A progress report is a written record of what
has been done and what is left to do on a project. That is, it is a
report of the progress that has been made on the project, which is
why it is aptly named a progress report.
An assessment that takes place during a project or process, that
conveys details such as what sub-goals have been accomplished, what
resources have been expended, what problems have been encountered,
and whether the project or process is expected to be completed on
time and within budget. Progress reports are used by management to
determine whether changes are necessary to an ongoing effort.
It outlines the activities you’ve carried out, the tasks you’ve
completed, and the milestones you’ve reached vis-à-vis your project
plan.
Progress reports can come in many different forms, but there are
three primary formats that most people use for their progress
reports:
- Memo: Often, a short memo is all that is
needed for a progress report that is shared within an organization.
For example, Jonah's progress report is going to his boss, and
he'll also give copies to all the project members. Since all of
them work at the same company, he might choose to write the
progress report as a memo.
- Letter or email: Sometimes, instead of a memo,
people choose to write progress reports as letters or, more
commonly today, emails. Like memos, these types of progress reports
are generally short. However, unlike memos, letters and emails are
reports that can be shared either within or outside of an
organization. So if, for example, Jonah needed to share the
progress report both with his boss and with his company's client,
he might choose a letter or email.
- Formal report: Both memos and emails are
pretty informal. But the third common format is a formal report.
This is a longer document, and it is often bound in a binder or
presentation folder. Formal reports are usually used for progress
reports that are shared outside of an organization. For example, if
Jonah were writing a progress report for the client, he might
choose to share in a formal report.