2. INTRODUCTION
A 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.
3. PROGRESS 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.
4. WHAT 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?
5. FORMS OF PROGRESS REPORTS
The 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:
• Memo
A short, informal report to someone within your organization
• Letter
A short, informal report sent to someone outside your organization
• Formal report
A long, formal report sent to someone outside your organization
6. CHOOSING 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 better
TASK FORMAT
If you have several
tasks, each of which
will show only a little
progress each time,
then a task format is
appropriate
7. THE FORMATS
TIME FORMAT
Introduction
1. Work completed
2. Work in progress
3. Work to be completed
4. Budget/Any problems encounter
Conclusion
TASK FORMAT
Introduction
Task 1
• Purpose
• Procedure
• Work completed
• Work remaining
Task 2
•Purpose
• Procedure
• Work completed
• Work remaining
Task 3 and so on
Overall appraisal
8. Exercise:
Identify what is the format of each progress report shown
below
Progress report A Progress 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
