Reports Archives - Writing For Councils

A manager discussing a draft council report with a team member.

Reviewing council reports: three risks, and where AI helps or gets in the way

I’ve known excellent staff who have resigned over ‘report churn’ within an organisation. That’s the frustrating situation where a report gets written, reviewed...

Debra BradleySeptember 16, 2026

Reports

Three rewrites and then my report landed in the bin. Here’s the checklist I wish I’d had – and the permission slip I needed to give myself!

Back in 2013, I wrote a natural hazards report. Then I rewrote it. Then I rewrote it again. After all that, it ended...

Debra BradleyJune 21, 2026

Reports

How to write an advisory report

Summary An advisory report is any document where you digest a wide range of information and reach a conclusion on the way forward....

Debra BradleyFebruary 8, 2026

Reports

Stumbling blocks for report writers

Your particular pathway to working in local government may present some specific challenges when you start writing council reports. Here are some examples...

Debra BradleyMay 1, 2024

Other Reports

Workshop notes

In this article I share a trick to help you with presentations, list some resources to help staff write quality reports, reflect on...

Debra BradleyApril 16, 2024

Reports

Thinking like a councillor

We all speak, write and make decisions based on our own experience – and we tend to walk around assuming everyone sees the...

Debra BradleyApril 16, 2024

Community engagement Council documents Reports

How to use Whole Brain Thinking to be successful at work

Whole Brain Thinking is a great tool which you can use when: preparing a community engagement plan writing a strategy, plan or report...

Debra BradleyMarch 26, 2023

Reports

Want to write better reports? Check out these masterclasses.

The local government masterclasses on the NZIER website are excellent resources for council officers and for consultants who work in the local government...

Debra BradleyOctober 4, 2022