What is a project management report?

A project management report is an organized, often detailed description of a

project containing information regarding the current status of that project and
plans for the project's future. Project management reports can serve several
functions, including:

• Updating managers and stakeholders on projects

• Helping project managers keep projects on schedule
• Predicting potential risks before they become an issue
• Managing project spending
• Communicating actions to the team

What to include in a project management report

These are some of the most important elements to include in a project
management report:

• The project's expected budget

• Risk factors and how to overcome them
• A list of tasks needed to complete the project
• The current status of those tasks
• The most recent project schedule
• Project milestones
• Other information requested by stakeholders

Types of project management reports

Because projects require many steps and a lot of planning, there are several
reports you can use at various stages. Each of these reports has an intended use
for completing the project successfully. Some common types of project
management reports include:
1. Availability reports

Before beginning a project, it's helpful to understand the materials, team

members and other resources available to you. An availability report details how
much work each team member has to help determine how much time they have to
devote to a new project. It can also note the availability of required materials, such
as describing the access your company has to the equipment needed to install new
hardware in an office. This can help you determine what you have and what else
you need so you can prepare before the project even begins.

2. Status reports

Status reports list completed tasks, uncompleted tasks, and those tasks currently
receiving work from the team. These reports help keep a project on schedule or
allow for adjusting the schedule to meet the current needs of a project.

3. Project health reports

Project health reports are a more visual representation of status reports. They
translate some information regarding a project's status into graphics that allow
team members and managers to see both completed work and what needs more
attention. Since it's reported visually, they can often easily understand the
information by skimming the report.

4. Risk assessment reports

Risk assessment reports organize and prioritize predicted and current risks of a
project. They can help teams prepare to overcome potential challenges by listing
them and sometimes describing ways to avoid them. Noting the importance of
each risk also helps to prioritize how much time to devote to each so the project
can stay on schedule.
5. Time management reports

Time management reports list the actual time your team devotes to each task
required by a project. By keeping track of time in this way, you can assess how
much of your budget each task uses, compare time used to schedule estimates
and adjust either as needed.

6. Project baseline reports

A project baseline report is a detailed estimated schedule of tasks and the time
they need for completion. Often visualized as a graph, these reports allow you to
overlay the actual timetables your team uses over the course of a project, so you
can compare them to your estimate. By tracking actual times against your original
estimate, you can understand how much time various tasks need and how to
better estimate them.

7. Summary reports

Summary reports are a combination of other report types. What a summary

includes can vary by project, but they often include information on budgets,
timelines and risks, so that managers and stakeholders can understand the overall
status and future outlook for the project.

8. Variance reports

Variance reports compare original estimates of metrics such as budget or

predicted profits from a project with the actual numbers the project required. This
helps managers and stakeholders better understand how much different projects
actually cost and how profitable they might be in the future.

How to write a project management report

While the exact steps can vary based on your project and the type of report you’re
preparing, here are a few tips for writing an effective project management report:
1. Keep it concise. When writing a project report, it’s important to
focus on vital information and keep the document short. To make
the report more accessible, you can consider using bulleted lists
instead of long paragraphs.
2. Use visual aids. Visual aids can be a great way to convey important
information in an accessible way. Consider using graphs and charts
to display your team’s progress and other key information.
3. Include key information. When writing a project management
report, it’s important to include all the information your
stakeholders might need. This can include current spending,
expected budget, project status, deadlines and schedules, a task
breakdown and any other information requested by stakeholders.
4. Write in an accessible tone. In some cases, stakeholders may be
unfamiliar with the technical jargon you and your team use. Try to
use accessible, everyday language and break information down into
small segments.
5. Be transparent. If your project is running late or is over budget, it’s
important to be transparent in your reporting. This allows
stakeholders to identify solutions quickly and get the project back
on schedule.
6. Feature call to action. In some cases, your team may require
action from one or more of the project stakeholders in order to
succeed. If so, make sure to include explicit calls to action or
requests in your report.