PROGRESS REPORT
PROGRESS REPORT
12INTRODUCTIONA progress report is written to inform a
supervisor, associate, or customer about progress you've made on a
project over a certain period of time.
The project can be:the design, construction, or repair of
something, the study or research of a problem or question, or the
gathering of information on a technical subject.
It is written when it takes well over three or four months to
complete a project. 23PROGRESS REPORTS HAVE SEVERAL IMPORTANT
FUNCTIONS:Reassure recipients that you are making progress, that
the project is going smoothly, and that it will be completed by the
expected date.
Provide recipients with a brief look at some of the findings or
some of the work of the project.
Give recipients a chance to evaluate ones work on the project
and to request changes.
Give you a chance to discuss problems in the project and thus to
forewarn recipients.
Force you to establish a work schedule so that you will complete
the project on time.
34WHAT TO EXPLAIN IN THE PROGRESS REPORT How much of the work is
completed?
What part of the work is currently in progress?
What work remains to be done?
What problems or unexpected things, if any, have arisen?
How the project is going in general?
45FORMS OF PROGRESS REPORTSThe progress report can take the
following forms depending on the size of the progress report, the
length and importance of the project, and the recipient:
MemoA short, informal report to someone within your
organization
LetterA short, informal report sent to someone outside your
organization
Formal reportA long, formal report sent to someone outside your
organization
56CHOOSING BETWEEN TWO REPORT FORMATS
TIME FORMAT
If you expect to make a lot of progress on some tasks and very
little on others during each report period, then this format is
betterTASK FORMAT
If you have several tasks, each of which will show only a little
progress each time, then a task format is appropriate67THE
FORMATSTIME FORMAT
IntroductionWork completedWork in progressWork to be
completedBudget/Any problems encounterConclusionTASK FORMAT
IntroductionTask 1 Purpose Procedure Work completed Work
remainingTask 2Purpose Procedure Work completed Work remainingTask
3 and so onOverall appraisal78Exercise:Identify what is the format
of each progress report shown belowProgress report AProgress report
B Progress report C
Task 1 Work completed Current work Planned work
Task 2 Work completed Current work Planned work
Task 3 Work completed Current work Planned work
Work Completed Task 1 Task 2 Task 3
Current Work Task 1 Task 2 Task 3
Work to be completed Task 1 Task 2 Task 3 Phase 1 Work completed
Current work Planned work
Phase 2 Work completed Current work Planned work
Phase 3 Work completed Current work Planned work 8
