What's an Exception Report and do you use it in your projects?

We use a number of exception reports in projects - not always exactly the same set of exception reports - depending on the nature of the project itself. Exception reports are reports containing project information (elements) which do not meet a predetermined criteria.

We use a number of exception reports in projects - not always exactly the same set of exception reports - depending on the nature of the project itself. Exception reports are reports containing project information (elements) which do not meet a predetermined criteria.

Sounds to me like the Exception Report is part of the Quality Management Plan. It is reporting on aspects of the project that have not met standards.

Project performance exceptions reporting enables project managers to view a summary of problems and issues on a project through visual status indicators that denote exceptions. These status indicators provide you with an immediate understanding of critical, at risk, and on track issues on the project. The status indicators are tracked at three different levels:

- Measure Level: The status generated for each measure is identified as an exception. Status indicators are reported on key metrics such as cost variance of actual versus budget and the difference between estimated and schedule project end dates.

- Key Performance Area Level: Status indicators are reported for key performance areas such as financial and schedule. The status indicators are determined based on all exceptions that have been recorded at measure level within a particular key performance area.

- Project Level: A single status indicator is available for the project. The status indicator for project level is determined by choosing the worst indicator among all key performance areas as the project indicator. You can use the Project Performance Status client extension to modify this logic.

Project performance exceptions reporting features enable you to focus your time and energy on solving critical problems faced on a project. These features inform you about the problem areas and enable you to focus your efforts on solving the problems instead of finding them.

You can set up performance exceptions reporting to communicate key performance area performance statuses and exceptions to key stakeholders via e-mail. To accomplish this, your implementation team must create an automated report type with a layout that includes all information that you want to send to your stakeholders. You can schedule the Generate Performance Scores and Notifications concurrent program to send automated status report notifications to the recipients that you designate.

** Who Creates Project Exception Report - Most Likely "The Project Manager"

** Why This Report Required - When your current Project Plan is forecast to go beyond the allowable tolerance at that time PM needs to raise an issue....or log an issue and then he start creating this report.

** What should this Report Contained -
- Overview of the exception which is observed or reported by the Project Team in the issue log register...
- Detail of cause of deviation from the current approved plan
- Consequences or implications if this deviation is not taken care or addressed
- List down the options available to face that issue and effects of each option on Project, Business, Customer, etc.
- Recommendation of the option listed and reason why that option is feasible for this situation.....

and Last....Lessons Learned...from the situation / issue occurred for the upcoming similar type of project situations.....

But still above is the most commonly used content in the Project Exception Report....It is very high level & sensitive document for the Projects...because it is not generated at weekly or monthly basis...it is required to generated when your Current approved plan goes beyond the allowable tolerance limit considering contingency or management reserved....

But still it depends upon Project Type, Project criticality and Project Managment Office of the organization....

Great Thanks... Very detailed Hitesh...