The Report Nobody Reads
24 August 2026 · Laras Anindita1 min read 1,284 reads
Every year public institutions publish reports. Thick, complete, and almost never read outside the meeting room that requires them.
Open is not the same as readable
Uploading a document meets the duty of openness. It does not meet its purpose. A document only readable by people who already know the jargon just moves the wall rather than tearing it down.
Openness is measured by how many people understand, not by how many files are uploaded.
Three small things that change a lot
- A one-page summary written for outsiders, not for auditors.
- Numbers with something to compare them to — last year, a neighbouring region, or the target.
- One name and one email address that actually get replies.
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Comments (3)
The one-page summary is exactly what gets skipped where I work. The report exists, but nobody outside the finance team has ever opened it.
Exactly. It usually isn’t about willingness — nobody feels it’s their job. Once one person is asked to write the summary, the rest follows.
Could you share an example of the one-page summary format? We’re putting together our annual report and would like to try it.
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