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Action plan to resolve issue

Status of the issue

Closed date

Issues should be tracked in the issues log along with their status and resolution. Be
aware that an issue log that is not carefully managed can turn into an unwieldy
monster, with new issues added weekly and nothing getting resolved.

As you review your issues log with the project team, you want to be sure the person
who has been assigned to resolve the issue is working toward closure. Sometimes

project issues will remain open for weeks or even months, especially if you consider
“we are still working on this one” an acceptable progress report. The status should
always include both a plan for resolution and a target date to resolve the issue. If no
progress is made, perhaps the responsible party needs assistance or does not really
understand the issue. It may also require escalation to the sponsor to overcome
roadblocks.

Although the goal is to assign all issues and resolve them as quickly as possible, in

some instances you need to prioritize issues and have them worked on in sequence. If
multiple issues require the same team member or group, review the impact of each
issue on the outcome of the project and establish a priority list.

Action Item

Action items are tasks that come about, usually at a project status meeting, that require
follow-up or resolution. They are typically about the project but don’t have a direct
impact on the work of the project. For example, a stakeholder may ask how much

money was spent on the previous work order with the project vendor. This action item
is recorded on the action item log, and its results are reported at the next status
meeting. Action items can take many forms such as requests for additional
information, to prepare a briefing on a specific topic, to contact someone in the
procurement department about an upcoming bid, and so on.

Action items are not a mechanism to create change requests for the work

of the project. Changes must follow the change control process.

Action item logs include the following elements:

Identification number

Date the action was recorded

Action item description

Action item owner

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