PROJECT STATUS UPDATE STANDARDS

Standardized status updates for projects within Innotas to be used by Project Managers. After reviewing a number of project status updates completed by various Project Managers, the following was created and is the status update standards to use.

Subject:

Status Update

Message:

Status as of MM.DD.YY (must be reported in this format).

Phase:

Initiation, Planning, etc., and percent complete (This is the % complete for the current phase.)

Priority: High, Immediate, etc.

Executive Status:

This should be a high level summary of the project status that will be reported to the Senior Executives.

Progress/accomplishments:

The amount of detail and format in this section may vary depending on the project. Generally, there should be a narrative summarization of the progress made on the project since the last status update, followed by a numbered or bulleted list of topics/items that are relevant to the project. The progress/accomplishments may be split up into sections that are aligned with the project phase (i.e. Planning Phase could have a section for WBS, Risk Management Plan, Schedule Development, etc; Execution Phase could have milestones from the schedule, etc.), or aligned to high level categories such as Scope, Schedule or Resources.

Budget:

Project budget information may vary depending on the size and visibility of the project. Typically, this would include the project budget and status (approved, pending approval). Budget changes, variances, purchasing updates/status, or other budget related information should be included, if applicable. [“Not applicable at this time.”, “No change in status at this time”, should be written if there is nothing to report in this section.]

Risks:

This should include any high impact, or recently identified risks, including risks that may occur in the near future (i.e. next two weeks/period). Not every risk needs to be included here, as that is what the Risk Register is for. [“Not applicable at this time.”, “No change in status at this time.”, should be written if there is nothing to report in this section.]

Next Steps:

This should be a numbered or bulleted list of immediate next steps such as upcoming meetings, deliverables or action items for the project team. If applicable, the person/group assigned to a step should be indicated, along with due dates.

Constraints & Assumptions:

When appropriate, list any new/changed constraints and assumptions on the project identified since the last status update. [“Not applicable at this time.”, “No change in status at this time.”, should be written if there is nothing to report in this section.]

The items above should be the minimum sections included in a status update. Include additional categories, such as Audit, if they are pertinent to a project. However, if there is no change in status, or if something is not applicable, then it must be stated as such. Status update sections should not be left blank.

Sample Status Update

Status Update

Status as of 6.1.09

Phase: Execution Phase - 92% complete

Priority: Immediate

Executive Summary: The schedule should be completed by the end of the month and the project will move into the next phase.

Progress: Project work is progressing on schedule (in accordance with the baseline).

Rebuild of the Lum 4 environment was required (outcome of SC meeting on 5/26). This work was completed on 6/1/09. User Acceptance Testing has begun (6/1/09) and will last until 6/3/09. The rebuild has rectified the 'secret store' issue.

PM to meet with helpdesk staff on 6/2 to initiate preparations for Lum 4 launch. An updated helpdesk script has been provided.

IT status meeting scheduled for 6/3. SC meeting scheduled for 6/4.

Budget: No budget issues or updates at this time.

Risks:

- Banner SSO: rebuild has mitigated/resolved this risk.

- Email Authentication: rebuild has mitigated/resolved this risk.

-Server Environment risk has been accepted by the SC (risk register updated).

- Luminis 4 must be live prior to the Banner 8.x upgrade.