Anticlue

Performance Reporting

Performance reporting is the process of collecting all baseline data and distributing performance information to stakeholders and the project. An aspect of this report is to clarify how resources are being used to obtain the objectives of the project. This should be done in conjunction with providing information on scope, schedule, cost, risk, procurement, and quality. In my experience this is normally a good activity to complete with regular frequency.

The inputs to performance reporting are:

• Work performance information - Work performance information details the work that is being executed, recently completed, and next steps. This information is gathered from the Direct and Manage Project execution process.
• Performance measurements – Performance measurements are the earned value indexes: Cost Variance, Schedule Variance, the Cost Performance Index, Schedule Performance Index, Planned Value, Earned Value, and Actual Cost. Performance measurements assist in reporting unbiased and quantifiable information – an excellent mechanism for accountability.
• Forecasted completion - Forecasted completion is the predictor of potential project roadblocks. Commonly, forecasted completion is expressed through two factors: estimate at completion (EAC) and estimate to complete (ETC). These are useful tools to predict completion and the expense to get to that state.
• Quality control measurements - Quality control measurements result from activities comparing the results to the quality standards and processes. This is the true check to assure a quality product or service has been provided
• Project Management Plan - The Project Management Plan contains the Performance measurement baseline which contains the approved measures for management control.
• Approved change requests - Approved change requests are requested changes that have bee that have been approved and are ready to be implemented. They are used to determine project changes that have been formally approved and must be communicated to stakeholders through integrated change control.
• Deliverables - Deliverables comprise the quantifiable actions, results, products, or capabilities that will be produced in order to complete the project.

The inputs to performance reporting are absolutely necessary to providing an accurate quantifiable performance report. Without this information your report may sound like it was created by Captain Fluff.

Once you have all the inputs to the process, let’s look at some common tools and techniques used with the performance reporting process. The tools and techniques for performance reporting are:

• Information presentation tools - Information presentation tools enable the project team members to present project performance data. Most organizations have software packages which can be used to paint a picture with a graph or a spreadsheet analysis.
• Performance information gathering and compilation - The performance information gathering and compilation technique is the organizing of all pertinent project information.
• Status review meetings - Status review meetings are regularly scheduled meetings to exchange information about a project. Commonly there is a team level status review meeting and then an executive over site review meeting.
• Time reporting systems - Time reporting systems record and provide information about the time spent for activities on a project.
• Cost reporting systems - Cost reporting systems record and provide the costs expended for the project.

Using these tools and techniques help to have an efficient reporting process. Imagine if the only way to obtain time spent on a project was to review every team members time sheet and then sum up the parts. What an archaic way to manage a business! Also this would truly eliminate the efficiency of the project manager.

The Performance Reporting process provides pertinent and verifiable documentation of project performance. The outputs of the Performance Reporting process are:

• Performance reports - Performance reports are presentations and documents that summarize work performance information in the form of bar charts, S-curves, histograms, and tables.
• Forecasts - Forecasts are predictions of what will occur based on the project performance to date. Forecasts are updated and reissued as new work performance information is available during project execution. A project manager might want to conduct a trend analysis of cost and schedule variance to see how on budget and on time the project is likely to be.
• Requested changes - Requested changes are project changes affecting scope that are submitted to the Integrated Change Control process. These must be reflected in performance reporting to stakeholders.
• Recommended corrective actions - Recommended corrective actions are documented suggestions affecting project execution designed to ensure that expected future project performance will conform to the Project Management Plan. Once a project manager is made aware of a schedule or cost variance, he needs to take action to get the project back in line with original objectives. To do so, recommended corrective actions may be offered.
• Organizational process assets updates - Organizational process assets updates are changes or updates to formal and informal policies, plans, guidelines, organizational best practices, and lessons learned from project experience.