CH-5 Report writing
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School
Seneca College *
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Course
ACC416
Subject
Information Systems
Date
Dec 6, 2023
Type
docx
Pages
14
Uploaded by DukeCrowMaster504
Introduction
Report writing and data management are key aspects of the security guard's
daily responsibilities. These skills are fundamental to success in all aspects of
the security industry. These requirements apply to private information generated
and stored both for your client's businesses and your security company's
internally-circulated documents.
Learning Objectives:
Understanding the Personal Information Protection and Electronic
Documents Act (PIPEDA);
Report Writing Fundamentals:
o
Memo Books;
o
Daily Occurrence Reports (DOR);
o
Special Occurrence Reports (SOR).
Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA)
We're going to begin our discussion by gaining a deeper understanding of the
Federal Law that governs the collection and handling of personal information
and electronic documents.
Whenever we talk about collecting personal information or managing electronic
documents, we must start by ensuring that we understand the Personal
Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA).
What is the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act
(PIPEDA)?
PIPEDA is Canada's main federal law that sets out regulations concerning
privacy for commercial activities conducted within the private sector. The
PIPEDA covers the use and disclosure of personal information collected while
carrying out commercial business.
What is the purpose of the Personal Information Protection and Electronic
Documents Act (PIPEDA)?
The purpose of the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents
Act (PIPEDA) is to establish rules to govern the collection, use and disclosure
of personal information in a way that recognizes individuals' rights to privacy.
The Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA)
also recognizes that organizations need to collect, use or disclose personal
information for purposes that the average Canadian would consider appropriate
in the circumstances.
What is considered "
personal information
" under the Personal Information
Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA)?
Personal Information
means information about an identifiable individual.
What is considered a "
record
" under the Personal Information Protection
and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA)?
A
record
includes any correspondence, memorandum, book, plan, map,
drawing, diagram, pictorial or graphic work, photograph, film, microform,
sound recording, videotape, machine-readable record, and any other
documentary material, regardless of physical form or characteristics, and any
copy of those things.
How can I make sure that I comply with the Personal Information
Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA)?
Complying with the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents
Act (PIPEDA) can be complicated depending on various circumstances.
Thankfully, the Act sets out ten principles and some practical steps that
organizations and their employees can take to ensure they comply.
In the next section, we will explore these
Ten Fair Information Principles
.
BACK
Ten Fair Information Principles
What are my Business' Responsibilities under PIPEDA?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VK2rDI04oDQ
In an ever-changing digital landscape, more and more people are concerned
about collecting and distributing their personal information by private
companies.
As Security Professionals (and as private citizens), we must be well-informed
on the fair way to collect, handle, and store our client's and customers' personal
information and electronic documents.
Ten Fair Information Principles
The following excerpt is from the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of
Canada's
official government website
. We have included the links to specific
sections that are tied to each fair information principle which you can visit for
additional information. These links contain many practical practices and tips for
following the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act
(PIPEDA) principles.
1.
Accountability.
2.
Identifying Purposes.
3.
Consent.
4.
Limiting Collection.
5.
Limiting Use, Disclosure, and Retention.
6.
Accuracy.
7.
Safeguards.
8.
Openness.
9.
Individual Access.
10.
Challenging Compliance.
Principle 1 - Accountability
An organization is responsible for personal information under its control. It
must appoint someone to be accountable for its compliance with these fair
information principles.
Principle 2 - Identifying Purposes
The purposes for which the personal information is being collected must be
identified by the organization before or at the time of collection.
Principle 3 - Consent
The individual's knowledge and consent are required for collecting, using, or
disclosing personal information,
except where inappropriate
.
Principle 4 - Limiting Collection
The collection of personal information must be limited to what is needed for the
purposes identified by the organization. The information must be collected by
fair and lawful means.
Principle 5 - Limiting Use, Disclosure, and Retention
Unless the individual consents otherwise or it is required by law, personal
information can only be used or disclosed for the purposes for which it was
collected. Personal information must only be kept as long as required to serve
those purposes.
Principle 6 - Accuracy
Personal information must be as accurate, complete, and up-to-date as possible
to properly satisfy the purposes for which it is to be used.
Principle 7 - Safeguards
Personal information must be protected by appropriate security relative to the
sensitivity of the information.
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Principle 8 - Openness
An organization must make detailed information about its policies and practices
relating to managing personal information publicly and readily available.
Principle 9 - Individual Access
Upon request, an individual must be informed of their personal information's
existence, use, and disclosure and be given access to that information. An
individual shall be able to challenge the accuracy and completeness of the
information and have it amended as appropriate.
Principle 10 - Challenging Compliance
An individual shall be able to challenge an organization’s compliance with the
above principles. Their challenge should be addressed to the person accountable
for the organization’s compliance with PIPEDA, usually their Chief Privacy
Officer.
Administrative Tasks
The writing and handling of documents are tasks security guards must complete
as part of their daily responsibilities when working at their assigned sites.
Remember that your written reports represent your work ethic and abilities to
your client, your boss, and the rest of the world. You need to become good at
this to build a meaningful career in the security industry. The reports we
produce to document incidents are often the only way our clients know what has
happened on their property.
The real measure of whether or not your reports are considered well done is to
ask if the report answers all of the questions the property owner might have
about an incident on their property.
In this course, we will look at the different types of documents you might be
handling at your assigned site. We will also cover report writing fundamentals
(Memo Books, Daily Occurrence, and Special Occurrence Reports).
We believe that every day there is more to learn. We encourage you to keep an
open mind and remember that improving your report-writing skills is always a
team effort. You will be supported on your journey by your supervisors and your
team members--from proofreading your reports to sharing with you their
strategies for effective written communications.
Memo Books
Memo books are the unsung hero in the Security Professional's toolbox. Memo
books are carried with you always while you're on shift. You use it to record
your activities during your shift and important information you need to include
in your reports.
A good system for filling out a memo book will help you do your job more
efficiently.
The easiest way to think about memo book writing is to think of each section
individually. The sections we will be covering in this course are:
1.
Introduction.
2.
Outgoing Shift Change Information.
3.
Shift Notes.
4.
Incoming Shift Change Information.
In the next few pages, we'll use the example above to explore the anatomy of a
good memo book entry.
Memo Books: 4-Part Introduction
An effective
Introduction
must include the following information:
Date, including day, date, month and year;
Company name;
Site name (if applicable) and site street address (include the city and
province);
Your scheduled shift.
By starting with this information at the introduction of your memo book entry,
you are specifying where and when the following events took place.
Memo Books: Outgoing Shift Change
Next, you will record any information that the outgoing shift has passed on to
you and any equipment you are receiving from the outgoing shift.
Here are the types of information you should include in this section:
The time you reported for duty;
The name of the outgoing Security Guard who provided your briefing;
Any Pass-on information provided during a briefing (i.e. elevator was
broken, active leaks, ongoing hot works, etc.);
The equipment you received and the condition you received it (i.e. Key
Ring #3, 1 Access Card, Radio, and Holder in good condition).
If you would like, you can also add the following information:
Weather conditions;
Radio call signs that are assigned to each team member (for sites with
more than one security guard on shift).
Memo Books: Shift Notes
Let's move on to your shift notes. You can think of your shift notes as the
"body" of your memo book report. This section is where you will be
writing the majority of your notes.
Here are some effective tips you can apply to take your memo book writing
skills to the next level:
Always write your times in the 24-hour clock format for extra clarity;
Write an entry at least every 20 minutes to avoid gaps in your report;
Draw a straight line across all blank spaces within the lines to ensure that
no one can add or change the information you have written. Don't forget
to include your initial (signature) at the end of the line;
For any corrections, draw one straight line across the error and place your
initial at the end. Do not scribble or use White-Out because it makes it
appear as if you are hiding information;
If you write a Special Occurrence Report, consider including a note of
this in the left margin (maybe even adding an Incident Ticket Number, if
available). Doing this will allow you to investigate incidents much more
quickly.
Memo Books: Incoming Shift Change
After you have filled out your memo book during your shift, it is time for
you to brief the incoming shift.
At this point, it is very important that you create a record of the
information and equipment that you have passed along. By doing this, we
can best track down any breaks in the chain of communication.
Consider mirroring the framework that you used earlier for the
Outgoing
Shift Notes
section of your memo book. Put yourself in your teammates'
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shoes... what kind of information and equipment do they need to conduct
their shift smoothly?
Let's review the information you should include in this section:
The name of the outgoing Security Guard who provided your briefing;
Any Pass-on information provided during a briefing (i.e. elevator was
broken, active leaks, ongoing hot works, etc.);
The equipment you are passing on and the condition you received it (i.e.
Key Ring #3, 1 Access Card, Radio and Holder in good condition);
The time that you booked off duty.
The Finished Product
Remember that your memo book notes are the foundation for your Daily
Occurrence Reports and Special Occurrence Reports. And, just like with
building a house, it is best to build it on a solid foundation.
Memo book writing is a practical skill that every front-line staff member learns
on the job. The best way to refine this skill is by putting what you learned into
practice and getting feedback from your colleagues or Supervisor.
Daily Occurrence Reports (DOR)
Daily Occurrence Reports (or DOR) are generally referred to in the industry as
the “Shift Report."
They are brief reports that are typically limited to 1 or 2 pages. Most of the
entries are simple statements in the form of a sentence or two. The purpose of
the Daily Occurrence Report is to provide a quick overview of each shift. The
advantage of this format is that your colleagues, Supervisors, and clients will be
able to conduct investigations more quickly and independently.
In comparison, if DORs are not being submitted, your Supervisor and client will
have no option but to read through your handwritten memo book entries to get
more information about an incident. Often, this becomes difficult due to
incomplete memo book entries or messy handwriting, and you will get a phone
call at home to request assistance with the task.
The possibility of getting this phone call at home is significantly reduced by
submitting a complete DOR that captures all important incidents during your
shift.
Most sites require that each guard on duty complete and submit a DOR for
every shift worked. Daily Occurrence Reports are considered legal documents
and are very important record-keeping tools for our customers.
To make this process more efficient, many of our client sites use digital Report
Writing software (or the Microsoft Office Suite), which enables Front Line staff
members to complete their reports through a desktop computer or the site-issued
smartphone.
In the next section, we will cover what you should include in your
Daily
Occurrence Reports
.
DOR - Best Practices
Daily Occurrence Reports templates come in a variety of shapes and sizes to
suit operational needs, but the good news is that the contents remain the same.
Let's revisit your memo book entry and use that as a foundation. Below, we've
highlighted the information that you should include in your Daily Occurrence
Report. Since this is a shift brief, it is a good idea to include only the
information that you believe your supervisor, colleagues, and the client would
like to know.
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Here are some questions you can ask yourself to help you figure out what
should be included in a Daily Occurrence Report:
What happened during my shift that could impact my colleagues or
supervisor?
Would my supervisor like to know whether or not I was able to take my
breaks during a very busy shift?
Are there any ongoing issues with the building, like water leaks or
elevators that are out of service, which can generate complaints or health
and safety incidents?
Were there any emergencies that happened on my shift?
Were any complaints from the building tenants or visitors submitted on
my shift?
Is it a good idea to include a record of the equipment I received and
handed over during shift change--just in case something is
malfunctioning or goes missing?
The types of incidents that are included in Daily Occurrence Reports also vary
from site to site. We recommend reviewing your site's previous DOR database
and reading them. This will allow you to better understand how your DOR
should look and give an idea of the common incidents that occur at the site.
"Should I include this in my Daily Occurrence Report?"
The best advice we give you about DOR writing is that:
If you ever have to ask yourself, "Should I put this in my DOR?"
The answer is usually, "Yes!"
Special Occurrence Report (SOR)
The Special Occurrence Report (or SOR) is, at its core, a business report.
Special Occurrence Reports are often distributed to clients and persons outside
of the Security Industry. Some of these individuals may include:
Companies working alongside the Security Team;
Insurance Companies;
Law Enforcement Officers;
Law Firms and their staff members.
Business writing is an important skill that you need to develop to be prepared
for any future opportunities for growth that has a higher need for formal
business communication. Below is an example of a SOR form similar to one
you may find at your place of work.
Formatting
Properly written reports read like an essay. Every good essay has an
introduction, body and conclusion.
The introduction is written using a standard format that informs the reader how
you became aware of the incident you are reporting. This is called a preamble
and should always begin with "At the above noted time, date, and location,
while... (what were you doing/where were you) the writer... (what is the incident
and how did you find out about it)."
The body of the report is a detailed statement about the incident and answers the
six main questions,
who, what, where, when, why, and how.
The conclusion informs the reader regarding the outcome of the incident, or in
short, how you closed out the incident.
We will get into more formatting shortly, but remember these general
points:
Keep it legible. Others need to read your work accurately and quickly.
Use the 24-hour (military) clock. This eliminates any chance of AM/PM
confusion.
Write in the third person and past tense (did, was, went, saw, etc.). Do not
use "I," "Me," or "We" statements. Refer to yourself as "The writer." I.e.
"At 17:41, the writer arrived at the scene of the incident to document the
damage."
Avoid using security terminology, jargon, codes, or other language others
may not understand. Your report must be understandable by anyone who
reads it, including lawyers, Police, property management, inspectors, etc.
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4-Step Business Writing Process
The four steps of the business writing process include:
1.
Researching.
2.
Planning.
3.
Drafting.
4.
Editing.
Let's break down the four steps of the business writing process and explore how
we can apply them to Special Occurrence Report writing.
Step 1 - Researching
Proper research enables you to obtain the right information for your audience.
Writing a complete and accurate report is very important since Special
Occurrence Reports are also considered legal documents.
Take your time gathering the facts--only the facts!
Some of the tools that you can use to gather information are:
Your memo book entries;
CCTV Camera Footage;
Witness Statements.
Get all your facts organized to make the
Planning
step much easier.
Step 2 - Planning
Create an outline of the information you need to include in your report. The
information or events need to be outlined in chronological order (the order in
which the events happened or the information was provided to you).
Consider using the
Interrogatories
to help you make sure that you have
included all necessary details:
Who
are the persons involved in the incident?
What
happened leading up to, during, and following the incident?
Where
did the incident occur?
When
did the incident occur? When did you take action? When were
people notified of the incident?
Why
did the incident occur?
How
did the incident occur?
Note:
only include the "why" or "how" if you are 100% certain that this
information is factual.
Step 3 - Drafting
Drafts are the rough copy of your report. Expect to revise it once or twice before
you submit the final version. Ask your colleagues or Supervisor to provide
feedback.
Always keep your intended audience in mind. Have you provided all the
information to answer any potential questions they might want to ask?
Here are some important things to remember when writing your draft:
Write in the past tense. Since we are describing factual events that have
already occurred, it is most accurate for us to write them in the past tense.
Refer to yourself in the third person. You can refer to yourself as "the
Writer" or by your title and full name (i.e. Security Guard Tracy Atkins).
Since it is always possible that your SOR will be read aloud in a
courtroom setting, writing reports in the third person is common practice
for added clarity. Imagine a lawyer reading your report aloud, saying,
"I
heard the fire alarm and immediately went to the CACF room to
investigate the Fire Panel display."
It's a bit confusing, right? Compare
that to an image of a lawyer reading your report aloud,
"The Writer
heard the fire alarm and immediately went to the CACF room to
investigate the Fire Panel display."
Avoid industry jargon, slang terms, and radio call signs in your report for
added clarity to the reader.
Step 4 - Editing
Proofread! An effective proofreading technique is to read your sentences
from the end to the beginning. By reading your sentences backwards,
your brain can focus more on each individual word, making spelling
errors more obvious.
Ask your supervisor or colleagues to read your report again. This time,
ask them to pay close attention to the flow of the report. Is it straight to
the point? Did you effectively describe all the events in the order that
they happened? Did you provide enough details so that they can imagine
the entire incident in their mind?
By following the 4-Step Writing Process of Business Writing, you will be able
to compose effective and professional reports that highlight your skills as a
Security Professional.