How to write an executive summary

What is an executive summary?

An executive summary is a brief overview of a document's purpose, results and conclusions, shortened for quick reading by a manager or executive. A widely used professional communications textbook explains that it sits at the start of a longer report or proposal. Its reader is usually less interested in technical detail than in costs, productivity or efficiency.

For NGO staff, the reader may be a donor programme officer, a board chair or a country director. Many of them read the summary first, and sometimes only the summary. The University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC) writing centre notes that it is often the first and only part read by key decision makers, so it must be readable on its own.

How long should it be?

There is no single rule, but guides agree it is short:

If a donor gives a page or word limit, follow it exactly.

What should it include?

UMGC says an executive summary should present, in summary form, all major sections of the report: purpose, problem, methods, results and recommendations. USC suggests these parts:

1. An opening statement with brief background.
2. The purpose of the study or project.
3. The method used to collect and analyse information.
4. An overview of the findings.
5. Each recommendation, with a short justification.

For a project proposal or concept note, adapt the same logic: the problem, your solution, your approach, expected results, the budget and your request.

A seven-step method

1. Finish the full document first. Do not write the summary until the content is stable.
2. Know the reader. USC advises keeping in mind who the report is meant to influence. Decide what that person needs in order to decide.
3. Mark the key points. Read the document and highlight the purpose, key findings, numbers and recommendations.
4. Draft one or two sentences per major section. Keep the same order as the full document.
5. Open with the problem. The textbook suggests a short opening that establishes the problem, then the solution, and end with explicit recommendations.
6. Add specifics. Use figures where you can. The textbook gives the example of a precise expected result in place of a vague statement of optimism. Use numbers that are in your report.
7. Cut and test. Trim to length. Then ask someone who has not read the report to read the summary and explain it back to you.

A simple template

Use this skeleton and fill each line with one or two sentences:

• Context: Who we are and why this matters now.
• Problem: What is wrong, for whom, and how big it is.
• What we did or propose: The approach in plain words.
• Main results or expected results: The two to four most important findings or outcomes.
• Recommendations or request: What the reader should do, decide or fund.
• Cost and timeline: Total budget and duration, if relevant.

How do you write it clearly?

The textbook says the summary should share the report's formal tone and use direct, clear, concise, specific language. It also advises:

• Do not copy and paste from the report. The summary should be original.
• Omit long transitions and examples to save words.
• Avoid technical language, and briefly define any term you must use.
• Do not include anything the report does not cover.
• Do not hide problems or limits. Briefly explain how they are being addressed.

USC adds that you should avoid passive, vague wording, and not pad the summary with pleas or opinion. UMGC recommends avoiding uncommon terms, symbols and acronyms, and usually not referring to figures and tables.

Our guide on writing for donors in plain English gives more tips on wording.

What mistakes should you avoid?

• Writing it first. The report changes, and the summary then no longer matches.
• A table of contents in words. "Section 1 describes... Section 2 describes..." tells the reader nothing. State the findings.
• No recommendation. Executives want to know what to do.
• Too long. If it runs over the limit, readers stop.
• New information. Everything in the summary must come from the report.
• Heavy jargon. Many readers read English as a second language, so use short sentences and simple words.
• Typing errors. UMGC compares the summary to a job application: even small errors can count against you.

Where does it fit in your documents?

Use an executive summary at the front of an annual report, an evaluation report, a project report or a long proposal. See how to write a clear project report, and how to write a concept note donors read to the end. For a concept note, the opening paragraph often does the work of the summary, so make it complete.

How EMPO can help

EMPO is a reliable, Yangon-based training and consultancy provider and one of Myanmar's leading names in practical NGO training, with 1,200+ people trained and 15 partner organisations. Our report writing and proposal writing training is delivered in English and Burmese, online over Zoom or in person across Myanmar, and we can tailor it to your own documents. See our services or contact us.

Sources

• Reports (section 5.5), Introduction to Professional Communications — Melissa Ashman, BCcampus open textbook
• Executive Summary — University of Maryland Global Campus Effective Writing Center
• Organizing Your Social Sciences Research Paper: Executive Summary — University of Southern California Libraries