Progress Reporting

By Duncan Haughey, PMP

Progress reporting is a key activity of project management. The project manager should issue reports to stakeholders regularly. Include these people on the circulation list:

• Project Sponsor
• Budget Holder
• Senior Users
• Team Members

Keep the report brief and sum up the key points in the project. I recommend this simple format on a maximum of 1 to 2 pages:

1. Report Date.
2. Overall Status.
3. Project Summary.
4. Key Issues.
5. Identified Risks.
6. Tasks and Next Steps.
7. Decisions Needed.
8. Key Future Dates.
9. Budgeted Cost.
10. Spend to Date.

Keeping people updated ensures they remain involved and committed. Regular communication is essential to the well-being of any project. Common failings in this area are:

• Poor communication channels
• Lack of honest communication
• Unwillingness to communicate bad news
• Not asking for help when it's needed.

Regular progress reporting creates a valuable written record of the projects' life. Later you can look back and decide how to improve running of future projects.