Weekly status report template
A weekly status report tells the people who depend on a project or team, on one page, whether it's on track, what got done, what's next, what could go wrong and what you need from them. This free Word template rates each area red, amber or green (RAG) against definitions you agree once, so a colour means the same thing every week.
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It works as a project manager's report to a sponsor, a team lead's weekly report to a director, or a supplier's update to a client. If it takes more than half an hour to write, either the report is too long or the plan behind it is out of date.
What's in the template
Weekly status report
| Project or team | |
|---|---|
| Week ending | |
| Prepared by | |
| Sent to | |
| Overall status | Green, amber or red |
| Last week's status | |
| Finish date | Agreed date and current forecast |
1. Summary
Three sentences at most: the overall status, what changed since last week, and what you need from the reader.
2. Status by area
| Area | RAG | Trend (up, flat, down) | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Schedule | |||
| Budget | |||
| Scope and quality | |||
| People and resources |
3. Done this week
| Planned for this week | Done? | If not, why and when |
|---|---|---|
4. Planned for next week
| Task or milestone | Owner | Due |
|---|---|---|
5. Milestones
| Milestone | Agreed date | Forecast date | RAG |
|---|---|---|---|
6. Top risks and issues
| Risk or issue | Impact | Action and owner | RAG |
|---|---|---|---|
7. Asks
| What I need | From whom | By when | If it doesn't happen |
|---|---|---|---|
8. Budget (optional)
| Approved budget | Spent to date | Forecast at completion | Variance |
|---|---|---|---|
RAG key
| Colour | Means |
|---|---|
| Green | On course for the agreed dates, budget and scope |
| Amber | A problem could move a date, the cost or the scope; the team has a plan to recover it |
| Red | A date, the budget or the scope will be missed without a decision or help from outside the team |
What red, amber and green should mean
Agree the definitions with the people who read the report before the first one goes out. The key at the bottom of the template is a starting point; what separates the colours is who can fix the problem:
- Green: nothing needs the reader's attention.
- Amber: there's a real problem, and the team can fix it without outside help. Say how in the "Why" column.
- Red: the team can't fix it alone, so a red always comes with an ask.
The delivery confidence ratings the UK government gives its major projects draw a similar line. There, amber means successful delivery looks feasible but significant issues need management attention, and red means it looks unachievable as things stand, so the project may need re-scoping. The government's ratings also judge a project as if its problems were left unaddressed, which is a good habit: rate where the work is heading, not how hard the team is working.
How to write a weekly status report
- Update the plan and the risk list first. The report summarises them; it doesn't replace them. If you don't keep a risk list, start one with the risk register template.
- Rate each area, then the whole. The overall colour shouldn't be better than the worst area unless the summary explains why.
- Write the summary for someone who reads nothing else: the overall status, what changed since last week, and what you need.
- Check "done" against what you promised last week. Anything unfinished moves to next week with a reason, rather than quietly disappearing.
- Make every ask specific: what you need, from whom, by when, and what happens if it doesn't arrive. The UK government's project guidance suggests flagging requests clearly, for example with "Decision request" in the email subject. Once you have an answer, record it in your decision log.
- Separate fact from forecast. Say when a date is an estimate, and give a range if you're unsure, rather than padding it quietly.
- Send it on the same day each week, dated with the week it covers. Readers learn to look for it, and a gap gets noticed.
Example: a fictional office move, week 6
From the weekly report on a fictional 140-person insurance broker's head office move.
Summary: Amber, down from green. Fit-out is on schedule, but the cabling contractor can't start until a week later than planned. We can still move on 4 April if cabling and network testing overlap, which needs weekend working. Ask: approve £3,800 for weekend working by Friday.
| Area | RAG | Trend | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Schedule | Amber | Down | Cabling start slipped a week; recovery plan agreed with the contractor |
| Budget | Green | Flat | £212,000 spent of £340,000; forecast £334,000 including the weekend work |
| Scope and quality | Green | Flat | Video screens cut to six meeting rooms, as agreed last month |
| People | Amber | Down | Facilities manager on leave in weeks 8 and 9; no cover named yet |
The second amber has its own ask: the operations director to name cover by next Wednesday, or nobody will be on site to sign off the furniture delivery.
Common mistakes
- Watermelon reports: green on the outside, red inside. If the summary mentions a missed milestone, the schedule isn't green.
- Activity instead of progress. "Held three workshops" says nothing about whether the dates still hold.
- Amber for weeks on end with no recovery plan. At that point it's red.
- Asks buried on page two, or with no name and no date.
- A new layout every week, so readers can't compare one report with the last.
- Writing for the team instead of the reader. A director needs the summary and the asks; link to the detail.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between a status report and a progress report?
People often use the terms interchangeably. Strictly, a progress report describes what was done, while a status report also says where the work stands against the plan and where it's heading, which is why it carries a red, amber or green rating.
Who should receive a weekly status report?
The person who owns the outcome, such as the sponsor or director, plus the teams whose work depends on yours. Keep the list short; a wider audience is better served by a shorter, less frequent update.
Should it be weekly or monthly?
Weekly for work that moves fast, has fixed deadlines or is in trouble; monthly for longer, steadier projects. The UK government's project guidance makes the same point: the faster or riskier the work, the more often you report.