Project Management Framework
Execution - Status Reporting

How to do Status Reporting
Status Reporting is the component of the project Communications Plan that informs key project stakeholders of the critical aspects of the project's health, including schedule, scope and cost. Good status reporting prevents surprises to project sponsors and stakeholders. Formal status reporting needs to be provided as part of the project steering committee meetings.

For Best Results

• Verify with Steering Committee members and other important stakeholders that the status report contains all of the required elements
• Establish and use a standard Status Report Template
• Establish a process and schedule for the budget analyst to provide project budget and expense information, including variances
• Establish a process and schedule for the project scheduler and team leads to provide project schedule and task information, including variances and risk mitigation activities
• Establish a process and schedule for the communications coordinator to provide project communications information
• Establish a schedule for the Quality Assurance provider to supply the latest quality assurance report
• Use an updated risk management log to obtain the status of any risks that require reporting or escalation to the Steering Committee
• Use an updated issues management log to obtain the status of any issues that require reporting or escalation to the Steering Committee
• Use an updated change management log to obtain the status of any changes that require reporting to, or approval of, the Steering Committee
• Analyze all of the project information to be reported, and develop recommendations for the Steering Committee

Also Consider

• Utilizing a project library as a repository for project status reports
• Scheduling calendar reminders for status reporting deadlines
• Distributing status reports electronically prior to Steering Committee meetings

Related Links:
Status Reporting Template
Status Reporting Example

Checklists

STATUS REPORTING
Have all Steering Committee and important stakeholder information needs been addressed?
Have all Steering Committee and important stakeholder information needs been addressed?
Have the statuses of milestones and deliverables, variances, causes and mitigating actions been identified?
Has the scope status, including any critical change requests, been included?
Has the status of any sub-projects or interdependent projects been included?
Have communication activities been included?
Has the latest copy of the Quality Assurance report been included for reference?
Has the status of critical project risks been included?
Has the status of critical project issues been included?
Have quality improvement activities been included?
Have quality improvement activities been included?
Has a copy of the status report been filed in a viewable project repository such as a project library?