Work Performance: Data, Information and Report

During your PMP studies, you are bound to come across three similar sounding terms,

1. Work Performance Data
2. Work Performance Information
3. Work Performance Report

Obviously these are not synonymous terms and a clear understanding of their difference is a must have. Let’s try to solve this puzzle.

Work Performance Data

This is just the initial measurement of the project work being done during the Executing process group. In simpler terms, Work Performance Data can quantify the project work being done during Executing

Work Performance Information

Now that we already have the Work Performance Data, it can be analyzed for conformance with the Project Management Plan. This analysis results in Work Performance Information. Notice how we are ‘analyzing’ here? This is a hint enough to figure out that Work Performance Information is a product of Monitoring and Controlling process group

Work Performance Report

So we had the Data which was analyzed to arrive at Information but how can this be presented to stakeholders? That is where Work Performance Report comes in. Work Performance Report is basically the output of Monitoring and Controlling process group and more specifically the Monitor and Control Project Work process. It is important to note that the information needs of different stakeholders will be different and thus multiple Work Performance Reports may have to be generated

Bottomline is that the Data leads to Information which is then placed in Reports. Do not mix these terms up and your PMP studies will be easier

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