(no late reports will be accepted)

Purpose: The APP technical report communicates your analysis and recommendations to your client in a format that is accessible to them and can be handed off to other parties in their organization and to other interested stakeholders, which then, by default, we wanted to be accessible to most people, so don’t lean too much on “the only reader is my client.”

This is the big, beefy report that provides the underlying logic, research, and evidence that undergird the high-level conclusions that you will provide your client in your leadership materials. This is the reference document from which they can go back and understand exactly where the cost figures come from, precisely which studies you used to estimate the program's impact, and exactly how you collected the original and secondary data. The technical report communicates your analysis and findings in detail that will interest those working in the field and on this particular problem.

Task: Write a professional quality single-spaced report (typically around 10,000 words, not including citations and appendices) based on substantial evidence, high-quality analysis, and clear and well-organized writing. The 10K words in my section are a reference; I won’t enforce a limit.

Your technical report should weave together revised and updated content from the various assignments you have produced over the last two semesters. Still, it is not just a cut and paste of these improved assignments. You should cohesively and coherently walk your reader through the problem and its background through the analysis data and the conclusions. Every technical report will take different turns, but they all begin with a problem (or puzzle) and arrive at a conclusion.

When creating a technical report, consider the connections across your sections. It’s easy to drop your previous assignments into a large document without helping the reader follow a throughline among them. You’ve been working on this project for almost a year. You see the connections. Help your readers see the connections.

Make sure to include the following elements:

• Title page: This should be visually pleasing and invite readers to read your report.
• Table of contents: This is critical to help the reader understand the structure of your report.
• Executive summary: An executive summary allows hurried policymakers to understand your memo quickly. Each section of your technical report should be summarized. Length varies but should certainly not exceed two pages.
• Mandatory disclaimer: Your technical report must include the disclaimer below. Some organizations may require an additional disclaimer to the effect that the APP does not represent an official position of the organization. Add this paragraph to your APP:

The author conducted this study as part of the professional education program at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy, University of Virginia. This paper is submitted in partial fulfillment of the course requirements for the Master of Public Policy degree. The judgments and conclusions are solely those of the author and are not necessarily endorsed by the Batten School, the University of Virginia, or by any other agency.

• Acknowledgments and dedication: Most APPs include an acknowledgments section. This standalone page acknowledges and thanks those who have supported you in writing this project. It is your discretion how effusively you thank each person or group. Some APPs also include a dedication. These are less common but still appropriate. Reviewing previous APPs to see a range of examples may be helpful.
• Introduction: Overview of the document's purpose that captivates the reader's attention and gives them a clear idea of what to expect.
• Problem statement: A short paragraph clearly presenting the core focus of the problem you are addressing and the most critical piece of evidence highlighting the importance, scope, and/or its urgency.
• Client overview: Description of how this problem fits into the overall goals of your client’s organization, the significance of your client addressing this problem now, and their role in addressing it.

Then, the rest of the sections can be titled in many ways or structured in many ways. Here are some recommendations on what information those should have:

• Background on the problem: Evidence-based and focused context based on your previous assignment. This is also a great place to include clear visuals (graphs, maps, etc.). Some items within the background could touch on:
• Comparative scale and scope of the problem
• History of the problem (trends and changes of the problem over time)
• Relevant technical or process information
• Why the problem exists, and relevant contributing factors
• Why the problem has not yet been solved
• Specific sub-populations affected/equity issues
• Consequences of the problem: Description of your problem's critical implications for individuals, households, and/or society and any resulting financial costs to society. Keep this short.
• Evidence on potential solutions to the problem: Synthesis of evidence that other people have created about how your policy or related problems have been addressed. This could be a stand-alone section or folded into your alternatives. Remember to include commentary on the methodology and rigor of the studies, the degree to which you can assume causation, and the generalizability to your policy problem.

Then, we move on to the analysis part of the project:

• Alternatives and criteria for evaluation: Brief, evidence-based, clear, and specific description of each alternative and the evidence that supports including it. Criteria you used to evaluate the alternatives, including how you operationalized and measured these criteria. This section may be part of the body of your report or referred to and included as an appendix.
• The final APP can include a sensitivity analysis section here or in the appendix. This would be a 1-2 page section where you explore these questions:
• Would this change the results if we were to change some of the assumptions made for one of the criteria (say, the ones with the least certainty)?
• What would we have to assume to be different about our analysis to get a different solution?
• How sensitive is your result to assumptions?
• Recommendation(s): Describe your analysis, the data and evidence you use, and final recommendation(s), providing support for your decision.
• Implementation: An overview of the implementation issues and your recommendations for steps, sequencing, troubleshooting, roles and responsibilities, etc.
• Conclusion: A brief section recapping the importance of your policy problem, your recommendation(s), and its potential impact.
• References
• Appendix

Abide by the following rules:

Citation style: Unless otherwise specified, you should use the APA6 style for your report. We strongly encourage using a citation management program like Zotero or RefWorks to help you maintain a consistent citation style.

Format: All papers, including appendices, endnotes, and bibliographies, should have one-inch margins and 12-point font. Direct quotations should be appropriately formatted.

• Once you receive an Accept with Revisions grade, you will receive instructions for uploading your Technical Report for final checks (including inspection for any plagiarism concerns). Please note that your APP is not considered submitted until you upload it appropriately.

Submission

Please email me your file at sebastian.tello@virginia.edu