Communicate complex geological findings clearly and highlight their significance for decision-makers.
CHALLENGES
A Suriname-based leadership and geology team responsible for upstream exploration and appraisal needed to communicate complex technical findings to senior management and other audiences. Their documents included reports, management updates, memos, proposals, presentations, abstracts, and public-facing posters.
Senior leaders consistently found the writing too technical and detailed, making it difficult to identify the key findings and understand why they mattered. Documents did not consistently provide the information readers needed, leading to extensive back-and-forth and repeated revisions.
Without formal training in business and technical writing, the team lacked a shared process for organizing information, selecting the appropriate level of detail, and conveying clear, actionable insights.
Turn complex geological findings into clear, audience-focused documents that support decisions.
SOLUTIONS
Instructional Solutions developed customized business and technical writing training for the leadership and geology team responsible for upstream exploration and appraisal. The training incorporated the team’s actual documents, including reports, management updates, proposals, and abstracts.
Through instruction and practical writing exercises, participants learned a structured process to plan, draft, and refine their documents. The training emphasized audience awareness, information mapping, and clear language to help writers select relevant technical details, highlight the significance of their findings, and reduce unnecessary revisions.
OUTCOMES
Anticipated reduction in writing time of 30%
Respondents expect to save an average of 30% of their writing time by applying the training. Individual estimates ranged from 10% to 50%, reflecting opportunities to write more efficiently across reports, memos, proposals, and everyday communications.
Stronger technical writing skills with immediate practical application
86% of respondents rated themselves as having “major skill” after training, compared with none before training. Participants described applying the tools to emails, meeting notes, summary memos, reports, and presentations. Feedback highlighted the practical exercises, interactive instruction, and useful techniques they could incorporate into daily work.
Testimonial from a Staatsolie participant
“Excellent, very practical training with many AHA-moments.”