Exploring trends and developments
in project management today.
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:
- Report Date
- Project Status
- Project Summary
- Key Issues
- Identified Risks
- Tasks and Next Steps
- Decisions Required
- Key Future Dates
- Budgeted Amount
- 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.
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