Highlight Reporting
Highlight Reporting is a key reporting mechanism within PRINCE2's Progress Theme that enables regular, timely communication about project progress from the Project Manager to the Project Board. Highlight Reports provide a snapshot of the project's status, achievements, and issues without overwhelming stakeholders with excessive detail. These concise reports follow a standardized format defined in the Communication Management Strategy and are typically produced at regular intervals (often monthly) during each management stage. The content of Highlight Reports includes progress against the stage plan, products completed during the reporting period, products scheduled for the next period, and the overall stage status regarding time and cost tolerances. They also cover quality issues, risks, issues, and changes under management, as well as any lessons identified. Importantly, Highlight Reports maintain the management-by-exception principle by providing just enough information for the Project Board to maintain oversight without becoming involved in day-to-day management. The frequency and format of Highlight Reports can be tailored to suit the project's complexity and the Project Board's needs, allowing for appropriate governance oversight. Unlike Exception Reports, which are triggered by tolerance breaches, Highlight Reports are part of the routine reporting cycle. They serve as an early warning system for potential problems, maintaining Project Board awareness and confidence. Effective Highlight Reporting contributes to project success by maintaining transparency, supporting informed decision-making, and ensuring that all stakeholders have a consistent understanding of project status. By providing regular, accurate, and concise progress information, Highlight Reports enable appropriate governance while allowing the Project Manager to maintain day-to-day control of the project.
Highlight Reporting in PRINCE2 Foundation: A Comprehensive Guide
What is Highlight Reporting?
Highlight reporting is a key element of the Progress theme in PRINCE2. It is a formal report from the Project Manager to the Project Board providing a summary of the project's status at regular intervals defined by the Project Board.
Why is Highlight Reporting Important?
Highlight reports serve as a vital communication tool that:
- Keeps the Project Board informed about project progress
- Provides early warning of potential problems or deviations from plans
- Reduces the need for frequent meetings with the Project Board
- Creates an audit trail of project progress
- Ensures that stakeholders are kept informed at the right level of detail
How Highlight Reporting Works
Highlight reports typically include:
- Period covered by the report
- Overall project status (often using Red-Amber-Green indicators)
- Summary of progress during the period
- Products completed in the period
- Products to be completed in the next period
- Issues and risks requiring attention
- Major changes to the project
- Project forecast (time and cost)
- Recommendations
The Project Board specifies the frequency and format of highlight reports during project initiation. The Project Manager then prepares and submits these reports at the predetermined intervals.
Highlight Reports in the PRINCE2 Framework
Within PRINCE2, highlight reports:
- Are created during the 'Controlling a Stage' process
- Provide information to support the Project Board's decision-making
- Follow a structure agreed during project initiation
- Align with the reporting needs defined in the Communication Management Strategy
- Can trigger exception reports if tolerances are forecast to be exceeded
Exam Tips: Answering Questions on Highlight Reporting
1. Remember the purpose: Highlight reports are for regular status updates to the Project Board, not detailed management information.
2. Know the timing: Highlight reports are created at intervals determined by the Project Board, not after every management stage or work package completion.
3. Identify who's involved: The Project Manager creates and submits highlight reports to the Project Board.
4. Distinguish from other reports: Know the difference between highlight reports (regular status updates), checkpoint reports (from Team Managers to Project Manager), end stage reports (at stage boundaries), and exception reports (when tolerances are forecast to be exceeded).
5. Content focus: Highlight reports focus on summarizing progress, forecasts, issues, risks, and exceptions – they are not detailed technical documents.
6. Context questions: In scenario-based questions, look for phrases like "regular updates to senior management" or "keeping the Project Board informed" as clues that highlight reporting is involved.
7. Format fundamentals: Remember that the format and frequency are defined in the Communication Management Strategy during project initiation.
When answering multiple-choice questions, carefully analyze the scenario to determine if a highlight report is the appropriate communication tool for the situation described.
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