Report and Paper Writing

Guidance for Drafting Papers and Reports to Committees

To support committees in discharging their responsibilities, it is essential that all reports and papers presented for their consideration are clear, concise and make appropriate recommendations in line with the committee’s authority and terms of reference.

Please follow the below guidelines when preparing papers for submission to committees:

1. Papers should not usually exceed 2000-3000 words length, with a limited number of appendices. Any further documentation can be presented in the Reading Room, but all essential information that allows the committee to make an appropriate decision should be included in the main paper.
2. Papers should be written in plain English and jargon must be avoided. Acronyms must only be used either if they are genuinely in common usage (for example, MP, OfS). If not, they should be spelt out in the first instance.
3. All papers should be presented with clear and consistent formatting throughout. As papers are circulated electronically and members generally read on their devices, clear formatting is essential to ensure accessibility of the documents. Formatting requested by the Governance Office includes:

   Font	Arial
   Font size	No smaller than 11 for main text.
   Font Colour/ Formatting	Black with headings in bold
   Justification	Left justified
   Margins	Left/right: at least 2 cm; top/bottom: at least 2.5 cm.

4. All papers should have a completed report template which includes space for an executive summary and should which  provide sufficient information to enable members to identify the key points for consideration (please note the reference in paragraph 7 below to assessment of impact on key university strategies) and the decision requested by the committee dependant on its authority, e.g.:
   • Approve
   • Recommend to higher level committee
   • Note
   The report template is available to download.
5. For major papers which require Senate or Board approval prior to submission to an external stakeholder (e.g. OfS), or publication by the University, the report template must be used to provide a high-level summary, and the full paper included as an appendix/in the Reading Room.
6. Requests for approval of revisions to internal policies, and other University governing documents, must explain the need/objective and key points of proposals, and provide as an appendix a tracked changes copy of the policy/document to enable committee members to view changes in their overall context.
7. Papers for consideration by the Board and its committees should refer to the impact on key university strategies. In this context, please refer in particular to:
   • Our Future, the University Strategic Plan. In this context, consider and detail how the proposal relates to the University’s values, core goals and themes as set out in the Strategic Plan.
   • The Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy In this context, consider and detail any impact, both positive and negative, that the proposal will have on equality, diversity and inclusion, with a particular focus on the nine protected characteristics (i.e. Age, Disability, Gender Reassignment, Marriage/Civil Partnership, Maternity/Pregnancy, Race/ethnicity, Religion/Belief, Sex, Sexual Orientation). Further guidance on equality impact assessments can be found on StaffNet. Discussion with colleagues in the Equality, Diversity & Inclusion team can also support in completing this section.
   • The Environmental Sustainability Strategy: in this context, consider and detail any impact, both positive and negative, that the proposal will have on environmental sustainability (e.g. waste generation energy use, carbon emissions, water consumption, material use, pollution and impact on green space). Discussion with colleagues in the Environmental Sustainability team can support in completing this section.
8. All papers must be reviewed by the relevant sponsor and appropriate colleagues (e.g. Finance colleagues for papers with financial implications) before submission to the Governance Office. Papers for the Board and its committees should normally be considered by SLT and/or the relevant management committees before submission to the Governance Office, please consult the Governance Office for advice on the appropriate review and consultation process. Please note that to allow sufficient time for compilation and distribution of the agenda, there is an expectation that papers are submitted to the relevant committee secretary at least eight days prior to the meeting and reports submitted after this deadline may not be included on the agenda for the meeting in question.
9.  The University’s executive, academic governance and corporate governance structure means that some papers are submitted to multiple committees. Whilst it is important that the paper makes clear what is expected from each committee (for example, updating recommendations/decisions requested and other relevant details as appropriate before submission to a higher-level committee) reports can be re-purposed, thus mitigating impact on workload.   Please consult the appropriate member of the Governance Office for advice on approval routes for specific items. The Scheme of Delegation and the Financial Thresholds can also provide guidance on the appropriate route for specific items.