Progress Records

Schedules should be statused by reference to progress records for the current time period. Progress records are the sources from which schedulers update the schedule. They are a documentation trail between actual experience on the activity and the progress recorded in the schedule, including actual start and finish dates, the number of resources required, and the amount of work performed to accomplish the activity. Progress records can take many forms according to individual agency or contract requirements. Typically, the document that keeps the activity owner aware of information related to current and upcoming activities is the same form that the owner fills out with actual data and returns to the scheduler for updating (commonly known as a “turnaround” document).

This document contains pertinent activity information such as its name, unique ID, original and remaining durations, forecasted and actual start and finish dates, and float. For updating the schedule for the current status period, the progress record should include, at a minimum,

  • the actual start date if started or the forecasted start date if not started;

  • the actual finish date if finished;

  • actual duration or actual work performed; and

  • an estimate of the remaining duration or remaining work.

It is important to collect the correct type of data during statusing. Individuals directly managing or performing the work should report progress. If activities are updated by duration, team members should not provide work updates; likewise, if activities are updated by work, team members should not provide duration updates.

Progress records are particularly useful for reviewing remaining duration estimates during attempts to accelerate the schedule (this concept is discussed in Best Practice 10). When the program is completed, progress records provide the historical data necessary for resource, work, and productivity assumptions for future analogous programs. If sufficient attention is paid to recording the way work is actually performed, the resulting archived data will lead to improved accuracy and quality control of similar future programs.