Writing the Progress Status Report

Understand the difference between a progress report and a status report: A progress report describes an ongoing project. A status report, or activity report, describes the entire range of operations of a department or division. 2 2

is a description of an ongoing project. A progress report is a description of an ongoing project. A progress

Report your progress honestly when responding to three common problems: The deliverable – the document or product you will submit at the end of the project - won’t be what you thought it would be. Without being defensive, describe the events that led to the situation and explain how the deliverable will differ from what you described in your proposal. 4 4

You won’t meet your schedule. Explain why you are going to be late, and state when the project will be completed. You won’t meet the budget. Explain why you need more money, and state how much more you will need.

Typical Organizational Patterns for Progress and Status Reports: Time Pattern Task Pattern Discussion Discussion A. Past Work A. Task 1 B. Future Work 1. Past Work 2. Future Work B. Task 2 1. Past Work 6

Project an appropriate tone in a progress or status report: If the news is good, convey your optimism but avoid overstatement. Don’t panic if the preliminary results are not as promising as you had planned or if the project is behind schedule. 7 7

when Writing Progress Reports: Use this Format when Writing Progress Reports: Memo Date: To: From: Subject: Purpose Communicate the purpose of your document in one sentence. 8 8

Summary The reader wants to know if the project is proceeding according to schedule. Introduction This is a brief statement of the task you have been authorized to perform. Most of the information in the introduction is taken directly from the proposal. Results of Research Describe the organization of the results, For a progress report, a chronological organization makes good sense. Completed Work Follow the task structure used in the proposal. Integrate secondary research into this discussion to enhance credibility. Cross-reference to questionnaires. Cite sources throughout the report. Explain the logic of decisions. 9 9

Future Work Updated Schedules Show the progress toward completing each of the project tasks including: Updated Schedules Bar graphs or charts showing tasks completed and those yet to be completed Conclusion The summary of the status of the report. References This list of references follows the MLA documentation style 10 10

Chapter 12. Writing Informational Reports © 2013 by Bedford/St Chapter 12. Writing Informational Reports © 2013 by Bedford/St. Martin's 11 11

Chapter 12. Writing Informational Reports © 2013 by Bedford/St Chapter 12. Writing Informational Reports © 2013 by Bedford/St. Martin's 12 12