It requires focus on outcomes. Outcomes are the events, occurrences, or changes in conditions, behavior, or attitudes that indicate progress toward a project’s goals. White Paper Project Outcomes: When success means ... and business change process; subsequent progress reporting is against this stakeholder-derived plan so they continue their engagement with the project. In a recent APM / GoToMeeting webinar about stakeholder management, Dr. James T. Brown suggested that too many project managers communicate at ‘project level’, ie. Finally, the outcome of the course correction is reported. However, just circulating a report on its own is unlikely to achieve the goal of ‘communication’, which is to successfully exchange information. Excellent status reporting means that managers are fully informed of your projects health and overall direction without having to get involved themselves. So they are a willing audience in terms of having you email, phone, visit, attend their meetings, corner them at the water cooler. So change the routine now and again to encourage people to take notice. I’ve sent the report, that’s all that’s needed.”. For example, summarise your update report in three powerpoint slides rather than a five page word document; do a 30 second update to video; change the subject of your email from “Project XYZ Update” to “Cake at the next team meeting to mark a milestone” (or whatever is appropriate); or instead of focusing on the report use the interaction to ask for feedback on a particular aspect of team performance. When you travel on a plane do you pay attention to the safety briefing from the flight attendants? The process of reporting affects how well we achieve those outcomes. The most common type of project report, a project status report provides a general state of the project to its stakeholders. To Report on an Outcome Click the Outcomes link in the menu at the left of the screen. This document provides broad guidance on the requirements of research outcome and impact reporting, planning and implementation for outputs of all National Data Assets activities. The Project Outcomes Report Page will show you which Project Outcomes Report s are Due, Overdue, Submitted, and Not Yet Due. It is important as part of the business case to define the outcomes and how they will be measured. Make a judgement about what information stakeholders really need, which is not always what they ask for. Project status rep… But they are different, and the differences matter. I was rather shocked by the response of one of the delegates who said, “Do I care? Regular communication is essential for good project management and reports have a role to play in keeping stakeholders informed about milestones, issues, resolutions, costs, risks and next steps. Probably not, because you’ve been through it before and you know what they’re going to say. Lots of good points here! Project reporting can be tough, but also efficient with the right tools. To ensure that these strategic goals are achieved, the ARDC requires all National Data Assets projects to plan, implement and report on research outcomes and impact from ARDC invested activities. If your project is important, your boss will be pressed hard to keep his superiors informed of its progress. In Bestoutcome’s PM3 PPM tool key milestones, risks What goes here? Log in to post a comment, or create an account if you don't have one already. The two are similar enough that they are often lumped together, but there are some key differences between outputs and outcomes. First, there is the notification about the initial quality variance. It compares this with an established baseline to see if the project is on track or; if adjustments have to be made if the project is behind its schedule. Next is the suggested course of action (along with the reasoning behind the decision). Project reporting in project management. The objective is general health, the measures are indicators that can be used to determine if we are tracking towards the objective, or not. Further explanation can be provided later on in the email, or a voice message, but don’t just direct them to page four of the report that is in their inbox. I'm glad you found it useful. To summarize, project management reporting hopes to be: The effective communication link between all the different stakeholders on the project and the organization The helping hand in gathering important data and information in order to keep track and records of … Outputs. However, some proposal formats request both outputs and outcomes separately. It also provide the status of the scope, time, and budget of the project. This approach can create a 'pull' wherein stakeholders actually take more of an interest and contact the team occasionally to ask questions. There is particular information your boss needs in order to show her boss that she is on top of things and able to run the show effectively. The process of reporting affects how well we achieve those outcomes. It keeps everyone on the same page and manages each other’s expectations. Project objectives are to deliver goods and services, within time, cost, quality and other constraints, sati… 1. In a recent APM / GoToMeeting webinar about stakeholder management, Dr. James T. Brown suggested that too many project managers communicate at ‘project level’, ie. (Trust me, having a willing audience is a significant asset when it comes to communication.). Instead of a general “did you get my email” question, ask for example: If you’re not seeing the outcomes that you need, such as decisions made or feedback provided, then ask how you can improve the way you provide information. A key area of project communication management is project performance reporting. Sending a message does not mean it’s been received or understood. The software gathers information from different sources within the project and converts them in spreadsheets, graphs and charts. Stakeholders do expect regular reporting. What is their preferred method of receiving an update: a face-to-face chat every week, a text first thing Monday morning before the board meeting, or a phone call only when something is urgent? Reporting common outcomes. When projects involve several internal and external stakeholders, it is often necessary to prepare and distribute a lot of different reports containing subsets of similar data and information. Being a believer in 'Less is More', I recommend keeping reporting succinct, mirroring the 'stand up' team meetings approach and providing what time-poor stakeholders really want to know: Each report needs to be periodically updat… in general, project reporting helps manage the expectations of stakeholders. What might stop us achieving these? It quantifies work performed and completed in measurable terms. Reporting is usually done at regular intervals throughout the project. When examining project outcomes the evaluator analyzes obtained information and facilitates project leadership through reflective thinking exercises for the purpose of defining the significance of the project and summarizing why outcomes matter. We want to be able to track the outcomes so when we look at the charts not only does it show the progression of the activities but record the numbers of jobs we get. It also validates your position as project manager that you are actively managing and controlling the project activities to successful completion. In a discussion about using video as a method of providing project update reports, I asked if people thought their stakeholders would actually take the time to view a video. Thank you for a first-class post. They are readings that enable a manager to assess performance towards the achievement of objectives. Communicating with project stakeholders by means of project risk reports can be a critical driving force that lets undertake adequate risk management and achieve project outcomes according to expectations. First Example: Second Example: LOGFRAME EXAMPLES. That means focusing on what is important to them, highlighting actions they need to take or information they require, managing their expectations, and managing their perceptions of a project in control or in need of intervention. Thanks for your comment, Richard. Focus on the outcomes you have achieved. The main facts and figures about your activities, for example the number of young people you worked with. Reporting software is used to automatically collect project data, analyze it, and display the results to help project managers make better decisions when managing a project. The same could be true with your project updates. These videos use Project Towards No Drug Abuse (TND) as the example. Outcomes Report Template Step by Step Guide. If you haven’t yet selected a project/program, you will then see a list of all of your projects/programs; click the appropriate program for which you wish to report an outcome. Review their communications preferences regularly, asking whether they feel your updates continue to be relevant, useful and sufficient. Although organizations and individuals have been practicing project management for nearly two decades, and institutions and researchers have been teaching and studying its tools and techniques for nearly as long, much is yet unknown about the factors influencing project outcomes. Reporting issues is a great way to share the responsibility for fixing them. Being slightly vulnerable is also quite genuine - afterall, no project runs smoothly so being open about risks as well as certainties can help engage the project stakeholder. The need to understand the audience, getting right the balance on the degree of communication, reaping the investment in keeping 'customers' informed and on-side. There is a point where communication becomes over-communication. Aggregating Years One & Two: To tell a complete data story, especially for PCCD grantees, you will need to add together data from year one and year two of your Quarterly Reporting … When there are shortfalls in the quality of project work, reporting must happen in stages. On a personal level we use KPIs such as weight, blood pressure, and cholesterol level to assess general health. Select the report you would like to … She is an associate member of the APM, and an active volunteer with the APM People Specific Interest Group (SIG) and Stakeholder Engagement Focus Group. Are project reports just stuff to be sent out as a box-ticking exercise? Overwhelming people with data that is not relevant to their particular role in your project risks becoming annoying. Many proposal formats seek extensive information on results just to ensure that the set objectives are successfully achieved. Note: Beware of under-communication where stakeholders want to turn off the tap of information. So how can project managers take advantage of this willing audience and use progress reporting as a productive and effective process? Use a personal covering note or phone call to get the relevant message across. Reporting helps to maintain a dialogue with stakeholders, transfer knowledge, build confidence, enable stakeholder decisions and influence their actions. Directly produced by the project; as long as you completed the project activities, you will create an output; Typically tangible and easy to measure You may wonder why the scientific community needs to report on outcomes and why we are making the outcomes available to the public. Let’s explore common types of project reports and how to make them work for you. Do they want to see a copy of your report every time, relevant sections only, or five bullet points and a link to it? The project objective/measure rely on linking jobseekers and employers resulting in getting employer and training outcomes. Past project failures, rather than pointing to the need for a new, innovative approach to project management, have instead led some PMO teams to apply tighter discipline to project reporting … And stakeholders simply love when that happens! The outcomes you have achieved. Hi Fran Bodley-Scott, I found this article so informative, that I shared it on Linkedin for more people to read it. Project management reports you need for your project. Such was highly appreciated. Collaborative Outcomes Reporting (COR) is a participatory approach to impact evaluation based around a performance story that presents evidence of how a program has contributed to outcomes and impacts, that is then reviewed by both technical experts and program … Evaluation reporting should discuss aspects of the project’s outcomes, whether anticipated, questionable, or unintended. Smart managers consume status on important projects voraciously. Click on the Project Outcomes Report link provided on the Project Reporting Dashboard of your Research.gov Homepage to view, prepare, and submit reports. It's easy to get confused: objectives, Outputs, Outcomes. Ask what each stakeholder requires in terms of reporting and updates. Project reports may not be the most glamorous part of your job, but they do have the power to ensure projects finish according to plan. Stakeholders, sponsors and the project team agree on the frequency of the reporting. For example, you may need to ensure the MD feels confident that an uncertainty has been addressed, or remind users to sign up for the next round of training, or encourage your sponsor to accelerate a decision on a business case. They want to see that you are tracking progress against budget, schedule and scope, and that you are flagging potential risks and pre-empting roadblocks. All project proposals should explain all the expected results that will be achieved by the project. The Project Status Report becomes the window to the world to share what is going on with the project on the inside. The PMO should track the progress against the outcomes and help guide the project manager to report, using the language of outcomes. All Rights Reserved, PMO tips – keep your projects on track during the…, How to define a process for project metrics and outcomes, Project Milestones: Using outcomes to tell the story…, Defining project success - the importance of your…, Role of Project Sponsor in Agile Project Management. What are the next short-term goals and activities? Outcomes are the reason why a project is initiated. The value of any project cannot be measured without defining success. Five ways to make project reporting an effective stakeholder engagement tool, “do you have the information you require to approve my choice of supplier?”, “were you able to view my video report and did it cover the necessary points?”. your Project Outcomes Report Dashboard, which provides the status of your PORs (Due, Overdue, Submitted, and Not Yet Due). Fran Bodley-Scott is a specialist in customer relations and stakeholder engagement, with 30 years experience of helping project leaders to deliver results through better communication and relationship management. In a different workshop with PMO managers, someone’s New Year resolution was to ‘stop meaningless reporting’. Types of project management reports Here are five suggestions: Instead of just sending out a report each week, use that progress update event to drive a particular outcome. Researchfish uses a framework of ‘common outcomes’, developed by funders, which allows you to create records describing the outputs, outcomes and impacts that you attribute to research council support. Follow up every now and again to check whether your updates are achieving your objectives. 2. What progress has been made since the last communication? Our outcomes: what did we achieve? Moreover, different audiences might require different reporting formats (slides, forms, documents, tables, graphs). Taking things step-by-step can help ease anxieties among everyone involved, and ensure a winning result. People are increasingly reading email on a tablet or smartphone. As you work on your next interim- or final-Research Performance Progress Report (RPPR), remember that the Project Outcomes section will be visible to the general public through NIH RePORTER.Follow our tips to ensure your text is appropriate and likely to receive approval from NIH staff. Outcomes are specific, measurable, and meaningful. Project managers have a huge opportunity to use the process of reporting as a mechanism for managing stakeholder expectations, perceptions and behaviour. just presenting what’s important to the project manager. Project reporting can be challenging, but it doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Start your message with a brief description of what you need them to know. I gave a presentation at a seminar on communication for project managers. I believe that we’re failing to recognise the purpose of the process of reporting. Both outputs and outcomes are direct results from a project. Well, hurrah for that but the alarm bells are ringing. The report plays a supporting role, providing back-up data if required. That’s because any project outcomes submitted on or after Oct. 1, 2017 will be made available to the general public via NIH’s Research Portfolio Online Reporting Tool . just presenting what’s important to the project manager. As your project progresses, stakeholders evolve in terms of their level of understanding and involvement, and also their own priorities. Instead we need to be communicating at ‘stakeholder level’ - as a peer to each of our stakeholders. Benefits of Project Reporting In order to continue making the strongest possible case for government investment in social science research, we need to understand the effects of our funding.To achieve this, we require our principal investigators to tell us about the outputs, outcomes and impact generated by their funding, using the Researchfish system.You can update your Researchfish portfolio throughout the year as and when outputs are generated. So it is worth assuming that information at the bottom of a long email is unlikely to be read and attachments will probably not be opened. 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