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Monitoring and reporting

Better Practice results: Project proposals are developed to aid their subsequent monitoring, which contributes to effective control and improved project success rates.

Entities generally have arrangements for monitoring and reporting on the performance of organisational units. Similarly, it is better practice for entities to have established arrangements for the effective monitoring and reporting of projects.

Having such arrangements established at the entity level assists in the effective approval of projects by providing a framework for performance reporting which can be incorporated into project proposals.

Elements to consider for inclusion in an entity’s project monitoring framework, taking into account the importance and degree of risk of projects to the entity, include:

• A standard reporting format for individual projects – preferably with a standard cover sheet highlighting key issues for management information and decision-making. Common reporting elements include whether the project is on track to achieve intended outcomes, progress on deliverables in relation to time and cost, any risks that have eventuated and the response, requests for scope variations, and indicators for quality, stakeholder relations, project team availability and morale.
• Standard terms of reference for project boards, including related practices such as project monitoring arrangements.
• Guidelines for escalating issues to appropriate levels of management.
• Where relevant, arrangements for reporting on programs of projects.
• Arrangements for appropriate quality assurance of project reporting information. In many cases straightforward internal review is sufficient (for example, having financial data come from the central financial system, or having system testing results agreed by the ICT and user area). For large or high-risk projects, periodic independent assurance may be warranted.
• Arrangements to identify which projects, or programs of projects, should be regularly reported to the entity’s executive, and the method of reporting.

For larger entities, a central Project Management Office can assist project sponsors, project leaders, and senior management with the coordination of project reports.

References for more detailed advice on better practice arrangements for project management are provided in Appendix H – Additional sources of information at page 115.

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