Progress Reports

You write a progress report or status update to inform a supervisor, associate, or client about progress you have made on a project over a specific period of time. Periodic progress reports are common on projects that last several months or more. Whoever is paying for this project wants to know whether tasks are being completed on schedule and on budget. If the project is not on schedule or on budget, they will want to know why and what additional costs and time will be needed. Also, if a technical writer is working on a contract basis, they will be expected to provide a weekly report.

Progress reports answer the following questions for the reader:

• How much of the work is complete?
• What part of the work is currently in progress?
• What work remains to be done?
• When and how will the remaining work be completed?
• What changes, problems, or unexpected issues, if any, have arisen?
• How is the project going in general?

Purpose of a Progress Report

The main function of a progress report is persuasive, aiming to reassure clients and supervisors that you are making progress, that the project is going smoothly, and that the project will be completed by the expected date, or to give reasons why any of those might not be the case. Progress reports also offer the opportunity to do the following things:

• Provide preliminary findings or in-progress work on the project.
• Give your clients or supervisors a chance to evaluate your work on the project and to suggest or request changes.
• Discuss problems or delays in the project and thus forewarn the recipients.
• Force you to establish a work schedule, so that you will complete the project on time.

Format of a Progress Report

Depending on the size of the progress report, the length and importance of the project, and the recipient, a progress report or status update can take forms ranging from a short, informal conversation to a detailed, multi-paged report. Most commonly, formal progress reports are delivered in the following forms:

• Memo. A short, semi-formal report to someone within your organization (can range in length from 1–4 pages).
• Letter. A short, semi-formal report sent to someone outside your organization.
• Formal report. A long, formal report sent to someone within or outside of your organization.
• Presentation. An oral presentation given directly to the target audience.

Organizational Patterns for Progress Reports

The recipient of a progress report wants to see what you have accomplished on the project, what you are working on now, what you plan to work on next, and how the project is going in general. The information is usually arranged with a focus either on time, on tasks, or on larger goals:

• Time. The progress report divides itself into distinct time periods or phases (such as previous, current, and future) and shows tasks completed or scheduled to be completed in each period.
• Specific tasks. The progress report shows order of tasks or defined milestones and progress made toward completing each task or milestone.
• Larger goals. The progress report emphasizes the overall effect of what has been accomplished.

Information can also be arranged by report topic. You should refer to established milestones or deliverables outlined in your original proposal or project specifications. Whichever organizational strategy you choose, your report will likely contain the elements described in Table 19.1 below.

Table 19.1. Progress reports.