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Sometimes I can't believe how useless so many development reports are.

Seriously.

Monitoring reports are NOT just about numbers. They're not about ticking boxes.

We did this. We did that.

So what?

Writing reports - we seem to do a lot of it.

And no-one can deny it matters - tracking outputs and progress towards higher-level results, helping management make decisions that steer projects, and of, course, accountability to our donors and other stakeholders - yes, reports do matter.

In over 20 years training people to write better, I know having an understanding of Professional Writing and following a writing process helps a great deal.

But I've Also Seen Many Humanitarian Workers - Managers Included - Don't Seem To Have A Logical Approach To Reporting.

PROJECT RESULTS MATTER

And those results - the outputs, outcomes and impact - need to be monitored and ultimately measured.

This Isn't Just To Keep Donors Happy - Although We'd All Like That.

Knowing what to expect at different points in the project leads to better data collection - and better management decisions.

But, too often, we try to collect data that isn't there (yet) - or overlook valuable insights from stakeholders that can guide the project towards successful achievement of results.

There Are Four Different Levels Of Information We Collect From End Users Throughout A Project's Life-Cycle.