To: Daniel Kim
From: Miranda Tang
Date: February 27, 2023
Subject: Peer Review of Formal Report Proposal: Lowering Cost or Subsidization of Parking for UBC Students and Staff Members
First Impressions:
This proposal meets the requirements of the assignment. It did a fantastic job of exposing the fact that UBC parking prices escalated significantly, that this had many negative consequences, and that there may be ways to lessen this financial burden. The tone of the writing was plain and professional, and the information was easy to comprehend upon first reading. Below are some comments and suggestions for enhancing this proposal.
Introduction:
- The introduction provides a concise summary of the UBC parking lots and their functioning. After reading the introduction, the reader will have a thorough comprehension of the suggested research topic.
- At the end of the paragraph, the introduction of the current parking issues at UBC seems somewhat abrupt and hurried. To link the introduction to the “Statement of the Problem” section, please consider writing something like, “Of all the problems with UBC’s parking, the price increase is the most serious and needs to be fixed right away.”
- One suggestion is to rephrase the following sentence: “Without parking spaces or the inability of critical members of UBC’s community to get to campus is an issue that requires consistent attention so that the university fluently runs without issue.” Please consider breaking it into two shorter sentences to enhance readability.
Intended Audience:
- The intended audience seems too broad and needs refinement. Please keep in mind that the final report will be addressed to and written for one or more readers with the authority to implement the suggestions.
Statement of the Problem:
- The problem of a rapid increase in parking prices was clearly stated. Excellent job organizing all of the negative effects of the price increase into a cohesive whole and addressing their repercussions for all parties.
- One suggestion is to add statistical evidence to back up the claim and make it more convincing. For instance, please consider comparing the price of parking seven years ago to the current rate.
Proposed Solutions:
- The offered remedies were reasonable in light of the presented problems. Yet, please reconsider the viability of a few of the alternatives. As for cutting parking costs and establishing additional parking spots at a lower cost, although this would surely be advantageous, the complexities of the school’s budget and the ever-increasing cost of building cast doubt on its viability.
- The plan to raise tuition for everyone at UBC may be a good idea, but be aware that students and faculty who don’t drive to school every day and would find this extra cost too much will be against it.
Scope:
- This section provides a nice, well-thought-out range of questions that covered different parts of the problem.
- Some of the questions don’t seem to have anything to do with the solutions suggested in the last section. How, for example, does the question “which parking lot has the most cars?” relate to the reduction of parking fees? It would help to elaborate on this question further to clarify the correlation.
- Please keep in mind that collecting data via interviews and surveys is a time-consuming process. Please consider narrowing the scope of the research to improve the quality of the data. This will facilitate data collection.
Methods:
- The recommended investigational procedures were well-considered. Excellent job on including both the general student population and the UBC Urban Planning Committee, as this is an effective method for getting aggregate opinions.
- Please consider incorporating a literature review into the research. Your prior education in the discipline of economics has equipped you with the concepts and models necessary for data analytics, and it would be great if you could apply these concepts and models to address real-world situations.
Qualifications:
- Your qualifications for the suggested study are remarkable. Your familiarity with data analytics and experience communicating with clients and stakeholders would be invaluable assets in resolving the current issue.
- A concise summary of your economics education would further strengthen the credibility of your credentials.
Concluding Comments:
Overall, I think your proposal is concise, clear, and well-organized. With the following edits, this will be a great read for all UBC students and faculty.
- Determine your intended audience and who has the authority to implement your suggestions.
- Use statistical facts to support your problem statement.
- Consider the viability of proposed solutions in greater detail and restrict the scope of the investigation to demonstrate their viability.
- Provide a literature review as a secondary source of data.
- Expand upon your academic background in economics to bolster your credentials.
Link: Daniel’s Formal Report Proposal
(The current link leads to the memo)
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