Formal Report
Write a memo describing the current status of your formal report. Even if you are directing your formal report to someone else, address your progress report.
Your progress report should contain at least one graphic. You may want to use a Gantt chart to describe your work completed, your task breakdown, your work remaining, and your time schedule. (Smartdraw.com, helpuplan.com, ganttchart.com, and conceptdraw.com are good resources for Gantt charts.) You also might want to use a graphic (such as a pie chart) in the budgetary section of your progress report.
Be sure to include the following sections in your progress report.
1.Project Description
Since you have already given a detailed description of your project in your proposal, include only a brief description (at least a paragraph). Be sure to mention the following elements:
Purpose
Audience
Scope
Format (manual, feasibility study, etc.)
2.Summary of Progress
Summary of work completed
Task breakdown
Successes
Difficulties and problems
Unexpected developments and implications
Budget analysis
Summary of work remaining
Task breakdown
Time schedule
Cost estimates
Concerns
Adjustments
3.Preliminary Outline of Text/First Draft of Table of Contents
4.Overall Appraisal of Work Completed
Preliminary findings
Concluding statement – End the progress report on a positive note, sounding persuasive and confident.
The organizational pattern for a progress report is discussed on page 321 of our textbook, and a sample progress report can be found on pages 323-330.
Your progress report and your formal report proposal both will be included as appendices in the Formal Report.
