Action Items
As a project progresses, there are always housekeeping items that nee to be accomplished in order for a project to run smoothly. This can be anything from setting up a group folder or mailing list to reserving a room for the weekly project status meeting. All of these items are actions that need to be captured and acted upon.
While the Action Item List is shared with the Issues List , the imformation about the two are separated on this web site for definition and what information should be included. Also, on large projects, project managers may want to keep two separate logs due to the number of items that are identified in the process.
Click Here for an example of an Action Item Log.
| Action Item Log | Header Information |
| Number Column | Issue or Action Item |
| Issue Item Name | Description |
| Status | Open Date |
| Closed Date | Currently Assigned |
| Comments |
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The Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK), 2003 edition, does not mention an Action Item Log. The issue log should be maintained by the Project Manager. It is their responsibility to make sure that the entries are up to date and that the team members have access to review the log as needed. The log used by the PMO is a Microsoft Excel workbook with two pages. The first page of the book list all of the open items. The second page of the workbook is an archive of closed items. Once an issue has been resolved, the solution should be documented and the row cut and pasted to the second page. While there are any of a number of ways to create a project Issues Log, the Georgia State University PMO combines the Issues Log with the Action Items log. The reason for this combination is to reduce the amount of paperwork that needs to be carried to a meeting and to consolidate the project administration. While the log functions somewhat differently on each of these items, the columns remain the same and the information is tweaked for the log entry. |
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At the top of the log you will see some basic information that you will need to provide about the project. this includes the project name, project manager and revision date. The revision date should be updated every time that there is a change to the log. There is no need to save previous copies of the log, as all information will be retained in the log. Once an issue is closed it is simply moved to the closed page for historical reference. |
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While the number column may seem unimportant, it is actually very important in remaining on track. The number column should increment by one each time an new item is added to the log. If there are gaps in the numbers, this will serve as a reminder that the log item has been resolved and moved to the closed item list on the second page. The number also helps serve as a link between other project documents. If one of the issues becomes a risk to the project, then a risk assessment needs to be completed You will want to reference the issue number in the risk documentation. |
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This column helps to identify the log entry as either a issue to be resolve or an action item to be completed. On some larger projects, these logs are usually separated. The purpose of combining the logs for the Georgia State University PMO is to reduce the amount of paperwork and the items that team members have to review. |
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This column should be a brief description or name for the Issue being logged. This should be a brief description so that it will be easily recognized as the list is scanned. |
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The description field is where the log entry should be described. The description should be descriptive enough so that anyone working with the project can understand the item. The impact of the issue should also be identified if it is known. This will help gauge the impact and severity of the entry. |
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The Status column should indicate the progress of the log entry. The PMO Template has a drop down box that includes the possible status options. They include:
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The open date should include the date that the issue was opened. Items could be opened in a status meeting or with a phone call to the Project Manager. The date the issue was first reported should be entered for tracking purposes. |
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The open date should include the date the the issue was resolved. A good practice to get in the habit of doing is to leave closed items on the open list until the next status meeting. This will give the project team to recognize the item and to get agreement before archiving it to the closed item of the log. |
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The currently assigned column should identify the person that is working on a solution or decision. If at all possible, a person's name should be used in stead of a team for accountability and reporting. If there is not a name assigned, then the responsibility falls on the project manager to make sure that there is someone that is taking action on the issue and updating the log accordingly. |
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All issues need to be documented for the project team. This column is to be used to make sure that the solution or decision is understood. This column should also be used during the solution process to update the project on the reason for the status and what is being accomplished. Any information that needs to be passed to the project manager / project team should be documented. Comments should be updated as information is available and not only at status meetings. |