Goblin from Arthur Rackham illustrations for Rosetti's Goblin Market

Class Index :: Intro :: Rules & Reqs :: Schedule :: Texts :: Projects :: Extra Credit

Fall 2005: ENC 5236: Advanced Business Writing for Accounting

Collaborative Final Project -- Feasibility Report

You will work in assigned groups to complete this project, which consists of four components, as outlined below. The quality, persuasiveness, and coherency of the various elements contribute to the grade on this final project. Each group will earn a group grade on its proposal, report, and presentation. In addition, each individual will also earn an individual grade, primarily based on individual performance and the information provided in his/her own and other group members' summary memos.

Your overall grade on the project will combine the group and individual scores. That is, the group grade will account for 50% (up to 100 points) of your overall grade on this project, and your individual grade will account for the other 50% (up to 100 points).

Normally includes:

Transmittal Document (Memo)
Title Page
List of Illustrations
Summary
Introduction (based on proposal, but now what you did instead of what you planned to do)
Body of Report (same as intro)
Conclusion
Appendices (if applicable)
Notes (if applicable)
Bibliography (if applicable)

I. Group Proposal (Due Oct 13)

Instructions: Working in groups, students will submit a proposal for a case study on writing done by accountants in the professional workplace. The proposal will be 3-5 pages in length and should present plans for carrying out the task (the case study) and explain the research methods that will be utilized. The assignment will also require that students work with visual aids, such as organizational charts and timelines. This assignment will, of course, expose students more thoroughly to the genre of the proposal. In addition to learning proposal superstructures and conventions, this assignment will require students to practice collaborative writing and to practice creating a more cohesive, coherent arrangement and style.

Your proposal should present a complete, fully developed plan. For instance, it should explain the topic (problem) of your report, where and how you will carry out your research, and how you will schedule the various tasks involved. Consider your role within the hypothetical company, the prompt for the proposal (i.e. Did management solicit it?), the audience you are addressing (internal or external to your company), the nature of the problem you are addressing, and the type of solution you are recommending. Remember that when you write a proposal, you should try to anticipate problems and develop contingency plans to deal with them!

Keep in mind that as you develop your report for the final feasibility project, you should investigate the complexities of your imagined scenario, research its associated issues, provide support for your recommendations regarding it, and include consideration of accounting issues that pertain to it. (However, your scenario need not focus on an accounting problem per se.)

Suggested Elements:

Background: What circumstances prompted this investigation? (Or, if you are hypothesizing that your supervisor has solicited the report from you, what are the current conditions as you see them?)
Methods: What methods of research and data collection would you use? Where would you get your information?
Procedures: What specific steps will you take after your proposal gains approval? What will happen first, second, third? What is your timetable?
Resources: Will you require special facilities or additional personnel to carry out your investigation? If so, how will you justify any effort or expense that will grow out of your work?

Assessment: Your grade on this assignment derives, not from application of advanced accounting principles, but from demonstration of advanced writing skills (including research, document design, presentation, and argumentation skills).

Thus, your grade on the proposal portion of the final project will derive from how well you present your plans for the study, adhere to the proposal format, and incorporate a coherent consideration of the tasks involved. Remember that this proposal will serve as the guide for the entire group, so all group members should agree on the approach and methods.

II. Group Report (Due Nov 17)

Instructions: Still working in groups, students will construct and carry out a case study in which they observe the writing of professional accountants. The final product of this project will be a formal report of the case study findings. This report should be 4-6 pages in length.

After you gain approval for your proposal, research the problem and produce a collaboratively written report that incorporates both graphic and textual elements. In a professional, polished format, your report should present coherently your problem, research, and conclusions, and should argue persuasively for your recommendations.

Normally includes:

Transmittal Document (Memo)
Title Page
List of Illustrations
Summary
Introduction (based on proposal, but now what you did instead of what you planned to do)
Body of Report (same as intro)
Conclusion
Appendices (if applicable)
Notes (if applicable)
Bibliography (if applicable)

III. Group Presentation (Due Nov 22)

Instructions: As a group--and using media such as PowerPoint, overhead projection, or other visual aids--persuasively present your project to the class (within strict time limits). Also, immediately following your presentation, conduct a question and answer session with your colleagues. Optional: As part of your visual presentation, your group may develop a website and either refer to it in your presentation, or navigate your site as part of your presentation.

Assessment: You will receive assessment details later.

IV. Individual Evaluation (Due Dec 6th)

Instructions: As the final step in your project, submit a confidential memo to the instructor that summarizes your own contributions to the work, the collaborative methods of the group, and a thorough appraisal of the work of the group and of each of the group members (including yourself). You must be honest, but the language of such a sensitive document is crucial. Since you will be evaluating your colleagues as well as yourself, strive to convey accurate and thorough information while maintaining sensitivity of expression. (Note: The instructor will maintain the complete confidentiality of these memos.)

Assessment: Your individual grade on this assignment will derive from the quality of your performance as part of a collaborative group--as evident in the group presentation, as evaluated in your own memo, and as tempered by the combined evaluative remarks of your teammates.

Suggestions Regarding Group Work

Rhetorical Context: Consider your role within the hypothetical company involved, whether management solicited the proposal, whether the proposal is for employees of your own company (internal) or for a client (external), the nature of the problem you are addressing, and the type of solution you are recommending.
Message: Remember that the purpose of this document/presentation is to persuade your audience to take action. Communicate all of the facts at hand, and organize those facts in the way that best supports your conclusions.
Collaboration: Your group should collaborate closely to produce a report that persuades in a coordinated and engaging way. That is, your group must agree on how best to persuade your audience and on what tone and syntax will best convey your concerns and proposed solutions.
Final Goal: Conclude by addressing what will or should happen next. Find ways to persuade your audience to accept your recommendation. Stand firm in your belief that the problem is a problem and that the solution requires action of some kind.

Suggestions Regarding Individual Work

Accuracy: I recommend that you maintain notes as your group works to complete its selected report. Then, following your group.s presentation, you can refer to your notes as you independently write and submit a confidential memo to me.
Summary: Summarize the process by which your group worked. What tasks did your report require? How did you divide the responsibilities to accomplish these tasks? By what methods did you coordinate your efforts? How did you collaboratively write and produce the final report and plan for the final presentation?
Analysis: Analyze the group.s collaborative methods. Which methods allowed your group to work most productively? What obstacles did you encounter? How might you have improved your collaboration?
Evaluation: Describe the overall effectiveness of your group.s collaboration, and evaluate the group as a whole. Did your group develop ways of collaborating effectively? Why or why not? What would you change to improve the collaborative process?
Appraisal: Carefully evaluate the contributions of yourself and the other members. How would you evaluate each individual.s performance as a member of this group? Details of the Four Components of the Feasibility Report

This project could be a traditional project or a creative project. The format will be basically the same either way (a proposal, a report, a presentation), but the content could vary widely. Some ideas for possible creative topic (from the discussion board) include:

One idea could be to creatively present some of the new laws that came about because of Sarbanes-Oxley. It's a pretty complicated law and it is really the reason that accountants are in such high demand right now. A way that it could be presented is a game show type. There would still be writing involved and a web-site would work for that. A seperate case study might help with this, but the game show would be more of an overview.
Acting as the Public Relations department for Accounting in general or for the Fisher School of Accounting to help students understand that there is much more to accounting than this, and that interpersonal skills and the ability to work in a team environment are much needed qualities of accountants.
could be a video, brochures, combination of materials
could be a humorous marketing campaign to debunk accounting myths
Case study on how the Fisher School of Accounting can re-enter the Top 10 accounting schools in the nation.
Persuading the students to choose an accounting major would be a good idea for a final project
Game to teach about accounting, possibly based on the idea of Jeopardy or Who Wants To Be A Millionaire to introduce people to the field of accounting. Possible prizes for playing (kids like things mailed out, so this could be organized with the Fisher school to mail out fun things related to accounting. The cost would be fairly low, and it'd make a definite impression on people).
Write a proposal (engagement letter) to a client. It could be a proposal convincing the client to choose your firm to perform certain services for them (i.e. tax, audit, consulting, etc.). Each group will be trying to persuade the same client to choose their firm to perform the services.

Write a proposal to a client to pick our accounting firm over the others. It is something that is done in the real world that we have had zero experience with. It would be fun to have a competition and there are many opportunities to be creative. Obviously, it would be a nice change from memorizing debits and credits.

We can also work on a management letter, which is the next step and once the client likes our proposal, an official letter is typed up with information on the fees charged and the hours that will be put in. The only problem with these letters is that most of the time, the format is standard and they usually end up changing only a few things to customize it to the client's preference.
Make a comedy script out of the code in the internal revenue code. People always joke around about deducting and expensing things when they go out, for personal or corporate use. A group of people could go to different places, and discuss things they will deduct and expense. Sometimes they might be wrong and get corrected. I think it is good to show what can and cannot be deducted for personal or business use. Also things that can be expensed on the companies account can be included.
Some sort of a Sim City or [Insert noun] Tycoon type game, where you'd be in charge of an accounting firm and would have to compete with other firms to build the best firm possible. You'd negotiate with and advise clients, hire people to do the tax and audit work, deal with changes in the legal environment, prioritize which work gets done first, deal with lawsuits from clients and IRS...but while that might work (and consumers would probably still choose roller coaster tycoon over accountant tycoon anyway), it doesn't really get at what most accountants do and is more a game about management rather.