Project manager's report for building design and construction

A fundamental aspect of the project management role is regular reporting of the current status of the project to the client.

The project manager needs to ensure an adequate reporting structure and calendar is in place with the consultants and contractors. Frequency and dates of project meetings need to be co-ordinated with the reporting structure.

Reporting is required for a number of reasons:

To keep client informed of project status.
To confirm that the necessary management controls are being operated by the project team.
To provide a discipline and structure for the team.
As a communication mechanism for keeping whole team up to date.
To provide an auditable trail of actions and decisions.

Progress reporting should record the status of the project at a particular date against what the position should have been; it should cover all aspects of the project, identify problems and decisions taken or required, and predict the outcome of the project.

The project manager needs to receive individual reports from the consultants and contractor and summarise them in a report to the client. The detailed reports should be appended as a record.

Typical contents of a project manager's report would be:

Executive summary.
Legal agreements.
Design status.
Planning / building regulations status.
Procurement status.
Construction status.
Statutory consents and approvals.
Project programme and progress.
Project financial report.
Variation register update.
Risk register update.
Major decisions & approvals required

Illustrating trends visually is an excellent way of conveying information to clients and senior management.

This text in based on an extract from PROJECT MANAGEMENT, by Eric Stokes and Saleem Akram. The original manual was published in 2008. It was developed within the scope of the LdV program, project number: 2009-1-PL1-LEO05-05016 entitled “Common Learning Outcomes for European Managers in Construction”. It is reproduced here in a slightly modified form with the kind permission of the Chartered Institute of Building.

--CIOB