Highlight key points.
Ensure you reference the material you have used, whether primary or secondary.
Include a table of contents for longer reports.
Take a ‘no surprises’ approach and discuss the findings face-to-face with staff, participants or
stakeholders involved and allow them to provide feedback.
4.2 What to include in your report
Throughout the process of analysing your data and drafting recommendations you will have used your
Communications Strategy (Tool 5) to report and check interim findings throughout the organisation and key
stakeholders.
As indicated in your Communications Strategy, it is also important to keep your senior leadership team briefed
through all stages of the audit. It will take time to prepare the final audit report so make sure to prepare a report
for your senior leadership as soon as possible after you have completed your final analysis that includes a
summary of findings and proposed draft recommendations (Tool 13).
Ideally you will be able to meet with senior leaders to discuss. It is particularly important for the senior leadership
of your NHRI to have an opportunity to discuss, refine and agree on the recommendations before they are
distributed further.
Writing recommendations
The International Labour Office suggests the following guidelines for writing audit recommendations.
To ensure quality in the report, recommendations should:
• Be numbered and limited
• Be formulated in a clear and concise manner
• Be relevant and useful
• Be supported by evidence and follow logically from findings
• Not be too general but specific to the programme evaluated
• Specify who is called upon to act
• Specify which action is needed to remedy the situation that needs improvement
• Distinguish the priority of importance of single recommendations (high, low, medium)
• Specify the recommended timeframe for follow up
• Acknowledge whether there are resource implications
ILO (2012) A Manual for Gender Audit Facilitators: The ILO participatory Gender Audit methodology
2nd Edition. Available at www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---dgreports/---gender/documents/
publication/wcms_187411.pdf (p103)
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