How can we help?

Initiative Features
Project Delivery Update: Guide & Best Practices

Project Delivery Update: Guide & Best Practices

Project Delivery Update provides a structured PowerPoint report summarizing initiative progress, key activities, stakeholder sentiment, and risks. It helps Change Managers, Executives, and Analysts track change efforts, identify blockers, and make data-driven decisions. Users can customize the report in PowerPoint to align with company branding and enhance communication

Published on February 14, 2025

Overview

The Project Delivery Update helps you keep your sponsor and team informed on the status of your change initiatives. It provides a structured view of what’s happening, what’s planned, and any blockers that need attention.

Why Use This Report?

✔ Summarize key updates – Quickly communicate progress, risks, and next steps.
✔ Drive action – Use free-text fields to highlight critical decisions and blockers.
✔ Keep leadership aligned – Provide a clear and structured snapshot of change activities.

This Guide Covers:

✔ Tips for Completion – How to fill out each section effectively.
✔ Best Practices – Insights on maximizing the report’s value.
✔ Editing the Template – How to customize it to match company branding.
✔ Customizing in PowerPoint – Adjusting layouts, fonts, and logos.

Tips for Completion

1. Write a Clear Summary

Use the overview text box to provide a two to three-sentence summary. Imagine you’re in an elevator with your sponsor, and they ask, “How’s it going?” Your response should be concise yet informative.
💡 Example:
"A delay in vendor data has impacted scheduling. We’re sticking to the original training timeline but will require a refresher session, exceeding the training budget."

2. Explain the Metrics Clearly

  • Change Activity Progress – This section automatically pulls data from ChangePlan. Highlight anything behind schedule by adjusting colors or adding notes to ensure clarity.
  • Stakeholder Activity Snapshot – Displays past and upcoming change activities. Verify the data is accurate and add context if necessary.
  • Change Health & RAG Status – Use this to indicate initiative stability. Clearly explain why a status has changed and what’s required to resolve issues.

3. Use the Actions, Decisions & Blockers Section Wisely

This section should drive action. Be clear about what needs to happen next. If there are no blockers, state that explicitly to provide reassurance.
💡 Example: “No blockers at this time. No action required.”
Help leaders understand how they can support you in making the project successful.

How to Export a Project Delivery Update

  1. Navigate to Your Initiative
      • Go to Single Initiative View in ChangePlan.
  1. Access the Report
      • In the left navigation pane, select Project Delivery Update.
  1. Generate and Download the Report
      • The system will generate a PowerPoint (PPT) template with pre-filled fields, including:
        • Checklist items and completion percentages
        • Activities from the past 7 days and upcoming 7 days
        • Communications and training activity counts
notion image

Best Practices for Using the Project Delivery Update

The report includes user text areas, allowing teams to add specific insights relevant to their initiative. Here’s how you can use each section effectively:

1. User Text Area (Top Section)

📌 How to Use:
  • Summarize the current state of the initiative, including key developments.
  • Provide a snapshot of major milestones completed and upcoming.
  • Outline any high-priority issues or risks affecting delivery.
🎯 Example:"This initiative is on track, with 80% of change activities completed. Stakeholder feedback is positive, and training sessions are progressing as planned. Key risks include resource constraints for the upcoming phase."

2. Change Activity Progress

📌 How to Use:
  • Review the percentage completion of key change activities such as engagement, communications, and training.
  • Highlight any delays or critical gaps that need attention.
🎯 Example:"Engagement efforts are progressing well, but training delivery is lagging at 25%. Additional support may be required to meet the Go-Live readiness timeline."

3. Change Health & RAG Status

📌 How to Use:
  • Provide a status summary of the initiative’s overall health.
  • Use RAG (Red, Amber, Green) status to indicate whether the initiative is on track or facing issues.
🎯 Example:"Previously Amber – now moved to Green after stakeholder engagement efforts improved alignment on change readiness."

4. Stakeholder Happiness

📌 How to Use:
  • Capture qualitative feedback on stakeholder sentiment.
  • Identify any groups that require additional engagement.
🎯 Example:"HR and IT teams have raised concerns about workload impact. Additional meetings are scheduled to address these concerns."

5. Risks

📌 How to Use:
  • List high-priority risks affecting project delivery.
  • Suggest mitigation strategies or support needed.
🎯 Example:"Risk: Low adoption rate due to resistance from finance team. Mitigation: Additional training sessions scheduled for next month."

6. Change Team Capacity

📌 How to Use:
  • Indicate whether the change team has adequate resources to deliver the initiative.
  • Identify areas where additional support is required.
🎯 Example:"Current team bandwidth is limited, which may impact the next phase of activities. Consider reallocating resources or adjusting timelines."

7. Actions, Decisions, Blockers

📌 How to Use:
  • Record important decisions and action items.
  • Highlight blockers that require executive intervention.
🎯 Example:"Decision needed: Extend timeline for final training sessions or secure additional trainers to meet deadline."

Customizing the PowerPoint Report

Once exported, you can modify the Project Delivery Update PPT to match your company’s branding and presentation style.

1. Change Colors to Match Company Branding

  1. Open the PPT file in Microsoft PowerPoint.
  1. Click on Design > Customize Colors.
  1. Select a color scheme that aligns with your company's brand colors.
  1. Click Apply to update the entire presentation.

2. Edit Fonts for Brand Consistency

  1. Click on Design > Customize Fonts.
  1. Choose the corporate font used in official presentations.
  1. Save the changes to apply them across all slides.

3. Add Company Logo

  1. Select the slide title area (top-left).
  1. Click Insert > Picture > From File.
  1. Choose your company logo and adjust its position.

4. Adjust Layouts & Add Additional Notes

  1. Click on any text box to add more details.
  1. Use bullet points for clear and concise updates.
  1. Drag and resize elements to highlight key sections.

Conclusion

The Project Delivery Update is a powerful tool for keeping stakeholders informed, identifying risks early, and tracking progress efficiently. By leveraging best practices and customizing the PPT report, Change Managers, Executives, and Change Analysts can enhance their communication and decision-making processes.
Did this answer your question?
Help Center