Glossary
Status Reports
status report, project status report, reporting, project reporting
A status report summarizes the state of a project on a cutoff date: dates, costs, results, risks and next steps. A traffic light (RAG status: red, amber, green) shows the overall status at a glance. The project manager writes it at regular intervals for the sponsor, the steering committee or the team.
A status report answers three questions: Are we on track? Where do deviations loom? Which decision do we need? It is the most common building block of project reporting.
What Goes into a Status Report?
- Header: project name, cutoff date (the status date), author, reporting period.
- Overall status: a traffic light plus one or two sentences of reasoning.
- Schedule: the next milestones with planned and expected dates.
- Costs: budget, actual costs and forecast to completion, for example from a planned vs. actual comparison.
- Results: what was finished since the last report.
- Risks and issues: new or changed risks with their response.
- Decisions needed: what the sponsor has to decide, and by when.
- Next steps: the most important activities until the next report.
How Does the RAG Status Work?
The traffic light only works with fixed thresholds that the team agrees on in advance. An example for schedule status:
| Light | Meaning | Example threshold | Expected response |
|---|---|---|---|
| Green | on track | no delay | none |
| Amber | slightly behind | up to 10% delay | project manager takes action and reports it |
| Red | behind schedule | more than 10% delay or milestone at risk | escalation, sponsor decides |
Rate schedule, costs and results separately. The overall status takes the worst individual light, so a red budget does not disappear behind a green schedule.
Example: Status Report for an Office Move
| Section | Content (example values) |
|---|---|
| Cutoff date | May 31 |
| Overall status | Amber: Wi-Fi hardware late, moving date still achievable |
| Schedule | Milestone "IT ready" planned June 14, expected June 18 |
| Costs | Budget 10,000 euros, actual 4,200 euros, forecast 10,600 euros |
| Results | Floor plan approved, moving company hired |
| Risks | Hardware delivery delay: alternative supplier contacted |
| Decisions needed | Approve 600 euros for rented equipment by June 5 |
| Next steps | Cabling, furniture plan to the moving company |
How Often Should You Send a Status Report?
The rhythm follows project length and audience. A team with short iterations needs a weekly update; a steering committee usually a monthly one. Keep the cutoff date fixed, such as every Friday, and report red immediately rather than at the next regular date.
Project Reporting vs. Status Report
Project reporting covers all reports in a project: who receives which information, in how much detail and how often. A sponsor wants to see budget and dates, the team its tasks. The status report is the recurring document within it, alongside milestone reports and the final report. The guide on communication in project management explains which stakeholders need which reports.
Common Mistakes
- Traffic light without thresholds: everyone rates by gut feeling, and amber becomes permanent.
- Watermelon status: green outside, red inside. If you report problems only once they can no longer be hidden, you lose the time to react.
- Activity list instead of results: "Worked on concept" says nothing about progress.
- No decision requested: a report without a request to the sponsor wastes your most important contact with them.
How Do You Create a Status Report in Merlin Project?
- Set the cutoff date: Choose File › Project Settings and enter the cutoff date in the Status Date field. All status evaluations refer to it.
- Check the status: The View › Work Breakdown › Progress project view shows every activity with a status icon: green circle (On time), yellow triangle (Slightly behind schedule, up to 10% delay), red square (Behind schedule, more than 10%).
- Choose a report: Under View › Report › Status, Merlin Project provides separate lists of activities on time, slightly behind and behind schedule, plus all milestones and this week's activities. Status Compact shows the activities currently running.
- Customize: Add modules with +, such as a Text module for decisions needed or a Budget Cost Chart.
- Send: Export the report with File › Export, for example as a PDF.
The lesson Creating reports shows how to assemble report modules in detail.
