DEVRY ENG227 WEEK 4 Informal Analytical Report

Objectives | Guidelines | Grading Rubrics

Objectives

Back to Top

Last week you were introduced to a transportation issue that was going to affect E227 GS's shipping schedule between our manufacturing facility and the shipping and distribution facility in Indonesia. You suggested ways to reach out to the public in an effort to mitigate whatever negative feelings this change in shipping will cause. This week, you will be part of a team that will suggest a strategy the company will implement. Each group member will share their Week 3 document with the team. The team will develop the best of these ideas, and create a single document explaining the strategy the team is suggesting. This week you and your team will write and assemble the informal analytical report your manager is counting on to address the problem.

Guidelines

Back to Top

The informal analytical report your team will write this week will be organized as a PDR, or Problem, Discussion, Resolution report.

Write this informal analytical report as a memo addressed to your division manager, formatting it to include the following sections (identified with headings):

• Begin the informal analytical report with a sentence or two that introduces the general purpose of the report.
• Problem: State the problem succinctly in a sentence or two, so that anyone reading this memo will understand the purpose of the memo.
• Discussion of Options: In three or four paragraphs (approximately 500 words), discuss the different options the group considered. Explain their relative strengths and/or weaknesses.
• Resolution: Explain what your your team recommends to address the problem. What does the reader need to do to make this happen? Is there a timeline for implementing this solution?
• Conclusion: Should thank the reader for giving the team the opportunity to address the problem.

Start a new page at the end of the informal analytical report to add the group participation memo. The group participation memo is a collaborative document that will report on the participation and contribution of individual teammates. This must explain what each group member contributed to the final report. If there were problems, you are expected to be specific and explain how they were or were not resolved.

ONE student from each group will submit the informal analytical report and group participation memo (both in the same Word document) on behalf of the entire group.

A successful informal analytical memo will:

• be between 800-1200 words in length (excluding the participation memo).
• be formatted appropriately as an informal report with headings identifying each section.
• accurately represent the problem.
• reflect a clear understanding of the factors that affect the situation.
• clearly present a unique resolution that takes all factors into consideration.
• demonstrate that the team fully grasps the purpose/goals of the message.
• include full and complete original text that reflects audience needs in relation to the message.
• include proper use of formatting and style (e.g., bullets, headings, lists, etc., as appropriate).
• reflect an awareness and proper use of all ten writing conventions for professional writing (as appropriate), covered in Week 2.
• Demonstrate proper grammar, spelling, punctuation, and capitalization.
• Include on the final page a collaboratively produced participation memo that evaluates each group member's performance based on the criteria the group established and reported in the Week 3 memo.

Grading Rubrics

Back to Top

Category	Points	%	Description
Content	70	39	Fulfills the purpose of the assignment clearly and completely; quality of information; adequate support and development; ideas work together as a unified whole; written in student’s own words
Style and Conventions	30	17	Written for intended audience; professional tone and style; employs clarity, conciseness, fluency, etc.; free of grammar, spelling, punctuation, etc. errors
Structure/Organization/Format	20	11	Effective document design (e.g., headings, bulleted lists, etc.); formatted correctly in an appropriate medium; information presented in a logical arrangement using the appropriate organization
Critical Thinking	20	11	Ideas demonstrate a firm grasp of the problem; resolution is unique and reflects a clear understanding of the factors influencing the situation
Participation	40	22	Each member of the team participated as established in the Week 3 memo; members completed assigned tasks by the scheduled due date; contributions were relevant, useful, and required only minor editing to fit the tone of the report
Total	180	100	A quality paper will meet or exceed all of the above requirements.

Submit your assignment to the Dropbox, located at the top of this page.

See the Syllabus section "Due Dates for Assignments & Exams" for due date information.