Project portfolio reporting: Making it happen

Mock-up

Portfolio reports are living documents, designed for use in regular executive and progress meetings. A mock-up is the best way to illustrate how each might look.

So, drawing on the recommendations in the diagnostic study, we build the reports. We design their presentation and prioritise content to meet the objectives of the readers. Mock-ups can again be produced very quickly, often within two weeks.

The documents prompt feedback from readers and gain commitment to the new reporting style and content. Typical examples are shown below.

A one-page programme summary encapsulates the the key elements of programme initiation - plan, costs, benefits and governance - and highlights what is missing.

Visibility - and control - over the execution of a change programme then requires timely, relevant, reliable information. For this we use an approach that is consistent with that for operational reporting.

First, on a portfolio report, we show the stage and status of all major projects and programmes. The full portfolio, in one place, possibly for the first time.

Then, for each major project and programme we design a standard two-page report. Showing at a glance its overall status, and progress against key milestones. Each period the milestone report shows:

achievements against plan
delays, and
actions

The status report then captures the fundamental parameters of a project or programme and its current issues. It then looks forward to the deliverables and decisions due in the next period.

The example shown displays eight parameters, with more detailed information on four of these - expenditure, interdependencies, risks, benefits. This content is tailored to the specific requirements of the portfolio.

Manual reporting

The next stage is to implement manual reporting, refining the mock-up by producing a ‘live’ report and using it in monthly meetings.

At this stage the content and the way you use the report has not been settled, so all elements are produced manually.

Data is not enough - this report requires commentary and analysis to identify any portfolio issues and highlight areas for decision and action - and the reporting team needs at this point to develop methods and styles for this analysis. This is the first stage in our handover of this capability to your team.

Because it is time-consuming, making time for analysis is especially challenging during this manual reporting stage, but once the report design is settled - sometimes after just one cycle - its production can be made quicker and more efficient by automation.

Automation

Our approach starts with the need, not the technology. But once content and format have been agreed, the benefits of automation - speed, accuracy and consistency - can be achieved, allowing your reporting team to focus on where it adds most value - analysis, not data collection and presentation.

So the next stage is to implement ‘light’ automation. This allows data to be collected each month (from any source and in any format required) to produce skeleton report pages - with numbers, charts and graphs - which together form an outline report. To this outline can be added analysis and commentary.

Automation typically uses your desktop software and is independent of the corporate databases in place - we work with a wide range of business systems.

We are very aware of the need to balance flexibility, efficiency and reliability. Both the organisation and the reporting team will change over time so the system is fully documented and is designed for you to maintain and refine.

Once automation is in place - typically after four to six weeks - and your team can deliver an insightful report each month, we hand over fully, providing further support if you require.

Support

Success for us is an excellent report - an essential tool for your executives and managers - regularly produced by you. One of our principles is to make sure this is in place and then to have the integrity to leave.

But some clients prefer a short period of further support for reporting to 'bed in' and for the reporting team to gain experience of the process. In such cases we provide on-site, on-line or telephone support.

Over time the business and its management will change and reporting needs will change accordingly. Some refinement is readily accommodated within the reporting structure, but if you require more significant development we can of course also support this.

We recommend you review your reports formally at least once a year, to confirm they meet fully users’ needs - it is often the case that clear reports lead to demands for more information. Again, we can support you to structure these reviews and to refine reports, maintaining clarity and conciseness.