When it comes to project and portfolio reporting, it's crucial to control the visibility and escalation of schedule tasks, risks, and issues across different hierarchical levels of your projects and programs. Fluid allows you to indicate the level at which an item should be promoted using promotion flags. This ensures that stakeholders at various levels receive the appropriate information relevant to their needs.

Promotion Levels

1. To Program:

   • Purpose: Items flagged for promotion to the Program level are deemed significant enough to be reported at every hierarchical level up to and including the program.
   • Usage: This is ideal for items that have broad implications and need visibility at the highest level, such as strategic risks, major milestones, or critical issues that impact the entire program.
   • Example: An overarching risk that affects multiple projects within a program.

2. To Parent Project:

   • Purpose: Items flagged for promotion to the Parent Project are reported up the hierarchy to the top parent project but not beyond to the program level.
   • Usage: This is suitable for items that are significant within the context of a particular project but do not need program-wide visibility.
   • Example: A key task that is critical to the success of a parent project but does not impact other projects within the same program.

3. To Dashboard:

   • Purpose: Items flagged for promotion to the Dashboard remain within the specific project they belong to. They are displayed only on the project workspace and project report.
   • Usage: This is best for items that are important for the project team to track but do not require escalation beyond the immediate project scope.
   • Example: Day-to-day tasks, minor issues, or project-specific updates.

4. Not Promoted:

   • Purpose: Items that are not promoted remain unreported. For schedule tasks, this means they are not displayed on the project workspace at all.
   • Usage: This is appropriate for items that are not relevant for reporting or for tasks that are completed or obsolete.
   • Example: Routine administrative tasks or closed issues.

Exporting Reports

When exporting reports, it's essential to understand the differences between exporting from a project dashboard or watchlist and exporting from a project workspace.

• Exporting from Project Dashboards or Watchlists:

  • Scope: Project dashboards or watchlists typically aggregate data from multiple projects within a portfolio or program.
  • Content: Only items that are promoted to the Program level will be included in the exported report. This ensures that the most critical items requiring program-level oversight are highlighted in external reports.
  • Purpose: This type of export is suited for high-level portfolio reports intended for strategic decision-making by senior management or steering committees. The focus is on items that have significant implications across the entire portfolio or program.

• Exporting from Project Workspaces:

  • Scope: Project workspaces are focused on individual projects or programs.
  • Content: When exporting from a project workspace, the promotion flags will determine the visibility of items as follows:
    • If exported from a program: The report will include all items from the program itself that are reported to Dashboard, Parent Project, and Program levels. It will only contain items promoted to Program from the sub-projects.
    • If exported from a parent project: The report will include all items from the parent project itself that are reported to Dashboard, Parent Project, and Program levels. It will only contain items promoted to Program and Parent Project from the sub-projects.
    • If exported from a project with no sub-projects: The report will include all items from the project itself that are reported to Dashboard, Parent Project, and Program levels.
  • Purpose: This type of export is suited for detailed, project-specific reports intended for project managers and team members. It provides actionable information relevant to the management and execution of the project.

If a sub-project has 'Show Promoted Items on Parent Dashboards' set to No in its settings, none of its items will be included in parent project or program reports, regardless of their promotion flag values. This setting takes precedence over the individual promotion values set for items.

Example Use Case

A Project Manager (PM) is overseeing a complex program that includes several sub-projects. The PM needs to generate different types of reports for various stakeholders.

1. Detailed Project/Program Report:

   • Need: The PM requires a comprehensive report that includes all the details of the project or program to share with the project team and to manage the day-to-day operations effectively.
   • Where to Export From: The PM should export from the project workspace.
   • Outcome: The report will include all items from the program or project itself that are reported to Dashboard, Parent Project, and Program levels. It will also contain the relevant items promoted to Program and Parent Project levels from any sub-projects, providing a detailed view necessary for project execution.

2. High-Level Management Report:

   • Need: The PM needs to prepare a high-level report for a steering committee meeting, focusing only on the most critical items that require management attention.
   • Where to Export From: The PM should export from a project dashboard that includes this project or program. They can also use the dashboard filters to focus on a particular project or program, ensuring that the dashboard contains only the relevant data.
   • Outcome: The report includes only items promoted to the Program level. This ensures that only the most critical and strategic items are highlighted, providing a concise overview necessary for strategic decision-making by senior management.

By leveraging promotion flags and understanding the different export functionalities, PMs can effectively tailor their reports to meet the specific needs of their stakeholders, ensuring that the right level of detail is provided to the right audience.