How can you reframe a report that lacts content in organizing of ideas as well as writing skills and critical thinking that was written by my departmental task force?

How can you reframe a report that lacts content in organizing of ideas as well as writing skills and critical thinking that was written by my departmental task force?
When revising any report or long paper, you must identify the major sections, sub-sections, and points within the topic.

Let's say that the departmental task force was assigned to look at how the school board could develop a budget to allow more sports and clubs for middle and high school students. You would outline the areas which the task force identified as potential after-school sports. Let's say these include: track, football, and volleyball, with plans to use the existing track and football field. Each of these would be listed separately in the budget. Let's say the plan includes paying 3 part-time coaches, and enlist help of volunteer parents. These roles must be defined, and the budget written for salaries. As well, the 2 fields must have upkeep and have a grounds-keeper.

So while the main topic is "Budget", you have sections in the outline for:

Types of sports trackfootballvolleyball

Uniforms Budgetted costContract with uniform company

Personnel Part-time track coachPart-time football coachPart-time volleyball coachVolunteer parents

Grounds GroundskeeperMaintenance


In each of these sub-sections, you would write the details concerning each item. For example, for the Groundskeeper you'd list the propsed salary, duties, hours of work, and any ancillary help this person might need. For example, you could say, "Students and parents will assist by cleaning up their own garbage and keeping the field tidy."


As you probably recall from doing outlines in high school, an outline can expand to include as many sub-sections as you need. The outline helps organize the entire paper as well as the sub-sections.

As you work on your outline, write down any points that must be included. Later, put each point into its correct sub-section. Here is where you would apply critical thinking and creative thinking in making each point revelant to the overall topic and to its sub-topic. Sometimes you'll find single stray points that don't really belong in *this* written material, or that should be included but don't have a corresponding sub-topic. In those cases, you can move those points to a section for Miscellaneous, or move them to a second report that could better discuss those items. Just because a sentence is in a report, it doesn't mean it belongs in *this* report.

When you have the outline of basic sub-sections and points, then decide on the format of your writing. Will you use straight narrative, like a high school term paper? Will you assign numbers to sections, such as what lawmakers do when writing a law with sub-sections? Does the report need to be formal or informal? Will it become part of public records? Or will it only be seen by staff or a small group of people? Each of these guides the type of writing you choose.

Also, decide beforehand how you will handle unfamiliar words; will you define each of these within the text? Or use a defintions list at the end?

Does your report use sources? If so, will you do footnotes or endnotes?

Since your report involves an organization, the work on each sub-topic might be a good task for a committee. Enlist the help of a few people who know the topics and who can write well. Pick people who like "organizing" and who do not think or work in disorganized ways. Give a dead-line, for example, one week to list all the points the report should cover. Then, maybe 3 to 5 days to move those points into their correct sub-sections. If your organization has a cork board, write points on index cards where the committee can move the index cards to sections on the cork board (or use a chalk board or erasable board). This group effort can develop teamwork and help people learn how to write an "professional" report. Make sure the original authors are included; tell them you want to expand on their ideas and develop the report even more.

With thought, an outline, and patience, you can reframe, restructure, and rewrite any type of report.