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MA618 Industry Based Capstone Project Assignment - Final Project Reports - Industry Based Project

Master of Professional Accounting - School Business -2-2019 - Melbourne Institute of Technology, MIT, Australia

Unit Learning Outcomes -

a. Demonstrate industry research skills in delivering feasible work-based projects.

b. Work efficiently and effectively to complete project-based work integrated learning.

c. Apply theoretical and practical skills relevant to working in the professional planning environment, including team work.

d. Reflect on contemporary practice and trends in a course related industry to inform your future practice.

e. Effectively communicate ideas using diverse formats and strategies to academic and professional audiences within and external to the discipline of your course.

f. Work with others in a range of roles and contexts, demonstrating cultural and social sensitivity, environmental stewardship and ethical and reflective practice to deliver a work based project.

DETAIL OF FINAL PROJECT REPORT -

Assessment Task Description

Report writing in business is about communicating your key message to a business audience. This key message is usually around providing a solution to a problem. A report is written in response to a problem/situation and the key message provides a solution. Reports must do more than provide the facts (description), they need to provide critical analysis of the data and other supporting evidence, and a report needs to recommend actions. In a given problem there is usually no one solution.

Structure -

Your report is to be written to persuade the reader of the key message. The key message should determine the structure of the report, specifically the sections within the report. Additionally, the structure may be determined by the individual lecturer and may vary considerably according to the task's purpose and audience.

Introduction - Business report introductions typically contain the following:

• Aim, scope and limitations
• Background or context (details of problem addressed)
• Overview of the Client Brief
• May include the overall answer (suggested solution)
• The report structure

Body section

This is usually the longest section of the report and presents your findings based on evidence. These findings provide the justification for your recommendation(s). This section needs to develop the material in a clear, logical and coherent manner. Relevant subheadings make it easier for the reader to follow the structure. This structure should reflect the structure outlined in the introduction.

The body section will contain different sections depending on the purpose. The following are typical sections

Methods: outlines how you went about collecting your information, why you chose this method and a justification as to why it was the most appropriate method for your project.

Results: conveys the results in a clear and concise manner, often using tables and charts to summarise. Detailed results and calculations are placed in appendices at the end of the report. All charts and tables must be contextualized and explained in the body text.

Discussion: analyses and evaluates the results and leads toward the reflective conclusion and recommendation/s. This section may outline any unexpected or new issues that need to be considered.

Conclusion: The conclusion states what has been found based in the evidence, analysis and evaluation that was presented in the discussion. The conclusion should outline the key points/findings and state the recommendations that follow from the analysis. In some reports it may be necessary to state any limitations to the research that might affect the interpretation of the results. Most importantly the conclusion refers back to the overall purpose of the report and emphasises the key message.

Introduction. This section should identify to the reader the aim and purpose of the report that you are writing (why you are writing the report), with perhaps a short summary of the contents and findings. The broad aims of the project should also go here.

Background. Here, you put the requirements of the project, especially those that affect this particular report. Some requirements may derive directly from the module or from some externally-defined standard or specification. Make sure to include references for all the sources of your requirements. You may wish (alternatively you could put this in the main body) to put some of the background theory relating to the project here.

Main body. This varies from report to report and from project to project. However, some common headings are:

• Project management-team responsibilities, budgets and timetable.
• System design-selection of configuration (as opposed to individual components)
• Wherever you make a project decision, you should back up your decision with reasoning or calculations.

Conclusions. Here you can summarise your findings (what you have decided and what you have learned), draw any conclusions from them that are appropriate, e.g. how you might do things differently next time, and look at the job remaining.

Your report must be an effective means of communicating the results of your project.

• Language should be clear and correct.
• Presentation (clear fonts, diagrams, use of space etc.) should aid in comprehension of the material.
• The information should be structured to sensibly progress from requirements to conclusions in clear sections.