![\"ProjectManager's](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/project-status-report-screenshot-2024-1600x1034.png\")
<\/a>What Is a Project Status Report?<\/h2>\n
A project status report is a project management document that captures the current status of a project in terms of project health and project progress. It\u2019s a project reporting tool<\/a> to relay necessary information to project stakeholders such as clients, sponsors, and\/or team members.<\/p>\n A project status report template helps track projects<\/a> and improve consistency and reporting clarity for project managers, team members and stakeholders. Whether you generate a daily or weekly status report template, you can use it to document progress, budget status, risks and issues. It facilitates stakeholder communication and allows for timely updates.<\/p>\n As the reporting process is streamlined, project status report templates support better decision-making, increase accountability and improve performance tracking. For example, if you\u2019re kicking off a software development project, the project status report template can help stakeholders compare progress<\/a> over time, communicate achievements and update progress.<\/p>\n Various key individuals in a project should use the project status report template, although each will use it for a different purpose. Project managers will use it to compile and show regular updates on progress, budget, milestones, risks and issues<\/a>.<\/p>\n Project team members will use the template to report on their tasks as well as any challenges they\u2019re facing. Stakeholders, including project sponsors or clients, can use the template to stay organized and informed of the project\u2019s status. It shows whether the project is hitting its goals and sticking to timelines<\/a>.<\/p>\n There are many project status report templates available online, and their content might vary. However, your project status report<\/a> should cover these key areas.<\/p>\n Here you’ll include general information about your project.<\/p>\n In this section, you\u2019ll inform project stakeholders<\/a> and team members about project progress.<\/p>\n Here you\u2019ll explain to project stakeholders and team members the current state of the project and how it compares to the project plan. To do so, you\u2019ll need to talk about the status of your project\u2019s budget, schedule<\/a>, quality and scope.<\/p>\n Address the project budget<\/a>\u00a0spent and the overall percentage spent. This doesn\u2019t have to be a super-detailed line-by-line item account, but it\u2019s a great place to note the overall expenditure and where the project is in terms of budget: behind, ahead or on target. A good rule of thumb is to think of this status template as the outline of a compelling story you\u2019re telling about the project’s health. No matter who your target audience is, you want to have them fully engaged.<\/p>\n In the project schedule overview section of the project status template, list any specific action items as well as the RAG status<\/a> of each. This section can provide a clear summary of the project timeline while breaking down the plan into phases and tasks.<\/p>\n For example, you\u2019ll outline a clear timeline of project activities to keep stakeholders informed, major milestones, tasks and deliverables<\/a>\u00a0and start and end dates. This is also an ideal section to list any task dependencies, the critical path of the project and resources and responsibilities. The project schedule overview helps project managers control and adjust the schedule as needed.<\/p>\n Here is where you can list the project\u2019s objectives, deliverables, boundaries and requirements. The purpose of the project scope<\/a>\u00a0section is to provide information so that stakeholders have a better understanding of the project\u2019s goals, deliverables and constraints. If there\u2019s a website development project, the objectives may include developing a new site to improve sales. Deliverables would include a fully functional e-commerce site complete with a project catalog.<\/p>\n Boundaries outline what is and isn\u2019t included in the project to prevent scope creep<\/a> such as the $50,000 budget and 6-month timeline. The more thorough and straightforward the project scope is, the better the project outcome will be.<\/p>\n No project is successful without quality control and the quality control<\/a> overview section of the project status update template helps ensure standards are being met. It summarized all of the processes and practices that are designed to help the project meet its agreed-upon standards and requirements.<\/p>\n Components to include in this section of the template are quality assurance<\/a> standards, a quality control plan, quality metrics and KPIs, inspection and testing notes, issue resolution and roles and responsibilities. In a construction project, for example, this section would ensure that all local building codes and industry standards are met.<\/p>\n All parties involved in the project need to be aware of how it\u2019s progressing. The stakeholder engagement activities section helps to identify all relevant stakeholders and their impact on the project. You\u2019ll be able to develop a communication strategy<\/a> of how to share information with them, how often it should be done and the type of information that\u2019s needed to share with them. Be sure to outline if meetings will be needed and how any issues will be resolved. The project status report template facilitates a proactive approach to stakeholder management to keep their needs satisfied.<\/p>\n Risks are another important factor of a successful project. The risk management<\/a> overview section provides a place to list the risks or issues in the project that threaten its success. Categorize the risks as high, medium or low and notate who is responsible for owning the risk and taking action as needed.<\/p>\n Change is inevitable in any project. The change log<\/a> is the ideal place on the project status report template to document, track and manage changes throughout the project. It helps record, assess and implement changes in an organized manner. Add the description of the change order request in the template alongside its requirements, estimated cost, estimated duration and approval date.<\/p>\n Include here any risk management, resource management, or project scheduling concerns or recommendations.<\/p>\n You already know that a status report is a necessary task when running a project. If you don\u2019t know, you\u2019ll find out soon enough from your project stakeholders or team members. They need information, and a project status report is the best way to deliver a project update.<\/p>\n A status report<\/a> is a great means to convey where the project\u2019s at in terms of project health, risks and progress. And you want to have a mechanism in place that can respond in time to stakeholders or sponsors, who want project updates on a regular basis. Your project status reporting schedule can be as leisurely as monthly or as intense as daily, though most likely you\u2019ll be generating weekly status reports.<\/p>\n Regardless of the frequency,\u00a0 a project status report template makes status reporting simple without taking up too much time. That schedule can be as leisurely as monthly or as intense as daily, though most likely you\u2019ll be generating weekly status reports. If you\u2019re working on project portfolio management, a status report is also crucial. With it, you have access to all the projects and can generate reports on each individual\u2019s project health<\/a> and performance. This can be done as an overview, or if you\u2019re interested in more granular data, you can drill down as deep as you need.<\/p>\n Our free Excel status report template lets you focus on pertinent information, offer clarity, collect a record of events and even address the bigger picture of the project plan. But, when you bring these reports online through collaborative project management tools<\/a>, it\u2019s easier to create and share.<\/p>\n One of the great things about having a status reporting template is that it gets much of the project reporting busy work done and out of your way. Even better is when you\u2019re working with a project management software like ProjectManager<\/a>, which gives you the reporting tools to automate much of the status reporting process. That frees you and your project team up for more important tasks. Our project management software gives project managers the ability to create a status report with one click. Or, you can take advantage of our award-winning dashboards. These are like instant status reports that always give you a live view of how your project is progressing. Get started today for free.<\/p>\n The importance of a project status report cannot be overstated. They are missives from the frontlines of your project that keep the stakeholders informed on its progress. They help project managers see exactly where they are in the context of the project plan<\/a> and whether that actual progress is aligned with the project schedule. Therefore, effective project status reporting is essential to the success of any project.<\/p>\n The first best practice is making sure that the status report is being targeted. That is, know your audience, which in this case is made up by project stakeholders and team members. When you write anything, you should know who the intended reader is. This is the best way to make an impact. Therefore, whether our status report template is for the stakeholder, client or some other upper management executive, keep the language understandable and focus on what they\u2019re interested in learning.<\/p>\n Even how you format your status report is important. Keep the content targeted and to a minimum, but structured to include an overview of your milestones, risks, issues, costs, etc. Whatever formatting you choose, keep it consistent. This makes it easier for stakeholders to read because they\u2019re familiar with the report and know where everything is.<\/p>\n While you want to be brief, you don\u2019t want to neglect including the meat of the status report, such as key successes and achievements that were reached over the last period. It not only communicates the accomplishments that have been already met, but it helps stakeholders review the progress of the team over the long haul of the project.<\/p>\n It might seem insignificant, but the visual presentation of a project status report template can go a long way to attracting interest from your stakeholders. That\u2019s when a status update template or a project management tool<\/a> can help you create a project status report that attracts the attention of your project stakeholders and project team members.<\/p>\n The status of your project is constantly changing. Teams are working on tasks and moving forward, reaching milestones and completing deliverables. Therefore, a status update could be generated every hour. Of course, that project reporting schedule would be absurd. Status reports are communication tools and overloading that channel with too much data would bury the message and defeat its purpose.<\/p>\n That then begs the question, how often should you be sending out status reports? Stakeholders need to know what\u2019s going on over the course of your project timeline<\/a>. If there are issues, such as running behind schedule or over budget, then you\u2019ll want to directly speak with the stakeholders before adding such information to your status report. Never surprise them by delivering bad news in the status report without warning.<\/p>\n However, that doesn\u2019t address the frequency issue. The regularity of your status reports depends on the activity of your project. If you\u2019re in a slow-moving project without too many action items, then a bi-monthly status report will do. Any more frequent than that and you\u2019ll have little to report on. The more active your project, the more you should deliver status reports on a weekly basis to capture any action items, issues, risks, milestones and deliverables.<\/p>\n Remember, the status report is a tool to give stakeholders and users a project update. It should be short, accurate and timely in order to deliver that picture of the project’s health and progress at a certain time and place. You want to address what\u2019s happening now and what\u2019s upcoming to keep everyone on the same page. Inundate them and that valuable project status reporting information will get lost in the shuffle.<\/p>\n It\u2019s one thing to know that you need it, but another to learn how to use an Excel project status report template. Thankfully, it\u2019s a fairly intuitive process. You\u2019ll be able to pick it up in no time. Here\u2019s how you can create a status report with the downloaded project management template.<\/p>\n Add the key project highlights in the project information section. You\u2019ll add the sponsor and date. Who is the project manager? You\u2019ll have some space to add progress and achievements, as well. Think of it as an executive summary<\/a>, especially if you\u2019re presenting this information to project stakeholders and sponsors. It\u2019s a great opportunity to tell them what you need and when.<\/p>\n In the progress report<\/a> section of the project status update template, list action items, the date, RAG status, owner and additional comments. RAG stands for red, amber and green and is a simple system to outline the general health of different project aspects at a glance. Red means there are noteworthy problems that demand attention, amber indicates caution and that risk could impact the project but they are being managed and green indicates that things are on track.<\/p>\n Call out any action items that need immediate attention. This is a way to remember what needs remembering and have it communicated to those who need to know. Those action items<\/a> should always be assigned to someone in the project team.<\/p>\n List and execute project deliverables in the project status report template; these result from tasks outlined in the project scope. There is a place to add a deliverable description to provide more context. Use project deliverables to execute the project plan<\/a>.<\/p>\n Note milestones. This is where the heavy lifting is. The milestone is larger than a task but smaller than the project. Think of it as the point when a project phase or work package<\/a> has been completed. It\u2019s a smart way to note project progress and whether it\u2019s on schedule or not. It can also show executives that you\u2019re on track. You can color-code this red and green, depending on whether you\u2019re on- or off-schedule. It\u2019s also where you can note who is responsible and add comments.<\/p>\n One of the easiest ways to assess project health<\/a> is to consider the triple constraint of time, cost and scope, all of which you can outline in the project status report template. It has a place to list the estimated versus actual costs in addition to the overall budget spent. Use the RAG status system to provide an overview of costs, schedule and quality control as well as add notes for additional context.<\/p>\n List key risks and issues which could affect your project’s health. The template has room for five of them, and while most projects probably have more than that, this is where you want to write out the top five. Prioritize, or you\u2019re going to get bogged down. You should have a risk management plan and a risk response plan<\/a> in place to mitigate any risks that might affect your project.<\/p>\n This is also a good way for stakeholders to know what\u2019s going on with the project. They can see the real risks and issues, as determined by you. But follow that up with the risk management actions you\u2019re going to take in order to avoid or deal with them. Don\u2019t use this as a forum to bring up bad news. Surprises are bad. Face to face is best when first identifying the risk or issue with your stakeholder.<\/p>\n Knowing the status of your project and being able to communicate that information is how you stay on schedule and provide transparency to your stakeholders. This project status report template should not be the sole tool in your project management toolbox, though. We have dozens of free project management templates<\/a> and reporting tools to help you better manage your project, the following are a few that assist in project reporting.<\/p>\n A project dashboard tracks several metrics to provide a high-level view of your project\u2019s progress and performance. It\u2019s sort of like a status report you can access at any time. This project dashboard template shows you tasks, workload, task lengths and costs. For a real-time dashboard that automatically calculates this data and displays it for you, check out our tool<\/a>.<\/p>\n A status report is a communication tool, but it\u2019s not the only one in your arsenal. No matter how you deliver information to your stakeholders, you need a plan to define objectives, identify who you\u2019re targeting and what channels to use to reach them. This is where the communication plan template comes in handy. Use this to make sure your project documentation, messages and reports are effective.<\/p>\n One of the aspects of your project captured in a status report is change, caused by stakeholder requests or other factors that have impacted your project schedule<\/a> or budget. A change log template is a tool to identify and track those changes from the moment you know of them to when they\u2019re resolved. You can set a team member to own that task and keep stakeholders updated on its progress, all in one place.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re curious about project status reporting, there are a ton of other free Excel templates, blog posts and videos on ProjectManager. Here is a sample of some of the most relevant and recent posts that address the topic of status reporting.<\/p>\n![\"free](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Status-Report-Screenshot.jpg\")
<\/a>Why Use a Project Status Report Template?<\/h2>\n
Who Should Use a Project Status Report Template?<\/h2>\n
Contents of our Project Status Report Template for Excel<\/h2>\n
1. Project Information<\/h3>\n
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2. Project Status Summary<\/h3>\n
![\"Project](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Project-status-report-project-overview.png\")
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3. Project Health<\/h3>\n
![\"Project](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Project-status-report-project-health-section.png\")
\nProject Budget Overview<\/h4>\n
Project Schedule Overview<\/h4>\n
Project Scope Overview<\/h4>\n
Quality Control Overview<\/h4>\n
Stakeholder Engagement Activities<\/h4>\n
4. Risk Management Log<\/h3>\n
![\"Project](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Project-status-report-risk-log.png\")
\n5. Change Management Log<\/h3>\n
![\"Project](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Project-status-report-change-log.png\")
\n6. Conclusions \/ Recommendations<\/h3>\n
Benefits of Project Status Reporting<\/h2>\n
![\"ProjectManager's](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Light-mode-portfolio-dashboard-CTA-1600x851.png\")
<\/a>Status Report Template Best Practices<\/h2>\n
Know Your Target Audience<\/h3>\n
Efficient Format<\/h3>\n
When Should a Status Report Be Delivered?<\/h2>\n
How to Use ProjectManager\u2019s Status Report Template<\/h2>\n
1. Enter General Information About the Project<\/h3>\n
2. Make a Progress Report<\/h3>\n
3. Assess Project Health<\/h3>\n
4. List Key Risks, Issues and Changes<\/h3>\n
Other Project Management Templates to Help With Project Status Reporting<\/h2>\n
Project Dashboard Template<\/a><\/h3>\n
Communications Plan Template<\/a><\/h3>\n
Change Log Template<\/a><\/h3>\n
Related Content<\/h2>\n