Create a bullet-proof "Project Status Report"
The Project Status Report summarizes the entire progress of the project to date. It also provides the stakeholders with a list of the critical changes, risks and issues which require immediate attention. If you want to create a bullet-proof status report, then make sure that your report includes each of the following sections:
Executive Summary
Summarize the overall progress to date and any key achievements. Then state whether the project is currently on schedule and within budget. List the key deliverables accepted by the customer so far and describe all high priority risks and issues. Finally, describe any changes affecting the project.
Schedule
List the deliverables accepted by the customer
Identify the scheduled completion date for each deliverable
Identify the actual completion date for each deliverable
List actual and scheduled completion date variances
Identify the new forecast completion date for each deliverable
List the scheduled and forecast completion date variances
Expenses
List each expense type; such as labor, equipment & materials
Identify the budgeted expenditure, per expense type
Identify the actual expenditure, per expense type
List actual and budgeted expenditure variances
Identify the forecast expenditure, per expense type
List budgeted and forecast expenditure variances
Effort
List all of the major activities that staff have spent effort on
Identify the amount of effort originally budgeted per activity
Identify the actual effort expended per activity
List actual and budgeted effort variances
Identify the forecast effort, per project activity
List budgeted and forecast effort variances
Quality
List the deliverables to be provided by the project
List the original quality targets set for each deliverable
Describe the extent to which each quality target was achieved
Identify any variances between the quality target set and the actual level of quality achieved, for each deliverable
Risks and Issues
List the high priority risks raised during the reporting period
Rate the likelihood of each risk occurring and its project impact
List the high priority issues raised during the reporting period
Rate the current impact of the issue on the project
And that's it. If you create a project report which describes each of the sections above, then you will keep your project stakeholders better informed of the overall progress of the project. See www.method123.com for templates which help you better communicate with staff, customers and stakeholders.
New Years Special
Welcome to 2006. To help Project Managers start off the year on the "right foot", we've decided to give you the opportunity to win lots of money. So for every 5th purchase of our Project Management Kit during the months of January and February, we've decided to give $100 cash in return.
Here's how to enter:
Purchase the Project Management Kit for $297 providing you with the complete suite of Project Management templates to help you to deliver your projects successfully
Email us at prizedraw@method123 with the words "I'd like to enter the New Year prize draw thanks"
And for every 5th email we receive for valid purchases of the Project Management Kit, we will give $100 USD cash in return. We can either pay you by PayPal or refund $100 on your purchase. You decide.
It's that simple. All prize draw entries for purchases made between 1 January—28 February qualify. Good luck :-)
Further Information
Visit www.method123.com for a complete suite of Word and Excel document templates, forms, checklists and processes to help you complete projects successfully.
