The SHERPA Project Status Workflow

Most project reporting answers the wrong question. It tells owners what happened. What owners need is a single view that answers what is true right now and what happens next — with an owner attached to every open item.

The status view owners actually need

A governed status view is not a longer report. It is a short, standing answer to six questions:

1. Current gate — where the project sits on the governed path.
2. Health — on track, at risk, or blocked, against cost, schedule, quality, and intent.
3. Risks — what could still move the outcome, ranked by consequence.
4. Blockers — what is stopping progress right now.
5. Pending approvals — what is waiting on a decision, and from whom.
6. Next actions — the next decision on each thread, with a named owner and a date.

Why the format matters

• It pairs visibility with control — every item names who acts, not just what happened.
• It is the same view every period, so trends are legible instead of re-formatted each time.

A good status view is not a record of the past. It is a decision queue for the present.

Reporting describes the project. This governs it.