cover,  a  title  page,  a  summary  sheet,  text, enclosures,  and  perhaps  an  index  and  bibliography. Reports according to purpose -Prepared for a specific   purpose. Problem-determining  reports   -Present  your attempt to find the causes underlying a problem or to find out whether a problem really exists. Fact-finding reports  -Present data in a logical order, without an attempt to draw conclusions. Performance reports  -Present  information  on  the status  of  activities  or  operations. Technical reports -Present data on a specialized subject. Problem-solution  reports  -Present  an  analysis  of the solution of a particular problem. This type of report is presented in various forms, such as verbal reports, letters, staff studies, estimates of a situation, and  operational  plans  and  orders. Other reports may be prepared in the form of lessons learned reports, point papers, staff studies, and talking papers. Lessons  Learned Lessons learned reports are brief statements or outlines  of  problems  encountered  during  a  recent operation,  exercise,  or  evolution.  A  lessons  learned report  is  drafted  both  to  keep  the  commander informed and to be used as a guide in the future. A prudent  senior  or  master  chief  will  retain  a  file  of lessons   learned   to   use   in   future   planning   for inspections,   deployments,   fleet   exercises,   and   so forth. You should turn over your lessons learned file to your successor so that he or she can benefit from the  lessons  you  have  learned. Lessons  learned  are  excellent  references  for analyzing problems. When appropriate, lessons learned can give creditability and support to other reports, such as point papers. They are valuable when presenting arguments  for  developing  policy  or  as  a  basis  for changing existing policy. When writing your lessons learned, include the following information about the incident: • Describe the environment in which you learned the  lesson. • Describe  what  happened. • Describe  why  it  happened. • Propose  a  solution  or  recommendation. A lessons learned report is useful and sometimes required  by  certain  commands.  Some  commanding officers  insist  that  lessons  learned  reports  be  submitted after every major evolution and used as a basis for follow-on  reports  to  superior  commanders.  Lessons learned should be written after any of the following events: • Major  inspections • Training evolutions • Mishaps or near accidents • Deployments • Major  fleet  exercises A  lot  has  been  learned  and  practical  strategy has  been  developed  in  certain  areas  through lessons  learned  reports.  These  areas  include  law enforcement   operations   with   Coast   Guard   units, defense  against  high-speed  terrorist  boat  attacks, and  rescuing  survivors  at  sea.  Write  lessons learned   reports   whenever   experience   has   taught you  something  that  may  prove  useful  in  the future. The Point Paper A point paper is one of the most useful ways to communicate  your  ideas  to  others  in  a  direct  and objective  manner.  It  is  one  way  to  solicit  a  decision  or to  inform  the  command  and  superiors  of  the following: • The presence of a problem • The  formulation  of  new  ideas • Methods  of  improvement A point paper can also be used to bring up issues for discussion in conferences, to help develop policy, and to  resolve  differences. To be effective, the point paper must be concise and come to the point right away, addressing only one item  per  paper.  It  should  be  limited  to  one  page. Headings  should  be  clear  and  concise  so  that  the reader  can  quickly  identify  the  problem  and  the solution. A variety of styles may be used for point papers. The style used is simply a matter of preference. The 8-19