delivery-status-brief

Delivery Status Brief

Produces a clear, structured project status report - the weekly communication that keeps stakeholders informed without requiring a meeting.

Required Inputs

• Project name
• Reporting period
• Current RAG status (Red / Amber / Green)
• Key milestones (due, delivered, coming)
• Issues or blockers
• Decisions needed from stakeholders
• Budget status (if tracked)
• Audience (steering committee / sponsor / project management office / full team)

Output Structure

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Project Status Report: [Project Name]

Period: [Date range] | Author: [product management] | Next report: [Date]

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Overall Status

Dimension	Status	Last period	Trend
Overall	Red / Amber / Green	[Last]	Improving / Stable / Declining
Schedule
Budget
Scope
Risks

RAG definitions:

• Green: On track. No significant issues.
• Amber: At risk. Issues identified but mitigations in place.
• Red: Off track. Escalation or decisions required to recover.

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Executive Summary

[3-5 sentences. Headline story. If it is Red, say so immediately and why. Never bury bad news after good news.]

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Milestone Progress

Milestone	Due date	Status	Comment
[Milestone]	[Date]	Complete / At risk / Delayed / On track	[One line]

Completed this period: [What was delivered] Due next period: [What is expected]

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Issues and Blockers

[Issue title] - Critical / High / Low

• Description: [What the issue is]
• Impact: [What happens if unresolved]
• Owner: [Who is resolving]
• Action: [What is being done]
• Resolution date: [When it will be closed]

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Risks

Risk	Likelihood	Impact	Mitigation	Owner
[Risk]	H/M/L	H/M/L	[Action]	[Name]

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Decisions Required

Decision	Background	Options	Recommendation	Needed by
[Decision]	[Context]	[Options]	[Recommendation]	[Date]

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Budget Summary

	Budget	Actual to date	Forecast	Variance
Total	£	£	£	£ F/A

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Next Period Plan

[3-5 specific bullet points - what will happen next period]

Writing Rules

• Never soften a Red status
• Milestones are binary: complete or not complete
• Decisions must be genuinely actionable
• Keep to one page where possible

Quality Checks

• Red status is stated immediately (not buried after positives)
• Every issue has a named owner and a resolution date
• Decisions required are genuinely actionable by the audience
• Milestones are binary (complete or not complete - no "85% done")
• Executive summary can stand alone for a stakeholder who reads nothing else