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1 Smart Project Status Report Template | Free Download

What You Need to Know About Writing a Project Status Report

A team might be assigned to work on a single project, with multiple sub-projects underneath one overarching goal. Keeping track and reporting the status of every single project the team is working on is quite difficult. In addition to that, not knowing what necessary information to include in the report has an effect on how the report will turn out. Too much information on different projects in a single document might make it hard to read. On the other hand, a report too brief or with lesser details will not realize the purpose for which the report was made for. It might even lead to the conclusion that the projects were not running well, and will reflect on the performance of the team working on it.

 

Part 1

Here are the main points to consider first:
  1. Determine the Reporting Goals.

    Gather or list all the data that the recipients of the report might want to see. If the report is for the department or team head, a day-to-day progress of the projects might be provided.
    .
    Meanwhile, a report for the senior managers needs to be more concise, with emphasis whether the project is meeting its milestones or is on track.

  2. Identify Metrics for Each Project.

    The performance standards for each project might be different from each project, depending on its nature.
    The important thing is to be able to identify which metrics would show the essential progress of a particular project.
    Choosing the right ones will make the report easier to produce and also read.

  3. Determine Common Performance Standards Across All Projects.

    One may notice that there are common performance standards among all the projects and this might be the same metrics the top management would want to see. Furthermore reporting using the standard parameters, as a basis, might be sufficient enough for a top-level project status report.In addition, reports intended for lower-level recipients might include both the standard project metrics and the specific ones for each.

  4. Do Not Forget the Basics.

    The most important part of project status reports is the progress of each project, but also, there are essential parts of the report which are equally important, in order for the project status report to convey its message.

  • Summary. Include a brief discussion of the highlights of the main or the overarching project, as well as what the team expects to accomplish in the coming weeks or months, depending on the reporting terms.There should also be a discussion on the status of tasks, deliverables, communications, decisions, and other key aspects of the project, using bullet points.
  • Project Timeline. The report is about multiple projects under one primary campaign so it is also necessary to include the percentage of each project completion since one project might only commence once the other one was done or has reached a particular.
  • Financial Status. Also, it’s interesting to know whether the budget for the project is enough or if it has been used judiciously.

WHAT TO INCLUDE:

Here are the essential parts to include in the project status report to make it efficient:
  • Overall Project Status

    Provide a paragraph summarizing the status of the project, as of reporting time. It shouldn’t be more than three to five sentences to ensure that what will be in this part is just a brief discussion of where the project is.

  • Critical Issues

    Also, include a discussion of the key issues that the project or team encountered during the reporting period.
    The recipient would also appreciate if the report will also explain what has been done or is being done to address the issues or resolve the problem.If the team has no capability to solve the problem on its own and needs the intervention of top management or another department, this is the part where that statement should go.

  • Risks

    Aside from the critical issues, it is also important to bring to the attention of the higher management any significant risks involved in the implementation of the project. in addition, discuss the likelihood and the impact of this risk to the project.
    Also, any recommendation or suggestion on how to lessen the impact and the probability of this risk makes the report more insightful and valuable.

  • Financial Health

    Provide a short assessment of the financial health status of the project. Discuss whether the project can be completed using the budget allocated for it. If it’s not, it’s a chance to cite why the budget will not cover everything.

  • Desired Actions from the Stakeholders

    Other than those above, all decisions, actions, and inputs for various stakeholders may also be in this portion.

It is nice to provide analysis of the data presented, but doing so is not really necessary or expected in this type of report.

Writing a project status report provides an excellent opportunity to highlight the team’s progress on the project they are working on. If you need more information about writing project reports, check this in-depth Step-by-Step Guide.

 

Part 2

Project Status Report: Free Download Section

project status report

Click Here to Download Project Status Report XLSX

 

ProsperForms — receive reports from your team members on autopilot. 100+ forms available: reports, logbooks, requests, etc. or build your own. View and manage data on Timeline and Dashboard screens, generate consolidated PDF reports. Get Started

 

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Templates on ProsperForms:

project status report form template

Edit and use this template

 

monthly status report form template

Edit and use this template

ProsperForms — receive reports from your team members on autopilot. 100+ forms available: reports, logbooks, requests, etc. or build your own. View and manage data on Timeline and Dashboard screens, generate consolidated PDF reports. Get Started

 

monthly status report for department or team form template

Edit and use this template

 

project performance report form template

Edit and use this template

 

project post mortem form template

Edit and use this template

 

ProsperForms — receive reports from your team members on autopilot. 100+ forms available: reports, logbooks, requests, etc. or build your own. View and manage data on Timeline and Dashboard screens, generate consolidated PDF reports. Get Started

project progress report form template

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project status report form template

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project status report with finance form template

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project status summary with finance form template

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weekly project status report form template

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Part 3

 

Additional Downloads:

  1. A Handy Project Summary Report + Free Template Download
  2. How to Write a Project Management Report + Free Template Download
  3. How to Write a Project Progress Report + Free Template Download