Project Execution & Control: Status Report Challenges and Differences

This report examines the challenges and pitfalls associated with various project status reports within the context of Robert L. Frank Construction. It delves into progress reports, risk reports, resource performance reports, and change reports, highlighting potential issues such as incomplete or biased information. The report also differentiates between the status reports shared with the project team, sponsors, and steering committee, focusing on the frequency of reports and the information conveyed. It underscores the importance of accurate and comprehensive communication in project management, referencing the impact of communication gaps on project outcomes. The report emphasizes the significance of these reports for effective project execution and control, referencing the need for effective communication to ensure stakeholders are well informed.

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Project Execution & Control

Robert L. Frank Construction
Table of Contents
Challenges & Pitfalls of Status Reports.................................................................................................2
Progress Reports................................................................................................................................2
Risk Reports......................................................................................................................................2
Resource Performance Reports..........................................................................................................2
Change Reports.................................................................................................................................3
Difference between Status Reports for Team, Sponsor, and Steering Committee.................................3
References.............................................................................................................................................5
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Challenges & Pitfalls of Status Reports
Progress Reports
These are the project status reports that are developed to communicate and keep a track of the
project progress. The progress reports comprise of the details of the project work completed
over a specified period of time and also focusses on the specific achievements and issues.
There are certain challenges and pitfalls of the progress reports. For instance, the progress
reports from the project team members are sent to the Project Manager. The Project Manager
then compiles the information received from all the resources in a consolidated report and
sends the same to the senior management and stakeholders. The inclusion of incomplete or
incorrect information by the team members can lead to the discrepancies in the reports (Kotb,
Razik & Al-Alyan, 2018).
Risk Reports
There are several risks that may come up in the projects. It is necessary that the details of all
of these risks are correctly communicated to treat the same. Also, it is necessary that the
tracking of these risks is adequately done. These risk reports are prepared to communicate the
status of the risk to the project team and the project stakeholders.
There are several risks associated with the projects and the responsibility to treat these risks is
allotted to varied set of resources. The technical risks are assigned to the Technical Manager
while the Construction Manager is responsible for the on-site construction issues. The
information is to be acquired from all of these resources and the communication gaps may
lead to the incomplete coverage of the information (Taleb et al., 2017).
Resource Performance Reports
There are numerous resources that are involved in the projects. These resources are required
to contribute as per the expected and estimated effort. The performance of the resources is
tracked using the different performance indicators. The results of these performance tracking
and measurement tools are presented in the form of resource performance reports. These
reports are shared with the senior management and steering committee. The consolidation of
these reports is done by the Project Manager (Zulch, 2014).
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The performance reports are used to determine the resource ranking and appraisals.
Therefore, it is extremely essential to include the correct information in all of these reports.
However, it has been observed that some of the managers are biased towards certain
resources and the integrity of the information is violated in the reports.
Change Reports
Change is a part of a project and there are several changes that come up during the projects. It
is necessary that the tracking of these changes is effectively done. Also, the documentation of
the changes is necessary so that the further project communications and decisions can be
carried out accordingly. The change reports are the status reports in which the details of the
changes are included along with the status of the change, activities conducted to complete the
change, impact analysis of the change, and the activities pending on the change to be
implemented (Butt, Naaranoja & Savolainen, 2016).
There are certain concerns associated with the change reports. The changes are usually
requested by the project client or the project team which is approved by the senior
management and the client. The information is shared with the Project Manager which is then
communicated to the team. In the entire cycle, there are certain loopholes that emerge in
terms of the communication gaps. These gaps have an adverse implication on the project
changes as well.
Difference between Status Reports for Team, Sponsor, and Steering Committee
The primary difference in the status reports that are shared with the team, sponsor, and
steering committee are in terms of the frequency of the report and the contents that are
included in the report.
The status reports shared with the team are the most frequent out of all three. The reports on
the project status are shared with the sponsors and the steering committee on a weekly or bi-
monthly basis. However, some of these reports are the daily reports shared with the project
team.
In the project progress reports, the focus is on the achievements and the strengths of the team
while sharing them with the sponsor or the steering committee. However, the issues and the
action path is the primary focal point in the case of the project team. Similarly, in the case of
the risk reports, the risks completed and closed by the team are highlighted for the steering
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committee and the sponsor (Chen, Wei, Huang & Wei, 2013). However, the pending risks are
focussed upon in the case of the reports shared with the team. The impact analysis and the
timeframe, costs, and effort needed to implement the changes are highlighted in the change
report for the steering committee. The justification of the changes is the primary area of focus
for the sponsor. The implementation mechanism for the change is the main area of focus in
the case of the project team. The resource performance reports for the steering committee
focus on resource strengths and weaknesses. These reports are seldom shared with the team
and if done, the areas of improvement are focussed upon.
It is necessary that the sharing of status reports is done with the team, sponsor, steering
committee, and all the project stakeholders.
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References
Butt, A., Naaranoja, M., & Savolainen, J. (2016). Project change stakeholder communication.
International Journal Of Project Management, 34(8), 1579-1595. doi:
10.1016/j.ijproman.2016.08.010
Chen, Q., Wei, C., Huang, M., & Wei, C. (2013). A model for project communication
medium evaluation and selection. Concurrent Engineering, 21(4), 237-251. doi:
10.1177/1063293x13493096
Kotb, M., Razik, M., & Al-Alyan, Y. (2018). A Standard Framework for Effective Progress
Reports in the State of Kuwait. American Journal Of Operations Research, 08(01),
42-49. doi: 10.4236/ajor.2018.81004
Taleb, H., Ismail, S., Wahab, M., Mardiah, W., Rani, W., & Amat, R. (2017). An Overview
of Project Communication Management in Construction Industry Projects. Journal Of
Management, Economics And Industrial Organization, 1-9. doi:
10.31039/jomeino.2017.1.1.1
Zulch, B. (2014). Leadership Communication in Project Management. Procedia - Social And
Behavioral Sciences, 119, 172-181. doi: 10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.03.021
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