Action Taken Report

A Comprehensive Guide to the Action Taken Report

How does one keep track of important meetings on important issues? There are two important ways to do that, and these two ways are interlinked. The first task is by drafting the Minutes of the meeting, which are the written records of the meeting containing the events as well as the content of the meeting in a detailed form. This is generally undertaken due to the complex nature of the meeting and the necessity to note down the details ranging from the specific events of the day to the content of the meeting. The next task is the Action Taken Report (ATR) that is compiled a few days following the date of the meeting, stating the necessary actions based on the discussions that had taken place in the meeting (that are available in the form of written records or the minutes, as mentioned above). The report is submitted approximately 5 to 6 days after the meeting gets over. In this comprehensive guide, we will explore the Action Taken Report in great detail, and by the end of the discussion, you will acquire a clearer understanding of the concept. 

What are the procedures for writing an Action Taken Report?

Writing an Action Taken Report would have to take into serious consideration the following formats and requirements-

• Self Assessment Format- Here, the Department’s strengths and weaknesses must be emphasized in greater detail. For understanding the same, various indicators are chosen, and achievement of the same within the parameters set by the meeting is measured. In case of their non-attainment, measures are put forward for their improvement. For instance, The Department of History of Jesus and Mary College from 2015 has emphasized various indicators to underline the educational status and academic efficiency. These indicators are measured against four options that are, to a very great extent, to a great extent, to a moderate extent, to some extent, and not at all. Here, one of the indicators focused upon indulging in curriculum enrichment that was found to have happened to a great extent. A similar result was found concerning student diversity, and taking an interest in promoting opportunities for experimental learning for students in the college was voted to a very great extent. These kinds of self-assessments help a Department grasp its strengths and weaknesses and accordingly plan actions for further improvement following the meeting discussions regarding the same. 

• A comprehensive assessment of strengths and weaknesses- based on the indicators and the self-assessment of any institution in keeping the indicators, the strengths and weaknesses of any Department or institution need to be succinctly formulated. This helps in understanding the specific areas where actions for improvement are essential. For example, the Department of History at Jesus and Mary College has underlined its strengths with regard to the quality of teaching and education. At the meeting, the Department was found to have quality faculty members with a wide range of teaching and research experience. Students were found to be proactive in organizing seminars, workshops, conferences, and other forms of cultural events with an academic tone. Besides the academic environment, the highly inclusive nature of the institution also adds to the strengths of the Department. The weaknesses, on the other hand, include a lack of diversity in disciplines, poor infrastructure, and lack of facilities for further development of teaching and learning. Based on this assessment compiled during the meeting, the areas of action can be evaluated. Here, it can be stated that the arenas that are in want of development are the academic paraphernalia that would boost and expedite the educational development and not the quality of education and academia. 

• Planning the Actions- Here, it would be significant to provide an insight into the methods that are required to be adopted for planning the necessary actions needed to improve the Department’s efficiency. The actions, in this case, must have a fixed goal that is fulfilling the necessary aims and objectives by the next three years in the form of development of the institution and the Department’s infrastructure facilities and provide more opportunities to the students and the teachers for developing their respective areas of expertise. New ideas, in this case, could be formulated in the next one year in the form of oral history archives to facilitate the growth of the academic quality of the Department. 

Conclusion 

ATR has numerous responsibilities and duties in bringing about transformation in various areas. In other words, the developments and improvements in various spheres; education, being one of them, rests on the proper and accurate analysis of the content discussed in the meeting and their subsequent application.