Client Delivery
Part of Project reporting and delivery metrics
Reporting completed outcomes rather than task activity
Separate task activity, accepted deliverables and observed outcomes so a project report claims only what its evidence supports.
To report an outcome as complete, show evidence that the intended change has occurred. A finished task or an accepted deliverable can be reported as such, but neither alone proves that people are using the result or gaining a benefit.
Separate activity, output and outcome
An activity is work performed. An output is what the project produces and delivers. An outcome is the changed circumstance or behaviour that follows use of that output, and a benefit is a measurable positive effect of that change. These stages may be reported at different times.
In a hypothetical office move, ordering furniture is activity and handing over an accepted workspace is an output. Staff being able to work there as intended is an outcome, assessed after occupation. The order and the handover cannot stand in as evidence of that later result.
Project Progress: From Activity to Benefit
- ActivityOrdering furniture (e.g., for office move)
- OutputAccepted workspace handover
- OutcomeStaff able to work in the new space as intended
- BenefitImproved productivity and reduced commute time for staff
Record acceptance and outcome evidence separately
For each deliverable, define what must exist, who can accept it and where the decision is recorded. A task marked done by its assignee remains ready for review if acceptance is still required. If changes are requested, report the revised version and its current review state.
Record / What it establishes
- Deliverable and version
- What was produced
- Acceptance rule, decision-maker and date
- Whether the output was accepted
- Intended change and observation method
- What outcome will be assessed
- Outcome evidence, date and owner
- Whether that change has occurred
- Benefit measure and review date
- Whether a later positive effect can be assessed
Do not combine counts that use different completion rules. A total of accepted deliverables is not a total of achieved outcomes.
Write the update in the right tense
Lead with what the evidence supports: “The training guide has been accepted; staff use will be reviewed after rollout.” If use has been observed, state what was observed and when. If the expected benefit needs more time, name its measure, owner and review date. Avoid an invented completion percentage when partial progress has no agreed measure.
