Project Management Reporting

Developed by Dana Rut Gunnarsdóttir - in progress

Abstract

Proper communication is one of the key components of successful project management. It helps to make sure vital information are exchanged properly and to control and monitor scheduled tasks proactively. Project status reporting is one way to ensure effective communication is maintained throughout all project phases. The main purpose of reporting is to keep the project stakeholders as well as the internal project board informed of the project status at regular intervals.

By having consistent reporting, proactive actions can be taken to an unexpected risk and issues that can affect the project health such as cost, time schedule, resources etc. A documented history of the project can help organizations to establish lesson learned in their future projects by reviewing and evaluating old projects and see where they succeeded and which difficulties the project team was facing. The frequency of reporting varies from project to project depending on various factors such as stakeholders, project size, risk, complexity. However, status reports are only a formal document that summarize the progress of the project and should not replace ongoing project communications between project manager, project teams and other relevant parties.

This article will discuss different types of reporting that project manager has to follow to ensure high quality management throughout the project. Many different methods exist in project management, but most widely used method is the PRINCE2. According to PRINCE2, each project consists of seven processes; Starting up a project, initiating a project, directing a project, controlling a stage, managing a stage boundary, managing product delivery and finally closing a project. For each step reporting is essential to keep internal and external partners informed. This methodology will be used as a guideline when discussing different types of reporting.

Project management reporting according to PRINCE2 standards

In a successful organization, it is vital to learn from previous experiences. Thus, it is highly recommended to spent time in making a detailed end project report and a lessons report, that highlight what was learned during the lifespan of the project. This can help to improve the estimation for projects the organization will work on in the near future. Before making those reports several things has to be reviewed, such as baseline of the project and approved changes throughout the project. When the project manager prepare the End project report, he has to go through how the project was performed and how it accomplished compared to planned target and tolerances. The results of the project compared to the expected benefit in the business case, the team performance and a review of the project’s product and a brief summary of recommended actions taken, if appropriate. If the project was brought to a premature closure, the end project report should contain documented reasons for the decision.

The lessons report identifies lessons that can be learned from in upcoming projects. The report includes a review what went well and what could have been done better and any abnormal events that the project team was facing in the lifespan of the project that occur a deviation from the scheduled plan. The report should also include useful measurements such as, required effort from the project team, how the quality management approach was designed and developed and statistics on risks and issues.

Application

As mentioned in this article, it is vital to conduct a good communication between all involved in the project. As a project manager, several reports have to be written throughout the project process. When organization is performing according to PRINCE2 standards, the following reports have to be made by the project manager.

Checkpoint report

Used to report status of the work package, written at a frequency which is defined in the work packages. Includes:

• • Date of checkpoints
  • What period is being followed, what products/activities are being developed by the project team, completed products, quality management activities that are being carried out and lessons learned.
  • Outstanding items from previous reports, actions completed and unresolved issues.
  • What is the next step for the following reporting period, what products are planned to be completed prior end of that period.
  • Where the project stands compared to the tolerance, such as cost, time, baseline, scope etc.
  • Updated risks and issues the project is facing

Status report template

About status report template .. picture?

Benefits of making a status report template

People tend to be more motivated when seeing their accomplishment more visually as well as how far from goals and milestones they are. The following list, shows why making a status report template can be beneficial.

• Focus point clear: All involved focus on same issues each and every week.
• Clarifies activities of the project: Projects can have several complexities and having a visual template can help to clarifies these things and bring them forward. In the report template, milestones can be highlighted so team members are all aware what they are aiming for in their work, which accomplishments they have achieved etc. Any concerns regarding issues and delays that can affect the project budget can also be involved in the project template, to keep everyone informed.
• Keeps projects progress documented: Even though the project manager is not around, the project does not have to go on hold, as the team members can use the report as a reference.
• To see the bigger picture of the project: By seeing the bigger picture of the project, all the process and what needs to be done can be seen more clearly. This leads to better decision making for the success of the whole project.
• Keeps all involved updated: One of the most important in successful project management, is to keep everyone updated.
• Enforces regular analysis of the project’s performance: Makes the project manager perform a regular analysis of the project’s performance and what actions need to be taken.
• Motivating for all involved: The status report template is motivating and inspiring for the project participants. By seeing the milestones and accomplishments gives the team a motivation to keep on working on the project.