Executive Summary

Document: [Title of the report, plan, or proposal this summarises] Prepared by: [Author or team] For: [Audience / decision-maker] Date: [Date]

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Context and purpose

[One or two sentences on why this document exists and the question it answers. Orient the reader before the conclusions — what prompted this, and what decision or understanding it supports.]

Key points

[The two to five things that matter most. For a report, the main findings; for a plan, the core of the approach; for a proposal, the problem and the offer. Keep each to a single clear line.]

• [Most important point, stated as a conclusion]
• [Second point]
• [Third point]

Findings / recommendation

[The actual conclusion — stated plainly, not hidden. What you found, and what you recommend doing about it. This is the heart of the summary; lead the reader straight to it.]

We recommend [the recommended course of action] because [the one-line reason it is the right call].

Impact

[What the recommendation is worth or what is at stake. Quantify wherever you honestly can — the cost saved, revenue gained, risk reduced, or deadline met — and bold the headline figure.]

• [Headline benefit, e.g., saves $XX,000 a year / cuts X by XX%]
• [Second benefit or risk avoided]
• [Cost or investment required, if any]

The ask / next step

[Exactly what you want from the reader: approval to proceed, a budget sign-off, or a decision by a date. Be specific — the summary should end by telling the reader what to do.]

We are asking for [the specific decision or approval] by [date, if any].

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Write this section last, keep it to a single page, and make sure it stands on its own without the rest of the document.