Project Status Reporting

Project Status Reporting involves the process of iteratively reporting the current status and progress of a project to relevant stakeholders. The reporting is conducted by the members of a project team by addressing accomplishments and whether or not the determined targets are being achieved.

Summary

Project Status Reporting is supporting monitoring and controlling functions within project management with the focus to manage uncertainties. Project reporting involves the procedure of collecting and distributing project information and updates to relevant stakeholders (PMBOK guide). The status reporting takes place on regularly basis and is an essential pillar of project communication (swanson, cdcp). A project manager is spending the majority of the time on communicating with its project team and relevant stakeholders. Therefore, it is of high importance to maintain effective communication in order to conduct and deliver successful project management (PMBOK, cdcp). Project Status Reporting helps improving the communication flow by providing necessary project updates to relevant internal and external stakeholders (swanson).

In terms of monitoring project risk, project reporting has a big role in identifying potential risks and ineffectiveness in relation to the project plan. By regularly following progress within the project, it enhances the possibilities to quicker discover deviating trends and formulate risk responses. (“Standard for risk management in Portfolios, program, and projects.”)

References

1.^ Hayes Munson, K. A. (2012). How do you know the status of your project?: Project monitoring and controlling. Paper presented at PMI® Global Congress 2012—North America, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Newtown Square, PA: Project Management Institute.

2.^ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2006) "Project Status Reporting" https://www2.cdc.gov/cdcup/library/practices_guides/CDC_UP_Project_Status_Reporting_Practices_Guide.pdf

Project Management Institute (2017) A guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK guide). 6th ed. Newton Square, PA: Project Management Institute.