Sample Progress Report
Printed Page 453-461
Sample Progress Report
The following progress report was written for the project proposed in in Chapter 16. (The recommendation report for this study is in Chapter 18.)
In most professional settings, writers use letterhead stationery for memos.
Progress reports can be presented as memos or as reports.
The writers include their titles and that of their primary reader. This way, future readers will be able to readily identify the reader and writers.
The subject heading indicates the subject of the memo (the tablet study at Rawlings Regional Medical Center) and the purpose of the memo (progress report).
Memos of more than one page should begin with a clear statement of purpose. Here, the writers communicate the primary purpose of the document in one sentence.
Memos of more than one page should contain a summary to serve as an advance organizer or to help readers who want only an overview of the document.
Readers of progress reports want to know whether the project is proceeding according to schedule and (if applicable) on budget.
A brief statement of the context for the proposal. Note that the writers refer to the reader’s having authorized the proposal.
An explanation of the problem: the current situation is inadequate because the medical center is not taking full advantage of tablets and because IT is spending a lot of time ensuring that the tablets in use are in compliance with federal requirements.
A formal statement of the task that Dr. Bremerton asked the writers to perform.
Most of the information in the introduction is taken directly from the proposal. This reuse of text is ethical because the writers created it for that earlier document.
The introduction concludes with an advance organizer for the rest of the proposal.
The writers begin by describing the organization of the results section. For a progress report, a chronological organization—completed work, then future work—makes good sense.
The writers follow the task structure that they used in the proposal.
The writers skillfully integrate their secondary research into their discussion of the task. By doing so, they enhance their credibility.
The writers explain that they are in the process of completing Task 3.
The Gantt chart shows the progress toward completing each of the project tasks. See this Tech Tip on creating Gantt charts.
The conclusion summarizes the status of the project.
The writers end with a polite offer to provide additional information.
This list of references follows the APA documentation style, which is discussed in Appendix, Part B, "Documenting Your Sources.". The APA documentation system calls for References to begin on a new page. Check with your instructor.
Presenting the percentage data in boldface after each question is a clear way to communicate how the respondents replied. Although most readers will not be interested in the raw data, some will.
