Progress Reporting

Progress reporting is a key element of project management. Reports should be issued by the Project Manager and circulated to the stakeholders on a regular basis. The following people must be included on the circulation list:

• Project Sponsor
• Budget Holder
• Senior User(s)
• Team Members

The report should be kept brief and sum up the key points in the project. The following simple format is recommended on a maximum of 1-2 pages:

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

This ensures that people are kept informed, 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

Regular progress reporting creates a valuable written record of the projects life. This can be used later to look back and decide how the running of future projects can be improved.