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The Complete Glossary of Project Management Terminology

By Kate Eby | February 24, 2017

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Establishing standardized definitions for common project management terms is a challenge, even for seasoned pros. To help you achieve this goal, we’re offering this authoritative reference guide, pulling together a complete list of project management terminology. This glossary contains more than 600 terms and provides simple, clear explanations.

Included on this page, you'll find definitions from A-Z, from activity codes and dependencies , to performance reporting and timeboxes . 

Project Management Terms

A - project management terms.

Accept - A decision to take no action against a threat. Project teams typically accept risks when they fall below risk thresholds or when the team thinks it best to act only if and when a threat occurs. (See also risk acceptance )

Acceptance criteria - The specific requirements expected of project deliverables. To be formally accepted, deliverables must meet all acceptance criteria.

Acceptance test - A test in which a team of end users runs a product through its full range of use to identify potential problems.

Acquisition process - This process obtains the personnel and resources necessary for project work. Acquisitions are closely coordinated with project budgets and schedules.

Action item - An activity or task that must be completed.

Action item status - This tracks an action item’s progress from creation to closure. Since work packages comprise multiple action items, keeping action item statuses updated is important for project progress.

Activity - The smallest unit of work necessary to complete a project work package (which includes multiple activities). Time, resources, and finances are required to complete each activity.

Activity code - An alphanumeric value by which activities can be grouped and filtered. A code is assigned to each activity.

Activity identifier - A unique alphanumeric value by which an individual activity can be distinguished. An activity identifier is assigned to each activity.

Activity label - A short descriptor for an activity. Activity labels may be placed below arrows representing activities in activity-on-arrow (AOA) diagrams.

Activity list - This documents all the activities necessary to complete a project. Each activity is accompanied by its activity identifier and a description of the work it entails.

Activity-On-Arrow (AOA) - In this network diagram, arrows represent activities and nodes represent events or milestones. AOA diagrams can only indicate finish-to-start relationships.

Activity-On-Node (AON) - In a network diagram of this nature, nodes represent activities and arrows illustrate logical relationships between activities. AON diagrams can illustrate four relationship types: start-to-start, start-to-finish, finish-to-start, and finish-to-finish.

Actual cost of work performed (ACWP) - This represents the total cost incurred for work done in a given period of time.

Actual duration - The length of time taken to complete an activity.

Actual effort - The amount of labor performed to complete an activity. It is expressed in person-hours or similar units of work.

Actual expenditure - The sum of costs paid from a budget.

Actual progress - This measures the amount of work completed on a project. It is used to assess the comparison between project progress and project baselines and is usually stated as a percentage.

Adaptive project framework (APF) - An approach to project management that rejects traditional, linear project management and instead accepts changing requirements and allows projects to be affected by external business environments. The APF stresses flexibility in many aspects of project management and focuses on performing and evaluating project work in stages to allow room for replanning due to changing business goals, objectives, and requirements.

Administrative closure - This refers to the set of formal requirements fulfilled to end a project. Among other things, it involves documenting the formal acceptance of deliverables and ensuring that all relevant information is sent to a project’s sponsor and stakeholders.

Aggregate planning - This strategy uses demand forecasts to manage scheduling and planning for project activities between three and 18 months in advance, so that the necessary resources and personnel can be efficiently acquired or assigned.

Agile - The Agile family of methodologies is a superset of iterative development approaches aimed at meeting ever-changing customer requirements. Agile development proceeds as a series of iterations, or sprints, with incremental improvements made in each sprint. Since agile projects do not have fixed scopes, agile methodologies are adaptive, and the iterative work is guided by user stories and customer involvement.

Agile project management - Agile project management draws from concepts of agile software development. Agile approaches focus on teamwork, collaboration, and stakeholder involvement, as well as the use of iterative development methods.

Agile software development - Agile software development originates from the Agile Manifesto , a set of principles that emphasizes meeting changing requirements through collaborative development and making ongoing improvements through iteration. It stresses the importance of being reactive to rapid changes in external environments.

Allocation - The assigning of resources for scheduled activities in the most efficient way possible. (See also resource allocation )

Alternative analysis - The evaluation of possible courses of action for project work in order to find the most suitable course of action.

Analogous estimating - This technique uses historical project data to prepare time and cost estimates. It is considered the most inaccurate estimation technique. (See also top-down estimating )

Analytical estimating - This technique computes total project time and cost estimates by preparing estimates for each project activity and adding them together. Analytical estimating is considered the most accurate estimation technique. (See also bottom-up estimating )

Application area - The specific project category of which the project is a part. Application areas can be defined on the basis of project products’ characteristics or applications or by the projects’ customers or stakeholders.

Apportioned effort - Project work associated with components of a work breakdown structure and performed in proportion, with discrete effort. Since the amount of apportioned effort (which includes activities such as quality assurance) depends directly on the amount of discrete effort, it cannot be considered separately from discrete effort. It is one of three types of activities used to measure work performance as part of earned value management.

Approach analysis - During the project planning phase, this type of analysis is used to examine the various methods by which a project’s goals may be achieved.

Arrow diagramming method (ADM) - A method of constructing a network diagram that uses arrows to represent activities and nodes to represent events or milestones. The ADM is used to construct activity-on-arrow (AOA) diagrams.

Artifact - Items that support software development. Artifacts include both items associated with the process of development, such as project plans, and items used to support actual aspects of development, such as use cases and requirements.

Assignment contouring - The process of assigning people to project work for changing numbers of hours per day as the project moves through different stages. Assignment contouring is typically done using project management software.

Assumption - Factors deemed to be true during the project planning process, though proof of their validity is not available. A project’s assumptions can affect its risks and outcomes, so you must consider them carefully.

Authorization - In general, authorization is the power to make decisions that the management grants. The specific remit for authorization varies on a case-by-case basis.

Authorized work - Work that management or others in authority approve.

Avoid - A response to a negative risk that seeks to ensure the risk does not occur or (if the risk cannot be eliminated) seeks to protect the project objectives from the negative risk’s impact. (See also risk avoidance )

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B - Project Management Terms

Backward pass - This calculates late-start and finish dates for project activities by working backwards from the project end date.

Balance - A phase in the portfolio life cycle that involves balancing a portfolio’s components based on risk, costs, and use of resources. It is an aspect of organizational project management. (See also portfolio balancing )

Balanced scorecard - A Balanced scorecard is a concept or tool used to assess whether an organization’s activities are correlated with its general vision and objectives.

Bar chart - A diagrammed calendar schedule of project activities’ start and end dates in logical order. (See also Gantt chart )

Baseline - This term represent the costs and schedules approved at the start of the project. They use baselines as a basis for monitoring and evaluating performance.

Benefits realization -This term focuses on ensuring that project results give customers and stakeholders the benefits they expect.

Blueprint - A document that explains what a program means to accomplish and describes a program’s contribution to organizational objectives.

BOSCARD - This method details and considers the background, objectives, scope, constraints, assumptions, risks, and deliverables of new projects.

Bottom-Up estimating - This calculation computes total time and cost estimates for projects by preparing individual estimates for each of a project’s activities and adding them together. Bottom-up estimating is considered the most accurate estimation technique. (See also analytical estimating )

Brief -  This refers to the document produced during a project’s concept phase. It is the primary document outlining requirements.

Budget - The sum of money allocated for a project. The term may also refer to a comprehensive list of revenues and expenses.

Budgeted cost of work performed (BCWP) - The portion of the budget allocated to scheduled work actually performed in a period of time. (See also earned value )

Budgeted cost of work scheduled (BCWS) - The portion of the budget allocated to work scheduled to be performed in a period of time. (See also planned value )

Burn down chart - A graph that shows the relationship between the number of tasks to be completed and the amount of time left to complete these tasks.

Burst point - A point in a network diagram at which multiple successor activities originate from a common predecessor activity. None of the successor activities may start until one finishes the predecessor activity.

Business analysis - The practice of identifying and solving business problems. It focuses on creating and implementing solutions to business needs via organizational development, process reengineering, or any number of other methods.

Business case - A documentation of the potential outcomes of a new project, including benefits, cost, and effects. It shows the reasoning for starting the project.

Business imperative - An issue, situation, or circumstance with the potential to affect a business in one way or another, depending on the course of action used to address it. Organizations prioritize business imperatives for actions that will realize any potential benefits or avoid any potential harm.

Business model - A company’s business model is the system by which the organization’s  profitable activities are planned, structured, and executed, and by which it interacts with its customers.

Business operations - The entire ensemble of activities or business processes through which a company uses its assets to create value for its customers.

Business process - A Business process is a system of activities by which a business creates a specific result for its customers. There are three categories of business processes: management processes, operational processes, and supporting processes.

Business process modeling (BPM) - Business process modeling is the representation, analysis, and evaluation of business processes in an effort to improve them.  

Business requirements - The conditions a product must satisfy to effectively serve its purpose within a business.

Business value - The business value of a project is the sum of positive effects — tangible and intangible — it has on the business.

C - Project Management Terms

Calendar unit - The smallest unit of time — usually hours or days — by which project activity durations are measured.

Capability maturity model (CMM ) - This model is used to assess the maturity of business process capabilities. It was created to assess the capabilities of software development processes but is now used in a number of other industries as well. Like other maturity models, the CMM allows organizations to assess themselves against external benchmarks and provides recommendations for improvement.

CAPEX - CAPEX, or capital expenditure, is the money a company spends to acquire new fixed physical assets or upgrade old ones, typically for long-term use.

Case study - A case study involves extensive and in-depth formal research into an area of a company, a situation, or an event. Case studies typically result in formal reports that are published in academic or professional publications. They investigate important, singular, or locally representative cases that contribute to the advancement of knowledge.

Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) - This is an entry-level certification for project managers offered by the Project Management Institute. It is designed to build knowledge of project management processes and terms.

Champion - A project champion makes project success a personal responsibility. This person pushes the project team to work hard, liaise with stakeholders on behalf of the project, and support the project manager. Project champion is an informal role.

Change control - Change control is the process of identifying, evaluating, approving, and implementing changes to a project. It ensures that changes are introduced in a controlled and effective manner and that any adjustments necessitated by changes are also addressed.  

Change control board - An appointed group of stakeholders who evaluate proposed changes and decide when and whether to make them.

Change control system/process - The process by which changes to the project are evaluated before approval, implemented, and documented.

Change freeze - The point at which scope changes to a project are no longer permissible.

Change management plan - A Change management plan details the change control process. It is created to ensure all changes are managed according to procedure. Change management plans can be created for individual projects or for organizations undergoing transitions.

Change request - A formal document submitted to the change control board that requests changes to the finalized project management plan. Change requests are usually made only for significant changes, as smaller changes with little to no impact on the project work can be brought to the project manager.

Client/Customer - The people who will directly benefit from a project. A team executes a project with specific attention to a client’s requirements.  

Closing phase - The final phase of the project management life cycle, in which all aspects of the project are officially completed and closed. This includes making sure that all deliverables have been given to the client, that the team notifies suppliers of completion, and that the team updates stakeholders regarding the end of the project and overall project performance.

Code of accounts - An alphanumeric system used to assign unique identifiers to all work breakdown structure components.

Collaborative negotiation - Collaborative negotiation entails all negotiating parties obtaining at least some of what they want from negotiations.

Communications log - This document is used to track all project-related communications. It is organized and edited by the project manager and details who communicated, when and where the communication took place, what information was shared, and the results of the communication.

Communications management plan - This plan states who will send and receive information on aspects of the project, what details are communicated, and when communications are sent. It is part of the project management plan.

Communities of practice - Groups of people who share an area of interest within project management. They meet regularly to share and develop knowledge in the area of interest.

Competence - The ability and knowledge required to perform the tasks associated with a specific role.

Competence framework - The set of competence expectations by which one assesses a person’s suitability for a specific role.

Concept - The beginning phase of the project management life cycle. In the concept phase, the team presents the opportunity or problem (along with possible solutions) and examines the general feasibility of the project.

Conceptual project planning - Conceptual project planning involves developing the documentation from which a project’s organization and control system will originate.

Concurrent engineering - A product development approach where design and development are carried out at the same time. It is used to shorten the development life cycle and to release products more quickly. The simultaneous execution of design and development can help to improve design practicality.

Configuration - Configuration of a product involves shaping its functions and characteristics to make it suitable for customer use.

Configuration management - Configuration management ensures that the product of a project meets all necessary specifications and stipulations. It provides well-defined standards for the management and team to guarantee that they meet quality and functional requirements, as well as any other characteristics considered important.

Consensus - A decision agreed upon by all members of a group.

Constraint - A limitation on a project. Among other things, constraints may be financial or based on time or resource availability.

Constructability - Constructability is a concept used in complex hard projects to assess and examine the entire construction process before beginning construction. It reduces the number of errors, setbacks, and delays once construction work actually begins.

Construction - The process by which a team builds infrastructure. Construction projects are complex. Engineers and architects supervise them, while a project manager manages the project work.

Consumable resource - A nonrenewable resource that cannot be used once consumed.

Contingency plan - An alternative or additional course of action planned in anticipation of the occurrence of specific risks.

Contingency reserve - An allocation of time or money (or both) set aside for the occurrence of known possibilities that could delay a project or make it more expensive. It is not the same as a management reserve, which is an allocation made for unforeseeable circumstances. Use of a contingency reserve is typically authorized upon the occurrence of a contingency.

Contract administration - The process by which a team manages a relationship with a contracting party. It establishes protocols for dealings between contracting parties.

Contract closeout - The process of determining whether the terms of a contract were completed successfully and of settling any remaining terms.

Control Account - A work breakdown structure tool that allows aggregation of costs for work packages as part of earned value management calculations.

Control chart - Control charts compare process results with historical averages and process control limits to show whether a process meets results expectations. If a process’s results are inconsistent or fall outside process control limits, it may need to be examined and adjusted.

Core process - A process that follows an established order and is central to the performance of the process system or project of which it is part.

Corrective action - A step taken to bring work back into alignment with performance expectations after it has failed to meet expectations. A corrective action, which is reactive, is not the same as a preventive action, which is proactive.

Cost baseline - The sum of work package estimates, contingency reserve, and other associated costs by which project performance is assessed. A formal change control process is necessary to change the cost baseline.

Cost benefit analysis - A Cost benefit analysis is used to weigh project costs against anticipated tangible project benefits.

Cost engineering - The application of scientific and engineering principles to several aspects of cost management. Among other things, cost engineers contribute to estimation procedures and project cost management. Cost engineering may also be called project controls in some industries.

Cost management plan - This plan details how project costs will be planned, funded, and controlled. It is a part of the project management plan.

Cost of quality - The cost associated with ensuring project quality. This cost may mean the difference between unacceptable and acceptable project results.

Cost overrun - A cost overrun occurs when unexpected costs cause a project’s actual cost to go beyond budget.

Cost performance index - A cost performance index measures the cost efficiency of a project by calculating the ratio of earned value to actual cost.

Cost plus fixed fee contract (CPFC) - Under a cost plus fixed fee contract, the seller is reimbursed for costs incurred and paid a predetermined fixed fee.

Cost plus incentive fee contract (CPIF) - Under a cost plus incentive fee contract, the seller is reimbursed for costs incurred and paid an additional fee if they meet performance criteria specified in the contract.

Cost plus percentage of cost contract (CPPC) - Under a cost plus percentage of cost contract, the seller is reimbursed for costs incurred and paid an additional amount equal to a percentage of the costs incurred if they meet performance criteria specified in the contract.

Cost reimbursable contract - A cost reimbursable contract is a contract under which a seller is reimbursed for costs incurred and paid an additional sum as per a predetermined agreement as profit. They are typically negotiated for projects with costs that are not fully known or not well defined.

Cost variance - The Cost variance of a project is its earned value minus its actual cost. A negative cost variance indicates that a project is running over budget. A positive cost variance indicates that a project is running below budget.

Cost/schedule impact analysis - A cost/schedule impact analysis determines the effects of a particular change on a project’s cost or schedule.

Crashing - A schedule compression technique used to speed up project work by increasing the rate at which critical path activities are completed by adding more resources — usually more personnel or more equipment. Crashing increases project costs, so it is used first on activities that can be sped up at the least additional cost.

Critical chain project management (CCPM) - Critical chain project management is an approach to managing projects that emphasizes the resources needed to complete project activities over activity order and durations set in a schedule. It uses resource optimization techniques like resource leveling and requires that activity start times be flexible.

Critical incident stress debriefing (CISD) - CISD is a psycho-educational exercise for small groups who have experienced a traumatic event. It is sometimes used in project management to help project teams cope with trauma and to rebuild team cohesion.

Critical path activity - A scheduled activity that is part of a project’s critical path.

Critical path method - The Critical path method is used to estimate the shortest length of time needed to complete a project and to determine the amount of float for activities that are not part of the critical path.

Critical success factor - A critical success factor is an aspect of a project that is crucial to the success of the project.

Criticality index - Each project activity is assigned a percentage called a criticality index, which is a measure of how frequently it is a critical activity in project simulations. Activities with high criticality indexes are likely to prolong project duration if delayed.

Current finish date -  The most up-to-date estimate of when an activity will finish.

Current start date - The most up-to-date estimate of when an activity will start.

Current state - A detailed representation of current business processes that is used as a point of comparison for efforts to analyze and improve processes’ efficiency, effectiveness, and outputs.

D - Project Management Terms

Data date - A data date, also called an as-of date, is a point at which a project’s status is measured and documented. It separates actual data from scheduled data.

Decision tree analysis - A diagrammatic technique used to illustrate a chain of decisions and to examine the implications of multiple decision-making or situational outcomes.

Decomposition - The hierarchical breaking down of project deliverables into smaller components that are easier to plan and manage.

Defect repair - An action taken to remedy a product that is nonfunctional or does not match expectations or requirements.

Define - The phase in the portfolio life cycle in which projects, programs, and any organizational changes needed to realize strategic objectives are identified and examined.

Definitive estimate - A definitive estimate reaches a total project cost estimate by computing cost estimates for all a project’s work packages. Definitive estimating is considered a highly accurate estimation technique, with estimates falling within a ten-percent range of the actual budget.

Deflection - The transferring of risk to another party, generally via a contract.

Deliverable - A final product or product component that must be provided to a client or stakeholder according to contractual stipulations.

Delphi technique - An estimation method based on expert consensus. Experts make estimates individually and simultaneously and then review their estimates as a group before making another set of estimates. The process is repeated, with the pool of estimates typically becoming narrower after each round of review until a consensus is reached. (See also wideband delphi )

Dependency - A logical relationship between project activities in a network diagram that determines when a dependent activity may begin.

Discrete effort - Project work directly associated with components of a work breakdown structure. It is directly measurable. Discrete effort is one of three types of activities used to measure work performance as part of earned value management.

Discretionary dependency - The preferred way to sequence activities when there is no logical limitation on how they must be ordered.

Do nothing option - An element of a project business case that states the consequences, if any, of not undertaking the project.

Drawdown - A method used to exercise control on the release of project funds. Instead of making entire project budgets available from the outset, management may choose to release funds at specific times. These releases are called drawdowns. Drawdowns may coincide with phase gates so that funds are released at the beginning of each phase.

Dummy activity - In activity-on-arrow diagrams, where arrows represent activities, dummy activities show logical relationships between activities. They are not actual activities themselves - dummy activity arrows are drawn with broken lines to differentiate them from regular activity arrows.

Duration - The amount of time taken to complete an activity or task from start to finish.

Duration compression - Duration compression techniques shorten a project’s duration without reducing its scope. This typically requires additional expenditure. There are two main duration compression techniques: crashing and fast tracking. (See also schedule compression technique )

Dynamic systems development method - The dynamic systems development method is one of the agile product development methodologies. Like other members of the agile family, it conducts development in a series of iterations, with user-story-based improvements made in increments. The dynamic systems development method operates with fixed cost and time constraints and uses the MoSCoW prioritization method to identify the desired product requirements with these constraints in mind.

E - Project Management Terms

Early finish date - The earliest time by which a scheduled project activity can logically finish.

Early start date - The earliest time by which a scheduled project activity can logically start.

Earned schedule - A method of measuring schedule performance that improves upon traditional earned value management. Earned value management tracks schedule variance only in terms of money and not in terms of time and thus does not accurately indicate schedule performance by the end of a project. To address this discrepancy, earned schedule theory uses the same data as traditional earned value management but tracks schedule performances separately with respect to money and time.

Earned value - A concept used to gauge project schedule and cost performance. Portions of the project budget are assigned to components of the work breakdown structure, and successful completion of a work breakdown structure component is understood as value earned through work.

Earned value management - A method of measuring project performance and progress with regard to scope, time, and costs. It is based on the use of planned value (where portions of the budget are allotted to all project tasks), and earned value (where progress is measured in terms of the planned value that is earned upon completion of tasks).

Effort - The amount of labor needed to complete a task. It is measured in person-hours or similar units.

Effort estimate - A calculated approximation of the effort — measured in staff-hours or similar units — needed to complete an activity.

Effort management - The most efficient allocation of time and resources to project activities.

End user - The person or persons who will eventually use the product of a project. Products are designed with end users in mind.

Enhancement, maintenance, and upgrade (EMU) - Enhancement, maintenance, and upgrade are project classifications used in the software development industry. Enhancement projects involve improving the functionality or performance of software. Maintenance projects keep software functioning as expected. Upgrade projects create a new version of the software, called a release.

Enterprise environmental factors - Internal and external factors that can impact projects. They include such things as climate, available resources, and organizational structure.

Enterprise modeling - Enterprise modeling is the creation of a model to represent an organization’s structure, processes, and resources. Enterprise models are built to increase understanding of how organizations work. They form the basis of improvement or restructuring efforts.

Epic - A set of similar or related user stories.

Estimate at completion (EAC) - The estimated total cost for all project work, calculated as the sum of the actual cost and the estimate to complete.

Estimate to complete (ETC) - At a given point in a project, the estimate of the cost of the work that still needs to be completed.

Estimating funnel - A metaphor for the increased accuracy in estimation made possible as a project progresses.

Estimation - The use of estimating techniques to reach approximations of unknown values.

Event chain diagram - A visual representation of a schedule network based on event chain methodology. It shows relationships between project activities and risk events.

Event chain methodology - A schedule network analysis method that enables uncertainty modeling. It is used to identify risk events’ impact on a schedule.

Event-Driven - The adjective describes an action that is prompted by the occurrence of an event.

Execution phase - The execution phase begins after activity approval and is the phase in which the team executes the project plan. Execution is typically the longest and most expensive phase in the project management life cycle.

Executive sponsor - Typically a member of the organization’s board who is ultimately responsible for the success of the project. They provide high-level direction to project managers and are accountable to the board for project success.

Expert judgment - The practice of using expert opinion to guide decision making.

External dependency - An outside relationship that affects the completion of a project activity.

Extreme programming (XP) - An agile software development methodology that emphasizes a high degree of responsiveness to evolving customer demands. Development cycles in extreme programming are short, and releases are frequent. Its main features include high-volume communication with customers and pair programming.

Extreme project management (XPM) - An approach to project management used mostly for complex projects with a high degree of uncertainty. XPM is designed for projects where requirements are expected to change. Therefore, it focuses on flexibility more than rigid scheduling. Where traditional project management proceeds sequentially through the project management life cycle and thus clearly defines problems, scopes, and solutions, extreme project management accepts that all three aspects will change as the project proceeds and thus emphasizes continual learning over deterministic planning.

F and G - Project Management Terms

Fallback plan - A predetermined alternative course of action adopted if a risk occurs and  a contingency plan proves unsuccessful in avoiding the risk’s impact.

Fast tracking - A schedule compression technique or duration compression technique in which the duration of a critical path is shortened by performing sections of some critical path activities concurrently instead of consecutively.  

Feasibility study - An evaluation of how likely a project is to be completed effectively, or how practical it is, taking resources and requirements into consideration.   

Finish-To-Start - In a finish-to-start relationship, a successor activity cannot start until a predecessor activity has finished.

Finish-To-Finish - In a finish-to-finish relationship, a successor activity cannot finish until a predecessor activity has finished.

Fishbone diagram - A fishbone diagram is used in project management to identify and categorize the possible causes of an effect. (See also Ishikawa diagram )

Fixed duration - A task in which the time required for completion is fixed.

Fixed formula method - The fixed formula method calculates earned value in a given period of time by splitting a work package budget between the start and completion milestones of a work package. A known proportion of value is earned upon beginning the work package, and the rest is earned upon completing the work package.

Fixed price contract (FPC) - A fixed price contract pays an agreed-upon fee and does not incorporate other variables, such as time and cost.

Fixed units - A task in which the number of resources used is fixed.

Fixed work - A task in which the amount of effort required is fixed.

Float - A measure of the schedule flexibility involving a particular task.

Flowchart - A diagram that lays out the complete sequence of steps in a process or procedure.

Focused improvement - An improvement strategy based on the theory of constraints. Attention is focused on addressing one limiting factor — called a constraint — at a time in order to optimize a system. Each constraint is improved until it no longer limits the system’s performance.

Fordism - Fordism, named for Henry Ford, is a manufacturing system in which mass-produced goods are priced affordably enough that those producing them may reasonably buy them with their own wages.

Forecast - A prediction or estimation of future project status based on available information.

Formal acceptance - The step at which authorized stakeholders sign off on a product, indicating that it meets their expectations.

Forward pass - A technique used to calculate early start and finish dates by working forwards from a point in a project schedule model.

Free float - The amount of time by which an activity can be postponed without affecting the early start dates of a successor activity.

Functional manager - The individual in charge of all activities carried out by a particular functional department within an organization.

Functional organization - An organization which organizes and manages staff members in groups based on specialty areas.

Functional requirements - The working characteristics of a product. These are based on how end users will use the product.

Future state - A detailed representation of the ideal condition of a company’s business processes after improvement.

Gantt chart - A Gantt chart is a type of bar chart that shows all the tasks constituting a project. Tasks are listed vertically, with the horizontal axis marking time. The lengths of task bars are to scale with tasks’ durations. (See also bar chart )

Gate - An end-of-phase checkpoint at which decisions are made regarding whether and how to continue with the project. (See also phase gate )

Go/No go - A point in a project at which it is decided whether to continue with the work.

Goal - An objective set by an individual or an organization. It is a desired endpoint reached by setting and working towards targets.

Goal setting - The process of creating specific, measurable, and attainable goals and of setting deadlines for these goals if desired.

Gold plating - The practice of incorporating features and improvements that go beyond a product’s agreed-upon characteristics. This is generally done to boost customer satisfaction.

Governance - The structure by which roles and relationships between project team members and an organization’s high-level decision makers are defined.

Graphical evaluation and review technique (GERT) - A network analysis technique that uses Monte Carlo simulation to bring a probabilistic approach to network logic and the formation of duration estimates. It is an alternative to the PERT technique but is not often used in complex systems.

H, I, and K - Project Management Terms

Hammock activity - In a schedule network diagram, a hammock activity is a type of summary activity that represents a number of grouped - but unrelated -smaller activities that occur between two dates.

Handover - In the project life cycle, a handover is the point at which deliverables are given to users.

Hanger - An unplanned break in a network path, usually caused by oversights regarding activities or dependent relationships between activities.

HERMES - A project management method created by the Swiss government and used by IT and business organizations. It is a simplified project management method that can be adapted to projects with varying degrees of complexity. It provides document templates to expedite project-related work.

High-Level requirements - The high-level requirements explain the major requirements and characteristics of the final product, including its purpose as a product and within the company. (See also product description )

Historical information - Data from past projects used in the planning of future projects.

Human resource management plan - A human resource management plan details the roles of and relationships between personnel working on a project, as well as how personnel will be managed. It is part of the project management plan.

Hypercritical activities - Critical path activities with negative slack time. They are created when a sequence of critical path activities leading up to another activity is too long to be completed in the stated duration.

Information distribution - The channels used to provide stakeholders with timely information and updates regarding a project.

Initiation phase – The formal start of a new project. It involves receiving proper authorization and creating a clear definition for the project.

Inputs - The information required to start the project management process.

Inspection - The process of reviewing and examining the final product to assess compliance to initial requirements and expectations.

Integrated assurance - The process of coordinating assurance activities across a number of assurance providers.

Integrated change control - The coordination of changes throughout all aspects of a project, including scope, budget, and schedule.

Integrated master plan (IMP) - A project management tool used to break down project work in large, complex projects. It lists project tasks and events in a hierarchical structure and shows relationships between them.

Integrated master schedule (IMS) - An integrated master schedule is produced from an integrated master plan. It is a list of all project tasks represented as a networked schedule.

Integration management plan - A document that explains integration planning and details how changes to project aspects will be managed.

Integration planning - The process of deciding how project elements will be integrated and coordinated and how changes will be addressed throughout the project management process.

Integrative management - Management processes that coordinate a number of project aspects including cost, schedule, and resources (among others).

Invitation for bid - An invitation for expressions of interest that a procuring organization extends. (See also request for proposal )

Ishikawa diagram - Ishikawa diagrams are used in project management to identify the possible causes of an effect. (See also fishbone diagram )

ISO 10006 - A set of quality-management guidelines for projects. It is a standard created by the International Organization for Standardization.

Issue - Anything that can cause problems for a project. The term typically refers to major problems that cannot be tackled by the project team on their own.

Issue log - Project issues and the persons responsible for resolving them. It may also include issue status, plans for resolution, and resolution deadlines.

Iteration - A concept from iterative software development that specifies a fixed time cycle for development work, typically a few weeks long. The development life cycle consists of a number of iterations, sometimes with a functional version of the software produced at the end of each one. Iterative development prioritizes time over scope, so there are rarely concrete requirements to be achieved in an iteration.

Iterative development - Iterative development focuses on developing products in a series of repeated fixed-time iterations, instead of working towards a single deliverable. At the end of an iteration, the team assesses progress and sets targets for the next iteration.

Iterative and incremental development - Iterative and incremental development is any combination of the iterative and incremental development approaches. It is an alternative to the waterfall development method: instead of focusing on sequential development with a single end product, it passes through a number of development cycles, with an improved version of the product, called an increment, produced at the end of each iteration.

Kanban - The word kanban means visual signal in Japanese. Kanban is a visual communication approach to the project management process. It uses visual tools like sticky notes or virtual cards in an online bulletin board to represent project tasks and to track and indicate progress throughout a project.

Kickoff meeting - The first meeting between a project team and stakeholders. It serves to review project expectations and to build enthusiasm for a project.

Key performance indicator (KPI) - A Key performance indicator is a metric for measuring project success. Key performance indicators are established before project execution begins.

L - Project Management Terms

Lag/Lag time - A necessary break or delay between activities.

Late finish date - The latest possible date a scheduled activity can be completed without delaying the rest of the project.

Late start date - The latest possible date a scheduled activity can be started without delaying the rest of the project.

Lateral thinking - Lateral thinking involves using a roundabout method to inspire new ideas or solutions. It can be done in a variety of ways, from using a random word to choosing an object in a room as a basis for thought.

Lead/Lead time - The amount of time an activity can be brought forward with respect to the activity it is dependent upon.

Lean manufacturing - A production methodology based on the idea of streamlining and doing more with less, such as by providing customers with the same product value while eliminating waste and thus reducing production costs.  

Lean six sigma – Lean six sigma combines the no-waste ideals of lean manufacturing with the no-defects target of six sigma. The goal of Lean six sigma is to eliminate waste and defects so that projects cost less and deliver more consistent quality.

Lessons learned - The sum of knowledge gained from project work, which can be used as references and points of interest for future projects.

Level of effort - Work that is not directly associated with components of a work breakdown structure but that can instead be thought of as support work. Examples of level of effort include maintenance and accounting. It is one of three types of activities used to measure work performance as part of earned value management.

Life cycle - The entire process used to build its deliverables. Life cycles are divided into a number of phases. A variety of life cycle models are in use in project management.

Line of balance - A graphical technique used to illustrate relationships between repetitive tasks in projects such as building identical housing units. Each set of repetitive tasks is illustrated as a single line on a chart. Project managers look for places where dependent tasks intersect, indicating that the successor task must be delayed.

Linear sequential model - A linear sequential model moves through a project life cycle’s phases systematically and sequentially. It is typically used for small projects with straightforward requirements, since sequential development makes it difficult to revise design based on testing or preliminary feedback. (See also waterfall model )

Linear scheduling method - A graphical scheduling technique used to assign resources when project work consists of repetitive tasks. It focuses on maximizing resource use and reducing time wastage due to interruptions.

Logic network - A chronologically arranged diagram that shows relationships between project activities.

Logical relationship - A dependency between project activities or between project activities and milestones.

M - Project Management Terms

Management - The act of overseeing planning, personnel, and resources to achieve a goal.

Management process - The act of planning and executing a project or process to meet a defined set of objectives or goals. Management processes may be carried out at multiple levels within organizations, with the scale and scope of activities typically increasing up the organizational hierarchy.

Management reserve - An allocation of money or time (or both) to address unforeseeable circumstances that might delay or increase the costs of a project. A management reserve is not the same as a contingency reserve, which is an allocation made for known possibilities. The senior management must typically approve any release of funds from a management reserve.

Management science (MS) - A field of study that seeks to improve organizational decision making through the use of quantitative and scientific research methods. It evaluates management decisions and outcomes to find optimal solutions to problems, and thus enables better decision making. (See also operations research )

Master project - A master project file comprises a number of smaller projects, called subprojects, arranged hierarchically.

Matrix organization - Employees in a matrix organization report to more than one boss, with different lines of reporting representing different organizational projects or functions. A matrix structure can boost employee engagement and cross-field approaches to problem solving, but it can also create ambiguity over an employee’s role.

Maturity model - Maturity is the extent to which an organization’s methods, processes, and decisions are standardized and optimized. A maturity model assesses one or more of these aspects against a set of external benchmarks to determine an organization’s maturity level. Maturity models allow organizations to assess themselves according to management best practices. They typically offer recommendations for improvement.

Megaproject - A complex, large-scale, and high-investment project. Only hard projects may be termed megaprojects.

Merge point - A point in a network diagram at which multiple predecessor activities culminate in a single successor activity. The successor activity may not start until all the predecessor activities have finished.

Milestone - Milestones indicate specific progress points or events in project timelines. They mark progress needed to complete projects successfully.

Milestone schedule - A milestone schedule details the time relationships associated with project milestones.

Mission statement - A concise enunciation of the goals of an activity or organization. Mission statements are usually a short paragraph, and can be created for entire organizations or for individual projects. They are designed to provide direction and guidance.

Modern project management - An umbrella term for a number of contemporary management strategies. In contrast to traditional management, modern project management: features more recognition of quality and scope variation; refines processes more frequently; stresses collective, interdisciplinary knowledge and team consensus over individual leadership. It is also less based on traditional hierarchies- modern project teams draw from a range of organizational levels and functional areas.

Monte Carlo simulation/technique - Monte Carlo simulation is a computer-based technique that performs probabilistic forecasting of possible outcomes to facilitate decision making. For each possible decision — from the most high-risk to the most conservative — a Monte Carlo simulation provides decision makers with a range of possible outcomes and the likelihood that each will occur.

MoSCoW - The MoSCoW prioritization method allows project managers to communicate with stakeholders on the importance of delivering specific requirements. The acronym indicates four categories of priority and importance for project requirements. Each requirement is prioritized as a “must have,” a “should have,” a “could have,” or a “won’t have.”

Most Likely Duration - An estimate of the most probable length of time needed to complete an activity. It may be used to compute expected activity duration through a technique called three-point estimation.

Motivation - A reason or stimulus that makes a person behave in a certain manner. In management, motivation refers to the desire to pursue personal or organizational goals and is positively associated with productivity.

Murphy’s Law - Murphy’s Law — “What can go wrong will go wrong.” — is cited in project management as a reason to plan adequately for contingencies.

N - Project Management Terms

Near-critical activity - A near-critical activity has only a small amount of total float, or slack time. Near-critical activities have a high chance of becoming critical since their float is easily exhausted.

Near-critical path - A series of activities with only small amounts of total float, called near-critical activities. A near-critical path may become a critical path if its float is exhausted.

Negative variance - The amount by which actual project performance is worse than planned project performance. Negative variances in time and budget show the project is taking longer and is more expensive than planned, respectively.

Negotiation - A discussion to resolve an issue between parties. Negotiations can take place at any point during an activity and may be formal or informal.

Net present value (NPV) - Net present value is a concept that compares the present value of a unit of currency to its inflation-adjusted possible value in the future. It allows organizations to determine the financial benefits, or lack thereof, of long-term projects.

Network Path - In a schedule network diagram, a network path is a logically connected continuous series of activities.

Node - In a network diagram, a node is a point at which dependency lines meet. In activity-on-node diagrams, nodes represent activities. In activity-on-arrow diagrams, they represent events or stages.

Nonlinear management (NLM) - Nonlinear management refers broadly to management practices which emphasize flexibility, self-organization, and adaptation to changing circumstances. It runs counter to concepts in linear management, which seek to impose structure on organizations. The defining characteristics of nonlinear management include encouragement of out-of-the-box thinking, proactivity in responding to challenges, and flexible working arrangements for employees.

O - Project Management Terms

Objective - A clear, concise statement about what an activity is meant to accomplish. Objectives are written to be SMART: specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound. A successful project meets all its stated objectives.

Operations and maintenance - Operations and maintenance is the stage at which a project or system is handed over to staff who will put it into full operation and carry out routine maintenance.

Operations management - The duty of ensuring that an organization's operations are functioning optimally. Operations managers maintain and improve the efficacy and efficiency of business processes. They seek to develop operations which deliver high-quality outputs while keeping costs low.

Operations research (OR) - A field of study that uses mathematical, statistical, and scientific methods to aid and optimize decision making. It uses techniques such as mathematical modeling and optimization to enable better decision making. (See also management science )

Opportunity - In project management, an opportunity is a possibility that can contribute to project objectives. Opportunities in project management are classified as a type of risk.

Opportunity cost - The opportunity cost of a particular course of action is the loss of potential gains from all alternative courses of action.

Optimistic duration - An estimate of the shortest length of time needed to complete a specific activity or task. It may be used to compute expected activity duration through a technique called three-point estimation.

Order of magnitude estimate - An order of magnitude estimate provides an early, imprecise idea of the time and money required to complete a project. It uses historical data from completed projects to form adjusted estimates for similar new projects, usually presenting these estimates as ranging from -25 percent to +75 percent of the actual budget to indicate the levels of uncertainty involved.

Organization - A formally structured arrangement of parties that actively pursues a collective purpose. Organizations can be affected by external factors, and they in turn can affect the external environment.

Organization development - Broadly, organization development involves strategic efforts to improve aspects of organizational performance such as efficacy, efficiency, and sustainability, as well as aspects of organizational health such as employee satisfaction and engagement. The term may also refer to a field of study focusing on the characteristics of organizations and their growth and evolution.

Organizational breakdown structure - A hierarchical model of an organization's units and all its activities. It shows relationships between activities and organizational units and indicates the responsibilities of each unit, thus providing a holistic perspective of how an organization operates.

Organizational enabler - Any practice, tool, knowledge, or skill base that facilitates an organization’s pursuit of its objectives may be termed an organizational enabler.

Organizational planning   - The strategic process of defining roles, responsibilities, and reporting hierarchies for parties within an organization, keeping the organization’s objectives in mind. It is carried out based on the principles and strategies by which an organization manages its members.

Organizational process assets - The specific set of formal and informal plans and processes in use at an organization. They also constitute the sum of knowledge and experience accumulated from past efforts. Organizational process assets are essentially the unique knowledge and processes that facilitate an organization’s operations.

Organizational project management - A strategic approach that emphasizes the effective management of projects, programs, and portfolios as the best way to pursue organizational objectives. It focuses on aligning an organization’s activities with its objectives and on managing these activities collectively, so they contribute to objectives.

Organizational project management maturity - A measure of an organization’s ability to meet its objectives by effectively managing all its activities. It can be assessed with a maturity model called the OPM3, which, like other maturity models, provides comparisons and recommendations for improvement.

Output - In project management, an output is the (usually physical) end product of a process.

Overall change control - The evaluation, coordination, and management of project-related changes. It concerns both the effective integration of changes to benefit the project and the management of adverse changes or emergencies, so that project activities are not disrupted.

P - Project Management Terms

P3 assurance - P3 assurance involves satisfying sponsors and stakeholders that projects, programs, and portfolios are on course to meet performance expectations, fulfill objectives, and meet requirements.

P3 management - P3 management refers collectively to the management of projects, programs, and portfolios.

Parallel life cycle - In a parallel life cycle, certain phases are conducted in parallel (they overlap).

Parametric estimating - A technique for estimating cost and duration based on using historical data to establish relationships between variables — for example, calculating unit costs and the number of units required to complete a similar activity.

Pareto chart - A Pareto chart is a combination bar chart and line graph where the bars represent category frequencies in descending order from left to right, and the line tracks the cumulative total as a percentage.

Path convergence - On a schedule network diagram, path convergence occurs when an activity has multiple predecessors.

Path divergence - On a schedule network diagram, path divergence occurs when an activity has multiple successors.

Percent complete - The percent complete indicates the amount of work completed on an activity as a percentage of the total amount of work required.

Performance measurement baseline - A performance measurement baseline uses the schedule, cost, and scope baselines to create a point of comparison by which project performance is assessed. Variance from the performance measurement baseline may prompt corrective action.

Performance reporting - Performance reporting is formally informing stakeholders about a project's current performance and future performance forecasts. The aspects of performance to be reported are typically laid out in a communications management plan.

Performing organization - The performing organization for a project is the one whose members and resources most directly perform the project work.

Pessimistic duration - The pessimistic duration is an estimate of the longest length of time needed to complete a specific activity or task. It may be used to compute expected activity duration through a technique called three-point estimation.

PEST analysis - A PEST analysis examines how political, economic, social, and technological factors might affect a project.

Phase - A distinct stage in a project life cycle.

Phase gate - A phase gate is an end-of-phase checkpoint where the project leadership reviews progress and decides whether to continue to the next phase, revisits work done in the phase, or ends the project.

Planned value (PV) - The budget assigned to the work it is meant to accomplish. (See also budgeted cost for work scheduled )

Planning - The development of a course of action to pursue goals or objectives.

Planning phase - In project management, planning refers specifically to a phase of the life cycle that involves creating plans for management, control, and execution, as well as for what a project is meant to accomplish.

Planning poker - A consensus-based estimation technique. It attempts to avoid the anchoring effect — where the first estimate forms a baseline for all subsequent estimates — by having project team members make estimates simultaneously and discuss their estimates until they reach agreement.

Portfolio - A collectively managed set of programs and projects.

Portfolio balancing - An aspect of organizational project management, portfolio balancing involves selecting and tailoring a portfolio’s components so they can be managed in line with organizational objectives.

Portfolio charter - A portfolio charter details the formal structure of a portfolio and describes what it is meant to achieve. It authorizes the creation of a portfolio and connects its management with organizational objectives.

Portfolio management - The collective management of portfolios and their components in line with concepts of organizational project management.

Portfolio manager - The individual responsible for balancing and controlling a portfolio in line with concepts of organizational project management.

Portfolio, program, and project management maturity model (P3M3) - The P3M3 assesses organizational performance in portfolio, program, and project management via a set of key process areas (KPAs). Like other maturity models, the P3M3 allows organizations to measure their performance against external benchmarks and provides a roadmap for project performance and delivery improvement.

Positive variance - The amount by which actual project performance is better than planned project performance. Positive variances in time and budget show the project is proceeding faster and is less expensive than planned, respectively.

Precedence diagramming method (PDM) - The process of constructing a project schedule network diagram. It illustrates the logical relationships between project activities and shows the order in which they must be performed by using nodes to represent activities and arrows to show dependencies. PDM also indicates early and late start and finish dates, as well as activity durations.

Precedence network - A precedence network visually indicates relationships between project activities. Boxes and links are used to represent activities and activity relationships. Precedence networks also detail the time relationships and constraints associated with activities.

Predecessor activity - In a schedule, a predecessor activity logically comes immediately before another activity, which is dependent on the predecessor.

Preventive action - A step taken to ensure future work does not stray from performance expectations. A preventive action, which is proactive, is not the same as a corrective action, which is reactive.

PRINCE2 - PRINCE2 is an acronym for projects in controlled environments, version 2. It is a project management methodology that emphasizes business justifications for projects.  PRINCE2 management is based on clear organization of project roles and responsibilities and managing when necessary rather than by obligation. It involves planning and executing projects in a series of stages, with stipulated requirements for each work package.

PRiSM - PRiSM is an acronym for projects integrating sustainable methods. It is a project management methodology that focuses on minimizing negative impacts on society and the environment. PRiSM focuses on sustainability. It is essentially green project management.

Probability and impact matrix - A visual framework for categorizing risks based on their probability of occurrence and impact.

Problem statement - A problem statement concisely states and describes an issue that needs to be solved. It is used to focus and direct problem-solving efforts.

Process - A process is a repeatable sequence of activities with known inputs and outputs. Processes consume energy.

Process architecture - The sum of structures, components, and relationships that constitute a process system, which is a complex system of processes. It refers to the overall design of a process system and comprises both infrastructure (the constituent parts and relationships) and suprastructure (the larger system of which the process system is part).

Process management - The act of planning, coordinating, and overseeing processes with a view to improving outputs, reducing inputs and energy costs, and maintaining and improving efficiency and efficacy.

Process-based project management - A methodology that views projects as means of pursuing organizational objectives. It involves using an organization’s mission and values to guide the creation and pursuit of project objectives. If project objectives aren’t in alignment with the company mission statement, they are amended accordingly.

Procurement management plan - A procurement management plan explains how an organization will obtain any external resources needed for a project.

Product breakdown structure (PBS) - A product breakdown structure is used in project management to record and communicate all project deliverables in a hierarchical tree structure. It may be thought of as a comprehensive list of all project outputs and outcomes.

Product description - A product description defines and describes a project product and its purpose. (See also high-level requirements )

Product verification - Product verification involves examining a deliverable to ensure, among other things, that it meets requirements, quality benchmarks, and expectations set by the product description. It is conducted before a product is presented to a customer for acceptance.

Professional development unit (PDU) - A continuing education unit that project management professionals (PMPs) take to maintain certification.

Program - A collectively managed set of projects.

Program charter - An approved document that authorizes the use of resources for a program and connects its management with organizational objectives.

Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) - PERT is a statistical method used to analyze activity and project durations. PERT networks are typically illustrated with activity-on-arrow diagrams. The method makes use of optimistic, pessimistic, and most likely durations to estimate expected durations for project activities and to determine float times, early and late start dates, and critical paths. (See also three-point estimating )

Program management - The collective management of programs and their components in line with concepts of organizational project management.

Program manager - A program manager has formal authority to manage a program and is responsible for meeting its objectives as part of organizational project management methods. They oversee, at a high level, all projects within a program.

Progress analysis - The measurement of progress against performance baselines. Progress analysis collects information about the status of an activity that may prompt corrective action.

Progressive elaboration - The practice of adding and updating details in a project management plan. It aims at managing to increase levels of detail as estimates are revised, and more up-to-date information becomes available.

Project - A temporary, goal-driven effort to create a unique output. A project has clearly defined phases , and its success is measured by whether it meets its stated objectives.

Project accounting - In project management, project accounting deals with reporting on the financial status of projects. It measures financial performance and actual costs against budgets or baselines. Therefore, it complements project management while providing financial information to the sponsor. Project accounting may also be referred to as job cost accounting.

Project baseline - A project baseline comprises the budget and schedule allocations set during the initiation and planning phases of a project. Assuming the scope of the project remains unchanged, it may be used to determine variance from budget or schedule.

Project calendar - A project calendar indicates periods of time for scheduled project work.

Project charter - A Project charter is a document that details the scope, organization, and objectives of a project. It is typically created by a project manager and formally approved by the sponsor. A project charter authorizes the project manager’s use of organizational resources for the project and is understood to be an agreement between the sponsor, stakeholders, and project manager. (See also project )

Project cost management (PCM) - The use of an information system to estimate, measure, and control costs through the project life cycle. It aims at completing projects within budgets.

Project definition - A project definition or project charter is a document created by a project manager and approved by a project sponsor that details the scope, organization, and objectives of a project. It authorizes a project manager’s use of resources for a project and constitutes an agreement between the sponsor, stakeholders, and project manager (See also project charter )

Project management body of knowledge (PMBOK) - The PMBOK is a collection of project management-related knowledge maintained by the Project Management Institute.

Project management office - An organizational unit that oversees project management-related activities within an organization. It seeks to facilitate and expedite project work through the use of standard procedures. A project management office also functions as a repository of general, project-related knowledge and resources.

Project management process - A management process that encompasses all phases of a project, from initiation to the meeting of objectives.

Project management professional (PMP) - A Project management professional (PMP) is a person certified by the Project Management Institute upon completion of a course of formal education, an examination, and a certain number of hours managing projects. The certification is considered the gold standard in project management.

Project management simulators - Software training tools that teach project management skills via interactive learning and provide real-time feedback by which project management trainees can practice and reassess their decision making. Some simulators, such as the Monte Carlo simulator, are used to support and complement decision making in real projects.

Project management software - Project management software is a family of tools typically used in the management of complex projects. They provide the ability to: calculate estimates; create and manage schedules and budgets; track and oversee project activities and progress; assign and allocate resources; optimize decision making; and communicate and collaborate with members of a project team.

Project management triangle - A visual metaphor that illustrates relationships between scope, cost, and schedule. It expresses the idea that none of the three aspects can be amended without affecting the others.

Project manager - The person tasked with initiating, planning, executing, and closing a project, and with managing all aspects of project performance through these phases. The term is typically used for a project management professional. Project managers are able to use organizational resources for projects. They serve as contact points for sponsors, program managers, and other stakeholders.

Project network - A visual representation of the activities and dependencies involved in the successful completion of a project.

Project performance indicators - Measures used to assess project performance, usually with reference to project or performance baselines. These typically include cost, schedule, and scope statuses.

Project phase - A distinct stage in a project management life cycle. Each phase comprises a set of project-related activities.

Project plan - A document formally approved by the project manager, sponsor, and other stakeholders which states the approved cost, schedule, and scope baselines. It guides project execution, control, and quality and performance assessment. The project plan also forms the basis for communication between parties involved in a project. Project plans can vary in their levels of detail.

Project planning - Project planning is usually the longest phase of the project management life cycle. It involves determining cost, schedule, and scope baselines and using these to create a detailed roadmap for executing project activities and producing deliverables.

Project portfolio management (PPM) - A method of collectively managing a portfolio’s constituent programs and projects to pursue organizational objectives. It involves optimizing the mix and scheduling of projects to pursue objectives as effectively as possible. Project portfolio management is closely related to organizational project management.

Project schedule network diagram - A diagram is a visual representation of how scheduled project activities are ordered and related. Depending on the type of network diagram, boxes represent activities or events, and arrows indicate activities or dependencies, typically with expected durations.

Project scope statement - A project scope statement details what a project is meant to achieve and describes the deliverables expected. It forms the basis of measurable objectives by which the success of a project will be assessed. Project scope statements are typically part of project plans.

Project stakeholders - Broadly, a Stakeholder is any party which may be affected by a project. In project management, the term usually refers to parties with an interest in the successful completion of a project.

Project team - A project team is responsible for leading and collectively managing a project and its related activities through the project’s life cycle. Project teams may contain members from several different functional groups within an organization. Depending on the nature of the project, a project team may be disbanded upon completion of a project.

Project tiers - Project sizing categorizes projects into project tiers based on staff power or time required for completion to determine the most appropriate project management practices.

Projectized organization - A projectized organization arranges all its activities into a collection of projects, programs, and portfolios. Projects are typically completed for external clients or customers. The prioritization of project work means the project manager can utilize resources and assign work as they see fit.

Proof of concept - A proof of concept is derived from a pilot project or experiment that examines whether an activity can be completed, or a concept can be realized. It shows the feasibility of an idea.

Proport - The term proport is used to define the sum of unique skills that team members bring to a project. These skills can be harnessed for collective benefit.

Q - Project Management Terms

Qualitative risk analysis - A project management technique that subjectively analyzes risk probability and impact. The risks are categorized on a probability and impact matrix, and those deemed significant may undergo a quantitative risk analysis.

Quality - In project management, quality is a measure of a deliverable’s degree of excellence. Quality may also refer to a clearly defined set of stakeholder requirements by which results are assessed.

Quality assurance - A set of practices designed to monitor processes and provide confidence that result in deliverables meeting quality expectations. It may involve quality audits and the stipulated use of best practices.

Quality control - The use of standardized practices to ensure that deliverables meet stakeholder expectations. It involves not only the definition and identification of unacceptable results but also the management of processes to optimize results.

Quality management plan - A quality management plan identifies stakeholders’ quality expectations and details quality assurance and quality control policies to monitor results and meet these expectations. It is part of a project management plan.

Quality planning - Quality planning involves identifying expected quality standards and creating mechanisms to ensure these standards are met. It may also recommend corrective action if quality standards are not being met.

Quality, cost, delivery (QCD) - QCD is an approach to management that focuses on assessing production processes with regard to three aspects: quality, cost, and delivery. It seeks to simplify process management and facilitate decision making by providing objective information about each of the three aspects, with an understanding that modifications to any one aspect will also affect the others.

Quantitative risk analysis - The mathematical analysis of risk probability and impact. In project management, it is not a substitute for qualitative risk analysis. Instead, quantitative analysis is conducted after qualitative analysis and assesses risks that qualitative analysis has identified as significant.

R - Project Management Terms

RAID log - RAID is an acronym for risks, assumptions, issues, and dependencies. The RAID log is a project management tool that records developments in these four aspects of project work for the stakeholders’ benefit and for an end-of-project review.

RASCI/RACI chart - A RASCI chart is created during project initiation to identify those who are: responsible for project activities, accountable for ensuring that work is done, signing off on the work, consulted in relation to work activities, and informed about the status of the work. The acronym may be simplified as RACI . (See also responsibility assignment matrix )

Reengineering - Reengineering involves the extensive redesign or rethinking of core processes to achieve major performance improvements. It focuses on optimizing key performance areas such as quality and efficiency. Reengineering often involves restructuring organizations so that multi-functional teams can manage processes from start to end.

Release - In IT project management, a release is a fully functional software delivered to a customer as agreed, typically after a series of iterations.

Remote team - A remote team’s members work in collaboration, usually electronically, from different geographic locations.

Repeatable - The term repeatable is used to describe a sequence of activities that may be easily and efficiently replicated. Repeatable processes are economical since they typically avoid negative variances and have established operations.

Request for proposal - A formal invitation for expressions of interest that is extended by an organization looking to procure goods or services. (See also invitation for bid )

Request for quotation - Upon receipt of proposals after issuing a request for proposal, an organization will issue a request for quotations to shortlisted proposers, asking for detailed cost estimations for specific goods or services.

Requirements management plan - A requirements management plan explains how project requirements will be defined, managed, and delivered. It is part of a project management plan and is used to guide project execution and control to adequately deliver requirements.

Requirements traceability matrix - A table that tracks requirements through the project life cycle and product testing. It is used to ensure that a project is able to deliver the stipulated requirements during the verification process.

Requirements - A set of stipulations regarding project deliverables. They are a key element of the project scope and explain in detail the stakeholders’ expectations for a project.

Residual risk - Any risks that have not or cannot be addressed by risk mitigation or risk avoidance procedures.

Resource allocation - The assigning and scheduling of resources for project-related activities, ideally in the most efficient manner possible. Resource allocation is typically handled by a project manager, though they may be overridden by a program manager if resources are to be shared between multiple projects. (See also allocation )

Resource availability - Resource availability indicates whether a specific resource is available for use at a given time.

Resource breakdown structure - A hierarchical list of resources needed for project work, classified by type and function.

Resource calendar - A resource calendar indicates resource availability, usually by shift, over a period of time.

Resource leveling - A technique that involves amending the project schedule to keep resource use below a set limit. It is used when it is important to impose limits on resource use. Resource leveling can affect a project’s critical path.

Resource loading profiles - Resource loading profiles indicate the number and type of personnel required to do project work over periods of time.

Resource optimization techniques - Resource optimization techniques seek to reconcile supplies and demands for resources. Depending on whether project duration or limiting resource use is prioritized, they can be used to amend activity start and finish dates in ways that do or do not affect a project’s critical path. (See also resource leveling and resource smoothing )

Resource smoothing - A technique that makes use of float when allocating resources so as not to affect total project duration. It is used when project time constraints are important. Resource leveling does not affect a project’s critical path.

Resource-Limited schedule - A resource-limited schedule has had its start and end dates adjusted based on the expected availability of resources.

Resources - The elements needed for a project to successfully meet its objectives. Examples of resources include equipment, staff, locations, facilities, and money.

Responsibility assignment matrix - A responsibility assignment matrix identifies those who are: responsible for project activities, accountable for ensuring that work is done, consulted about work activities, and informed about the work status. (See also RASCI/RACI chart)

Retainage - The sum of money withheld from a contract payment until completion of the contract according to terms.

Return on investment (ROI) - The expected financial gain of a project expressed as a percentage of total project investment. It is used to assess the overall profitability of a project.

Risk - The probability of occurrence of a specific event that affects the pursuit of objectives. Risks are not negative by definition. In project management, opportunities are also considered risks.

Risk acceptance - Risk acceptance involves acknowledging a risk and not taking preemptive action against it.

Risk appetite - The amount and type of risk an organization is willing to accept in anticipation of gains. It is not the same as risk tolerance, which is the amount of variation in performance measures that an organization is willing to accept.

Risk assessment - An activity that involves identifying possible risks to a project and examining how these risks, if they occur, would affect objectives.

Risk avoidance - Risk avoidance focuses on avoiding threats that can harm an organization, its projects, or assets. Unlike risk management, which is geared toward mitigating the impact of a negative event, risk avoidance seeks to address vulnerabilities and make sure those events do not occur.

Risk breakdown structure - A hierarchical model of all risks, arranged categorically.

Risk category - A set of risks grouped by cause.

Risk efficiency - A concept based on the idea of maximizing the return-to-risk ratio. It can do this in two ways: by minimizing exposure to risk for a given level of expected return or by seeking the highest possible expected return for a given level of risk.

Risk enhancement - Risk enhancement involves increasing the probability of an opportunity, or positive risk, occurring.

Risk exploitation - Risk exploitation focuses on ensuring that an opportunity, or positive risk, occurs.

Risk identification - The process of identifying and examining risks and their effects on project objectives.

Risk management - A subset of management strategies that deals with identifying and assessing risks and acting to reduce the likelihood or impact of negative risks. Risk managers seek to ensure that negative risks do not affect organizational or project objectives.

Risk mitigation - Risk mitigation involves decreasing the probability of a negative risk occurring, as well as protecting project objectives from a negative risk’s impact.

Risk monitoring and control - The risk monitoring and control process uses a risk management plan to identify risks and implement appropriate risk responses.

Risk owner - A risk owner is responsible for determining and enacting appropriate responses to a specific type of risk. (See also risk response owner )

Risk register - A risk register, or risk log, is a tool used to chronicle risky situations and risk responses as they arise.

Risk response owner - A risk owner monitors a specific type of risk and implements appropriate risk responses when necessary. (See also risk owner)

Risk response planning - Risk response planning is typically conducted after risk analyses to determine appropriate courses of action for risks is deemed significant.

Risk sharing - Risk sharing involves handing ownership of a positive risk to a third party who is typically specialized and better able to realize the opportunity.

Risk threshold - The level at which the likelihood or impact of a risk becomes significant enough that the risk manager deems a risk response necessary.

Risk tolerance - The level of variation in performance measures that an organization is willing to accept. It is not the same as risk appetite, which is the level and type of risk an organization is prepared to accept in anticipation of gains.

Risk transference - Risk transference involves handing ownership of risk to a third party who is typically specialized and better able to address the risk or to withstand its impact.

Risk trigger - An event that causes a risk to occur. A trigger can serve as a warning that a risk has occurred or is about to occur.

Rolling wave planning - A planning approach that focuses on in-depth detailing of work to be accomplished in the near term and progressively lower levels of detail for work scheduled farther in the future. It is based on the idea that work scheduled in the future is more subject to change and thus less worth planning in detail. Rolling wave planning only works for schedules with clearly defined iterations.

Root cause - The primary reason an event occurs.

Run book - A comprehensive catalog of information needed to conduct operations and to respond to any emergency situations that arise during operations. It typically details, step by step, all regular operational procedures and emergency responses.

S - Project Management Terms

S-Curve analysis - An s-curve tracks cumulative financial or labor costs. S-Curve analysis is used to compare a project’s cumulative costs at any given point with a cumulative cost baseline created during the planning phase. It allows project managers and sponsors to assess performance and progress.

Schedule - A comprehensive list of project activities and milestones in logical order, with start and finish dates for each component.

Schedule baseline - A schedule baseline is the original project schedule — approved by the project team, sponsor, and stakeholders — by which performance is assessed. Schedule baselines are generally inflexible, though alteration of a schedule baseline via a formal change control process may be allowed.

Schedule compression technique - A schedule compression technique speeds up projects without affecting scope by decreasing the duration of a project’s critical path. There are two main schedule compression techniques: crashing and fast tracking. (See also duration compression )

Schedule model - A logically arranged, time-based plan for project activities. It is used to create a project schedule.

Schedule model analysis - Schedule model analysis examines the project schedule created from a schedule model. It aims to optimize the schedule, usually via the use of scheduling software.

Schedule network analysis - Schedule network analysis uses a variety of techniques to identify early and late start and finish dates for project activities and thus to create project schedules.

Schedule performance index (SPI) - The ratio of earned value to planned value at a given point in time. It shows whether a project is running to schedule. An SPI lower than one indicates the project is behind schedule. An SPI higher than one indicates the project is ahead of schedule.

Schedule variance - Schedule variance is the difference between earned value and planned value at a given point in time.

Scientific management - Scientific management was an early attempt to bring scientific approaches to process management. Its earliest form was derived from a 1911 monograph by Frederick W. Taylor, who focused on increasing economic efficiency via the analysis and optimization of labor processes.

Scope - The scope of a project constitutes everything it is supposed to accomplish in order to be deemed successful.

Scope baseline - The set of requirements, expectations, and work packages approved as project deliverables. It is used to guide and assess project performance.

Scope change management - Scope change management deals with amendments to the scope as set in the scope baseline and project management plan. Since scope amendments typically affect cost and schedule estimates, scope change management involves revising estimates and adequately communicating these to stakeholders, as well as obtaining the resources necessary to fulfill new scope requirements.

Scope creep - Scope creep refers to gradual changes in project scope that occur without a formal scope change procedure. Scope creep is considered negative since unapproved changes in scope affect cost and schedule but do not allow complementary revisions to cost and schedule estimates.

Scrum - Scrum is an iterative development procedure used in software development projects. Scrum-based projects focus on prioritizing requirements and working towards a clear set of goals over a set time period, called a sprint. The development team thus works through the list of requirements over a number of sprints. Scrum-based projects usually do not have project manager. Instead, the project team meets daily for progress updates.

Secondary risk - A risk created by a risk response.

Security - Security in project management refers broadly to protecting humans, information, and resources from risk.

Six Sigma - An approach to process management that focuses on the near total elimination of product or service defects. It uses quality management methods to improve and optimize processes involved in the production of a product or service so that 99.99966 percent of process outcomes are defect-free.

Slack time - The length of time an activity's early start can be delayed without affecting project duration. (See also float )

Slip chart - A slip chart graphically compares predicted activity completion dates with originally planned completion dates.

Slippage - The negative variance between planned and actual activity completion dates. Slippage may also refer to the general tendency of a project to be delayed beyond planned completion dates.

Soft project - A soft project does not have a physical output.

Software engineering - Software engineering is generally defined as the use of engineering principles in software development. It systematically employs scientific and technological approaches in the design, operation, and modification of software.

Spiral life cycle - An IT system’s development model that aims to learn from experience by drawing from both iterative development and the waterfall model. It has four sequential phases: identification, design, construction, and evaluation and risk analysis. At the end of each life cycle, an iteration is assessed by the customer, and the spiral sequence begins again upon receipt of customer feedback. The spiral model is typically used in long-term projects or those where requirements are expected to vary, and customer feedback is to be incorporated in phases.

Sponsor - A sponsor has ultimate authority over a project. They provide high-level direction, approve project funding as well as deviations from cost and budget, and determine project scope. Sponsors are typically members of the senior management and are expected to provide high-level support for a project.

Sprint - In iterative project development, a sprint is a fixed unit of time during which the project typically passes through a complete development life cycle. A sprint is usually a few weeks long.

Stakeholder - In project management, a Stakeholder is any party with an interest in the successful completion of a project. More generally, the term refers to anyone who is affected by a project. (See also project stakeholder )

Standards - A standard prescribes a collection of standardized rules, guidelines, and characteristics requirements for processes or products that are approved by a recognized body. Standards are not by definition mandatory. They are adopted by consensus, although they may be enforced as a requirement for participation in certain markets.

Start-To-Finish - In a start-to-finish relationship, a successor activity cannot finish until a predecessor activity has started.

Start-To-Start - In a start-to-start relationship, a successor activity cannot start until a predecessor activity has started.

Statement of work (SoW) - A Statement of work is a comprehensive and detailed list of deliverables expected under a contract, with expected dates for each deliverable.

Steering committee - A steering committee provides high-level strategic guidance on a project. It typically comprises individuals from a number of stakeholder organizations and serves to provide consensus-based direction on projects with a large number or a diversity of stakeholders.

Story point - In sprint-based projects, a story point is a measure of the amount of work required to implement a particular user story. Assigning and totaling story points allows project teams to target a realistic number of user stories for action during an iteration or sprint.

Successor activity - In a schedule, a successor activity logically comes after and depends on an activity immediately preceding it.

Summary activity - In a network diagram, a summary activity combines a set of related activities and visually represents them as a single activity.

Sunk cost - A cost that cannot be recovered once spent.

Systems development life cycle (SDLC) - In systems engineering, the systems development life cycle is the process of creating, releasing, and maintaining an information system, which may comprise hardware, software, or both. The typical SDLC has six sequential phases: planning, analysis, design, implementation, testing, and maintenance.

Systems engineering - A field of engineering that applies principles of systems thinking to the development of complex systems. Since complex systems are more difficult to coordinate and make cohesive, systems engineering focuses on developing and optimizing systems as interactive wholes instead of sums of parts. As complex systems comprise both technical and human elements, systems engineering is, by nature, interdisciplinary.

T - Project Management Terms

Task - In project management, a task is a unit of work or activity needed for progress towards project goals. Typically, a task must be completed by a set deadline. Tasks may be further broken down into assignments or subtasks.

Task analysis - A task analysis details the actions or resources required to complete a task.

Testing - The testing phase involves assessment of the product developed so as to gauge quality and performance and to determine whether requirements have been met.

Theory of constraints - The theory of constraints explains that any process is limited from optimum performance by its weakest link or links, called constraints. The theory of constraints methodology involves identifying these weak links via a strategy called focusing and improving them until they no longer limit performance.

Threat - A negative risk that could adversely affect project objectives.

Three-point estimating - A superset of estimating techniques that use averages (or weighted averages) of most likely, optimistic, and pessimistic costs, and duration estimates to form final estimates.

Time and material contract - A time and material contract pays per unit of time and reimburses materials costs for contracted work.

Time chainage diagram - In project management, a time chainage diagram graphically represents scheduled activities for a hard project completed sequentially over a geographic distance, such as the construction of a motorway or the laying of a pipeline. It thus provides both a scheduled time and a relative geographic location for each activity.

Time limit - The time limit for a task is the window of time or deadline by which it must be completed.

Time-scaled network diagram - A network diagram is time scaled if the lengths of activities are drawn to scale to indicate their expected durations.

Timebox - Timeboxing is a project management strategy that prioritizes meeting deadlines over scope requirements. It involves assigning specific lengths of time, called timeboxes, to project activities. Project teams work to address as many requirements as possible within each timebox, proceeding to successor activities once the time limit has passed.

Timeline - A Timeline is a graphical, sequential representation of project activities.

To-Complete Performance Index (TCPI) - A project’s to-complete performance index is the cost performance it needs to achieve to be completed within budget. The TCPI is calculated as the ratio of work remaining to budget remaining.

Tolerance - The acceptable level of variance in project performance. The project sponsor is typically informed if tolerance levels are crossed.

Top-Down estimating - Top-Down estimating uses historical data from similar projects to compute time and cost estimates. (See also analogous estimating )

Total cost of ownership (TCO) - The total cost of ownership estimates the sum total of direct and indirect costs incurred in the purchase, operation, and maintenance of an asset through its life.

Total float - The length of time an activity can be delayed from its early start date without affecting the project end date.

Trigger condition - A condition that causes a risk to occur. Trigger conditions can serve as warning signs that risks have occurred or are about to occur. (See also risk trigger )

U, V, W, and X - Project Management Terms

Unified process - A unified process may refer to any one of a family of iterative software development process frameworks. Unified processes have four phases: inception, elaboration, construction, and transition. Each phase comprises a number of timeboxed iterations, which in turn involve a cycle of specifying requirements, analysis, design, implementation, and testing, with emphases on these shifting as the project team proceeds through iterations. Each iteration results in an improved version of the system called an increment.

Use case - In software development, a use case is a step-by-step list of actions that end users would take to achieve specific goals. Use cases facilitate end user-focused software testing.

User story - A project requirement stated in one sentence. It typically identifies users, real or hypothetical, what these users want from software, and why they want it. Project development teams prioritize user stories in each iteration by assigning story points

V life cycle - The V in V life cycle stands for verification and validation. It is a sequential software development process that matches a corresponding testing phase to each phase in the software development life cycle. During the verification phase, a project team works at increasingly granular levels of detail to identify requirements and design, and then builds the software. Validation proceeds in the opposite direction, as testers examine software components in turn before moving on to systems testing and finally checking that the project as a whole meets requirements.

Value engineering - Value engineering seeks to increase the functionality-to-cost ratio of a product by providing improved functionality at lower cost. Some applications of value engineering attract criticism, as manufacturers may decrease costs by using lower-quality components that decrease product lifespans.

Value for money ratio - In project management, the value for money ratio is expressed as the ratio of financial and other benefits to the resources expended in a project.

Value tree - A hierarchical model of the characteristics of a product or service that determine its value.

Variance analysis - The practice of investigating deviations between planned and actual performance.

Variance at completion (VAC) - A project’s variance at completion is the difference between its budget at completion and its estimate at completion.

Vertical slice - A performance indicator that demonstrates progress across all project components or performance areas at a given point in time.

Virtual design and construction (VDC) - A method  based on using technology in design and construction projects. It uses building information modeling (BIM) tools that focus on designable and manageable aspects of projects to create integrated models that predict project performance.

Virtual team - A virtual team comprises people from different organizations, locations, or hierarchies. It is not necessarily the same as a remote team, which is a group of people working together from different locations.

Waterfall model - The Waterfall model is a software development life cycle in which development phases are sequential, non-iterative, and do not overlap. It is typically reserved for small projects with straightforward, clearly defined requirements since a sequential development process makes it difficult to revisit the analysis and design phases once testing has begun. (See also linear sequential model )

Weighted milestone method - The weighted milestone method allows project managers to estimate earned value by splitting work packages into weighted segments. Each segment represents a portion of the budget value for the work package and ends with a milestone. When a segment milestone is classified as complete, a portion of the total work package value has been earned.

What-If scenario analysis - A simulation technique that allows project managers to determine and compare specific conditions’ effects on project schedules and objectives.

Wideband delphi - An estimation technique based on expert consensus. Each member of an estimation team uses a work breakdown structure to create anonymous estimates of the effort required to complete each project element or work package. The estimates are then reviewed as a group before the experts create new estimates, and the process is repeated for a number of rounds until a consensus is reached. (See also delphi technique )

Work - In project management, work is the amount of effort needed to complete a task.

Work authorization system - A formal procedure to ensure that project work is performed on time and in logical order.

Work breakdown structure (WBS) - A Work breakdown structure is a comprehensive, hierarchical model of the deliverables constituting the scope of a project. It details everything a project team is supposed to deliver and achieve. A work breakdown structure categorizes all project elements, or work packages, into a set of groups and may be used to form cost estimates.

Work breakdown structure dictionary - A document that details, describes, and provides scheduling information for every element of a work breakdown structure. It may be thought of as a dictionary-cum-schedule of work packages.

Work package - The work packages of a project are its lowest-level deliverables. They are detailed in a work breakdown structure dictionary.

Work stream - In project management, a work stream is a logically arranged series of activities that must be completed to pursue project objectives. The term typically refers to the full sequence of work activities from project initiation to project closure.

Workaround - A way to circumvent a problem which does not have a permanent solution or for which no adequate response was planned.

X-Bar control charts - An x-bar control chart includes two separate charts that display the means and sample ranges for a number of periodically gathered, same-size samples. The sampled data constitute some characteristic of a product or a process.

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What is Project Status Report? Types, Examples, Best Practices

Home Blog Project Management What is Project Status Report? Types, Examples, Best Practices

Project management is a complicated process with many phases, tasks, and stakeholders. Project status report is a vital part of project management because it lets people know how a project is going and points out any problems or risks that could hurt its success. This article will discuss status reporting in project management, including what it is, why it is crucial, and how to create an effective report.

Also, while discussing project status report templates, we will examine a framework and format for providing details about a project's progress. Here, getting a Project Management online certificate course will be helpful for you in becoming a professional in project management.

What is Status Report?

"Status Report" refers to a project's current condition or progress. It provides an overview of how the project tasks are progressing overall. Usually, a status report includes information about how far the project is from its goals, which activities have been completed, what tasks are still being worked on, what resources have been used, the deadline, the budget, any risks or problems that have come up, and any other relevant information. 

An accredited PMP certification demonstrates a high level of knowledge and expertise in project management, including an understanding of project status.

What is Project Status Report?

A project status report is a document that describes the current status of a project. These reports are used by project managers to update stakeholders on the status of the project and to track expenses, hazards, time, and work. Project status reports are also useful for identifying problem areas and making necessary changes to the project plan. PRINCE2 courses online can help project managers understand how to manage projects using this methodology and create effective status reports.

Depending on the requirements of the stakeholders, a project status report content might vary, but often includes the following factors:

• Project Summary
• Key accomplishments
• Present status
• Hazards or issues

Project Status Update

A project status update typically includes information about the completed, ongoing, and upcoming tasks. It lets project managers share important information with their team members, sponsors, clients, and other stakeholders and keep everyone up to date on the project's progress.

Project Status Chart

A project status chart is a graphic representation of the growth and development, status, and performance of a project. Its purpose is to let important people, like project managers, team members, sponsors, and clients, know how the project is going. Different metrics and indicators might be shown on the chart.

Project Status Dashboard

A project status dashboard is a visual illustration of the key performance indicators (KPIs) and the status of a project. It gives a rapid and easy-to-read picture of a project's health and development, allowing stakeholders to quickly detect and address any possible difficulties.

Types of Project Status Report

Tracking the status of a particular project is a regular process. You generate reports at different intervals. Based on that, there are four different types. Daily Status Report -  In the daily report, the experts track the activities that each team member has completed within a day. It also includes the tasks that are due completion in the coming days. It is the summary of all the big or small activities done during a day with respect to the project. Weekly Status Report -  The weekly reports contain all the details about everything that happened within a week. Tasks completed within a week, issues faced, and the solutions that helped sail through. Every activity related to the project for that week gets documented in weekly reports. It offers a basis to plan the tasks the teams will accomplish in the upcoming week. Monthly Status Report -  As the name suggests, this report provides the same information as the weekly or daily reports but over a span of 30 days. You can take it as a monthly recap of the project, and as it is an elaborate report, it helps understand the progress better. Organizations also use this report to check the leadership skills and expertise level of the people associated with the project. Quarterly Status Report -  If you want an overview of the project after a specific time period, 4 months in this case, you can opt for a quarterly report. It gives you an elaborate idea about tasks, budget, efficiencies, etc. Based on the quarterly reports, you can make significant business decisions.

How to Write a Project Status Report?

A project status report is a document that summarizes a project's progress, identifies any issues or challenges, and highlights accomplishments. It acts as a tool for project managers, team members, and stakeholders to communicate about the project's progress.

The following are the steps involved in writing a project report:

• Start With an Introduction
• Describe the Project’s Current Status
• Identify Challenges
• Highlight Milestones
• Mention your Budget
• Provide Next Steps
• Write the Conclusion

Start With an Introduction: Begin by demonstrating the project by naming it and offering a summary of its goals and scope. It is useful for businesses that work on many projects at a time.

Describe the Project’s Current Status: Summarize the project's current status, including completed milestones, continuing work, and upcoming deliverables. When creating a summary of your project status report, you can concentrate on the most significant details from each area.

Identify Challenges: Determine any issues or challenges that the project is experiencing. Be clear about the problem and describe how it will affect the project's duration or budget.

Highlight Milestones: To keep stakeholders informed and interested in the project's success, highlight milestones in your project status report. Determine the project milestones, which are significant accomplishments that indicate crucial points in the project's growth.

Mention your Budget: Provide an outline of the project's budget, including any expenditures made to date and any anticipated costs in the coming time. Highlight any budget exceeds or underruns and explain any budget modifications.

Provide Next Steps: Describe any upcoming activities for the following reporting period. Provide specifics on deadlines, deliverables, and any risks that impact these planned activities.

Write the Conclusion: Finish your report with a summary and a call to action for stakeholders. This could be a request for more resources, feedback on the project's progress, or an appeal for support.

Project Status Report Examples & Templates

A pre-designed document known as a project status template describes the essential details that must be included in a project status report. The template provides a framework and format for presenting information about the project's status, such as accomplishments, the current status, challenges, risks, the budget, milestones, and suggestions for the project's next steps.

You can create Project status report rapidly by downloading the ready-to-use templates. The templates are available in MS Excel, Word, and Google Docs formats. The following are some examples of project status templates:

1. Executive Summary Templates

Download Executive Project Report Template - Word | PDF

2. Budget Report Templates

Download Simple Project Budget Template - Microsoft Excel | Microsoft Word

3. Risk Report Templates

Download Basic Risk Assessment Template - Excel

4. Progress Report Templates

Download Daily Project Progress Report Template - Excel | Word

Best Practices for Presenting Project Status Reports

Project management requires that stakeholders be aware of project progress updates. The following are some best practices for delivering project status reports:

1. Know your Audience -  Consider the audience's interests, expectations, and level of understanding of the project before presenting the report. Make the presentation relevant to the audience by tailoring it to their needs.

2. Keep it Simple -  Don't wrap the report with pointless details if you want it to be successful. Keep it brief and only cover the topics that require coverage. To avoid confusing the audience, stay away from complexity and technical phrases.

3. Use Visual Representation Tools -  Use graphs, charts, and other visuals to strengthen your points. Visuals can speed up and improve the understanding of difficult content.

4. Better Communication -  Effective communication promotes team collaboration. Team members can collaborate to address problems and reach accurate decisions by communicating project objectives, developments, and challenges.

5. Address Risks and Issues -  Be open and honest about any risks or problems that could affect the project's budget or schedule. Describe a strategy for overcoming these obstacles and include any resources required.

6. Highlight Milestones -  Celebrate accomplishments and highlight milestones that are achieved. It can help to keep team members motivated and interested.

Benefits of a Project Status Report

Listed below are a few benefits of a project status report:

• Responsibility: A status report helps hold team members responsible for their tasks and goals. It shows who is responsible for what and lets project managers see how things are going and find any problems.
• Risk Control:  A status report can help find risks and issues before they become big problems. By looking at the progress report often, project managers can deal with challenges and reduce risks before they happen. This can help keep the project on track.
• Managing Costs: Cost control is not easy. But with regular project reports, it's easy to see where your money is going and keep track of your spending.
• Better Communication:  Project status updates let everyone know how the project is going. They assist stakeholders in understanding how the project is progressing and what obstacles must be solved.
• Better Decisions: Project status reports give project managers facts and insights that help them make well-informed decisions. They can spot trends and problems that need fixing and decide how to keep the project on track.

Common Project Status Terms

• Upcoming: Projects that are scheduled to be started in the near future but have not yet started.
• Pending: A project that has begun but has not yet been completed and is awaiting further action or approval to complete.
• Overdue:  This indicates that the project has passed its completion date and is behind schedule.
• Not Started: This term means that a project has been approved but has not yet begun.
• Active:  A project that is currently ongoing and is in progress.
• Priority:  The term "priority" defines how important or urgent a task or project's goal is in relation to other things.
• Canceled: The project ended before completion. This could be due to a variety of factors, including changing goals, budget limits, or unexpected events.

What should be included in a Project Status Report?

You have learned about the significance of status reports in project completion. However, you should know what to include in these reports to curate one for your project. Let us dig deeper and understand.

General Project Info -  Before you generate reports, you should know the fundamental details about the project. This information is also essential to keep the status reports sorted and easily understandable. The general project information includes:

• Project Name
• Project Manager Details
• Stipulated Time
• Project Budget
• Date of Report Generation

The general information may vary for different organizations depending on their specific requirements.

General Status Info -  While recording the status, specify the time of project status, and what aspects you covered under it. If different signs are used in your status report, make sure you mention them in the general status information section.

Milestone Review -  Milestone helps to identify how close you are to your outcomes in a project. You should check and review the milestones to understand whether project is on-track.  You can use it to identify the issues due to which the project may lag or your budget may exceed. So, reviewing milestones is important before the status report generation.

Project Summary -  The project summary is the project overview under question, giving all the project-related information. It is essential to mention a summary in every project status report so that the reader gets all the information about the project. 

Issues and Risks -  In the issues and risks section, the problems your team encountered during execution before generating the project report is mentioned. Clear reasons for reach problem should be mention for better understanding and quick solutions. Furthermore, always keep a record of resolved issues so that you know what to do if a similar problem arises.

Project Metrics -  Understand that project reports solve different purposes. Different readers may refer to the status report for varied purposes. So, it is significant to mention the project metrics of every project area.

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Project status reporting is an essential part of project management. It helps stakeholders understand a project's status and locate any challenges or risks that can threaten its success. Project managers may give stakeholders clear and regular updates by using project status report templates, ensuring everyone is on the same page and working towards the same objectives.

By adhering to the aforementioned best practices, project managers may produce efficient status reports that keep stakeholders updated and their projects on schedule. KnowledgeHut's Project Management training program is the best choice for getting a professional certification and for knowing all the above-mentioned aspects of project management project status.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Using charts, graphs, and timelines is an approach to showing visually how well your project is going.

The project status report should be sent to everyone involved in the project, such as the project team, sponsors, clients, and anybody else who needs to know.

A good project status update is short and gives information about the project's progress, successes, problems, and the next steps.

Kevin D.Davis

Kevin D. Davis is a seasoned and results-driven Program/Project Management Professional with a Master's Certificate in Advanced Project Management. With expertise in leading multi-million dollar projects, strategic planning, and sales operations, Kevin excels in maximizing solutions and building business cases. He possesses a deep understanding of methodologies such as PMBOK, Lean Six Sigma, and TQM to achieve business/technology alignment. With over 100 instructional training sessions and extensive experience as a PMP Exam Prep Instructor at KnowledgeHut, Kevin has a proven track record in project management training and consulting. His expertise has helped in driving successful project outcomes and fostering organizational growth.

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An important and required responsibility connected to running a successful project is writing and delivering useful and comprehensive project status reports. Everyone, including project team members, stakeholders, management and CIO or CEO-level sponsors will have some level of interest in the details of work in progress.

There will be different audiences who need to know about and understand certain details of a project, so one report may be rewritten with varying language and format to satisfy those needs.

Read more: How to Write a Project Report

What Is a Project Status Report?

A project status report is a summary of the details of a project as it progresses along the timeline, including key milestones and goals with defined deadlines. The project manager writes this report with input from team leads and key team members.

The project manager is expected to understand these details and be prepared to speak to this progress on a regular basis, answering related questions throughout the project lifecycle.

Read More: What is Project Management? Definition, Types & Examples

What Is Included in a Project Status Report?

Standard project status reports should include some or all of the following:

• A summary of project details, including program and project name, start and launch dates
• A list of key team members, stakeholders, and project owners
• The status date and cadence of the report (daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly)
• A summary of the project scope and budget
• A timeline of key and cross-project dependencies (if any) to show what must occur before something else can start
• Call-out of key issues and blockers to address, and what is being done about them

Benefits of Project Status Reports

Project managers write status reports to keep all project stakeholders up to date with the latest progress and details as a project moves forward. At a high level, it is a quick reference of key milestones and transitions between phases in the timeline.

Benefits of this report include creating easy visibility into successes and identifying blockers as they unfold. It also keeps communication simple and open across the organization.

Project Status Reports vs Project Health Reports

The differences between project status reports and project health reports are important to note, and may not be clear or obvious to those receiving these reports.

To recap, a project status report is a formalized report provided to project stakeholders that regularly reports on project status as a project moves through a project plan. It identifies things that have been completed and what is left and open. Over time, this report spells out a documented history of the project, from project kickoff to project completion.

The project health report is a separate report that identifies issues and risks in a project as they come up over time, so they can be addressed early. One benefit is to save time and money with early intervention and attention.

This report is different from the view of daily or weekly execution of tasks, in that it provides a higher view of the overall status; there is less task-based detail. It can also list and compare all active projects assigned to a project manager for a larger program view.

Project Status Report Cadence

The frequency of when to send project status reports can vary depending on the project and audience. The standard weekly status report traditionally follows and includes details from that week’s work, showing status updates and changes from the following week with new goals and action items identified for the following week.

A monthly report may be required to highlight what has been done month to date to C-level and executives to assist with the project planning, budgeting, and juggling of team resources decision-making for the upcoming months.

Some weeks it may make sense to check in with individuals separately, forgoing the weekly organized status meeting to just provide an updated report. The choice to do this instead comes when things are moving along and the project has hit a point where, for example, development is underway in a multi-week sprint and there isn’t much change from the previous week, as the teams tackle technical details day to day.

Project status reports empower project managers and teams to stay on top of project details, manage tasks and issues,` and continue to plan ongoing work intelligently and effectively. Grab a template to start, and customize the format and information to fit your needs. This will keep your projects running smoothly, and everyone involved aware of the latest details and status.

Read next: Best Reporting Software and Tools for 2021

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How to write a project status report that works for your team

Contributing Writer

When you’re juggling multiple projects with several stakeholders, it’s easy for things to feel out of control. You try to rein it in with strict deadlines, frequent meetings, and maybe even a bit of micromanaging . But what if the fix were as simple as a one-page document?

Meet the project status report, your new favorite tool for improving communication and ensuring the project is a success.

What is a project status report?

A project status report is a short document or memo usually put together by the project manager to update and inform stakeholders (teammates, leadership team, or clients, for example) about the progress of a specific project.

It can be delivered as a PDF, an email, a Slack message, or a more formal report created within a project management software. The project status report is sent on a regular basis—think weekly, biweekly, or monthly. It is brief, clear, and direct.

A project status report can include:

• Project name
• Reporting period
• Status (on track, off track, at risk)
• Achievements 
• Important metrics
• Action items/next steps
• Praise/shoutouts
• Stakeholders/project roles

Why does it matter?

According to Project Management Institute , “ the most crucial success factor in project management is effective communications to all stakeholders .”

Not only does a project status report communicate progress, but it also helps you and your team see the roadblocks and understand where some teammates might be overloaded—helping you better manage the project. 

On top of improved communication, a project status report can:

• Reduce the number of pesky “Hey, do you have an update on this?” Slack messages and emails you get.
• Decrease the number of meetings you’ll need to hold to bring everyone up to speed.
• Identify and correct issues before they derail the entire project.
• Increase collaboration and trust with your team and stakeholders.
• Reassure clients that you’re staying on top of things.

So if you want to succeed (and who doesn’t?), mastering the project status report is paramount. Let’s dive into the tips you need to nail your next report.

How do you write a project status report? Tips for nailing an effective status update

Use a project status report template or software.

Because this is a regular communication, create a template to save time and make your life easier. It can be as simple as an Excel doc or PDF. To really step it up, though, and gather all the necessary metrics in one place, invest in project management software .

For instance, quickly understanding workload is a breeze with Trello’s Dashboard view . It visualizes key metrics for your project—including cards per due date status and cards per member—through bar graphs, line charts, and pie charts. For advanced reporting in Trello, you can use a third-party tool like Bridge24 .

Identify all of the stakeholders

Figuring out who the project status report should be sent to is obviously important for delivery, but it’s also crucial because it will shape how you craft the report. Knowing your audience is the first step to writing anything effective.

Stakeholders usually include:

• Project team
• Cross-collaborative team

It may make sense to create a separate status report for each audience. For instance, if you’re designing a website for a client, you might create a status report for your internal agency team and a separate one for the external client.

Develop a regular cadence

Your project status report delivery schedule depends on project complexity, duration, and how quickly things are changing. Generally speaking, the longer, more complex, and more volatile a project is, the more frequently the stakeholders will need updates. If you find that a weekly project status report ends up looking the same week after week, then consider changing it to monthly. 

Cover the timeline, scope, and budget

These are the key pieces of any project, so it’s crucial to give a specific status update for each part:

• Timeline. Is the project on track to be delivered on time? If not, when is the new expected completion date? If you need to move the due date back, explain why.
• Scope. Is the project within scope? Be sure to include if new deliverables have been added.
• Budget . Is the project within budget? Include the overall budget, plus how much has been spent thus far.

Highlight achievements and milestones

What has your team achieved during this reporting period? Brief bullet points work fine, but quantify when possible. If applicable, try to show the positive impact these achievements have already had for your team, project, organization, or client.

Include important metrics

What metrics did you and your stakeholders decide would define success for this project? Include the latest metrics to cross-reference with the previous status reports. Examples of these metrics include conversion rate, sales, employee engagement, or number of new hires. Compare these metrics with the ones from your last update, and provide percentage changes if possible. 

Call out blockers

Blockers are those issues that are holding you back from making progress on your project. It could be that a team member hasn’t completed a task they own, or it could mean that supply chain issues have prevented you from purchasing necessary materials to complete the project. Regardless, it’s critical that you call out any blockers in your project status report. This gives a realistic view of what’s going on with the project, and most importantly, allows people to step in to remove the obstacles. After all, you can’t fix it if you don’t know it’s a problem. 

Indicate the overall project status

Based on the previous step, determine if the overall project status is:

• On track (green) – There are no issues holding the project back.
• At risk (yellow) – There are some roadblocks to delivering the project on time, on budget, and on schedule—but we have the solutions and are working on them.
• Off track (red) – There are some roadblocks to delivering the project on time, on budget, and on schedule—and we are still trying to find solutions. This requires immediate attention. 

Just because a project status isn’t green doesn’t mean your team is failing.

“You need to have reds and yellows,” explains Adriana Girdler on her project management YouTube channel. “If I come across a project that’s always in green status, I question it in saying ‘I don’t know if they actually know what’s going on’ because I’ve never come across a project that is constantly 100% in green status.”

To ensure clarity, however, it’s wise to define your status markers . “Yellow” to one person might mean that there’s a minor roadblock, but to another, it could mean immediate intervention. It’s best to quantify as much as possible. For example, you might decide that if a project goes more than 15% over budget, it’s a red status.

Share praise and shoutouts

Close on a high note by showing your appreciation for everyone who contributed to this project status report’s achievement, and be sure to call out each individual’s contribution.

This can do wonders for team morale and bonding. 2022 research by O.C. Tanner found a causal link between recognition and connection. In a study of 6,000 employees, it found that “failing to recognize a colleague led to the lowest rating of future support, colleague connection, and connection outside of work.” On the other hand, providing higher levels of recognition predicted higher levels of future support and connection.

Outline action items and next steps

When stakeholders are done reading a project status report, they should have no doubt as to what the next steps are and if they need to take any actions. List items that need to be completed, and give each item an owner and a due date.

Be flexible

Yes, we just gave you tips on what to include in your project status report, but here’s the thing: it’s your report, so choose to include (or exclude) anything you like! What works for my team doesn’t necessarily work for your team, and that’s okay. If it’s not helpful for you to quantify the timeline using percentages—leave it out. If you want to include a summary of project quality—go for it. Customize based on your unique needs.

Project status report example

Tips are great, but we all know examples are better, so here’s one to drive the point home. Let’s say you’re managing a website redesign for a client and want to update your internal team on the project.

• Project name: Website Redesign for Client – Internal Team
• Summary: The website is still on track to launch on September 1, but we’re at risk of some scope creep due to the client requesting more revisions than originally planned. We’re working with the client and our designer on this and expect to resolve it by the end of this week.
• Timeline: 75% completed
• Scope: Client has requested a third round of revisions, despite our original agreement of two. We’re working with the client and designer to ensure we have an accurate understanding of the client’s vision to avoid any further revisions beyond three.
• Budget: $15,000 of $20,000 spent
• Status: On track
• Achievements
• Finalized the homepage copy with client
• Created second round of mockups in Figma
• Client reviewed mockups and provided feedback for tweaks on design
• Photographer delivered headshots for team page
• Waiting on client to provide detailed feedback so we can better understand the need for a third round of revisions
• Designer is out on vacation for the next two weeks, so we’ll need to adjust the timeline to ensure we have mockups ready to build before in time for launch
• Our budget allowed for only two design revisions. We’re working with the client to increase the budget for a third revision.
• Action items
• Copywriter to write mission statement, values, and About Us
• Designer to send us new deadlines for third round of revisions
• Creative director to schedule client call next week for feedback on designs
• Copywriter did an excellent job at the homepage copy. Client loved it!
• Photographer delivered headshots way ahead of schedule, and they look great!

Project status report: Not just a superfluous step to forget

As a project manager , creating calm out of chaos is kind of your thing. While creating a regular report can feel like an unnecessary addition to your already full plate, remember, this simple document can cut down on meetings and messages, clear up confusion, identify and resolve issues quickly, and ensure everyone’s on the same page. Knowing that, who wouldn’t want to add a project status report to their PM toolbox? 

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Project Status Reports: 9 Easy Steps & Examples [+ Template]

Robyn is a Portland, OR based digital project manager. She's been in the industry for more than 10 years and has produced a wide swath of digital efforts including websites, product UX/UI, digital experiences, social, and even a national broadcast spot.

Sarah is a project manager and strategy consultant with 15 years of experience leading cross-functional teams to execute complex multi-million dollar projects. She excels at diagnosing, prioritizing, and solving organizational challenges and cultivating strong relationships to improve how teams do business. Sarah is passionate about productivity, leadership, building community, and her home state of New Jersey.

If you're getting bombarded with questions about your project that you can't answer, your project status reports might be lacking (or nonexistent). Learn how to create status reports (& get a template!) to keep clients and team members up-to-date throughout the project life cycle.

A project status report is a way to convey what’s going on with your project to those not involved in its day-to-day activities. Project managers typically use project management software to create status reports that keep clients, project team members, and other stakeholders up-to-date throughout the project life cycle.

The best project status updates are: 

• thorough and informative without overwhelming your audience
• appealing enough that project stakeholders take the time to read it

What Is A Project Status Report?

A project status report is a document that provides a point in time snapshot of where your project is at. It includes the business-critical efforts, progress, and risks associated with a project.

While the format of project status reports may vary, typical components include:

• A project summary listing work completed
• Forecasts for what comes next
• Updates on project budget and timeline
• Any action items/to dos
• A report on risks, issues, and planned mitigations

Project managers use project status reports to:

• Streamline communication efforts across an organization and its various stakeholder groups
• Make it easier to gather and disseminate information about key elements of the project (think of it as an “executive summary” view)
• Ensure key stakeholders have necessary information for decision making
• Amplify key messages and goals around the project
• Act as a recordkeeper of past events, actions, and decisions

Types Of Project Status Reports

Choosing the right type of project management solution you use for status reports can greatly impact your project's success.

Project status reports may occur at different time intervals (ex. weekly, monthly, or quarterly). Project managers may also tailor reports based on different target audiences (internal vs. external). Here’s how to think about the project reporting process.

Weekly vs. Monthly vs. Quarterly Status Reports

The reporting period used for your status report affects the type of information to include. Here’s a breakdown of what to include in weekly, monthly, and quarterly status reports.

Weekly Status Reports

A project manager should maintain a weekly status report document constantly, jotting in updates and stats as they happen in real time. 

You will most likely have a day of the week in mind for when to send it; however, the magic of a weekly report should be that it can be ready within the hour if a client requests it.

Monthly Status Reports

A monthly- or bi-monthly status report should be a “bigger picture” document that can quickly get upper management caught up on progress and developments. 

Leave out minute details and focus on what matters to leaders: budget, costs, the status of deliverables, and any project risks or roadblocks.

Quarterly Status Reports

Since quarterly status reports cover an extended period of time, you’ll want to be mindful of their length. Come up with 3-4 top-level priorities or goals to report, focusing on quantitative progress rather than big ideas. Make it an “elevator pitch” of your project work to date.

External vs. Internal Status Reports

As with other deliverables, you’ll need to tailor status reports to their audience. Your client likely prefers different content in their status report than your internal team. Adjust your reporting to reflect these wants and desires.

External Status Reports

Since these reports are likely to be client-facing, they are likely to be more formal. The tone should be straightforward and honest, but also optimistic. 

If you present an issue, follow it up with a proposed solution or set of solutions. Proof your external status reports with several people prior to distribution.

In terms of content, orient the report around high-level goals, as external stakeholders won’t necessarily care about minutiae. Focus on a broad array of issues pertaining to the status of the project, rather than delving deep into any one topic (unless the client has requested further detail).

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Internal Status Reports

The tone can be more transparent here. If you’ve hit the panic button, it’s fine to let your team know why. Also, a vibrantly upbeat report is appropriate if you want to accentuate a job well done. No need to hold back.

This report will also be more in-depth, fixating on individual task management and items that are of value to your team. Internal reports may, sometimes, focus on fewer issues and simply do a deep dive where it’s needed most.

Why Are Status Reports Important?

The best project status reports create accountability and ownership within your team. They uncover issues, mitigate risks, and—most importantly—ensure you’re on track with your project goals.

For clients, they:

• Give confidence that the money they’re spending is delivering value
• Work as updates for their superiors on project progress
• Justify future funding requests
• Serve as a paper trail to safeguard against risk

Project managers create project status reports after finalizing the project plan , once project work is underway. Typically, you send project status reports on a weekly or monthly basis. You can even send them daily, if necessary.

You can deliver project status reports in a variety of formats, including via Microsoft Excel spreadsheet, Google Docs, slides, or graphical format. I once led a project where we sent a daily status report via WhatsApp.

The danger is that, if project status reports are treated as a matter of rote, they can default to a check-the-box exercise that nobody reads. 

IMO, it’s a project manager’s responsibility to create accessible and meaningful project report templates that keep a pulse on project progress, celebrate accomplishments, and serve as a conversation starter to unblock issues and drive projects forward.

How To Create A Project Status Report

Here’s a step-by-step guide detailing how to sit down and create a status report.

1. Gather Your Data

Before you write a report, you have to collect the information you need to share. This means pulling data from various sources so that you have a full picture of the project timeline, budget, ongoing events, and other important items.

• Your project timeline is a great first place to look for information. Include any project events or actions, with dates, in the order that they occurred. Your timeline will also remind you of any upcoming deadlines that you should highlight.
• Compile financial information . You will most likely be reporting on costs incurred versus available budget. Pull from team member timesheets, expense reports, bank statements, estimates , and whatever else it takes to get a complete financial picture.
• Determine project status . You'll need to let your client and/or team know whether the project is healthy, stalled, or in crisis. Assess project health and call attention to status changes, from red (bad), yellow (okay, with some potential issues), or green (good).

Understanding project management software can help you pull this data in real-time from your digital toolkit as you need it.

Author's Tip

If you’re using project management software or project tracking software , all the above information is easily accessible, saving you scraping data from four or five different places.

Most tools also include the ability to set up a dashboard that you can screenshot or share directly with stakeholders. The data on the dashboard will update automatically, so you don’t need to do any compiling before sharing.

2. Check In with Your Team

Validate the information you have collected with your team members for accuracy. See if they have any additional updates or details to add.

If you’re doing your job right, you'll have built up trust with your team members to get an honest assessment of where your project is headed.

3. Source a Status Report Template (optional)

You don’t have to create a status report from scratch. Like many types of documents, there is a wide range of templates available for you to use if you so choose ( including ours, available through DPM membership ). Simply swap out the template logo for your company logo, and voila—you’re ready to start reporting!

4. Outline Key Segments

If you’re not using a template, for your own sanity, create an outline for your project status report. It’s way too easy to forget something or go off on a tangent. Your outline will help keep things on track.

• The report summary dictates the tone and direction the rest of the report will take. Example : This report summarizes the status of the marketing project for Killer Kombucha. It discusses the status of the drip email marketing campaign, with a focus on in progress design tasks and segmentation of audience lists.
• Jot down 2-3 key items and/or project milestones that you plan to address in your report. You won’t be able to touch on every little detail of your work, so you should pick a coherent focus. Examples : E-blast header image approved, awaiting body text revisions from the client, and finalized audience segmentation recommendations.
• Notes & links : Anything else to add? An external link to reference? Have a thought that doesn’t fit in elsewhere? Leave yourself a note here.

5. Write An Ugly First Draft

Once you have your outline, now it’s time to create an ugly first draft of your status report. This concept comes from “ Everybody Writes” by Ann Handley and has useful applications throughout project management.

Basically, this is where you word vomit everything you know about the project. This is the time to reflect on past performance and anticipate what happens next. 

This exercise is important because it allows you to consider and digest project happenings without constraining yourself to have to edit and format along the way.

6. Edit Your Work

Once you’ve taken a break, come back and edit your status report with fresh eyes. Make sure it's accurate and free from errors. 

Sending high-quality reports shows your clients and team that you’ve put time and thought into the status report. Simple mistakes can send the message that you don’t care.

Double-check that your status report includes the following:

• Project name/client name
• Project vision
• Project health
• What was recently completed
• What you plan to complete next
• Issues/roadblocks
• Upcoming tasks and milestones
• Add in anything you forgot, or that’s changed since your first draft.
• Cut the word fat. Can you state things more clearly? Can you be more direct?
• Can you get it down to one page? This is not required, but doing so reduces the risk of information overload.

7. Send and Deliver

Here are some tips before sending to ensure that your team and your client receive it positively.

• Add sugar : Distribute the report to your team and clients with a little “sugar”. Be complimentary. Be kind. Go out of your way to deliver this status report with a dose of written cheer and avoid sounding like a robot. Including a thoughtful note versus a link to “look here” increases the chance that stakeholders will react positively to your report.
• Deliver alongside a status meeting : It’s common to issue reports concurrently with a meeting. The report is the agenda for the meeting, guarantees that stakeholders review the contents, and becomes a “leave behind” item. While not required, this offers an opportunity for the team and/or client to discuss the project and any challenges or concerns. Reissue the status report if changes are made during the meeting.
• Effective ways to send a status report : Slack, email, Basecamp, Asana —choose a method and stick to it. I would encourage you to avoid sending across multiple media to: 1) ensure the audience knows how and when it will be delivered and 2) reduce the time it takes you to prepare the report.

8. Confirm Receipt and Engagement

Make sure your client and team members review the report so that it remains an effective tool for project communication.

As part of your distribution:

• Ask your audience to acknowledge that they’ve read the report within 24 hours and prompt them to pose any follow-up questions that may warrant a synchronous discussion. A simple “got it” or thumbs up emoji via Slack is a great way to collect feedback.
• Follow up directly with anyone who doesn’t respond. Avoid calling out stragglers via reply all (this is not the way to promote project engagement)!
• Check in occasionally with your audience to see if there’s anything you can cut, include, or augment in your project status reports to better serve your team members and clients.

Listen to my podcast episode about making status reports useful here:

How Often Should I Update A Project Status Report?

You should update project status reports as often as you deem it necessary to convey important project information without being overly repetitive. This depends on project duration, complexity, and client preference.

• If your project only includes a handful of stakeholders and features 1-2 deliverables per month, a monthly status report is probably sufficient. 
• If your project changes quickly day-to-day and your clients are constantly pestering you for updates, you’ll probably want to formalize a weekly or even daily status report to communicate progress.

What Does A Project Status Report Include?

In your status report, you’ll likely want to include the following information:

1. Project Name / Client Name

Make sure you record WHO the report is for and WHAT the report entails (i.e. what project). This key project information is baseline data for any progress report.

2. Project Vision

This should be a simple sentence defining your project and its primary goal/vision. This section shouldn’t change much over the project life cycle .

• Drive qualified customers to “purchase” kombucha via mobile devices based on an improved user interface.
• Increase online kombucha sales by implementing a drip email marketing campaign.
• Launch a website by June 2018 that allows customers to purchase Killer Kombucha and reflects Killer Kombucha as having the highest quality & best-tasting product in its category.

3. Project Health

There are a few different ways you can spin this, but I like the “stoplight” method, where green is on track, yellow means there are some issues, and red signifies something is at risk. 

Definitions (and supporting notes) are helpful to explain the color coding. (Make sure you use alt text to name the colors!)

• Green : We’ve obtained approval on drip email designs. No budget concerns at this time.
• Yellow : The drip email designs need significant revisions based on client feedback; therefore, the final delivery date has been delayed by 1 week.
• Red : The drip email campaign has drastically shifted direction since project kickoff . We’ve set up a meeting next week to realign on project scope .

Include project spend and timeline in the project health section to keep your client and team apprised of performance. Directionally, it helps you to spot trends so you can prevent your project from going off the rails.

4. What We Completed This TIMEFRAME

List these updates in bullet format. Keep them short and simple. They’re not Jira tickets. Don’t explain the “how” but rather the “what.”

• Obtained approval for 3 drip email designs
• Completed handoff to development team and confirmed delivery timeline

5. What We Plan To Complete Next TIMEFRAME

Present a clear, precise task list in bullet format.

• Develop 3 emails
• Perform internal quality assurance (QA) and testing
• Pass off to client for QA and testing

6. Issues/Roadblocks

This is where you can raise any red flags or obstacles that may threaten project progress.

• If we do not obtain client feedback by 2 June, we will be in jeopardy of not being able to send the email to consumers the same day as the product will be available in stores.

7. Upcoming Tasks & Milestones

Summarize what’s on the horizon for the project. Is there anything that the reader needs to review? What’s coming up next?

• dd/mm: Client QA & Testing
• dd/mm: Email Deployment

Here’s what the final product looks like:

Optional Items To Include Based On Your Project

• Links to your project schedule
• Links to completed deliverables
• Action items
• Funny gifs, links to team playlists, etc.
• Weekly thank yous or shout-outs to team members and clients
• Links to relevant articles/industry trends

Don’t Include Any Of This

• Throw shade

Project Status Report Template

The project status report template in DPM Membership can be used for delivering weekly project status reports or monthly project status reports.

Project Status Report Example

In addition to the template, I thought it’d be helpful to include a filled-in sample so you can understand what a successful project status report should look like.

Below is a screenshot of the first page of a sample status report. Become a DPM Member to get access to the complete version.

Benefits of Project Status Reports

Project status reports are one of the most valuable  features of project management systems . When done correctly, project status reports are valuable tools for:

• Updating internal and external stakeholders on project progress via a uniform communication channel so that everyone is on the same page
• Sharing information asynchronously with a wider audience, saving time on meetings and maximizing production time for knowledge workers. Although you may want to review the project status report live with your client, other stakeholders in the organization may benefit from having the option to review it on their own time.
• Surfacing potential risks for further discussion before they become issues (and also documenting those risks to give you a paper trail in case stakeholders are unwilling to take action).

Project Status Report Best Practices

Now that we know what a project status report is, what it includes, and how to make one, here are some do’s and don’ts to help guide you through the process.

To start, here’s a video summary:

• Accommodate different learning styles : Not everyone can read a text-based document and have the messaging stick. Include visuals, like Gantt charts and graphs, and external links in your status report to highlight important topics. The status meetings I mentioned above are helpful for clients that prefer talking it out and asking questions on-the-fly.
• Keep it simple, stupid! (KISS) : Keep the status report simple, for your client’s sake and yours. If a status report is taking way too long to create or read through, you are decreasing their usefulness and the impact they'll have on the project or stakeholders.
• Stay accountable by scheduling recurring status meetings : Schedule recurring status meetings immediately, not as you are ready for them, to hold yourself accountable to a deadline.
• Try to make status meetings more fun : Take a brief moment to catch up on non-work-related things. Break the ice with something casual and memorable, just stay away from “faux pas” topics like gossip or politics. Be an active listener and make an effort to converse in a way that feels natural, not like you have an agenda.
• Keep a status report perpetually in draft : Don’t leave your status report preparations until the last minute. Instead, create an in-progress draft that you can add to as events happen in real time. I keep a draft on my computer in case a client, supervisor, or stakeholder calls out-of-the-blue. This is especially clutch when you're managing multiple projects.

Enterprise project management solutions have improved our project tracking and reporting capabilities so be sure to use them to their fullest.

Project Status Report Tools

If you’re using project management software, the bulk of your key project data should be readily available to use in your report, such as budget used or hours spent. Here are a few of the top tools I’d recommend if you’re not using one already:

• 1. Wrike — Customizable, cloud-based project management software that has over 400 integrations and enterprise-level security.
• 2. Celoxis — Project portfolio management and collaboration solution for teams of all sizes.
• 3. monday.com — A robust and popular project management platform that can be customized for almost any workflow.
• 4. ClickUp — Hyper customization that will help substitute some of your project management and productivity tools. In their words... one app to replace them all
• 5. Hub Planner — Powerful project management platform with an advanced resource scheduling tool for organization-wide resource allocation.
• 6. Zoho Projects — Low price point pm software with a user friendly interface and mobile version of their tool.
• 7. Miro — Collaborative whiteboard platform that enables teams to brainstorm, plan & manage agile workflows.
• 8. Freelo — European Project Management tool with a drag-and-drop calendar view so you can set task deadlines with ease.
• 9. Microsoft Project — Most popular project management platform with a licencing option for offline work.
• 10. Paymo — Planning, resource scheduling, file proofing, time tracking, and invoicing in one.

You can also find more specific reporting tools here.

What's Next?

Want to connect with other digital project managers to share resources and best practices? Join our membership community and get access to 100+ templates, samples, and examples and connect with 100s of other digital project managers in Slack.

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RAG (and BRAG) status and how to use them on projects

Have you seen project status reports with colored boxes in different shades of green, amber, and red? Or project names written in those colors where the rest of the text is black? That’s the RAG status of the project.

According to PMI, 11.4% of investment is wasted due to poor project performance. RAG reporting is a good way to draw management’s attention to projects that need support. When this support is provided and the project is brought back under control, less of your investment will be wasted.

Let’s learn more about RAG in project management because it’s a really useful, visual way of communicating project status.

What is RAG is project management?

The RAG acronym stands for Red, Amber, Green. These colors make up the traffic light colors coding scheme for categorizing project status.

The project RAG status will either be Red, Amber or Green. These colors represent different types of management action required and are a shorthand for talking about projects going well or those in trouble.

The table below shows what the colors mean.

As you can see, this equates to the acronym BRAG. Some companies only use RAG, and drop the Blue. Some use RYG (Red, Yellow, Green), although that is harder to pronounce!

And some companies don’t use colors at all, instead favoring smiley faces, weather symbols or some other graphical indicator that shows if a project is progressing to plan, struggling a bit or in trouble.

Different companies use different RAG status definitions behind the colors, so the exact interpretation for your company might be slightly different. Check with your PMO.

What is a ‘Red’ project?

A ‘Red’ project is one that is challenged for some reason. It could be over budget, running behind schedule or have uncontrolled scope changes (or all three). There are underlying problems, even if on the surface work is happening and the team is busy. Or there might be in-your-face problems.

Either way, ‘Red’ projects need management attention, beyond what you can give them as a project manager.

The Red status is shorthand for saying that the project is in trouble. For example:

• There are issues that need escalating. The project manager is unable to deal with the issues herself and/or doesn’t have a plan to be able to do that. Senior management support is needed.
• There are issues with requirements or project scope that will result in significant extra work or cost that need to be approved.
• There’s a significant level of project risk with no plans to address that risk.
• A lack of resources is impacting the team’s ability to get the work done and the project manager cannot resolve this herself.
• The completion date has slipped by more than 4 weeks/outside tolerance.
• The budget is overspent by more than 10%/outside tolerance.

Your PMO should define exactly what ‘Red’ means and then you can check your project performance against those measures. If you are not able to justify why you are at Amber status, then report your project as Red.

In my experience, most Red issues relate to the project schedule (the work is running behind) or budget (the work is costing more than we thought).

Read next: How to create a project budget

What should you do if your project is Red?

There’s no shame in reporting a project as Red. It simply means that management attention is required and is a good way to get stakeholders to focus on what they need to do to ensure the project delivers a successful result.

The action to take is first to be honest with the situation and ‘peel back the curtain’ to show exactly what is going wrong and why.

Then work with senior management to review the status of the project. Look for what can be fixed and salvaged. Dig into the root causes of issues. Close what you can, picking off priority problems first.

Be honest with clients: if you are in an agency setting or delivering work for external customers, there comes a time when you have to be upfront about the state of the work.

You’ll need their support to create a recovery plan, as in my experience, recovering a project means you can finish the work but it will cost more and be late.

If, after you have thoroughly picked apart the problems, the sponsor and team feel that there is nothing worth saving in this project, it’s time to close it down. It’s better to close down a project than throw money at something that is not delivering and has no capacity to be able to deliver the business benefits that were promised or meet the intended business objectives.

What is an ‘Amber’ project?

An ‘Amber’ project is one that may need management attention by the project team are managing within their existing powers and authority levels at the moment. This status means the project has missed some targets – perhaps it is running late on certain tasks or is overspent on particular work packages – but overall the team can still bring the project to completion within the currently approved tolerances.

Here are some examples of what might define a project as being Amber. Your own PMO may set slightly different parameters:

• The budget is overspent in certain areas but this is not going to affect the overall project budget or push the spend outside of approved tolerances.
• Certain tasks or milestones are delayed but the overall delay is within tolerance OR the delay is not going to affect the project completion date.
• There are issues with project requirements or scope but they are being managed by the team.
• There is a lack of resources to deliver the work but it is being managed by the team and doesn’t (yet) need intervention from the project sponsor or steering group .
• There is resistance from stakeholders regarding the required organizational change but the team has a plan to address this.
• There are more than 5 open issues with a status of ‘high’ but the team is managing these at the moment.

What should you do if your project is Amber?

The action for an Amber project is a watching brief. That means you keep an eye on it. If you are the project sponsor, make sure you check in regularly with the project team. Be prepared to offer help if asked.

If you are the project manager, keep a close eye on the project status and check in with the team regularly – perhaps more often than usual so you spot any new issues earlier. Work on the open issues and try to get the project back on track.

What is a ‘Green’ project?

A project with the status of ‘Green’ is one that is progressing to plan. Green means there are no concerns for senior leadership to worry about and no management intervention is required. The project manager and team have everything under control.

Your project will be at Green status if:

• The budget forecast at completion is the same as what you had planned.
• You are on track to hit all delivery dates – if individual tasks are delayed by a day or two, this is not affecting milestones.
• There are no issues that the project manager or team needs help resolving.

If you report your project as Green, be prepared to justify it. Sponsors like to have evidence that their initiatives really are going as well as you say they are!

Never report a project as Green when you know there are problems but just don’t want to say. It’s very unlikely you will be able to resolve them satisfactorily by yourself, without the sponsor finding out, and then all you are doing is delaying telling them the bad news until later… potentially so late that they can’t help you put it right.

How to use RAG statuses in project reporting

The RAG rating for your project (so, the color that most closely represents your assessment of how the project is doing) is mainly used in reporting.

On a project status report, the appropriate color can be shown as an indicator at the top of the page, giving the reader a fast visual sign that summarizes project status. RAG can be used for the following reports:

• Weekly status report
• Monthly status report
• Risk report (add a RAG status to each project risk to show the level of risk)
• Project board report
• Portfolio or program reporting.

Basically, anywhere you need to tell people about status, you can use RAG.

You could also break down the BRAG color scheme for each area of the project such as scope, quality, budget, risks and so on. This would require you to flag each individual area with a color (RAG indicators), like in the table below. Choose the cell and change the background to the appropriate shade.

This way of color-coding project status by section of the project works best for large, complex projects, especially where there are multiple workstreams or different team leaders responsible for different sections of the work.

Where an element is reported as being Amber or Red, there is extra text added to show what has caused that and what corrective action is being taken to return the project to the status of green. On one project, we had to report the date by which we thought the project was going to be green again – that was tricky to forecast, to be honest.

In my experience, on small and medium-sized projects it is easier to stick with one color indicator that represents the project manager’s opinion of overall project status.

Just ‘RAG it’!

I hear this from portfolio managers, program managers, and senior leaders who want a high-level overview of all the projects within a department or division. They are not interested particularly in the detail of each project but they want to see all the open projects with a RAG rating.

In those situations, I would create a RAG report that shows my project names (or those within the portfolio on which I’m reporting) and the RAG analysis via color coding and also writing the name of the color in case they print the report in black and white or look at it on an ancient device.

I would also add a recovery plan. Much like the table above, this is just a line or two that describes why a project is reported as being Red or Amber and what the team is doing to put it right.

Is RAG reporting reliable?

RAG reporting is only as good as the project manager’s assessment. If the project is reported as Green but actually it’s really struggling, then that doesn’t serve anyone. Project teams need to be free from a blame culture to be able to report accurately, regardless of the RAG ‘score’ of their project. It’s not a competition to be the most green…

…and some project managers seem to have a natural tendency to report everything as green, even if it’s obvious something is wrong! There needs to be a level of respectful challenge. Be a critical friend to the project managers in your department if you see that optimism bias happening.

That’s why it is important for the PMO to set up RAG status definitions. When you have parameters like ‘the budget is forecasted to be more than 15% overspent’ or ‘more than 3 milestones are forecasted to be 2 weeks late or more’ then project managers have adequate guidance on what the status means and how they will be interpreted.

If your PMO does not have a set of defined meanings for what the different colors represent, then I would recommend including the ones you have used as a footnote on your report. Simply add a couple of sentences about the RAG meaning that say something like:

• Green: Project is on track to deliver as planned
• Amber: Project has issues that are being dealt with by the team
• Red: Project requires management intervention

This avoids there being a different interpretation of what the colors mean. For example, some managers I have worked with have assumed that Red means the project team is struggling but “it’s all under control”. That’s not the case at all!

Managing senior stakeholders’ responses

Let’s be honest: no one wants to see a project they sponsor flagged as Red on some report.

Executives like to think they have a handle on what is going on and how the work is being managed. They don’t want to be linked to something that is failing. So the reaction of senior managers to RAG statuses is definitely something to bear in mind.

Do this: Warn them that the report is going to show that the project is in need of management attention and will be reported as Red. When I did this, my sponsor quickly sprung into action, resolved a few things and we got back to Amber in a couple of hours.

Not all sponsors (or issues) will respond like this, but give them a chance to get used to the idea that their project is going to come under scrutiny before you send the report to everyone.

Don’t do this: Spring it on them, while copying the report into loads of other stakeholders. No one likes surprise bad news.

Using project management tools

Many teams use project collaboration tools to prepare reports and the good news is that this way of reporting status is often built into the software you use. If it isn’t, you’ve often got the option to set bespoke colors so you can change task highlights or risks to show in the colors of your choice.

Project dashboards also have project status indicators built in to let you filter on projects in trouble and so on. If you don’t have the option in your tool, create a custom field so project managers can enter the information manually.

If you are going ‘old school’ with spreadsheet-based portfolio management, then simply change the cell color to whatever you want it to be.

Should you share RAG status with external stakeholders?

That depends! Transparency and ethical behavior in project management are important. If the client needs to know, or they can help with the corrective action, it is best to tell them.

Your next steps

Here’s what to do next:

• Make sure you know what the RAG status definition is for the color you are using. Create a definition if you don’t have one, so it’s not a subjective assessment of project status based on the project manager’s best guess.
• Make sure RAG is reported regularly, if it isn’t at the moment.
• Talk to your sponsor and leadership team about RAG as a concept of project status reporting if they are not familiar with it, and let them know what is expected of them for a Red project.

Project manager, author, mentor

Elizabeth Harrin is a Fellow of the Association for Project Management in the UK. She holds degrees from the University of York and Roehampton University, and several project management certifications including APM PMQ. She first took her PRINCE2 Practitioner exam in 2004 and has worked extensively in project delivery for over 20 years. Elizabeth is also the founder of the Project Management Rebels community, a mentoring group for professionals. She's written several books for project managers including Managing Multiple Projects .

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• 8 steps to write an effective project s ...

8 steps to write an effective project status report

Effective project status reports are the best way to keep your stakeholders aligned and in the loop during your project progress. These high-level updates proactively let your team know if a project is on track, at risk, or off track—so you can course correct if necessary to hit your deadlines every time. Learn how to create project status reports in a few easy steps, plus check out a template you can use right away.

It’s the end of the week and here you are again: having to dig through a variety of spreadsheets, emails, and tools to patch together an update of how your project is doing. 

Instead of manually assembling this information, use a project status report template to streamline this process for you. That way, you spend less time on unnecessary data gathering and more time on work that matters. 

Whether you’re gearing up for your first ever project status report or you’re looking for a better system than the one you currently use, this article will walk you through what a progress report is, how you can build one, and how to use project status reports to hit your project deadlines on time, every time. Here’s how.

What is a project status report?

Project status reports are timely updates on the progress of your projects. Written concisely, project reports offer high-level information about project progress, so team members get at-a-glance insight into what’s happening within the project. With a timely status report, you can ensure your entire project team and cross-functional stakeholders understand what’s on track, what’s blocked, and what’s coming next. 

Regularly sharing project status reports is important because they help you keep all project stakeholders aligned and informed. They proactively answer questions before team members even have a chance to ask them. A good status report demonstrates progress and builds confidence in the project's direction.

How often you share project status reports depends on your project’s timeline. Some projects benefit from weekly reporting, while others only need to be updated once a month.

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Types of status reports

The frequency of project status reports can vary depending on the project timeline, complexity, and stakeholder needs. Choose a schedule that provides timely, concise information without overwhelming your team. Effective reports should be consistent and informative, regardless of the project's health. 

Let's explore the four most common types of status reports and their unique benefits.

1. Daily status reports

Daily status reports provide a granular view of a project's progress, ideal for fast-paced projects or those nearing critical milestones. These concise updates typically include:

Tasks completed today

Planned tasks for tomorrow

Any roadblocks encountered

Urgent action items

Daily reports help maintain real-time communication within the project team and quickly identify potential issues before they escalate.

2. Weekly status reports

Weekly status reports are among the most common and effective project status report types. They offer a balanced view of the project's progress without overwhelming stakeholders with too much detail. A typical weekly status report might include:

High-level overview of the project's health (often using color-coding: green, yellow, red)

Key accomplishments from the past week

Upcoming tasks and milestones

Potential risks and mitigation strategies

Updates on project metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs)

Weekly reports are excellent for keeping the entire project team and key stakeholders aligned on the project's current status and short-term goals.

3. Monthly status reports

Monthly status reports provide a broader perspective on the project's progress and are particularly useful for longer-term projects. These reports often include:

Executive summary of the project's overall status

Progress against key milestones and the project timeline

Budget updates and financial metrics

Significant achievements and challenges

Long-term risks and their management strategies

Monthly reports are valuable for updating senior management and external stakeholders who don't require weekly updates but need to stay informed about the project's direction.

4. Quarterly status reports

Quarterly status reports offer a high-level overview of the project's progress over a three-month period. These comprehensive reports are especially useful for large, complex projects or when reporting to executive-level stakeholders. A quarterly status report typically includes:

Project summary and goals

Major milestones achieved and upcoming

Overall project health assessment

Key performance indicators (KPIs) and metrics

Budget status and projections

Risk management updates

Strategic recommendations

Quarterly reports help stakeholders understand the project's progress within the context of the entire project lifecycle and often inform high-level decision-making.

The benefits of effective project status reporting

Reporting isn’t just something you should do for the sake of doing it. Effective reporting has a variety of benefits. When you correctly report on project status, you effectively: 

Keep track of project health

The worst thing for a project is when you arrive at the end of the timeline and realize you were off track the whole time. No one likes being blindsided—and as the project manager, you’re empowered to make sure your team is aware of your project health at all times. 

Progress reports are a way to do that without too much manual work. Because these reports mix high-level summaries with some important metrics, everyone has a sense of the project's health. And if the project is off track? You can quickly and proactively fix it—so you still hit your project deadline on time and on budget.

Summarize project progress

Project status reports are not real-time reports. These reports are summaries of what happened during the past week, two weeks, or month of project work. They’re an opportunity for your stakeholders to stay informed on how well you’re sticking to the project plan . 

If you’re looking for tips on how to report on projects in real time, check out our article on universal reporting tools for every team . 

Reduce manual work

As the project manager, you already have enough on your plate. You don’t need to also spend hours every week or month grabbing data from different places. Project reporting tools make it easy to find all of this information in one place, and create a project status report with the click of a button. 

Share next steps and action items

Project status reports should go out to your project team, project sponsor, important stakeholders, and cross-functional team members. Because these are high-level reports, they’re appropriate for anyone who wants to stay informed about project progress. 

This is the optimal way to let everyone know what’s happening without getting into the details. If there are important project next steps or action items, share them here so everyone knows what to expect. 

Proactively identify blockers

If your project isn’t on track, your status report lets others know what the delay is and what you’re doing to resolve any blockers, allowing you to show off your proactive approach to getting things back to where they should be. Similar to the project risk management process , proactive status reporting helps you identify and overcome issues before they impact your project timeline.

Say goodbye to status meetings

The day of the status meeting is over. We now know these aren’t effective ways to spend your time. Unlike face-to-face meetings, project status reports are shared in a central tool that team members can check asynchronously when they want to. They can refer back to the information, or dig deeper into the project if necessary. Save your face-to-face meeting time for valuable meetings like brainstormings or all hands. 

Streamline status reporting with work management software

The biggest benefit of project status reporting is that it reduces your manual work, centralizes information, and makes it easy to keep everyone up to date. If your information is scattered across multiple tools, you can’t effectively use project reporting templates—you still need to manually open this Excel spreadsheet and that team email to gather your information. 

Instead, make sure you’re using project management software as your central source of truth. With project management software you:

Have a central source of truth so team members can see who’s doing what by when. 

Can easily visualize project information in a Gantt chart , Kanban board , calendar, or spreadsheet-style list view. 

Create status reports with the click of a button. 

Offer a place for team members who read the status report and want more details to look and find the information they need. 

Have access to additional project information, like your project plan, communication plan , project goals, milestones, deliverables , and more.

Naturally, we think Asana is a great option. Asana is a work management tool your entire team can use. Your cross-functional collaborators need a way to view past status reports. Your key stakeholders need a bird’s eye view of the entire program or project portfolio management progress. And your team members need a way to track individual work throughout the project lifecycle.

How to write a status report in 8 steps

So, how do you go about doing project status reports? Be sure to create a clear structure you can use consistently for all future status reports. You should also make sure it matches with your project brief to keep your report on topic.

Follow this guide to understand what to include in your project status report, and watch as we put each step into practice with an example of an Employee Satisfaction project.

Step 1: Build your report where work lives

Before you build your report, make sure you’re already tracking your work information in a project management tool. That way, you don’t have to manually grab information from a host of sources—instead, you can reduce manual work and create a report with a few clicks. 

Starting off with a project management tool makes it easy to capture dependencies and note upcoming tasks so you’re never blindsided about your project health.

Step 2: Name your report

A great option is to simply use the project name for clarity. If you’re reporting on this project regularly, you should also include a date or timestamp.

Example project report title: February 2020 - Employee satisfaction initiative

Step 3: Indicate project health

The project health is the current status of the project. Project health may change from report to report, especially if you run into blockers or unblock big project risks. Look for a project management tool that allows you to communicate the project’s status and whether or not it’s on track. One way to do this is to use a color coding system (green = on track, yellow = at risk, red = off track).

Example project health update: Project status is on track.

Step 4: Quickly summarize the status report

Your project status report summary should be brief—about 2-3 sentences. The goal here is to give readers who may not have time to read the entire report a quick TL;DR of the most important facts. 

This is the first section of your report, so it’s the best place to: 

Include highlights

Flag major blockers

Note unexpected project risks

Example status report summary: Our survey results are in and being reviewed. At first glance, we’re seeing 80% employee satisfaction, up 3 points from the last survey. The Engagement Committee is working with the Executive team on what new engagement initiatives to implement in our key target areas, which include career growth and transparency.

Step 5: Add a high-level overview of each key area

Depending on your project, your key areas may vary from report to report, or they may stay consistent. For example, in an Agile project that’s continuously improving, you’d likely use dynamic key areas that cover the things your team worked on during the last sprint. Alternatively, for an event planning project, there are a set number of key areas that you always want to touch on, like promotion, signups, and speakers. 

For each key area in the status report, add a few bullet points that give an update on progress, accomplishments, and upcoming work.

Example high-level overview of a key area: Survey results

70% of employees took the satisfaction survey.

Our overall satisfaction rating is 80%.

Only 57% of employees report having a clear path towards career advancement, down 5% since the last survey. 

41% of employees listed transparency as the number one improvement they’d like to see.

Step 6: Add links to other documents or resources

While you shouldn’t include every little detail about how your project is going, some people will want to know more. For stakeholders who are looking for more in-depth information, provide links to documents or resources. This can include more specific project information, like links to specific project milestones , or the broader impacts of the project, like a reference to the business goals the project is contributing to.

Example: Include a link to the employee satisfaction survey , as well as to the larger company OKR around increasing employee engagement over the course of the fiscal year.

Step 7: Flag any blockers the project has run into

All projects run into roadblocks. These can come in the form of project risks , unexpected increases to the budget , or delays that impact the project timeline . Keeping stakeholders in the loop when issues arise will help everyone adjust accordingly to stay on track. 

Example roadblock: The executive team wants to look at results before the engagement committee meets again, but won’t be able to do so for another three weeks. This will delay our overall project timeline.

Step 8: Highlight next steps

These could include a list of next steps, kudos you want to give someone, or anything else you want to highlight.

Example: Thank you Sarah A. for sending out multiple communications to employees encouraging them to participate in the survey!

Project status report template

To quickly put everything you learned in the previous section to use, write your next project status report using this easy-to-fill-out template:

Report name:

Name your report. This can be as simple as the project name and the date of the report.

Project health:

Is the project on track, at risk, or delayed?

Include a short description of the most important takeaways from your project status report here. Keep in mind that busy stakeholders may only look at this section, so include any highlights or blockers the entire team needs to know about

Key area 1: High-level overview

Specific details about progress, accomplishments, and upcoming work.

Key area 2: High-level overview

Key area 3: High-level overview

Additional information and links: 

Link to relevant project details or higher-level project information that stakeholders might be curious about. This section is a chance for team members to dig deeper on specifics, or understand how the project initiative fits into your larger strategic goals . 

Are there any challenges you’re facing? How will you resolve them?

Additional notes or highlights:

Are there any additional things your team needs to know? What are the main next steps? 

Status report example

While a how-to guide on writing project status reports is helpful, sometimes seeing a real-life example allows you to really see what your own update could look like, right? We thought you might agree, so here’s a status report example you may find useful:

Report name: Ebook launch

Project status: On track

Great progress this week! We are still in the concept phase, but Avery Lomax will be choosing a topic this week. Content and Design teams are standing by and ready to get started once we give the go ahead.

Planning team met to discuss an overall topic

We have three final ideas and will choose one on Friday

A brief is due to the Content team the following Thursday

The Content team is ready to start writing copy as soon as our idea is finalized

They are gathering pertinent company information that should be included

Design reviewed five ebook examples to determine the style they liked

They will be choosing a template by next Tuesday

Jen is out of the office all next week so please direct any content questions to Joy

Thank you to Henry for curating a huge list of topics for us to choose from!

Issues/challenges:

The e-book’s deadline is tight, as we all know. It’s critical that we’re all working in our project management tool to keep everyone organized and on track. Thanks!

Streamline status reporting with a work management tool

The above report is clear and easy to follow. By building this report in a work management tool like Asana, you can automatically fill each section but the summary. Here’s what the above report looks like in Asana:

Project status reporting best practices

Now you know what to include in your project status report, but you may still have a few additional questions. As you’re creating status reports for your project, these best practices will help you formulate a winning update.

How often should you report out?

The frequency with which you send project updates depends on the type of project you’re running. If your project has a short timeframe, or if things are moving quickly, aim to send weekly project status reports. Alternatively, if the initiative you’re reporting on is a long-term project, you probably only need to send biweekly or even monthly reports. The most important thing is making sure your project stakeholders are up to date. 

When you use a project reporting tool, you can set a task for yourself to always send status reports on a certain day each week. These recurring reminders make it easy to keep stakeholders informed, whether you're sending weekly status updates or monthly progress reports. Either way, stakeholders will begin to expect your updates, which means less frequent check-ins from them (plus they’ll appreciate always being in the loop).

By sending regular reports, you can avoid multiple meetings related to a project (we all know unnecessary meetings have their own reputation ). Skip the check-in meetings and save your time for more important work.

Who should you include?

It depends on the project and who is involved, but typically plan to send an update to any stakeholders working on your project. You should have created a stakeholder analysis—outlining all stakeholders, sponsors, and team members—during the project planning process, but refer to your project plan if you aren’t sure.

Even if that week’s status report doesn’t affect a particular team member, you should still share it with everyone. It’s important for everyone to have a high-level overview. Team members who don’t need to review the report in depth can quickly skim your summary section, while others who are more involved can dive into the details you’ve provided.

How detailed should you get?

A project status report shouldn’t offer every little detail. Let the work tell the story—you’re simply curating information and adding a little color. Think of a project status report as a top line message—just the most important pieces of your project that affect most stakeholders should be included.

You should always indicate whether the project is on track, at risk, or off track, give a quick summary of what’s complete and what’s upcoming, then link out to other resources for people who want more details.

Essential components of a status report

A well-crafted project progress report should include the following key elements, which you can customize based on your project's specific needs and the desired level of detail:

Project details: Begin with a high-level overview of the project, including its name, goals, overall scope, and position within the larger project roadmap.

Current status: Provide a concise update on the project's current state and recent accomplishments, showing its alignment with the project plan and timeline. Specify the reporting period to give context to the information presented.

Key metrics and KPIs: Include relevant performance indicators that demonstrate the project's progress. These could be quantitative measures like project budget utilization, task completion rates, or other project-specific metrics. Consider using graphs to visually represent trends and make the data more digestible.

Milestones: Highlight completed milestones and upcoming key project milestones. This helps stakeholders understand both recent achievements and what to expect next in the project life cycle. Relate these milestones to the overall project workflow.

Risks, blockers, and issues: Identify any potential roadblocks, dependencies, or challenges that may impact the project's success. Be sure to include proposed mitigation strategies or action items to address these concerns.

Next steps and action items: Outline upcoming tasks, assignments, and deadlines. This gives team members and stakeholders clarity on what to expect in the near future and helps maintain project momentum.

Remember, an effective status report balances the need for detailed information with clarity and brevity, making it easy for readers to quickly track progress.

Where should you write your project status report?

The best way to draft and share status updates is with a work management tool . Look for a tool that offers an overview of your project, so your team has a central source of truth for all project-related work. That way, instead of managing projects in spreadsheets , you can keep it all—status updates, project briefs, key deliverables, and important project milestones—in one place. Your reports will be easily shareable, and stakeholders can look back on previous reports at any time, avoiding email overload on your end.

Wrapping your project up with an executive summary

The status reports we’ve been talking about are always sent during a project to keep everyone in the loop. However, once the project is finished, it’s smart to send out a final summary report. Think of this as the executive summary for your project. This is your chance to offer stakeholders a wrap-up to the project. Use it to officially close it out.

Again, it’s a high-level overview, but instead of including updates and statuses, you’ll provide a summary of how the overall project went. Here are a few questions to answer in a project summary report:

What were the goals of this project and were they met?

Was the project completed on time and on budget (if applicable)?

What successes should be highlighted?

What challenges did we run into?

What can we learn from this project to help us on future projects?

Keep every stakeholder on track with status reports that write themselves

If you’re looking to over-deliver on your next project, try sending project status updates. They keep you productive, efficient, and accountable, while giving everyone else a quick (and engaging) look into what’s been happening. 

Use the resources we’ve provided to create reports that give just enough information without diving into too much detail. Find a project management solution like Asana that has features designed specifically to help with status reports. You’ll save time and be as organized as possible.

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What Is a Project Status Report and How to Write It + Template

Project status reports are essential for keeping your stakeholders in the loop and updated about your project’s progress. 

When done correctly, status reports become invaluable communication and assessment tools that help you identify potential issues early and keep your project team aligned. 

In this guide you’ll learn how to write effective project status reports, how to avoid common pitfalls, and more about the benefits of having a good status report template handy.

Table of Contents

What is a project status report?

A project status report is a document that presents the current state of the project to stakeholders in a clear and concise manner, and measures the project’s progress against the baselines provided in the project management plan . 

The purpose of the project status report is to update stakeholders on how the project is going and keep them informed about any emerging threats or project risks . It should be to the point and concise — ideally, no more than two pages long.

• Bi-weekly, or
• Monthly. 

An expert we consulted,  Michelle M. Campbell , Senior Vice President, MBA, Project Management Professional (PMP), Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO), and Certified ScrumMaster® (CSM), is in favor of more regular project updates.

“ I recommend weekly release of a status report, especially on a rapidly changing project. ”

What makes a good project status report?

A good project status report is concise, clear, and always follows the same template. 

Status reports are created for stakeholders . As such, they should contain information the stakeholders would want to know, in a way that they want to see it, and with respect to their time and schedules.

With this in mind, a good project status report should be:

• Structured and clear — a status report should be structured in a logical manner, preferably with charts and tables that break down complex data and provide all essential information at a glance.
• Tailored to stakeholder needs — different stakeholders and different projects will demand different status reports, so it’s best to agree on a structure at the beginning.
• Consistent — using the same template for all your status reports will help with comparing reports and it will also help stakeholders know exactly what to expect and where to find the information they’re looking for.
• Concise — your boss doesn’t need to know the exact number of hours your third-party contractor spent on doing a specific task — they only need to know that it is done.
• Objective and honest — include only information backed by facts. Objectivity and dishonesty in status reports can have destructive consequences.

According to Michelle M. Campbell:

“ While aesthetics is helpful on a status report, it is more important to have the informative essentials that will guide the reader to arrive at a comprehensive, but concise understanding of the state of the project. ” 

5 Tips on how to write an effective project status report (+ templates)

Now that we’ve established the qualities of good project status reports, here are some tips on how to write them.

Tip #1: Get to know your audience

We explained this before, but it’s worth another mention. A status report isn’t a document meant for project managers. It’s a communication tool written by project managers for stakeholders. As such, it should contain information that the stakeholders want to see, not the information the project manager thinks is important.

To determine what that information is, it’s best to talk to stakeholders at the beginning of the project and hear it directly from them.

Doing this will save you a lot of time by eliminating any guesswork from the get-go.

Tip #2: Summarize the information

A project status report goes out to all stakeholders. However, not all stakeholders need the same information. This is why it’s good practice to summarize the main information from the report at the very beginning. 

Michelle M. Campbell recommends that the summary do the following:

 “Include a short scope and color-coded health/condition of the project by using the RAG status:

Red = off track  Amber = at risk to go off track  Green = on track. ”

She also suggests requesting help from key stakeholders to use their sphere of influence at this point — if that’s what’s necessary to push the status from red or yellow back to green.

Tip #3: Streamline the process by using project status report templates

It’s difficult enough to compile the data for the status report every week, you shouldn’t also have to waste time on writing the whole thing from scratch every time — that’s what editable templates are for.

Templates are incredibly helpful tools when it comes to creating any kind of project plan or report. Not only do they save you time, but they also help maintain the consistency of your reports over time.

To help you get started, we’ve created an editable project status report template in Microsoft Word, Excel, and Google Sheets that you can download right now by clicking the links below.

Download editable project status report — Microsoft Word

Download editable project status report — Microsoft Excel

Download editable project status report — Google Sheets

💡 Plaky Pro Tip

Trying to decide between Google Sheets and Excel? Take a look at our post comparing the two:

• Google Sheets vs Excel: Hands-On App Comparison for 2024

Tip #4: Don’t be afraid to ask for help

It’s your job as a project manager to lead a project — but that doesn’t mean that everything should rest on your shoulders. 

Your executive managers, sponsors, and other key stakeholders have the ability to help you resolve issues more quickly and efficiently than you’d be able to do alone. 

However, they aren’t directly involved in the project on a daily basis, and they won’t know that their help is needed unless you specifically ask for it.

Tip #5: Verify before releasing

Never release information to a wider audience that hasn’t been confirmed beforehand. 

Even if you don’t have much time to compile your report, avoid including opinions and guesses.

If you’re unsure about how a certain aspect of the project is progressing, ask your team members.

It’s always better to ask and confirm rather than unintentionally downplay or exaggerate the situation.

💡 PLAKY PRO TIP

To create relevant and concise status reports, you must be well-acquainted with the aspects of the project you’re reporting on and why they are important to the people who are going to be reading them. Expand or brush up on your knowledge of the essential project management terminology by visiting our glossary page:

• Project Management Glossary of Terms

Project status report example

To give you a better idea of how to write a concise, but effective project status report, we’ll go over an example using the free project status report template we provided earlier.

First you need the basic project information — project name, number, sponsor, project manager, today’s date, and the time period covered in the report. The template is fully editable, so you may choose to delete or add certain fields your project might require.

Next, it’s a good idea to show an at-a-glance overview of the project’s progress. For example, at the top right of the template you can show your project’s progress in a doughnut chart and a RAG (red/amber/green) indication of the project’s status.

The first thing after your basic project information should be your project summary. This section may differ depending on your project and stakeholder requirements. Most often, it will include a brief summary of the report in your own words, or a short table that gives an overview of the health of your project’s main components — scope, schedule, budget, and resources — like in the image below.

Next, you may choose to add a quick summary of the things you’ve accomplished since the previous report and the things you plan to do by the next report. This can be a simple, bulleted list, but it can be valuable to show stakeholders the proof of your progress.

If you want to go into a bit more detail, you can add a separate section where you give a short description for each item. This template provides both options, for busy stakeholders and those who want a more detailed report.

Next, it’s very important to add a list of the project’s major milestones. This, more than anything else, will tell stakeholders exactly where you are in the project and whether you’re on track or behind schedule.

Finally, you’ll want to mention prominent risks you’re tracking, and highlight the issues you are currently dealing with, how you’re handling them, and whether there’s something that requires the stakeholders’ attention.

This template also contains an optional field meant for writing down key takeaways, notes, requests, or anything else you think is important to add to the report.

Benefits of effective project reporting

When done right, project status reports are a valuable tool in a project manager’s toolbox that help PMs maintain a firm grip on the reins of their project by:

• Identifying issues and risks before they escalate,
• Tracking productivity,
• Keeping everyone on the same page, and
• Leaving a clear paper trail.

Effective project reports prevent issue escalation

Major issues rarely crop up overnight. 

There are usually warning signs weeks, and even months before they blow up. 

The problem is that they sometimes get overlooked.

When status reports are done regularly and diligently, it’s very easy to spot potential threats to your project and address them before they become a bigger deal. 

Or, at the very least, you can buy yourself more time to prepare for their imminent arrival. 

Effective project reports help track productivity

Just like a status report can identify potential dangers to the project, it can also detect the level of your team’s productivity over time. 

With enough data, you can easily detect overachievers and underachievers, the reasons for their level of performance, and make more accurate predictions about the future of your project.

Effective project reports foster transparency

Since status reports concern everyone involved in the project, they are an important means of communication and a good way to keep everyone of interest in the loop about the project’s progress.

They may be shared directly with the interested parties. 

But, it’s even better if they are shared on an online dashboard or a project management tool used across the organization. 

Free project management software

Take control of your team’s workload and achieve better project results with Plaky.

After all, two heads are better than one. Imagine what two hundred heads can do when they put their minds to it. So, keep everyone up to date with project status reports.

As Craig William, CEO and founder of WebFX said for Forbes , the reward of rigorous transparency is “a more thoughtful and innovative atmosphere where employees feel like the sky’s the limit when it comes to solving problems creatively.” 

Effective project reports leave a helpful paper trail 

Paper trails, be they digital or analog, are an incredibly valuable asset in project management . 

In the case of project status reports, leaving a paper trail means being able to go back in time and analyze old reports in search of clues that might help you perform better in a similar future project. 

They can also serve as proof of a project manager’s competence or incompetence at grasping what is going on in their project.

The pitfalls of writing project status reports

We’ve established that, when done correctly, project status reports are an important asset for everyone involved in the project. But, let’s take a look at some examples of poorly-written project status reports.

Some project status reports go into too much detail

As opposed to high-level reports, or reports that contain high-level (surface-level) information, low-level reports deal with what’s under the surface.  

As we mentioned before, status reports should contain high-level information. In other words, they should provide an overview of the project’s status without delving into the details of the project. 

If a status report contains detailed information, it completely misses the point. Low-level status reports are often long, incomprehensible walls of text that no one will ever want, or have the time to read. This means that your stakeholders won’t ever have a clear idea of what’s going on in the project, and won’t be able to offer any assistance if it becomes necessary.

Some project status reports are biased

In 2009, a group of researchers from Wake Forest University published a paper on selective status reporting , where they tried to determine the causes and effects of conscious misreporting of project statuses. 

The research identified two types of selective reporting: 

• Optimistic biasing, and
• Pessimistic biasing.

The study found that both of these biases have a negative impact on project performance. Let’s take a closer look at both of them.

Optimistic biasing in status reporting

The study explained optimistic biasing as deliberately avoiding reporting on critical issues, or glossing over them to make them seem less threatening than they actually are. 

Researchers found that this is a common occurrence among project managers whose supervisors have a history of unwelcoming responses to project setbacks. This concealing of important information for fear of being yelled at, or blamed for the issues can lead to serious problems down the road.

This kind of biasing usually serves the project manager’s self-interest to avoid the blame for the issue. However, it can also stem from the higher management’s poor downward communication skills — so it can’t be entirely blamed on the project manager.

Regardless of who is to blame, optimistic biasing is a dangerous element in status reporting that can lead to critical issues passing under the radar and being neglected until it’s too late.

Pessimistic biasing in status reporting

Conversely, pessimistic biasing refers to intentionally making the project seem to be in a worse situation than it actually is. 

The above-mentioned research on status reporting claims that this kind of misreporting can be a means of securing additional funds for the project. 

However, it later suggests that pessimistic biasing is more likely to be connected to project-supported concerns, and is, thus, less dangerous than optimistic biasing.

Some project status reports involve “inconvenient truths”

A related research paper published in 2014 in the MIT Sloan Management Review, titled The Pitfalls of Project Status Reporting , lists five “inconvenient truths” related to status reporting. 

According to the study, these five inconvenient truths are:

• Executives can’t rely on staff to speak up about problems.
• A variety of reasons can cause people to misreport project status.
• An aggressive audit team can’t counter the effects of project status misreporting.
• Putting senior executives in charge of a project may increase misreporting.
• Executives often ignore bad news.

As the authors claim, accepting these truths can “ greatly reduce the chance of being blindsided by unpleasant surprises ” — meaning that executives should prepare in advance for what is inevitable. 

How should I present my project status reports?

There are many ways to distribute and present your project status reports. Some of the most common ones are:

• Via a collaborative platform such as Google Sheets,
• Using other digital resources such as Microsoft Word or Microsoft Excel templates, and
• Using a company-wide file-sharing platform.

Presenting project status reports in-person

In-person status reporting goes hand in hand with project status report meetings. While this used to be the norm a few decades ago, digitalization has helped us move away from what The Business Journals calls “the biggest waste of time in business today”, and toward a more modern and considerate reporting framework.

As you may already guess, these in-person status reports are welcomed by few. However, if your supervisors still insist on holding meetings in person, there are ways that can make everyone hate them a little less, according to Ross Snyder’s PMI article.

Snyder suggests the following:

• Turn status report meetings into planning meetings by distributing the status reports to all relevant parties beforehand, and 
• Instead of going through the entire report at the meeting, simply do a brief planning session on how to proceed further.

“The weekly meeting should not be used to report status!”, says Snyder, “The meeting may be used to discuss status, but never to report it.”

Presenting project status reports via email

Distributing project status reports by email is a little more common occurrence in this digital age, but it’s certainly not ideal. 

According to research, an average person receives over 100 emails a day at work, not including spam! 

Distributing such critical reports via such a cluttered platform, where it’s nearly impossible to sort out important information from unimportant information, can be irresponsible.

Presenting project status reports via collaborative platforms

Collaborative platforms such as Google Sheets are a good way to reach everyone who needs to see the report. 

Collaborative platforms also help project managers to take a load off their chest by allowing the team members to update the project in real-time and constantly keep it up to date.

This way, project managers don’t have to go through the same cycle of collecting information and writing reports every week or two. 

All the information is available for everyone to see and update at any time, further improving communication and transparency among colleagues.

Presenting project status reports via non-collaborative digital resources

Some project managers like to use Microsoft Word, or Excel to create and distribute their status reports. These documents can then be distributed by email or clipped to a digital dashboard for everyone to see. 

While not as collaborative as Google Sheets, Microsoft Word and Excel offer a level of control to project managers who don’t like others meddling with their reports.

Sharing project status reports via project management software

Finally, there are digital file-sharing tools that are used by everyone in the organization and ensure that notifications are sent out to everyone who needs to be involved in the status report, to make sure no one misses a thing.

This can be an ordinary file-sharing platform, or an all-encompassing project management tool like Plaky where you can safely share an unlimited number of documents and always be sure that everyone who needs to see the files has seen them.

Streamline your business — Improve planning, align teams, finish tasks with Plaky.

What’s the difference between a project status report and a project performance report?

The project performance report and the project status report are two terms that tend to get mixed up. But, if these two terms sound like they might be the same thing, it’s because they kind of are. 

Let’s elaborate.

What is a project performance report?

The project performance report is an umbrella term that encompasses the following reports:

• Status report — It informs stakeholders about the project as a whole, the current status of the budget, time, risks, dependencies, and how they fare in relation to the project baselines .
• Progress report —It shows how the project has progressed since the previous report. Along with the forecasting report and the earned value report, the progress report tends to merge with the status report to create a single document, simply called a “project status report”.
• Trend report — It tracks performance and productivity and shows how performance has improved or deteriorated compared to the last measured period. Project trend reports also help identify recurring issues or successes, predict how the project will unfold in the future, and help project managers learn from past mistakes.
• Variance report — It shows how a project’s actual performance compares to its initial performance estimates.
• Forecasting report — It shows what the project manager expects to happen in the near future. It sets predictions for the project status, cost, and deadlines in the coming period. 
• Earned value report — It combines the cost, schedule, and scope baselines to the project’s actual performance to determine whether the project is ahead, behind, or precisely on schedule.

So far, so good.

As we can see, the project status report is only one type of performance report. As the famous saying goes — all project status reports are performance reports, but not all performance reports are status reports.

How can we distinguish between project status reports and project performance reports?

While there’s a clear distinction between the two on paper, the problem arises when project managers refuse to follow the established naming and reporting conventions. 

We mentioned before that progress reports, forecasting reports, earned value reports, and status reports are often merged into a single document. Together, these documents are still called the “project status report”. 

So are these reports separate performance reports or have they merged under the umbrella of the status report? 

At this point, the nomenclature is arbitrary and each project manager has their own way of doing things. So, it might be best not to think about it too much and simply follow the conventions set by the company you work for.

Use Plaky to track your KPIs and share files with your team

Project status reports help identify problems and root them out before they escalate, or at the very least, reduce their impact. 

But, if they are to be used to their full potential, stakeholders first need to read them first. And what better way to make sure their file doesn’t get lost in the mailbox than sharing it directly with them using the same project management tool everyone uses?

With Plaky, you can have all your internal and external stakeholders in one place. Using the Plaky free plan, you can invite an unlimited number of users and manage your projects, share files, create separate spaces for your sub-teams, check your progress and make sure no one ever misses an important notification. Try Plaky for free today, or check out what the paid plans have to offer.

Improve your data tracking and project reporting with Plaky.

• Chang, J. (n.d.). 56 Email Statistics You Must Learn: 2022 Data on User Behaviour & Best Practices. Finances Online. Retrieved May 1, 2022, from https://financesonline.com/email-statistics/
• Craig, W. (2018, October 16). 10 Things Transparency Can Do For Your Company. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/williamcraig/2018/10/16/10-things-transparency-can-do-for-your-company/?sh=28e2004d25d0 
• Iacovou, L. C., Thompson, L. R. and Smith, H. J. (2009). Selective Status Reporting in Information Systems Projects: A Dyadic-Level Investigation. MIS Quarterly , 33(4), 785-810. https://www.jstor.org/stable/20650327
• Keil, M. et al. (2014). The Pitfalls of Project Status Reporting. MIT Sloan Management Review. 55(3), 57-64. https://sloanreview.mit.edu/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/2786f52352.pdf
• Milojevic, N. (2022). Downward communication: What you need to know to make it successful . Pumble. https://pumble.com/blog/downward-communication/
• Snyder, R. M. (1999). Read this if you hate project status meetings. PM Network, 13 (8), 45–46. https://www.pmi.org/learning/library/hate-project-status-meetings-5045
• Swanson, S. A. (2014). Anatomy of an effective status report. PM Network, 28 (6), 52–61.https://www.pmi.org/learning/library/anatomy-highly-effective-status-report-2198 
• Waagen, A. (2014, July 30). The biggest waste of time in business today: The status meeting. The Business Journals. https://www.bizjournals.com/bizjournals/how-to/human-resources/2014/07/status-meeting-is-huge-waste-of-time.html

Explore further

Introduction to Project Management

Basic Project Management Terminology

Advanced Project Management Terminology

Project Management Methodologies

Additional Project Management Materials

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Project Definitions

Project health.

• To Be Started (Orange): Project work has not yet started.
• On Track (Green): The project is on schedule, within scope, and within budget. Project resources are available for project activities when needed.
• At Risk (Yellow):  A risk(s) has been identified that may delay or impact the completion of all objectives.
• Off Track (Red):  Needs Attention. There are issues that have or will impact achievement of the project's objectives.
• Completed: (Blue): Project is closed.

Project Status

• Active: The project is currently being worked on by the project team.
• Completed: Work on the project has finished, and all deliverables/tasks have been completed.
• Cancelled: The project has not finished, and work on the project will not continue.
• On Hold: The project has not finished, and work on the project has been temporarily suspended.

Project Phase

• Initiate: The projects purpose, scope (Charter) and stakeholders are being defined.
• Plan & Prepare: The project workplan is being created.
• Build and Manage:  The project solution is being created or launched.
• Close & Sustain:  Project deliverables are being finalized and handed off to the operational team.
• Completed: The project is completed. Ongoing operations and maintenance have been transitioned to the operational team.

Risk/Issue Details

• Issue:   An event that has happened and may impact achievement of the project's objectives if not resolved.
• Risk: A potential event that may impact achievement of the project's objectives if it does happen. 

What is RAG Status Reporting in Project Management?

Fahad Usmani, PMP

July 5, 2024

Many project managers report the project status as “Red,” “Amber,” or “Green,” which is commonly known as “RAG status reporting.”

RAG status in project management helps the project manager visually share the project status with stakeholders.

RAG Reporting is useful in project management. In today’s post, I will explain this tool in detail so you can understand it well and use it for your project.

Let’s get started.

What is RAG Status in Project Management?

When the project managers use traffic lights to convey the project status to stakeholders, the reporting format is known as “ RAG status reporting .”

RAG stands for red, amber, and green. These colors indicate the project status. A red light indicates problems, an amber traffic light indicates that the project is moving without any major concerns, and a green traffic light shows that the project is progressing as planned.

You can compare performance with budget, deadlines, quality, resources, etc. These colors describe succeeding or troubled projects.

The meaning of each color code is given in the below table:

Why Use RAG Status Reporting?

Some organizations use BRAG instead of RAG, where B denotes blue, which means the project is closed. You might see RYG (Red, Yellow, and Green) in some places.

RAG status helps stakeholders to identify areas needing support, prioritize resources, and make informed decisions promptly. This simplified reporting method enhances transparency, facilitates effective communication, and ensures timely intervention to align projects with objectives and deadlines.

The organization can combine RAG status for multiple projects and communicate with stakeholders.

RAG Status Indicators and Actions

The following tables show RAG status indicators and their actions:

What is a “Red” Project?

A project with the “Red” status has issues. It may be over budget, late, or have unforeseen changes to the scope. The “Red” light requires immediate attention from management.

The red status indicates that the project manager cannot resolve the issues and they need management support in instances such as:

• A resource shortage prevented the team from finishing the task.
• The project was delayed, and the deadline fell out of tolerance by more than four weeks.
• An unidentified risk occurred, and the project manager has escalated it to management.

The organization must define the criteria for using the term “Red” so that project managers may evaluate the progress of their work according to established guidelines. A red signal usually indicates scheduling delays or cost overruns.

How to Use RAG Status in Different Scenarios

You can use RAG status in different situations, as follows:

• Status Meetings: During status meetings, RAG reports highlight areas that require discussion, focusing on red (critical) and amber (at-risk) areas to ensure that issues are promptly addressed.
• Risk Management: RAG status helps categorize risks by severity and likelihood in risk management. Red signals high-risk items that require an immediate response; amber indicates moderate risks, and green denotes low-risk items.
• Milestone Tracking: Tracking project milestones with RAG status allows for a quick progress assessment. Red indicates missed or critically delayed milestones; amber reflects potential delays; and green denotes milestones met as planned.
• Performance Metrics: RAG status can highlight areas of concern for performance metrics. Red shows metrics that fall below acceptable thresholds; amber signals metrics that are borderline or trending negatively; and green indicates metrics that meet or exceed expectations.
• Budget Management: When tracking budgets, red can indicate overspending; amber highlights potential overruns, and green signals on-budget performance, thus enabling proactive financial management.

How to Recover from “Red” Status

A red project requires immediate management attention to improve its performance.

You can take the following steps to improve project conditions: 

• Scrutinize Underlying Causes: Confront the issue and investigate its root cause. If necessary, involve experts and higher authorities to find out what’s really at the bottom of the issue. 
• Be Open with Clients: Involve the client while performing root-cause analysis, be honest with them, and ask for their feedback. If the clients are not involved in the solution, the project may face issues in later stages.
• End the Project: If the project is beyond saving, then management can terminate it. There is no need to invest resources if the project fails to provide value to the client.

What is an “Amber” Project?

This status indicates that the project has some issues, but they are within the permissible tolerance, and the team is confident that they can control the progress.

For example:

• The budget is 1% overspent, but the team is confident that the project will not cross the threshold. 
• A few milestones are slightly behind schedule but won’t affect the project deadline.
• The team has a resource shortage but does not require higher-level intervention.
• Stakeholders have some concerns, and the team is confident that they can address those concerns.

How to Recover from “Amber” Status

Monitor the amber project closely and regularly update the project team on its current condition. You might want to review progress more frequently to identify developing issues quickly, find solutions to the remaining problems, and get the project back on track.

What is a Green Project?

A project with a “Green” status is progressing as per the schedule.

The project must meet the following criteria for green status:

• The project is within budget.
• The project is on schedule.
• The project has no significant issues.

How to Implement RAG Reporting

Implementing RAG reporting involves several key steps:

1. Define Criteria for Each Color

• Red: Determine what constitutes a critical issue or significant deviation from the plan. Examples include major delays, budget overruns, or critical risks that have materialized.
• Amber: Establish criteria for moderate deviations. This might include minor delays, budget concerns, or emerging risks that could impact the project if not addressed.
• Green: Define what it means for the project to be “on track.” This could mean meeting deadlines, staying within budget, and managing risks.

2. Collect Data

• Set Up Data-Collection Methods: Use project-management software, spreadsheets, or databases to collect relevant data. Ensure that you track key performance indicators (KPIs) (e.g., timelines, budget status, risk levels, and resource allocation).
• Regular Data Updates: Schedule regular updates (e.g., weekly or bi-weekly) to ensure current data. Assign team members to be responsible for gathering and inputting data.
• Qualitative and Quantitative Data: Collect qualitative data (e.g., team member feedback) and quantitative data (e.g., percentage of tasks completed) to view the project status comprehensively.

3. Analyze Data

• Review Against Criteria: Compare the collected data against the predefined criteria for each RAG color.
• Consult Stakeholders: Engage with key stakeholders to validate the data and ensure that the RAG status accurately reflects the project’s health.

4. Report RAG Status

• Create Visual Reports: To represent RAG status visually, use charts, dashboards, or simple color-coded tables. Tools (e.g., Excel, Power BI, or project-management software) can help create these visualizations.
• Regular Reporting: Include RAG status in project reports and stakeholder updates. This can be part of weekly status meetings, monthly reviews, or a project-management dashboard.
• Narrative Explanation: Accompany the visual RAG status with a narrative explanation. This should provide context for the status outline, issues, potential impacts, and actions to address amber and red statuses.

5. Review and Adjust

• Regular Reviews: Periodically review the criteria for each color to ensure that they remain relevant as the project progresses.
• Feedback Loop: Encourage feedback from the team and stakeholders to improve the RAG reporting process continuously.

RAG reporting is not an individual report; it is used with any status, progress, or performance reports , depending on the organization’s reporting system.

You can show the RAG color code at the top of the project status report , providing stakeholders with a quick visual summary of the project status. 

You can use RAG status with risk-analysis reports, weekly status reports, progress reports, monthly performance reports, etc.

You can explain why an element has a particular color and the steps being taken to improve the performance.

RAG Status Report Pros

The benefits of RAG status reporting are:

• More Clarity and Simplicity: RAG status provides a clear, simple visual representation of project health, thus making it easy for stakeholders to understand the current status at a glance.
• Quicker Issue Identification: The color-coded system quickly highlights areas that need attention (i.e., amber and red), thus enabling prompt intervention and resolution of problems before they escalate.
• Improved Communication: RAG reporting facilitates effective communication among team members and stakeholders by providing a common language for discussing project status and priorities.
• More Focus on Critical Areas: The system directs attention to critical areas (i.e., red and amber statuses), thus prioritizing and addressing the most pressing issues.
• More Proactive Risk Management: By identifying potential issues early (i.e., amber status), RAG reporting allows for proactive risk management, thus mitigating risks before they become critical.
• More Efficient Meetings: RAG status reports can streamline status meetings by quickly highlighting the key issues that need discussion, thus making meetings more focused and efficient.

RAG Status Report Cons

While RAG status reporting is a useful project-management tool, it does have several limitations and potential drawbacks, including:

• Oversimplification: RAG reporting reduces complex project statuses to three colors, which can oversimplify issues and omit nuances. As a result, important context or underlying details may be lost.
• Subjectivity: RAG status reporting is subjective and open to different interpretations, which can lead to deception. A green status indicates no problems; however, some flaws may have not yet been discovered, which could cause the status to change to amber or red.
• Lack of Detail: RAG status alone doesn’t provide enough information about the causes of issues or the actions needed to address them. It requires additional explanation and context.
• Optimism Bias: Project managers tend to take the safe route and report projects as green—even when they should report them as amber or red.
• Reactive, Not Proactive: RAG reporting is often reactive, highlighting issues after they occur rather than predicting and preventing them. This can limit its effectiveness in proactive risk management.
• Higher Emotional Impact: The red status in particular can create a negative emotional response, thus leading to stress and a potential “blame culture,” rather than fostering a collaborative, problem-solving environment.

RAG Status Template

The following image shows a RAG template:

Example of RAG Status Report

The following image shows an example of an RAG status report:

According to this report , over 11% of investments are wasted because of poor project performance. RAG status can help you improve project performance. RAG status reporting is a useful project management tool for quickly communicating project health. By providing a clear visual summary, RAG status reports enhance stakeholder communication, facilitate timely decision-making, and enable proactive problem-solving. 

Adopting RAG status reporting can significantly improve project oversight, accountability, and efficiency when managing complex projects.

I am Mohammad Fahad Usmani, B.E. PMP, PMI-RMP. I have been blogging on project management topics since 2011. To date, thousands of professionals have passed the PMP exam using my resources.

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What does Red, Amber and Green Mean for Your Projects?

Stop light reports are a great way to report on the status of your project to your stakeholders and they also provide a quick reporting from my team members to me at each team meeting (enabling us to reduce the time we meet!).

Let’s define (overall) what each of the colors means:

Now, let’s look at an example:

In this example, there are two issues – a schedule issue and a resource issue. There is a plan for both to be addressed. Because there is a plan in place and there is confidence that the plan will be successful to address the issues, these are “amber” rather than “red.” However – let’s assume that we find out that we cannot hold meetings with larger groups of users (schedule issue in table above), in that case, we need to go back to holding meetings with smaller groups and will not be able to make up the 3 days unless we can make those days up elsewhere. Assuming we cannot, this becomes “red.”

Now here is where I frequently see issues with stop light reports in use by many of my clients. Frequently, the client has not defined the parameters for the stop light report.  For example, at one pharmaceutical client, a multi-million dollar project appeared to be moving along nicely until a review of the project overall showed that the team members had a different perception of what it meant for a task to be amber or red than the project manager had. For example, for the project manager, a task went to red when it was 1 week overdue; for the team member, that same task would go to red when it was 4 weeks overdue (the team member was confident he could make up the time.) At that same client, some team members were unconcerned about the budget and didn’t consider cost status at all when reporting on project status – assuming, as one team member noted, “…even if I go over budget, someone is likely to come under so it all balances out.”  This led to the project manager reporting status to the project sponsors that was not accurate.

Fixing the problem

To be sure that status reports work effectively for your projects, and that everyone is looking at the status report and reporting on their tasks the same way, come to agreement on what red, amber and green means to you, your team and the key stakeholders/project sponsors.

Define parameters for red, amber and green : What does it mean if a project is in the “red?” Are you over budget by $ x or by x amount of days? Have you lost key resources or have they been reassigned? You need to define (in conjunction with your team and sponsors) what it means if a project is in the “red.” You might choose to set parameters for simple to more complex projects, based on strategic impact or based on number of resources.  Same for “amber” projects – set parameters that are clear to everyone so that everyone is reporting the same way on their project tasks. Green is usually pretty clear cut!

Communicate those parameters . Once you have parameters set, communicate those parameters for reporting on project status to all stakeholders so when you update them on the project, there is no ambiguity about where the project stands. This enables for clearer communications and better management of your stakeholders overall.

Back to our client. Once we defined the parameters, communicated to all stakeholders and began reporting consistently across the board, we were able to ensure more consistency in how projects are managed and were better able to control projects across the board.

Don’t have parameters in place for your stop light reports? Take some time away from your projects today to work with your team and sponsors to put parameters in place for all projects moving forward. You’ll find your job as project manager a bit easier!

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Communicating the status of the projects through the “red, amber and green” stop lights has been standard practice in many project status report meetings. It makes lot of sense during the end of the quarter stakeholder project meetings when individual statuses of critical project activities need to be shown.

From my experience and opinion, the amber light is always for “Challenges faced”, Delays or More support needed. Red light is when things have gone wrong or the activity is about to be shelved.

More importantly, the stop lights gives a quick glance for stakeholders on the health of the project. They can quickly narrow down on the “amber” and “red” lights for further discussion and support. Nice article. Cheers, Ramkumar

David – traffic light reporting enables for more effective and efficient reporting of EAC and NPV. By reporting through the use of a “traffic light” I do report on what the executive team and board wants to know, I just do it in a manner that is concise and understanding for all.

Traffic lights? There are only two things that are worth knowing about a project: estimated completion time, and estimated completion cost (EAC in EVM terms). Completion means delivery of the required capability. A board might also want to know the forecast NPV of the project. They might go a little further and want uncertainty bands around the forecasts (which should include for the assessed risk probabilities). Done.

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RAG Status in Project Management: Importance & Benefits

Key performance indicators (KPIs) provide projects with a lot of data. But to know whether those KPIs are on target requires more than just a gut feeling. You need a way to quickly and expertly evaluate whether project goals are being met. That’s what a RAG status does.

RAG status begins with understanding the acronym and how RAG status is used in project management. Then we’ll define RAG status tolerance and go into the various project professionals who use RAG status when evaluating a project. Finally, we’ll show what each of the RAG statuses means and how to respond to them to better understand a project.

What Is RAG Status in Project Management?

An RAG status is like a KPI traffic light. The RAG stands for red, amber and green. Just like a traffic light, red is an alert, amber (or yellow) signals caution and green means all’s clear. Sometimes another couple of colors are added to the RAG status. That’s blue and gray. Blue indicates that the activity has been completed and gray means there’s an information gap that prevents the status from being correctly assessed.

RAG status is a way to quickly and visually communicate the status of various aspects of a project or multiple projects. By color-coding the project data, the progress and performance of the project or portfolio are more intuitive and delivered with greater efficiency. It’s a great technique for project managers to get a quick overview of the project, but also serves stakeholders, who want to know the big picture and aren’t interested in the details.

Using a RAG status facilitates understanding quickly and, in so doing, helps managers and stakeholders to target areas that require attention according to the color that it’s assigned. The red, amber or green also makes it easy to see what is on track and where actions are needed to get the areas in red up to speed.

Project management software can incorporate the RAG status. ProjectManager is award-winning project and portfolio management software with multiple ways to get a quick overview of the project’s performance and progress. We’ll get to the RAG status later, but first let’s review the real-time project and portfolio dashboard, which makes it fast and easy to gauge project KPIs such as time, cost, workload and more. The easy-to-read color graphs and charts automatically update in real time to provide a status report whenever a manager wants one, without the long and complicated setup required by lightweight alternative tools. Get started with ProjectManager today for free.

What Is RAG Status Tolerance?

When using RAG status, it’s first important to know how to define each color so you can use it to track your projects . That is, what are the RAG status tolerance ranges? Usually, the RAG status tolerance follows this criteria.

• Green: At or above the target for the project
• Amber: With 10 percent of the target for the project
• Red: Less than 10 percent of the target for the project

This is only a guideline. Sometimes, the RAG status tolerance range needs to be adjusted to better fit the project metrics and KPIs being measured. For example, the amber status could be only five percent of the project target if the results are highly predictable or it’s critical to act quickly if the project is off track.

However, the amber status could be up to 20 percent if there’s not a lot of volume for the activity or the project manager isn’t as familiar with the activity. Just like a project plan , the RAG status tolerance is a moving target and not set in stone. Keep that in mind when coming up with the RAG status tolerance.

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Status Report Template

Use this free Status Report Template for Excel to manage your projects better.

Who Uses RAG Statuses to Track Project KPIs?

We’ve been referring to project managers and stakeholders as the main users of RAG statuses, but there are many people involved in the project who will want to use this technique. Those people will have some responsibility for managing the project or making decisions about the project. They are as follows.

• Project Managers
• Program Managers
• Project Portfolio Managers
• Project Management Office (PMO)
• Executives & Board of Directors
• Department Managers
• Business Decision Makers

Free Project Status Report Template

The RAG status is used when making a status or portfolio report. It’s a way to orient oneself to the details to come. Users can add it to this free status report template for Excel , which captures details about the project over a specific period. This reporting tool helps project managers and keeps stakeholders informed on the progress of the project.

The free status report template captures everything needed to get a well-rounded project overview. There’s a project summary with key accomplishments, completed and planned work, milestones, deliverables and action items. The section on the project health goes over budget, schedule, quality and scope. There’s even a risk management overview.

RAG Status Example

Let’s view a RAG status example to better understand the RAG status and how it would look on a project report . Below is a portfolio report generated from ProjectManager. At the top, is a small chart with a list of projects.

The list of projects is the first of four columns. The other three columns indicate the project time, workload and cost. For each of the projects listed in the portfolio, there’s a RAG status, both indicated in color and a percentage.

Being at the top of the report, stakeholders can glance at the RAG status and get a quick understanding of whether the projects are on track in terms of their budget and schedule. Project managers also have this quick view of all the projects’ statuses, but can scroll further down to get more detailed information.

What Does Red RAG Status Mean?

As noted, red in the RAG status is an alert that KPIs aren’t meeting the project target. It’s an alert that attention is required and must be responded to quickly or suffer going off track even worse. The issue could be that the project is over budget, is behind schedule, has scope issues or all three. In other words, the project is in trouble.

How to Respond to a Red RAG Status

Don’t panic. Red status is a good thing in that the project manager and stakeholders are now aware of a problem and can start to address and resolve it. The immediate response is to dig into the data to find out what the issue is and then find out how to fix it, if possible.

Start with priority issues and be honest with the client. Nothing is served by hiding the fact that there’s an issue that must be promptly addressed. Create a recovery plan, which might mean more funding, extending the schedule or adding resources. However, the project may be beyond repair, in which case there’s no point in throwing time and money into it. Close the project down.

What Does Amber RAG Status Mean?

Amber is a RAG status that says the project needs attention. It’s not as dire as a red but still requires the project manager and team to investigate why the project isn’t meeting its target. The project can still be delivered within the currently approved tolerances. There might be costs exceeding the budget in certain areas, but it won’t negatively impact the overall budget. Or maybe there are delays, but they won’t affect the project’s deadline.

How to Respond to an Amber RAG Status

Amber status doesn’t necessarily mean taking immediate action. It’s more of a wait-and-see approach. The project sponsor should be more involved, checking in regularly and offering help as needed. The project manager will want to keep a close eye on the project status and stay in close contact with the project team , even more than usual, to catch any issues faster. The team should work on open issues to get the project back on track.

What Does Green Mean in a RAG Status?

Green means that the project is moving forward according to the project plan. There are no concerns that the project manager needs to address. In other words, the project is under control . That means the project is meeting budget targets, is on track to deliver as scheduled and there aren’t issues that need to be resolved.

How to Respond to a Green RAG Status

All is well with the project. The project manager will have to prove this to stakeholders, of course, by showing them reports and other evidence that the initiatives are going as planned. But don’t report the project as green unless it is. Any issues mean there’s an amber status. Nothing is gained by ignoring this.

Benefits of Using RAG Status in Project Management

RAG status is an effective way to measure a project against its plan, schedule and budget, including for program and portfolio managers . One of the main benefits outside of what has been related above is that the RAG status is a way to summarize all project reports to get a picture of whether the project, program or portfolio is on track.

Senior management often uses RAG status to quickly identify those projects that are in trouble and need more support to get them out of the red and into the green. But this only works when the RAG status tolerance has been set and the project manager is honest in assigning the proper status.

How ProjectManager Helps Implement the RAG Status In Your Organization

RAG status is part of the reporting process in project management. It’s simply a way to easily and quickly understand where a project should be at any point in the project’s life cycle. Therefore, it’s facilitated by project management software as one of its features is reporting on project metrics. ProjectManager is award-winning project and portfolio management software with powerful reporting capabilities that are easy to use and measure all aspects of the project.

Make Project Status Reports With RAG Status

Two of the most important project reports are the status report for managing one project or the portfolio report when managing multiple projects. Our reports can be created with a keystroke and the results filtered to show only what the project manager or stakeholders want to see. These reports , including variance, timesheets, workload and more, can also be easily shared with stakeholders to keep them informed. RAG status is embedded in the status and portfolio reports, including a blue status, which summarizes the report and helps to quickly capture whether the project is on track or in need of support.

Manage Resource Utilization and Track Costs

One area that can show up in the RAG status is the project resources. Being able to manage those resources is going to help keep the project on track. Whether managing one or multiple projects, project managers can turn to real-time dashboards or the color-coded workload chart to make sure their resources are optimally utilized. The team page provides an overview of all projects and team members, including their tasks and the percentage complete they are. The workload chart makes it easy to see who is overallocated so the team’s workload can be balanced to keep them productive and working at capacity.

Related Project Management Content

RAG status is a small part of the larger project management reporting process. To learn more about this essential tool to monitor and control the execution of a project across any number of diverse industries, follow the links below to some of the pieces written about status reports, project performance and more.

• Project Status Reports (Example & Template Included)
• Free Project Report Templates
• Project Performance Reporting: Key Performance Reports
• How to Create a Performance Measurement Baseline
• Using Earned Value Management to Measure Project Performance

ProjectManager is online project and portfolio management software that connects teams whether they’re in the office or out in the field. They can share files, comment at the task level and update statuses on any device with our mobile app. Plus, everyone stays updated with email and in-app notifications. Get started with ProjectManager today for free.

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How to Use RAG Status to Track Project Progress

Project management can often seem like a tumultuous field, full of potential hurdles and unexpected pitfalls. Regardless of the size or scope of your latest project, there’s always risk involved. The crux of successful project management lies not in the lack of threats faced, but rather in how effectively these challenges are identified, managed, and resolved.

For this purpose, one effective tool that project managers use to identify and communicate issues promptly is the Red, Amber, and Green (RAG) status ratings. Often included in performance reports, this simple, visual system grants stakeholders an immediate understanding of project status and is an excellent way to track project performance.

Understanding RAG Status

The RAG system’s fundamental idea is each color’s universal association—red means stop, green means go, and amber means prepare to act.

• Red : The red light is an urgent alert. It signals that there are significant issues that are derailing project progression. These problems need immediate attention from critical stakeholders. The goal with each task, of course, is to avoid a red status.
• Amber : The amber light means that some issues need attention and the project may be at risk but is not yet off-track. This warning sign is your opportunity to address problems before they escalate.
• Green : The green light is an all-clear sign, indicating that all is going as per plan with no significant issues.

Using the RAG status system, you can demonstrate both positive progress and highlight potential roadblocks. This dual-purpose approach is what makes this system a valuable integrative asset to your project management toolkit.

How to Use a RAG Status Report

The application of the RAG statuses system lies within its simplicity. However, there’s a fine line to tread here—you risk oversimplification if not tentative. Here’s how to make the most of your RAG status reporting.

1. Determining the RAG Status

The first step to utilizing RAG statuses is to identify which traits of the project you’ll be applying them to. Some possible options include:

• Schedule : Is the project on time, or are you trailing behind?
• Budget : Are you under or over your approved budget?
• Quality : Have there been any complications meeting your quality targets?
• Scope : Are you managing to keep your scopes from creeping too much?

By selecting a few key points, you stop essential factors from getting lost in the mix. This refined focus allows the RAG system to truly shine.

2. Defining Each Status

Without clear definitions, the RAG system can quickly devolve into a minefield of ambiguity. When it comes to assigning a status, stay objective.

• Green: Everything is progressing without significant issues.
• Amber: There are potential issues that could affect the project if unaddressed.
• Red: Critical problems that require immediate attention.

By providing clear definitions for each status, you sidestep unnecessary miscommunication and prevent the dilution of effectiveness.

3. Seeking Agreement

Remember – the RAG status is not just a tool for you, but a communication enhancer with your senior management and stakeholders. To make sure everyone is on the same page, discuss your definitions, decide on them collectively, and stick to them.

4. Regular Reporting

The RAG status changes with the project’s progression. The amendment in status quickly flags shifting situations and provides vital timescales for response actions. Maintain a regular reporting cycle, updating your RAG status reporting accordingly enough time for management to respond effectively.

Rainbows may look pretty in the sky, but when it comes to project management, sticking to these three principal colors is the way to go. With an agreed and established RAG status system, you provide a strong, communicative spine to your project, ensuring that everyone involved knows exactly what’s happening, what to expect, and how to act.

In truth, using RAG effectively is not merely a snapshot of your project’s health but rather an overall framework for controlling your project’s destiny. So remember, be accurate, consistent, and ruthless with your RAG status – and ensure they play the pivotal role they should in delivering projects successfully!

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Max Johnson

Max Johnson is currently a Vice President at a Fortunate 100 company. He has also held multiple leadership positions at two startups previously. When he is not busy working, you can find him surfing at the beach or skiing in the mountains.

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