Progress report, week 6, Thistledown Garden Supplies website rebuild
Progress report template with done, next, blocked and budget burn
A progress report has to tell the person paying, in two minutes, whether the work is on track, what happened, what happens next and what they need to decide. This two page weekly report for a website rebuild at week 6 of 12 does that with a status strip, done and next tables, one blocker with a deadline, budget against time and five dates.
The document, page by page
Every page as it renders and as it prints, with nothing summarised. Read the wording before you reuse it.
Section by section
What each section is for, so you can keep the ones you need and drop the rest.
- Header and status strip
- Project, week and parties in one line, then status, work complete, budget spent and launch date.
- Summary
- Why the status is Amber and what keeps the launch date.
- Done this week and next week
- Two task tables with who and dates.
- Blocked
- The photo decision with two priced options and a deadline, and the domain transfer.
- Budget burn
- Budget, spent and forecast by phase, and spend compared with time and work.
- Key dates
- Five milestones from the decision to launch.
How to adapt this document
First, for an internal project with no client budget, swap the budget burn table for effort, hours planned against hours used, and keep the comparison with time elapsed. Second, for a construction or fit out job, add a column to the done table for where the work is on site, and a photo reference, because clients want to see progress as well as read it. Third, if several projects report to one person, keep this exact layout across all of them, so a reader can scan five reports in the time one unfamiliar report takes.
Keep it to two pages
The value of a weekly report is that it gets read. Two pages is enough for status, what moved, what is next, what is stuck and what it costs. Anything longer belongs in an attachment: the full task list, the risk register or the test results. If a section is the same every week, cut it to a line and spend the space on whatever changed.
What makes this document work
Amber comes with its one reason
The summary says the project is on time at half way and Amber for one reason: the supplier export had 1,140 products against the 760 quoted. A status colour without a cause invites a meeting; this one answers the question before it is asked.
The blocker has a deadline and two priced options
The callout asks for a decision by Wednesday 14 October between free supplier photos for 290 products with a plain tile for 122, or a $1,450 studio shoot for 60 best sellers, and says imports stall on Thursday otherwise. The client can decide from the page.
Spend is compared with time and work
Half the time has gone, 57.5 percent of the $48,000 is spent and 52 percent of the work is done, and the report explains the gap: design was paid in full on sign off. The forecast of $51,200 shows the change needing approval.
Questions people ask
How often should a progress report be sent?
Weekly suits projects of a few months with an active client, like this twelve week rebuild. Fortnightly or monthly suits longer projects where little changes each week. Whatever the rhythm, send it on the same day each time, so a missing report is itself a signal, and keep the same layout so the reader knows where to look.
What does Red, Amber, Green status mean?
Green means on track for time, cost and scope. Amber means at risk but recoverable with an action or decision. Red means the plan will not be met without a change the sponsor must approve. Agree the definitions at the start of the project and always give the one reason for anything other than Green.
How is a progress report different from a project status report?
In practice the terms overlap. A progress report usually covers a short period and focuses on what was done and what is next, often weekly. A status report is often monthly, for a sponsor or steering group, and carries more on risks, budget and decisions. Use whichever name your client expects and keep the content honest.
Should a progress report include the budget?
If the client is paying for time or the budget is at risk, yes, briefly: budget, spent and forecast by phase is enough. Compare spend with time elapsed and work complete, because spend alone says little. Here 57.5 percent spent at half way looks bad until the report notes design was paid in full.
What if nothing changed this week?
Send the report anyway with a short done list and the reason progress was slow, such as waiting for content. A skipped report makes the client wonder what is being hidden. A one line week with a clear blocker and a named owner is more useful than silence, and it shows the decision that would unblock the work.
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