Topic outline

  • BADGE – Becoming a Digital Global Engineer

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    Intellectual Output

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    BADGE – Becoming a Digital Global Engineer
    Project 2019-1-FR01-KA203-063010 (167 512 512)

  • Writing progress reports - Objectives


    • After studying this lesson on writing progress reports, you will be able to

      • identify the structure of this type of report;
      • establish what information a progress report contains;
      • report on tasks accomplished, tasks to be completed and issues that may affect the project outcomes.

  • Warm-up questions



      1. For what reasons might you write a progress report?

      2. Who are progress reports prepared for?

      3. In terms of content, what information do progress reports contain?


  • Did you know…

    • We hear or read reports every day. They cover a whole range of subjects, from news reports, weather reports and traffic reports, to police reports, school book reports, and academic reports (essays). In business, reports serve to provide information on a variety of subjects such as company finances, inventory, sales, annual performance, project status, and many more. So, reports are written and also read for different reasons: the shareholders of a company will read an annual report to find out how profitable the company is; a sales director will read a sales report to find out if the sales team are hitting their targets; clients read progress reports on projects they have commissioned to find out if they are on schedule and on budget, and therefore they should, for example, contain information on what work has been completed and what remains to be done.

  • Reading

    • Unlike emails which are often quite brief and may be written and sent quickly, business reports in general are longer texts which convey a large amount of information (in summary form) and require careful preparation and presentation in order to ensure readers gain the information they need in the shortest amount of time.

      Reports may be both long and short: long reports are often written after a significant period of time, for instance an annual report to present a company’s performance over 12 months, or an annual appraisal report on an employee; short reports, between 1 and 6 pages, are more common and are written more frequently. Progress reports, also known as status reports, fall into this category.

      Progress reports are usually written in a formal and impersonal style. Although the layout may vary depending on the type and amount of information that is needed, progress reports should, in any case, be well-organised and present information in a logical way. Whether written for management, colleagues or an outside audience such as a client, progress reports should be easy to read and give an overview of a situation, enabling readers to understand the situation quickly – readers should be able to focus on the specific parts of the progress report which may be more relevant for them.

      Below is an example of a progress / status report. Notice the use of subheadings and bullet points to divide up the information into readable chunks. Such reports often come in the form of a template which the project manager completes on a weekly / monthly basis. Traffic–light colour coding may also be used to indicate the status of the different parts of the project, with green indicating that everything is progressing as planned, orange suggesting that there are delays or some issues, and red meaning that the project is likely to be in danger of failure or collapse. Progress reports may also include financial details and report on whether the project remains within budget.


      image/svg+xmlVMConstruct Ltd Monthly project status report Project name: Naturgas Pipeline Project manager: Tim Buckley Time period: 01 - 31 Jan 2023 Overall status: On schedule Summary Construction of 70km of natural gas pipeline between Greater Norton and Kistleworth commenced 02 Oct 2022. Works completed according to schedule. Minor issues with environmental campaigners delayed initial clearing and excavation, but now completion of work stage on target. Task accomplished Completion date Status • Pipes transported to Area A. 04 Jan 2023 On schedule • Clearing of final 20 km of ROR completed. 14 Jan 2023 On schedule • Trench excavation in Area B. 21 Jan 2023 On schedule • Area A: Pipes bent / welded according to pipeline design. 26 Jan 2023 On schedule • HDD under M15 motorway in Area C. 28 Jan 2023 On schedule • Access roads constructed in Area D. 28 Jan 2023 On schedule Tasks planned for next month Scheduled completion date • Laying of sandbags and finished pipes in Area A. 10 Feb 2013 • Pipes transported to Area B. 12 Feb 2023 • Area B: Pipes bent / welded according to pipeline design. 23 Feb 2023 • Pipes transported to Area C. 24 Feb 2023 • Valve station 1 to be installed according to design plan. 26 Feb 2023 Risks / Issues Likelihood of occurring Potential impact • Due to heavy rain in past 48 hours, water has flooded all areas and there is a danger of erosion / mudslides if rain does not stop. Medium - Strong • Delays in all tasks - need to repair damage to trenches / pipes / equipment, etc. • Costs associated with delays and clean-up. Budget • Within budget for work stage. Changes in requirements • No changes. Overall assessment • Project on schedule. Possible risk of delays next month due to weather.

      • commission – officially ask someone to complete some work;

      • appraisal – the formal assessment of an employee’s performance over a specific period of time;

      • status – the level of progress;

      • chunks – portions, parts;

      • template – example, pattern for something.

  • Activities

  • Further practice

  • Bibliography and references