Technical Report and Business Email: Overview

In this assignment, you will write a technical report and a business email that introduces the report to its target audience. Technical reports define technical terms, summarize and explain complex information, and, in many cases, make recommendations based on the information in the report. Business emails are a key forms of professional communication.

The technical report for this assignment will be about Seattle' tree canopy cover, using data from the Trees for Seattle Urban Forestry Story Map, particularly  the "Urban Tree Canopy" tab. Your report will define key terms, use data to detail the current status of the tree canopy in different areas of Seattle, and make recommendations based on your analysis of technical information. You will share your report and its recommendations with a key stakeholder via a business email that provides context, introduces key points in the report, and calls the recipient to action.

Assignment Goals
After completing this assignment, you will have gained the following skills :

• Defining and describing technical concepts and terms
• Summarizing and presenting technical data
• Organizing a technical report using sections
• Stating conclusions and making recommendations that connect with your technical analysis
• Writing professional email 

Topic
Unlike previous assignments, the topic for this assignment is chosen for you: tree canopy cover in Seattle. However, you have some freedom to approach this topic from different angles. You might:

• Analyze which neighborhoods or census tracts lack canopy cover and propose programs to increase canopy in those areas.
• Investigate the impact of commercial and residential development on canopy cover and recommend new development policies.
• Investigate the relationships between parks and canopy cover. You might develop a plan to mitigate canopy loss caused by insects and disease.

You can choose any lens to  analyze the urban tree canopy data and make recommendations.

Audience
Unlike previous assignment, you have a specific audience chosen for you for this assignment. For this assignment, you are writing for members of the urban forestry team for the City of Seattle. Your audience has strong background knowledge in urban forestry and public policy. They know the history of trees in neighborhoods throughout the city of Seattle, but for our assignment, we'll treat the canopy coverage data on the Trees for Seattle Urban Forestry Story Map as new data for your audience.

You should address your email to Lou Stubecki, who is a real person on the urban forestry team. For this assignment, you can pretend that you have worked with Lou in the past, but that you do not have a close relationship with him. Lou will share your report with the rest of the urban forestry team, decide on the recommendations in your report, and respond to you with the decision.

Assignment Format
Your technical report should be about 1200 - 2000 words and include the following elements:

• A descriptive title
• An executive summary
• Appropriate context to help your reader understand the issue
• An explanation of your methods, data, and analysis
• A coherent rhetorical approach that drives your explanation and makes it relatable to your audience
• A conclusion that pulls your explanation together

Your business email should be no more than 200 words. It should address Lou Stubecki directly, be written in a professional tone and style, and contain the following elements:

• A descriptive title that makes the purpose of the email clear.
• An indication that the report is attached to the email and the title of the report.
• A very high-level summary of report or key highlights that you want to make sure Lou sees.
• A call to action so that it is clear what you want from Lou and when you want it.
• A closing with your name. For example: "Sincerely, Susan Nguyen"