FINAL PROJECT: Report/Proposal and Presentation

ASSIGNMENT SHEET
ENGLISH 3355 WORKPLACE WRITING
As the major project for this semester, you will work in a group that will assume the role of a
consulting firm that has been retained to address a critical organizational issue. You will
develop a written proposal/report where you:
solutions to the issue presented in the scenario you select;

d in the scenario
This assignment combines the research aspects of report preparation discussed in Chapter 11
and the persuasive elements of proposal preparation discussed in Chapter 13 of the Writing
that Works text. You will also note that intercultural aspects are woven into the scenarios
some deal specifically with international business, others with internal cultural aspects of
organizations. A thorough report and presentation will recognize these aspects and tailor both
the report and presentation accordingly. Remember also that as a consultant/employee, your
credibility and ethos depend on your ethical research and proposals. You may have to fill in
gaps regarding the client organization, but your research must be sound and based on credible
sources. Any information you use to fill in information gaps cannot contradict specific
information you are provided in the scenario. Remember that any direct quotes or paraphrased
ideas must be attributed to the appropriate authors using either APA or MLA citation styles.
The report is worth 200 points. The presentation based on the report is worth 100 points.
The major components of the report include:
Front Matter: Cover letter, Title Page and Executive Summary. The Executive Summary
should be no more than 2 pages and should effectively summarize your entire report including
an abbreviated discussion of your recommendations;
Body: Introduction, Background or further description of the issue researched, and Available
Options these may include options you researched, considered, and ultimately discarded; this
is the substance of your report/proposal and should lead logically to the recommendation and
conclusion;
Recommendation and Justification: The recommendations and supporting justification
should follow logically from your research. Remember that your recommendations should
provide a solution to the issue your client is facing.
Back Matter: Works Cited (for MLA) or Reference (for APA) pages, Appendices for
Implementation Schedule and Budget.

Other Requirements include:

Headings that are specific and convey information particular to the issue you are exploring.
Remember that headings with varied font sizes, colors and types guide your reader through
your information. Consider making navigation through your document reader friendly and
logical.
Visual(s) that are easy to understand, add relevant information, and have a title. Remember
that a visual, a graph, a picture or a diagram does not replace text you must explain it with
writing. Visuals allow your reader to view the information differently and based on the
principles in Chapter 7.
Sources that supplement information provided to you in the case study.
Correct MLA or APA documentation, including in-text citations for quotations and
paraphrases and a Works Cited (MLA) or Reference (APA) page.
Remember you are conducting research within a workplace environment. While your research
will be conducted similarly to that of an academic paper and you must look for credible sources
and current information; you must practice concise writing that effectively carries your point
across. The body and conclusion of the report will be around 8 pages. Total pages including the
front matter and back matter will make your total page count about 15 pages.
As in many workplace situations, you must submit a draft report by Wednesday, 3 Dec. 2014
by noon. The draft must be a completed project. That is, it must include all components of the
proposal. (The draft is worth 25 points). You may make final adjustments to the draft such as
formatting, some minor revisions or the inclusion of last minute information, but you should be
prepared to present the draft to your client organization should you be required to do so.
The final report is due Tuesday, December 9, 2014 by 11:30 PM.

You may choose from the following 4 scenarios. You may add information you believe is
important to present your findings. You may not change what is explicitly stated.

Scenario 1 - Safety Program for Donovan Imports

Workers compensation allows employees who are injured on the job to receive benefits like
medical expenses and lost wages, depending on when the injury happened, how the injury
happened, and the severity of the injury. Donovan Imports, a large online retailer of imported
food and household products has contracted with you to make recommendations regarding
their workers compensation situation (Oliu et al., 380). Donovan Imports warehouse
employees spend their days packing wet and dry food products imported primarily from Mexico
and Mediterranean countries like Italy and Greece. Other products imported from these
countries include dinner ware, serve ware, table linens and products to serve the food in
traditional serve ware. The products are received in wholesale packaging, but must be
repackaged for retail online sales. Employees pack materials ordered online into mailing boxes,
lift the boxes, place them into carts, and pull the carts to the mailing room.
Preliminary reports from Donovans Human Resource Department indicate
-2010, 956 injuries occurred;
ll open claims;

The Human Resource Director hired you to develop a safety program to prevent warehouse
employee back injuries. The program should include recommendations regarding the purchase
of warehouse equipment, especially the kind that transports heavy boxes. Your
recommendation should also consider changes that could be implemented with the
international suppliers. Utilizing intercultural experts in your firm, recommend requests or
approaches to those international suppliers that may also help warehouse operations. Consider
a training program and who could prepare and present the program to employees. Recommend
a tracking mechanism that Human Resources may use as the safety program is implemented.
Ms. MariaTeresa Torres, Human Resources Director is requesting a presentation based on your
written report/proposal. The presentation will be to Ms. Torres, Mr. Glen Holder, Warehouse
Supervisor and their senior managers/supervisor. Donovan the sole owner, president and chief
executive officer of the organization, however, is known for crashing meetings, particularly
when she believes her staff has inappropriately spent money on consultants when the work
could have been accomplished in house. Because the presentation occurs in December, when
Donovan usually takes the month off, Torres believes Donovan will be unavailable, but she
cannot guarantee it. Torres has asked you to prepare your presentation accordingly.

Adapted from Writing that Works, (10th Ed.), Chapter 10, Exercise 2, p. 380 and Chapter 13,
Research Project 2, p. 497.
Scenario 2 International Transportation Project Proposal
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT)
works with states to conduct studies that explore the funding and feasibility of highway
projects. According to the FHWAs Procedural Guidelines for Highway Feasibility Studies, six to
nine tasks must occur within the studies. See www.fhwa.dot.gov/hep10/corbor/feastudy.html.
Only the last two steps of each case involve drafting a report; the first steps involve gathering
and analyzing data (Oliu et al., 421).
You have been contracted by Donovan Consulting Services, (QCS) a private consulting firm that
assists local governments in identifying feasible, competitive transportation projects. Identify
one transportation project regardless of mode, rail, highway, or mass transit, that improves
cross-border movements of people and goods at the El Paso/Juarez international border. The
ideal project will also help reduce emissions and thus help air quality in the border area.
The project should consider the City of El Pasos transportation goals as well as the Texas
Department of Transportation goals and mission. Both of these entities will eventually consider
whether or not to sponsor the project to compete for FHWA funding. The proposed project
should also consider existing facilities and reduce the amount of land required to construct or
implement. Operational improvements at the bridges and within federal organizations such as
Homeland Security and Customs and Border Inspection may also be eligible, but the necessary
coordination with the federal agencies must be identified. Recognize too, that this is an
international project and the Mexican counterparts will have to be included in the project
construction/implementation. Using your intercultural expertise recommend the appropriate
manner in which QCS as well as the governmental implementing agencies at all levels should
interact with Mexican agencies involved in the project.
Mr. Luis Antonio Torres, senior partner with QCS, successfully advocated for your firm to
prepare a report/proposal that recommends one project along with potential funding sources
and benefits to the community. Torres expects your proposal will be incorporated into a larger
regional plan that QCS is preparing. Before QCS decides whether or not to incorporate it into
the regional plan, you will present your report/proposal findings to QCS senior management.
Torres has also confided in you that Donovan is not happy about having to farm out work that
she believes her staff should have handled but realized the timeframes were very tight and that
trying to complete all aspects of the regional plan in-house could have resulted in missed
deadlines for her firm. Your work will reflect not only on your firm but on Torres himself. Torres

invited Donovan to your presentation hoping to allay her concerns. She has indicated she has a
conflict on the date and time of presentation and has authorized Torres to proceed with the
presentation because she may still become available. Torres does not think Donovan will attend
but has asked you to be prepared either way.
Adapted from Writing that Works, (10th Ed.), Chapter 11, Research Project 4, p. 421.
Scenario 3 Car Fleet Proposal
In this case, you will be an internal committee rather than an outside consulting firm.
Follow the scenario in Chapter 11, Research Project 2, page 413 Writing that Works, (11th Ed).
Along with reviewing cost-effective vehicles and lease/purchase considerations, remember that
your company, Donovan Retail Inc., has recently made a commitment to reduce its carbon
footprint. Top management realizes that it cannot go completely green on all business aspects,
but capital investments such as the purchase of a new fleet are significant enough that they are
subjected to a green review. Consider the financial impact of a fleet of alternatively fueled or
hybrid vehicles.
Remember that you must follow the report/proposal content requirements stated in the
assignment sheet as well as providing the information required in the text.
In addition to the report, you must also present your findings and recommendations to the
President and CEO of the firm along with her VPs for finance and operations. Donovan, the
companys president is firmly committed to reducing the companys carbon footprint. She has
been the visionary for Donovan Retail Inc., and it is precisely her vision that has taken the
company to its current success. She has not done it singlehandedly however. Her VPs are not
only her colleagues but also her closest friends from college. They are known for keeping the
operations grounded and fiscally responsible. The three are known for their loud discussions
that ultimately result in consensus. Most who have presented to the troika, as they are
clandestinely called by staffers, recount witnessing embarrassingly animated discussions that
amazingly end with the friends joking and preparing to implement the agreed upon decision.
Donovan, in particular is known for questioning proposals loudly, and interrupting
presentations. This is the first time your team will present to the troika. Colleagues have told
you to keep calm and carry on and not worry about the discussions the three will
undoubtedly have. As long as you can support your position, they claim, you will not get caught
in the crossfire.
Scenario 4 Biometric Verification for Donovan Technology Experts Inc.
Donovan Technology Experts Inc. (QTEI) is a high tech company interested in changing its
security procedures to include biometric verification technology. Employees fingerprints or

retina patterns (or both) would now be scanned before employees can access top-secret areas
or access sensitive files in the companys intranet (Oliu et al. 497).
QTEI has hired you to recommend three companies who provide this type of technology,
recommend a selection procedure to determine the company to implement the technology,
draft letters to the three top firms inviting them to submit proposals, develop a schedule for
evaluation to include travel to any locations where the firms have installed technology and
prepare a budget for the evaluation process.
Donovan, the companys President and CEO is concerned that the process will take too long.
QTEI is rumored to soon be awarded a Department of Defense project and she does not want
any perceived security weakness to cost her this lucrative contract. She would rather spend
money on the implementation than on evaluation. Her chief technical officer, Mr. Robert
Android, however has assured her that the time spent on the process will pay dividends
because it will provide the best vendor with the best solution. Its Android who hired you and
expects a process that is efficient but effective. He understands your firm includes intercultural
expertise which may come in handy if either the proposed technical suppliers or the site visits
are outside the United States.
Android wants you to also prepare a presentation for Donovan that highlights your report. He
has advised you that shes very antsy at presentations, often interrupting and asking questions.
He strongly believes in developing a process for this purchase and is known as a no nonsense
type of guy. Hes one of the few at QTEI that takes Donovan on and wins. You have his support,
but on this issue in particular, he wants a strong proposal that can withstand Donovans critical
eye. He has asked you to proceed with the presentation knowing Donovans quirks.
Adapted from Writing that Works, (10th Ed.), Chapter 13, Research Project 3, p. 497.