Writing a Professional Report
Insurance Risk Models: Writing a Professional/Business Report
Writing a Professional Report
Benjamin Avanzi1
c© University of New South Wales (2013)
School of Risk and Actuarial Studies
b.avanzi@unsw.edu.au
Writing a Professional/Business Report
(for the assignment)
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mailto:b.avanzi@unsw.edu.au
Insurance Risk Models: Writing a Professional/Business Report
Before you start
Questions to ask yourself:
Who is going to read my report? e.g.
Knowledge, background and experience
Busy
What is the report supposed to achieve? e.g.
What does the reader want to know? (if answering a question)
What will make it interesting / clear? (if trying to get an idea
across)
Given the above
What is the appropriate length?
What is the most effective structure?
(e.g. the ‘linear’ curse: don’t use results or concepts that are
explained only later)
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Insurance Risk Models: Writing a Professional/Business Report
Typical Business Report
Usually, business reports
are requested by a higher authority in the hierarchy and meant
to convey information to senior management
Hence, they should be effective and concise and look
professional. They are the image you project of your work!
aim at assisting the senior management in problem solving and
decision making
Hence, they should be logically organised, objective in tone,
and fill exactly (no less, no more) the brief
are intended for a limited audience
Hence, they should be tailored to that audience
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Insurance Risk Models: Writing a Professional/Business Report
The assignment report
For the document:
Context: report to a (very) experienced actuary, busy
Goal: answer a simple question
Further context:
Eventually, KangaRe needs to provide a quote to the potential
client that is both competitive and profitable.
You do not know what the strategy of KangaRe is (in terms of
capital modelling), so your job is to be as accurate and
objective as possible
You are not managing the business, only estimating what the
impact of dependence is, given the data that was given to you.
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Insurance Risk Models: Writing a Professional/Business Report
Structure
Brief mentions 2 pages, so obviously only some detail is needed.
Start with a 1-2 paragraph (max) executive summary that
answers concisely the question and points out the main issues
(if any)
Summarise the modelling approach / strategy and then use it
to structure the sequel
Then present the main results: get to the point and focus only
on what is interesting / relevant to help your boss make a
decision / identify and understand the issues
Summarise the limitations of your work
Think of a clear and effective structure and layout.
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Insurance Risk Models: Writing a Professional/Business Report
Overall
Do’s
Write in English and do spell checks
Have a uniform (same font, same style for titles, uniform font,
. . . ), classical (no funky stuff), clean (finish sentences with full
stops, justify text, . . . ) presentation style
Title and number figures and tables
Do spell checks and write in English
Don’t’s
Have figures or tables you are not referring to or analysing
Put stuff that is not highly relevant
Fill up your report to get to 2 pages / Go over 2 pages
Think that most of the work is in the fitting
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Insurance Risk Models: Writing a Professional/Business Report
Further reading
See, for instance: www.lc.unsw.edu.au/onlib/pdf/report%20.pdf
Google ‘professional report’ or ‘business report’
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http://www.lc.unsw.edu.au/onlib/pdf/report%20.pdf