In the context of PRINCE2 7, the Daily Log is a management product used primarily by the Project Manager to facilitate the day-to-day control of a project. It acts as a project diary and a repository for informal issues, required actions, and significant events that do not warrant formal entry into…In the context of PRINCE2 7, the Daily Log is a management product used primarily by the Project Manager to facilitate the day-to-day control of a project. It acts as a project diary and a repository for informal issues, required actions, and significant events that do not warrant formal entry into the Issue Register or Risk Register.
Functionally, it sits within the Progress practice, serving as a tool to capture 'loose ends'—such as reminders to send emails, notes on informal conversations, or immediate administrative tasks—ensuring nothing is forgotten amidst the complexity of delivery. Typical entries include the date, action required, person responsible, target date, and result.
The Daily Log plays a specific, critical role during the 'Starting up a Project' process. Before the Project Initiation Documentation (PID) creates the formal Risk and Issue Registers, the Daily Log is used to capture *all* known risks and issues. Upon entering the Initiation stage, significant items are transferred to the formal registers, leaving the Daily Log to function as a personal organizer for the Project Manager for the remainder of the project.
By segregating minor administrative tasks from formal project governance, the Daily Log prevents the Issue and Risk Registers from becoming cluttered with trivial matters. It allows the Project Manager to maintain control over immediate activities without triggering formal change control procedures for every minor action. At the end of a stage or project, the log is reviewed to ensure outstanding actions are either completed or formally transferred.
Prince2 Practitioner v7 Guide: The Daily Log in Progress Practice
What is the Daily Log? The Daily Log is a Prince2 management product used primarily by the Project Manager. It functions as a project diary, daybook, or repository for informal issues, required actions, and significant events that do not immediately require the formality of the Issue Register or Risk Register. It is a tool for day-to-day control.
Why is it Important? Projects generate a vast amount of small data points—reminders, informal notes, and minor observations. If a Project Manager had to create a formal Issue Report for every minor observation, the project would grind to a halt under bureaucracy. The Daily Log is vital because: 1. It prevents minor issues from being forgotten. 2. It serves as a holding pen for risks and issues identified during the Starting a Project process (before formal registers are created). 3. It allows the Project Manager to track personal actions and reminders without cluttering formal documentation.
How it Works The Daily Log acts as a buffer between informal observation and formal management action: - Creation: It is set up early in the Starting a Project process. - Recording: The Project Manager records items such as 'Problem with printer', 'Reminder to call supplier', or 'Stakeholder X seemed unhappy'. - Reviewing: The log is reviewed regularly. Items are either marked as completed (if resolved informally) or promoted to the Issue Register or Risk Register if they escalate into formal changes or threats. - Closing: At the end of the project, any open items in the Daily Log are reviewed to see if they should be transferred to the Follow-on Action Recommendations for the operational team.
Exam Tips: Answering Questions on Daily Log To answer Practitioner questions correctly, distinguish the Daily Log from the Issue Register using these rules:
1. The 'Formality' Test If the scenario describes the item as an informal issue, a note, a reminder, or a comment, the answer is the Daily Log. If the item is a Request for Change, an Off-Specification, or requires a formal decision from the Project Board, it belongs in the Issue Register.
2. The 'Timing' Test If the question is set during the Starting a Project process (pre-initiation), the formal Risk and Issue Registers do not exist yet. Therefore, any risk or issue identified during this specific timeframe must be recorded in the Daily Log.
3. The 'Ownership' Test The Daily Log is owned by the Project Manager. If a Team Manager is tracking their own work packages locally, they might use their own log, but questions regarding the project-level recording of informal issues refer to the Project Manager's Daily Log.