How NGOs can write Monthly Project Reports

Generally, we may be required to prepare and submit monthly reports, quarterly reports, annual report, the project completion report, project activity reports or the meeting minutes during implementation of most of the projects. To this end, following are the basic guidelines one should follow while preparing these reports, unless and until, the supporting agency provides you a reporting format or a template.

Monthly Report: Monthly report gives an update on the project activities of a particular month. Since you prepare the monthly report every month and share it with the project people, you need not to go in the details of the project. While preparing monthly reports:

You may start with a small introduction writing three or four lines about the project and specific objectives set for that particular month.
Right after introduction you may give the updates on the activities of the month. Emphasize and go in detail on the specific and important activities scheduled for that particular month while just an update will do for the other regular activities you do every month.
Do give reasons and justification for those activities which were scheduled for the month but could not be undertaken due to some or the other reason instead of not mentioning about those activities at all. It makes your report complete while leaving them altogether ends your report with a question mark.
Do not go into the analysis and assessment of project’s progress in monthly reports and leave them for quarterly or annual reports. However you may add a section on the difficulties and challenges if any.
Try to include two or three nice pictures depicting your work.
Last but not the least; add a cover page to the report that outlines the title of the report, title of the project, names of the supporting and implementation agencies and the period i.e. the month about which you are reporting.

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