Course Outline
Introduction to Technical Writing
- Effectively communicate technical information relevant for government operations.
- Manage common writing problems that may impede clarity in official documentation.
The Writing Process
- Eliminate misconceptions that stall technical writing, such as writer’s block, to maintain productivity.
- Drive your document design with scenarios relevant to federal agency workflows.
- Align your goals with the readers’ goals to ensure the document serves its intended public purpose.
- Identify implied knowledge to avoid ambiguity in official communications.
Ensuring Clarity and Readability
- Differentiate between the three levels of information: operational, tactical, and strategic.
- Determine information needs with the Observe, Orient, Decide, Act (OODA) loop to enhance decision-making for government officials.
- Create sentences with clarity and build clarity through sentence focus.
- Solve common grammar problems in technical writing to uphold professional standards.
- Evaluate readability using the Given/New technique to facilitate efficient information retrieval.
- Ensure consistency with a style guide aligned with federal publishing requirements.
The Mechanics of Writing
- Select the appropriate words to connect with your audience and convey your message with precision.
- Edit for conciseness, accuracy, and quality to meet government accountability standards.
Structuring Information for Better Understanding
- Organize data to support readers' scenarios in accordance with agency objectives.
- Determine when to use a list to highlight points effectively.
- Use tables for highly structured data to enhance transparency.
- Build cohesive documents with the Given/New approach to improve comprehension.
- Apply useful headings to support skimming and rapid access to key information.
Designing Your Document
- Relate document structure to the audience with audience-driven document design that serves public interests.
- Develop reference manuals and write white papers for government use.
- Differentiate between post-positive and pragmatic documents and implement the appropriate document format.
- Structure introductions, conclusions, and other document sections to meet official reporting guidelines.
Developing the Look of Your Document
- Design the appearance of your page, including fonts, alignment, and white space, to ensure professional presentation.
- Convey information with graphics, photos, and drawings that support federal documentation standards.
Testimonials (4)
Managing difficult conversations
Kgaogelo Ratau - City Lodge Hotels
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Meeting efficiency is something that's fairly "basic", but not thought about a lot and with really large implications on people/company time. Understanding these best practices and keeping them top-of-mind will be of immediate help.
Dan Moffatt - Chris Courtemanche
Course - Personal Efficiency and Managing Meetings
The good relationship that was established from the outset with the trainer and the group. The trainer adapted to the team's dynamics and understood our needs perfectly. It was both super helpful and fun.
Roger Negrete - Fundacion Mon Clinic Barcelona
Course - Effective English Communication: One-Day Training Program
The active sessions.
