Projects rarely derail because people don’t work; they derail because people don’t align.
Prior to this change, updates were inconsistent across projects, stakeholders formed their own narratives, and risks surfaced late. On 10 March 2026, the Project Management Department introduced a uniform Weekly Status Report (WSR) to establish a predictable communication rhythm. The intent is simple: one short, structured, evidence-linked update that converts activity into shared understanding and timely decisions.
Scope & Applicability
The WSR applies to all client and internal delivery projects that run for more than one sprint or two weeks. Proof-of-concepts and ad-hoc tasks are included if they have committed outcomes, dependencies, or external stakeholders. Programs composed of multiple projects must submit a consolidated WSR in addition to individual project WSRs.
Definitions
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Weekly Status Report (WSR) | A single, structured document summarizing a project’s weekly progress, risks, next focus, and decisions needed, shared on a fixed cadence. |
| Health | A concise signal of overall delivery condition for the week using Red/Amber/Green supported by evidence. |
| Evidence Link | A referenced ticket, document, commit, or dashboard that substantiates the update and keeps the WSR lightweight. |
| Decision Needed | A clearly worded ask to a named stakeholder with due date and impact if delayed. |
Ownership & RACI
| Activity | PM | Delivery Leads | Client | Leadership/PMO | QA/Design/Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Draft weekly content | R | C | I | I | C |
| Validate risks & dates | A | C | I | I | C |
| Send to stakeholders | R | I | I | I | I |
| File, archive, and tag | R | I | I | I | I |
| Spot checks & audits | I | I | I | A | I |
Legend: R Responsible, A Accountable, C Consulted, I Informed.
Cadence, Deadlines & Timezone
The WSR is issued every Friday by 4:30 PM IST (Asia/Kolkata) to align with weekly sprint rituals and ensure stakeholders start the following week aligned. When Friday is a holiday, the report is sent on the prior business day. Emergency updates outside the cadence are allowed but do not replace the weekly report.
Distribution & Channels
| Audience | Channel | Access & Retention | Action Expected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Client Stakeholders | Email with MIC link | Stored in project space; retained for project lifetime | Read, reply on decisions, confirm acceptance |
| Internal Delivery | Project board comment + MIC link | Linked to sprint/week | Align tasks, update tickets, flag blockers |
| Leadership/PMO | MIC roll-up dashboard | Searchable and filterable across projects | Scan health, intervene on risks, approve changes |
Report Structure & Content Rules
| Section | What to Include | Content Rules |
|---|---|---|
| Week Summary | One-paragraph snapshot of where the project is vs. plan | State health (R/A/G) and one sentence on why; keep to 3–4 lines |
| Progress This Week | Delivered outcomes and their evidence | Reference tickets/commits; quantify where possible; past tense |
| Risks & Blockers | Current risks with owner and mitigation status | One risk per row; show impact and date of next check-in |
| Next Week’s Focus | Planned outcomes for the coming week | Tie to board items; avoid vague phrases; show dependencies |
| Decisions Needed | Specific asks, owner, due date, impact of delay | Decisions expire into “overdue” with escalation path |
| Dates & Scope Changes | Approved changes and their baselines | Record request ID, new dates, and budget/effort impact |
Health Signals (RAG)
| Health | Meaning | Typical Triggers | Required Action |
|---|---|---|---|
| Green | On plan | Velocity within ±10%, zero critical risks | Maintain cadence; validate next week’s focus |
| Amber | At risk | Emerging dependency slip, velocity down 10–25% | Mitigation plan in WSR; leadership visibility |
| Red | Off plan | Missed milestone, critical blocker, scope churn | Corrective action with revised plan; formal escalation |
Evidence & Traceability
The WSR stays short by linking out. Evidence is always a pointer, not pasted content. Typical sources include the project board for status, repository or CI for deployment events, and docs for approved changes. Each reference must be accessible to its intended audience; if client access is restricted, include a client-safe mirror.
Workflow from Draft to Receipt
| Step | Actor | Action | Output | SLA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | PM | Compile updates from board, leads, and QA | Draft WSR | Friday 2:00 PM IST |
| 2 | Delivery Leads | Validate scope, dates, and risks | Confirmed content | Friday 3:00 PM IST |
| 3 | PM | Publish to MIC and send link via email | WSR issued | Friday 4:30 PM IST |
| 4 | Client | Acknowledge; respond to decisions | Acknowledgment/decisions | By Monday 12:00 PM IST |
| 5 | PMO | Optional spot check | Audit note if gaps | Within 5 business days |
Quality Bar & Review
| Criterion | Standard | How It’s Checked |
|---|---|---|
| Clarity | Plain language, specific dates, quantified outcomes | PMO spot checks sample WSRs |
| Consistency | Same structure and headings each week | Template enforcement in MIC |
| Verifiability | Every claim has an evidence link | Random link validation |
| Actionability | Decisions have owner, due date, and impact | Escalation if missing |
| Brevity | Two screens or less; links replace walls of text | PM self-check; PMO feedback |
Exceptions & Edge Cases
| Scenario | Adjustment | Safeguard |
|---|---|---|
| Daily/rapidly changing projects | Keep WSR; supplement with short mid-week note | Do not skip the WSR |
| Security-sensitive work | Use redacted client-safe WSR; keep full internal version | Store both versions in MIC |
| Multi-vendor delivery | Add “Third-Party Dependencies” sub-table | Assign integration owner |
| Executive escalations week | Add “Executive Summary” paragraph at top | Keep the base sections intact |
Before vs After
| Dimension | Before WSR Standard | After WSR Standard |
|---|---|---|
| Visibility | Uneven; dependent on meetings | Predictable weekly view for all |
| Risk Timing | Often reactive | Risks surfaced with mitigation windows |
| Decision Latency | Unclear asks; email threads | Named owner, due date, and impact tracked |
| Leadership Oversight | Manual chasing | One-glance portfolio scan |
| Client Confidence | Varies by PM style | Consistent, professional rhythm |
Adoption & Impact KPIs
| KPI | Definition | Target | Review Cadence |
|---|---|---|---|
| On-time WSR Rate | % of WSRs sent by Friday 4:30 PM IST | ≥ 95% | Monthly |
| Decision Closure Time | Median days to close “Decision Needed” items | ≤ 3 business days | Monthly |
| Risk Lead Time | Days from risk detection to mitigation start | ≤ 2 business days | Monthly |
| Red→Amber Recovery | % of Red weeks that recover to Amber/Green within 2 weeks | ≥ 75% | Quarterly |
| Client Acknowledgment | % of WSRs acknowledged by Monday noon | ≥ 90% | Monthly |
Security & Privacy
The WSR is client-shareable by default and must avoid credentials, secrets, or internal HR matters. For sensitive incidents, use controlled distribution and a sanitized client version. Storage remains the MIC project space with standard retention.
Sample Weekly Status Report (Client-Safe)
| Field | Content (Example) |
|---|---|
| Project | “Inspectsy – Phase 2 Mobile Rollout” |
| Week Ending | 05 September 2026 |
| Health | Amber — dependency on iOS signing credentials delayed 2 days; mitigation in progress |
| Week Summary | Authentication refactor completed and merged. Android beta released to 25 users. iOS build pending signing credentials. No budget variance this week. |
| Progress This Week | Tickets 342–356 closed; Android beta 1.3 released; analytics events v2 deployed; performance p95 improved from 1.2s to 0.9s. |
| Risks & Blockers | iOS signing credentials pending from client IT; impact: iOS beta slips to Tuesday; mitigation: parallelizing QA test cases and release notes. |
| Next Week’s Focus | iOS beta release and feedback capture; onboarding tutorial screens; start A/B test on checklist ordering. |
| Decisions Needed | Approval to proceed with tutorial illustration style v2 by Monday 12:00 PM IST; impact of delay: onboarding work slips by 2 days. Owner: Client PM. |
| Dates & Scope Changes | No scope changes. iOS beta date adjusted from Friday to Tuesday due to credential delay; overall release date unchanged. |
| Evidence Links | Board sprint S26; Android release notes v1.3; Analytics dashboard v2; Auth refactor PR #1189. |
Implementation Notes & Rollout
The rollout began with a two-week pilot across three active projects to validate the template, distribution, and acknowledgment flow. PM feedback led to minor adjustments: decisions were moved higher in the document, and evidence links were standardized to board items first. After pilot sign-off, the practice became mandatory for all eligible projects. Teams that already had rich internal updates retained them, but the WSR became the client-facing single source of weekly truth.
Continuous Improvement
Every quarter, the PMO samples WSRs across accounts to score clarity, actionability, and traceability. Findings feed into small template tweaks rather than frequent overhauls. The measure of success is not a prettier document; it is fewer surprises, faster decisions, and more predictable deliveries.