ISO 21502:2020 Clause 7.15.2 Planning reporting

Project Management 7 Minutes

Reporting should be planned as a part of project governance and is usually needed to inform people working at different levels of the project organization, of the status of the work within their responsibilities. Reporting needs should be defined, including but not limited to the content, author, recipients, frequency, confidentiality and format of each report needed.

Planning reporting involves several key steps to ensure that reporting processes are structured, effective, and aligned with stakeholder needs and project objectives. Here’s a comprehensive outline of how the project organization typically plans reporting:

  1. Identify Stakeholders: The first step in planning reporting is to identify all relevant stakeholders who will receive project updates and information. This includes project sponsors, executives, team members, clients, end-users, regulatory bodies, and other parties with a vested interest in the project’s success.
  2. Define Reporting Objectives: Next, the project organization should establish clear objectives for reporting. These objectives should outline the purpose of reporting, the key information to be communicated, the desired outcomes, and the intended audience for each report.
  3. Determine Reporting Requirements: Based on stakeholder needs and project objectives, determine the specific reporting requirements for the project. This includes identifying the types of reports needed, the frequency of reporting (e.g., weekly, monthly, quarterly), the level of detail required, and any specific metrics or KPIs to be tracked and reported on.
  4. Develop Reporting Templates: Develop standardized reporting templates or formats to ensure consistency and clarity in reporting. Templates should include sections for key project information such as project status, milestones achieved, budget updates, schedule deviations, risks and issues, and action items.
  5. Establish Reporting Processes: Define the processes and workflows for collecting, analyzing, and disseminating project information for reporting purposes. This includes identifying responsible parties for compiling and reviewing reports, establishing timelines and deadlines for report submission, and defining approval and distribution protocols.
  6. Select Reporting Tools: Choose the appropriate tools and technology platforms to support reporting activities. This may include project management software, reporting dashboards, data visualization tools, communication channels (e.g., email, portals, meetings), and collaboration platforms.
  7. Assign Responsibilities: Clearly define roles and responsibilities for reporting within the project team. Identify who is responsible for generating reports, reviewing and approving report content, distributing reports to stakeholders, and following up on any action items or issues identified in reports.
  8. Set Communication Channels: Determine the communication channels and methods to be used for delivering reports to stakeholders. Consider the preferences and accessibility of stakeholders when selecting communication channels, and ensure that reports are delivered in a timely and accessible manner.
  9. Establish Review and Feedback Mechanisms: Implement mechanisms for reviewing and gathering feedback on reports to ensure accuracy, relevance, and usefulness. Encourage stakeholders to provide feedback on report content, format, and frequency to continuously improve reporting processes.
  10. Create a Reporting Schedule: Develop a reporting schedule or calendar outlining the dates and deadlines for submitting reports, reviewing reports, and distributing reports to stakeholders. Ensure that the reporting schedule aligns with project milestones, meetings, and other key events.
  11. Document Reporting Plan: Document the reporting plan, including reporting objectives, requirements, templates, processes, responsibilities, tools, communication channels, and schedule. Distribute the reporting plan to relevant stakeholders and ensure that all team members are aware of their roles and responsibilities in reporting.
  12. Monitor and Adjust Reporting Processes: Continuously monitor the effectiveness of reporting processes and make adjustments as needed based on feedback from stakeholders, changes in project requirements, or lessons learned from previous reporting cycles. Regularly review reporting metrics and KPIs to assess the impact and value of reporting efforts.

By following these steps, the project organization can effectively plan reporting processes that meet stakeholder needs, support project objectives, and facilitate transparent and timely communication throughout the project lifecycle.

Reporting should be planned as a part of project governance.

Planning reporting as part of project governance is crucial for ensuring that stakeholders receive timely, accurate, and relevant information to support decision-making and project oversight. Here’s how the project organization typically plans reporting:

  1. Define Reporting Requirements: The project organization starts by defining the reporting requirements based on stakeholder needs, project objectives, and governance processes. This involves identifying the types of information stakeholders require, the frequency of reporting, the level of detail needed, and the format or template for reporting.
  2. Identify Stakeholders: The project organization identifies key stakeholders who need to receive project reports. This includes project sponsors, executives, steering committees, team members, clients, regulatory bodies, and other relevant parties. Understanding the information needs and preferences of each stakeholder group is essential for tailoring reporting appropriately.
  3. Establish Reporting Channels: The project organization establishes the channels and methods for delivering project reports to stakeholders. This may include email distribution, project management software platforms, online portals, dashboards, meetings, presentations, or other communication tools and technologies.
  4. Develop Reporting Templates: Standardized reporting templates are developed to ensure consistency and clarity in reporting. These templates typically include sections for key project metrics, status updates, milestones achieved, issues and risks, financial summaries, and other relevant information. Customization of templates may be necessary based on stakeholder requirements.
  5. Define Reporting Schedule: A reporting schedule is established to outline the frequency and timing of reporting activities. This includes determining when regular reports will be generated (e.g., weekly, monthly, quarterly) and when ad-hoc reports will be produced in response to specific events or milestones.
  6. Assign Reporting Responsibilities: Clear roles and responsibilities are assigned for generating, reviewing, and disseminating project reports. Project managers are typically responsible for compiling and analyzing project data, while other team members may contribute relevant information or insights for inclusion in reports.
  7. Establish Quality Assurance Processes: Quality assurance processes are implemented to ensure the accuracy, completeness, and reliability of project reports. This may involve reviewing and validating data, verifying the accuracy of calculations, cross-checking information with multiple sources, and obtaining approvals or sign-offs from relevant stakeholders.
  8. Plan for Continuous Improvement: The project organization incorporates mechanisms for soliciting feedback on reporting processes and outputs to identify areas for improvement. This may include conducting stakeholder surveys, holding feedback sessions, analyzing report metrics, and benchmarking against industry best practices.

By planning reporting as part of project governance, the project organization can ensure that stakeholders receive timely, relevant, and actionable information to support effective decision-making, communication, and project oversight throughout the project lifecycle.

Reporting is usually needed to inform people working at different levels of the project organization, of the status of the work within their responsibilities.

Reporting serves as a critical mechanism for informing stakeholders at different levels of the project organization about the status of work within their responsibilities. Here’s how reporting facilitates communication and decision-making across various levels of the project organization:

  1. Project Team Level:
    • Reporting at the project team level focuses on providing updates and insights to team members directly involved in executing project tasks and activities. This includes information on task progress, milestones achieved, issues encountered, and resource utilization within specific work streams or areas of responsibility.
    • Team-level reporting helps keep team members informed about their individual responsibilities, deadlines, and dependencies, allowing them to coordinate efforts, track progress, and address any challenges or obstacles in a timely manner.
  2. Project Management Level:
    • Reporting at the project management level provides project managers and leadership with comprehensive updates on overall project performance, status, and key metrics. This includes information on project milestones, schedule adherence, budget utilization, risks and issues, resource allocation, and stakeholder engagement.
    • Project management-level reporting enables project managers to monitor project progress, identify trends or patterns, assess risks, and make informed decisions to ensure project objectives are achieved within scope, schedule, and budget constraints.
  3. Executive and Stakeholder Level:
    • Reporting at the executive and stakeholder level focuses on providing high-level summaries and strategic insights to project sponsors, steering committees, executives, clients, and other key stakeholders. This includes information on project goals, objectives, strategic alignment, benefits realization, and overall project health.
    • Executive-level reporting enables senior management and stakeholders to assess project performance in relation to organizational priorities, strategic objectives, and investment decisions. It helps stakeholders understand the value proposition of the project, its impact on the business, and any implications for resource allocation or strategic direction.

By tailoring reporting to the specific needs and responsibilities of stakeholders at different levels of the project organization, reporting facilitates transparency, accountability, and alignment across the project hierarchy. It ensures that relevant information is communicated effectively to support decision-making, problem-solving, and collaboration throughout the project lifecycle, ultimately contributing to project success and stakeholder satisfaction.

Reporting needs should be defined, including but not limited to the content, author, recipients, frequency, confidentiality and format of each report needed.

Defining reporting needs comprehensively is essential for ensuring that project stakeholders receive the right information in the right format and at the right time. Here’s a breakdown of key elements that should be considered when defining reporting needs:

  1. Content: Specify the type of information that each report should contain, such as project status updates, key milestones achieved, budget and expenditure summaries, risks and issues, resource utilization, and any other relevant metrics or indicators. Define the level of detail required to meet the information needs of stakeholders at different levels of the project organization.
  2. Author: Identify the individual or team responsible for compiling, analyzing, and generating each report. Assign clear roles and responsibilities for report generation to ensure accountability and accuracy in reporting processes.
  3. Recipients: Determine the stakeholders who need to receive each report based on their roles, responsibilities, and information needs. This may include project sponsors, executives, steering committees, team members, clients, regulatory bodies, and other relevant parties.
  4. Frequency: Establish the frequency at which each report should be generated and distributed. This could range from daily, weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, quarterly, or ad-hoc reports based on the nature of the project, the urgency of information, and stakeholder preferences.
  5. Confidentiality: Determine the level of confidentiality or sensitivity associated with each report and specify any restrictions on access or distribution. Some reports may contain sensitive information that should only be shared with authorized stakeholders to maintain confidentiality and compliance with privacy regulations.
  6. Format: Define the format or template for each report, including the structure, layout, and presentation style. Standardize reporting formats to ensure consistency and clarity across all reports and make it easier for stakeholders to interpret and analyze information.
  7. Distribution Channels: Specify the channels and methods for delivering each report to stakeholders. This could include email distribution, project management software platforms, online portals, dashboards, meetings, presentations, or other communication tools and technologies.
  8. Review and Approval Process: Establish a review and approval process for each report to ensure accuracy, completeness, and alignment with stakeholder expectations. Define the workflow for reviewing, revising, and finalizing reports before distribution to stakeholders.
  9. Feedback Mechanisms: Implement mechanisms for soliciting feedback on reporting processes and outputs from stakeholders. Encourage stakeholders to provide input on report content, format, frequency, and relevance to continuously improve reporting practices.

By defining reporting needs comprehensively, project organizations can ensure that stakeholders receive timely, accurate, and relevant information to support decision-making, communication, and project oversight throughout the project lifecycle.

Published by Pretesh Biswas

Pretesh Biswas has wealth of qualifications and experience in providing results-oriented solutions for your system development, training or auditing needs. He has helped dozens of organizations in implementing effective management systems to a number of standards. He provide a unique blend of specialized knowledge, experience, tools and interactive skills to help you develop systems that not only get certified, but also contribute to the bottom line. He has taught literally hundreds of students over the past 5 years. He has experience in training at hundreds of organizations in several industry sectors. His training is unique in that which can be customized as to your management system and activities and deliver them at your facility. This greatly accelerates the learning curve and application of the knowledge acquired. He is now ex-Certification body lead auditor now working as consultancy auditor. He has performed hundreds of audits in several industry sectors. As consultancy auditor, he not just report findings, but provide value-added service in recommending appropriate solutions. Experience Consultancy: He has helped over 100 clients in a wide variety of industries achieve ISO 9001,14001,27001,20000, OHSAS 18001 and TS 16949 certification. Industries include automotive, metal stamping and screw machine, fabrication, machining, assembly, Forging electrostatic and chrome plating, heat-treating, coatings, glass, plastic and rubber products, electrical and electronic equipment, assemblies & components, batteries, computer hardware and software, printing, placement and Security help, warehousing and distribution, repair facilities, consumer credit counseling agencies, banks, call centers, etc. Training: He has delivered public and on-site quality management training to over 1000 students. Courses include ISO/TS -RAB approved Lead Auditor, Internal Auditing, Implementation, Documentation, as well as customized ISO/TS courses, PPAP, FMEA, APQP and Control Plans. Auditing: He has conducted over 100 third party registration and surveillance audits and dozens of gap, internal and pre-assessment audits to ISO/QS/TS Standards, in the manufacturing and service sectors. Other services: He has provided business planning, restructuring, asset management, systems and process streamlining services to a variety of manufacturing and service clients such as printing, plastics, automotive, transportation and custom brokerage, warehousing and distribution, electrical and electronics, trading, equipment leasing, etc. Education & professional certification: Pretesh Biswas has held IRCA certified Lead Auditor for ISO 9001,14001 and 27001. He holds a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Mechanical Engineering and is a MBA in Systems and Marketing. Prior to becoming a business consultant 6 years ago, he has worked in several portfolios such as Marketing, operations, production, Quality and customer care. He is also certified in Six Sigma Black belt .

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