Like proposals, reports must convince, relate to action, and suggest further action. Written eports are vital records of an organization's work. They often are used for accountability, e.g. in litigation. Oral reports are also vital. They are routinely used to brief groups.
Many organizations prefer oral reports to written ones.
They are usually organized top-down, with a summary of conclusions and recommendations at the beginning. Writing Publicly Public Comment Professionals are often called on to testify as expert witnesses in public governmental hearings or in litigation. According to the situation, they might testify to represent their own viewpoint or as spokesperson representing an organization's viewpoint. Also, professionals often want to react to proposals by government or to editorials and reports in news media. For all such occasions, professionals need a sense of how to communicate publicly.