes to predict if projects are feasible and desirable. Answers the question: "Could we?"
Use when you need to: Examine benefits and problems, evaluate cost and schedule, and determine whether to proceed.
Standard Format
- Decision: Reveal decision immediately and briefly outline organization
- Background: Describe background and problem or opportunity
- Benefits: Evaluate positive aspects of the plan
- Problems: Evaluate negative aspects of the plan
- Costs: Present costs of implementing the plan
- Timeframe: Present schedule
Note: Reports over 10 pages require an Executive Summary.
Purpose: Justifies or recommends changes or a course of action. Answers the question: "Why should we?"
Use when you need to: Analyze alternatives, interpret findings, and make recommendations. Serves as a key tool for managers to solve problems and make decisions.
Standard Format
- Problem: Introduce problem briefly
- Recommendations: Present recommendations immediately as points
- Justification: Use paragraphs and lists to explain action/changes and benefits
- Summary and Action: Specify actions to take, include deadlines
Purpose: Leads to action based on findings presented. Records investigation steps. May go to court—always objective and accurate.
Use when you need to: Document findings with enough information for decision-makers to decide on further action. Must be understandable without reference to other materials.
Standard Format
- Subject/Purpose: Introduce purpose and preview basis of recommendations
- Recommendations: List in descending order (consider numbering)
- Findings: Discuss in short paragraphs under "Findings" heading
- Analysis: Give analysis; if possible, end with one immediate action
Purpose: Measures alternatives when a problem has two or more solutions by applying identical criteria to each.
Use when you need to: Compare alternatives using criteria such as cost, services, security, and reliability to find the best option.
Standard Format
- Purpose: Introduce purpose and give overview of organization
- Problem: Give background briefly (reader knows it)
- Solution and Alternatives: Announce solution and alternatives
- Criteria: Tell how criteria were selected; list as bullets
- Evaluation: Discuss evaluation process with lists, tables, visuals
- Comparison: Highlight similarities and differences
- Recommendation: Explain why you chose one option as best
Indirect Reports
Use indirect reports to answer questions, collect information, or examine problems. These formats have a different style—you may mix ideas from both direct and indirect formats to create custom reports.
Purpose: Collects and presents facts on a single topic with little or no interpretation or recommendation.
Use when you need to: Respond to requests for information and help readers build topical knowledge.
Standard Format
- Opening: Tell the reader what to expect
- Introduction and Facts: Present without analysis or recommendations
- Sections: Arrange facts with descriptive headings and subheadings
- Summary: End with 2-sentence summary (summarize info + whom to contact)
Purpose: Occurs at regular intervals. Monitors activity, operations, or project status. Presents the same type of info each time.
Use when you need to: Track activities, support managers writing evaluations, show progress on schedule and budget, and report issues that could change objectives.
Standard Format
- Topics: Summary of events broken into topics requested by management
- Needs: Summarize your needs in abbreviated, easy-to-read form
Purpose: Examines situations and supplies confirmed facts. Often released to other agencies and media. Describes a one-time event.
Use when you need to: Follow the progress of an unusual activity, write travel or conference reports, or create progress reports.
Standard Format
- Event/Situation: Identify and briefly preview report; note next report date
- Background: Summarize essential background information
- Situation: Discuss status, current activities, expected activities, priorities
- Problems: Discuss anticipated problems if they exist
- Completion: (If Progress Report) Give completion date and what follows
- Links: Optional: offer links to additional information
Purpose: Complies with laws and regulations that protect employees, investors, and customers.
Use when you need to: Respond to governmental agencies or internal requirements. Follow prescribed format from compliance documents.
Standard Format
- Background: Provide brief background; preview major sections
- Major Issues: Cover each issue with descriptive headings (may have subheadings)
- Conclusion: Summarize objectives and add concluding thoughts
Purpose: Focuses on an activity, failure, malfunction, or accident and its cause—or on the condition of equipment, site, or system after an accident.
Use when you need to: Recommend preventative maintenance or clean-up procedures.
Common Elements
- Answer who, what, where, when, and why questions
- Make recommendations
- Give supporting data
- Tell frequency of problem
- Report costs for repair or replacement
Note: Often uses fill-in-the-blank sections and standardized forms.
Use Visuals Effectively
Technical communication requires visuals, and readers often prefer graphic information. Meaningful visuals turn information into insights. Use them correctly and ethically.
When to Use Visuals
- Save the reader time
- Simplify text
- Make abstract terms understandable
- Emphasize key points or highlight findings
- Summarize trends and show relationships
- Present ideas creatively so readers remember them
Avoid Image Overload
Each image should have a clear purpose. Choose the best and simplest form for your audience. Evaluate how many visuals your readers will absorb before overload occurs.
Choosing the Right Visual
Select your visual based on what you want it to accomplish.
| What You Want to Show | Best Visual Type |
|---|---|
| Trends, magnitudes, comparisons, complex ideas in simple form | Chart, Line Graph, or Bar Graph |
| Actual color, tone, texture; an object in use; specific locations | Photograph or Map |
| Essential detail; aesthetic appeal | Drawing, Illustration, or Painting |
| Portions of a whole | Pie Chart |
| Processes, procedures, logic, how things work | Flowchart or Diagram |
| Relationships between positions; hierarchy | Organizational Chart |
| Decisions and each possible outcome | Decision Tree |
| Bodies of data, exact figures, and values | Table |
Guidelines for Common Visual Types
- Provide clear headings for rows and columns
- Identify the units used in figures (%, $, units per hour)
- Arrange items in logical order (alphabetical, chronological, geographical, highest to lowest) depending on what you want to emphasize
- Keep the width of each bar and segment proportional
- Include a total figure at the top or end of a bar if it helps without cluttering
- Start dollar or percentage amounts at zero
- Avoid showing too much information or data
- Begin with a grid divided into squares
- Arrange time horizontally across the bottom (years are common)
- Arrange values for other components vertically
- Draw small dots at intersections to show each value at a given point
- Connect the dots and add color where appropriate
These charts require readers to grasp relationships using visual area. Donut charts show area in a more linear fashion. Help your reader by following these rules:
- Begin at the top, center position and draw the largest wedge first
- Include the actual percentage or absolute value for each wedge
- Use 5 or fewer wedges for best results
- Distinguish wedges with color, shading, or cross-hatching
- Don't show wedges smaller than 5% or 18 degrees
- Keep all labels horizontal
- Ovals designate beginning and end
- Diamonds show decision points
- Rectangles represent major activities or steps
Tips for All Visuals
- Create clean, uncluttered visuals. Use lowercase letters, not all CAPS.
- Write titles that tell "What," "When," "Where," or all three
- Introduce each visual with text—don't assume the reader will draw the same conclusions
- Use "talking" titles (that convey findings) or "descriptive" titles (that state what's shown)
- Number and label visuals consistently (Figure 1.1, Chart 2.1, Table 3.1)
Title Examples
Talking Title: Annual health care costs rose to $9,000 per person in 2016 compared to just $160 in 1960.
Descriptive Title: Average annual health care costs per person, shown by year.
Check Your Readability
Microsoft Word can display readability statistics for your documents, including Flesch Reading Ease and Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level scores. There are different methods depending on your version of Word.
Microsoft 365 (Quick Method)
If you have Microsoft 365 with Current Channel updates, you can access readability statistics directly without running a full spell check:
- In the document ribbon, select the Home tab
- Choose Editor, then go to Document stats
- A dialog box lets you know Word is calculating your document stats. Choose OK
- Word will open a window with statistics and reading level information
Windows (Older Versions)
For Word 2016, 2019, 2021, or if the Editor method isn't available:
- Go to File > Options
- Select Proofing
- Under "When correcting spelling and grammar in Word," select Check grammar with spelling
- Select Show readability statistics
- Return to your document and select Spelling & Grammar (or press F7)
- Correct or ignore any errors. Word then opens the Readability Statistics window.
macOS
- On the menu bar, select Word > Preferences (you must have a document open)
- Choose Spelling & Grammar
- Under Grammar, select Check grammar with spelling and Show readability statistics
- Close the Preferences window
- In your document, select Review > Spelling & Grammar
- Correct or ignore any errors. Word will then display the Readability Statistics window.
Important
For the spell-check method, you must correct or ignore all errors found in the document before readability statistics will display.
Understanding Your Scores
Flesch Reading Ease rates text on a 100-point scale. Higher scores mean easier reading. Aim for 60-70 for most documents.
Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level rates text on a U.S. school grade level. A score of 8.0 means an eighth grader can understand it. Aim for 8.0-9.0 for most public sector documents.