Status reporting

Why it matters

Sponsors and stakeholders cannot watch the work every day. A status reportA short, regular report telling stakeholders whether the project is on track and what they need to do. is how they find out whether the project is on track and whether they need to act. A good one takes two minutes to read and leads to decisions. A bad one is ten pages of activity lists that nobody reads, or a cheerful "all fine" every week until suddenly it is not.

What a status report is for

A status report answers four questions for its readers:

1. Are we on track? (overall status)
2. What happened since last time, and what is next?
3. What could go wrong, or has gone wrong? (top risks and issues)
4. What do you need to do? (decisions or help needed)

Everything else is optional. Busy sponsors read the top, so put the answer first, just like the plain-language rule from the professional communication course.

RAG status

RAGRed, Amber, Green: a traffic-light rating for overall status and for dimensions such as schedule and cost. stands for Red, AmberAt risk: a problem threatens a milestone, budget or scope, but there is a credible recovery plan., Green, a traffic-light rating used for the overall project and often for each dimension (schedule, cost, scope, risk). Definitions must be agreed in advance, or everyone means something different. A common set:

• Green: on track. Any problems can be handled within the team's plan and contingency.
• Amber: at risk. There is a problem the team is working on that threatens a milestone, the budget or scope, but there is a credible recovery plan. The sponsor should be aware.
• Red: off track. A milestone, budget or scope target will be missed without a decision or help from outside the team.

Many organisations add numeric thresholds, for example: Amber if the forecastA prediction of where the project will end up, such as the expected launch date at the current rate. end date slips up to 5 working days or cost forecast exceeds budget by up to 5%; Red beyond that. Use your organisation's definitions if it has them.

Some teams add Blue for complete.

Honesty and watermelons

A watermelon projectA project reported green on the outside while it is red on the inside. is green on the outside and red on the inside: the report says green while the team knows it is in trouble. It happens because people fear bad news or hope to recover quietly. It is the most damaging status-reporting habit, because by the time the truth appears, the cheap options are gone.

Turning amber early is a sign of good management, not failure. It gives the sponsor time to help. Report the forecast, not just the past: "We have done 60% of the work" is history; "At the current rate we will launch on 6 March, not 1 March" is what the sponsor needs.

A worked example

Food bank volunteer sign-up site: status, week 5 of 8 (7 February)

Overall: AMBER  (was Green)
Forecast launch 6 March vs plan 1 March. Recovery plan below.

            Status  Note
Schedule    Amber   Design approval 4 days late (photos arrived 19 Jan)
Cost        Green   USD 2,100 spent of 3,850; forecast 3,700
Scope       Green   No changes since week 2
Risks       Amber   R3 adoption risk unchanged; R1 photo risk closed as issue

Done since last report
- Shift calendar and sign-up form built and tested on 2 of 3 phones
- Coordinator reviewed the CSV export: approved

Next two weeks
- Admin screen, accessibility check, coordinator guide draft

Top risks and issues
- Issue: design approval late (R1 happened). Recovery: second developer
  starts the admin screen in parallel; saves 3 of the 4 days.
- R3 (score 12): low volunteer adoption. Paper fallback agreed for March.

Decision needed (by 10 February)
- Accept a 6 March launch, OR approve USD 300 of extra contractor
  hours to hold 1 March.

Everything a sponsor needs is in the first three lines, and the decision has options and a deadline.

Format and rhythm

• Short: one page or one screen. Link to the details (schedule, risk register) rather than pasting them.
• Regular: weekly or every two weeks, on the same day. Predictability builds trust.
• Consistent: same headings each time, so readers can compare.
• Tailored: the board might get the overall RAG and decision only; the team gets more detail.
• Delivered with a conversation when the status is amber or red. Never let a sponsor discover red in an email.

Common mistakes

• Activity lists instead of outcomes ("attended 6 meetings").
• Undefined colours, so green means different things to different people.
• Watermelon reporting.
• No forecast, only what happened.
• Asking for a decision without options or a date.

Quick recap

• Status reports answer: on track? progress and next steps? risks and issues? decisions needed?
• RAG ratings need agreed definitions; amber early is good management.
• Report the forecast, keep it to one page, and send it on a regular rhythm.

Try it

Open the Do tab and write a one-page RAG status report for your project.