Weekly status key facts
- Define Green, Amber, and Red so status is not subjective.
- Keep the executive summary to the few facts that changed.
- Report metrics with baselines or targets.
- Separate risks, current issues, and decisions needed.
- Name the person who owns each response.
Copyable weekly status template
# Weekly status report: [Project or team]
**Reporting period:** YYYY-MM-DD to YYYY-MM-DD
**Owner:** [Name]
**Overall status:** Green/Amber/Red
## Executive summary
[State progress, confidence, and the most important change.]
## Progress this week
- [Outcome completed, with evidence or metric]
## Metrics
| Metric | Previous | Current | Target | Trend |
|---|---:|---:|---:|---|
| [Metric] | [Value] | [Value] | [Value] | Up/Flat/Down |
## Planned next week
- [Planned outcome] · **Owner:** [Name]
## Milestones
| Milestone | Target date | Status | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| [Milestone] | YYYY-MM-DD | In progress | High/Medium/Low |
## Risks and issues
| Item | Type | Impact | Response | Owner | Due |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| [Item] | Risk/Issue | [Impact] | [Action] | [Name] | YYYY-MM-DD |
## Decisions needed
| Decision | Decision maker | Needed by | Consequence of delay |
|---|---|---|---|
| [Decision] | [Name] | YYYY-MM-DD | [Impact] |
## Dependencies
- [Dependency] · **Owner:** [Name] · **Status:** [Status]
Keep weekly reports comparable
Use the same reporting period, status definitions, and core metrics each week. Link detailed project records instead of copying them into every update.
Choose an honest status
Green means the plan remains credible, not that the team was busy. Amber means a material risk threatens a target and a recovery action is underway. Red means the target is no longer credible without intervention, re-planning, or a decision.
If a status improves, explain which evidence changed. If it remains Amber for many weeks, state whether the recovery plan is working or the baseline needs formal revision.
Keep the report useful
Write for the reader who has five minutes. Put decisions and deadlines where they are easy to find. Link the project plan, dashboard, risk log, and detailed notes. Remove completed risks and old narrative after the appropriate record has been updated elsewhere.
Completed status-summary example
Overall status: Amber. The migration remains on target for 18 October, but redirect testing is two days behind because 37 legacy URLs have no confirmed destination. Content migration is 82% complete against an 80% weekly target. Priya owns the redirect decision, required by 7 October; without it, final QA will move.
This summary gives the status, date, variance, evidence, owner and consequence. “The team made good progress but has some blockers” does not help a decision-maker.
Weekly status FAQ
What should go in the executive summary?
State whether the target remains credible, what materially changed, and which decision or risk needs attention. Keep detailed activity in the sections below.
Is Amber automatically bad?
No. Amber is useful when it exposes a genuine threat early enough to act. Repeated Amber without a working recovery plan usually means the baseline needs review.
Should the report include every task?
No. Report outcomes, milestone changes, measures, risks and decisions. Link to the task system for individual work items.