Project Toolkit

Action Tracker

Action Tracker

Tracking and managing actions arising from meetings, reviews, and project activities.

Action Tracker

An Action Tracker is a tool for recording, monitoring, and following up on tasks and commitments arising from project activities.

What is an Action Tracker?

Definition: An Action Tracker (or Action Log) is a document that records all actions agreed during a project, tracks their status, and ensures they are completed on time.

Purpose

An Action Tracker:

  • Captures commitments from meetings and reviews
  • Assigns clear ownership and deadlines
  • Enables progress monitoring
  • Prevents actions being forgotten
  • Supports accountability
  • Provides visibility to stakeholders

Actions vs Issues vs Risks

Type Description Example
Action Task to be completed “Update project plan by Friday”
Issue Problem requiring resolution “Server environment unavailable”
Risk Potential future problem “Key resource may leave”

Actions are specific tasks. Issues and risks may generate actions as part of their resolution.

Action Tracker Fields

Essential Fields

Field Description
Action ID Unique identifier (e.g., ACT-001)
Description Clear statement of what needs to be done
Owner Person responsible for completion
Due date When the action must be complete
Status Current state of the action
Date raised When the action was created

Supporting Fields

Field Description
Source Where the action came from (meeting, review)
Priority High / Medium / Low
Category Type of action
Notes Progress updates, comments
Date closed When completed
Related items Links to risks, issues, decisions

Action Status

Status Meaning Colour
Open Not yet started Blue
In Progress Work underway Amber
Complete Finished and verified Green
On Hold Paused, awaiting input Grey
Cancelled No longer required Grey
Overdue Past due date, not complete Red

Action Lifecycle

flowchart LR A[Identify
Action] --> B[Assign
Owner] B --> C[Set
Due Date] C --> D[Track
Progress] D --> E[Verify
Complete] E --> F[Close
Action] classDef blue fill:#108BB9,stroke:none,color:#fff class A,B,C,D,E,F blue

Writing Good Actions

SMART Actions

Criterion Description Example
Specific Clear what needs to be done “Draft test plan for module A”
Measurable Know when it’s done “Plan reviewed and approved”
Achievable Owner can complete it Within owner’s capability
Relevant Supports project goals Needed for testing phase
Time-bound Has a deadline “By 20 Jan 2026”

Good vs Poor Actions

Poor Better
“Look into the issue” “Investigate root cause of login failures and report findings”
“Update document” “Update requirements document section 3.2 with new API specifications”
“Chase supplier” “Contact supplier X to confirm delivery date for hardware”
“Fix the bug” “Resolve defect #1234 - payment processing error”

Priority Levels

Priority Criteria Response
Critical Blocking progress, immediate impact Same day
High Important, affects timeline Within 2-3 days
Medium Needed but not urgent Within 1-2 weeks
Low Nice to have, minor impact When time permits

Managing the Tracker

Regular Activities

Activity Frequency
Add new actions As they arise
Review open actions Daily/Weekly
Chase overdue actions Immediately
Update status As progress made
Full tracker review Weekly meeting
Archive completed Monthly

Review Meeting Agenda

  1. Review overdue actions
  2. Update status of open actions
  3. Identify blocked actions
  4. Review upcoming due dates
  5. Add new actions
  6. Close completed actions

Handling Overdue Actions

flowchart LR A[Action
Overdue] --> B[Contact
Owner] B --> C{Can Complete
Soon?} C -->|Yes| D[Set New
Date] C -->|No| E[Escalate or
Reassign] D --> F[Monitor] E --> F classDef blue fill:#108BB9,stroke:none,color:#fff class A,B,C,D,E,F blue

When actions become overdue:

  1. Contact the owner immediately
  2. Understand the blocker
  3. Agree a realistic new date or reassign
  4. Escalate if needed
  5. Document the reason for delay

Example Action Entry

Field Value
Action ID ACT-045
Description Finalise user acceptance test scripts for payment module
Owner Sarah Jones
Due date 18 Jan 2026
Source Team meeting 10 Jan
Priority High
Status In Progress
Notes Draft complete, awaiting BA review

Integration with RAID Log

Actions often link to other RAID items:

RAID Item Action Example
Risk “Develop contingency plan for vendor delay”
Assumption “Validate assumption about data volumes”
Issue “Investigate and resolve server connectivity issue”
Dependency “Confirm delivery date with external team”

Reporting Actions

Include in status reports:

  • Total open actions
  • Actions completed this period
  • Overdue actions (highlight)
  • Actions due next period
  • Blocked actions requiring help

Common Mistakes

Mistake Impact Solution
Vague descriptions Unclear what to do Write specific, actionable statements
No owner No accountability Always assign a single owner
Unrealistic dates Constant overdue Agree dates with owner
No follow-up Actions forgotten Regular review meetings
Too many actions Overwhelm, nothing done Prioritise ruthlessly
Actions too large Never completed Break into smaller tasks

Action Tracker Checklist

  • Action clearly described?
  • Single owner assigned?
  • Realistic due date set?
  • Priority assigned?
  • Source documented?
  • Status being tracked?
  • Overdue actions escalated?
  • Completed actions verified?
  • Tracker reviewed regularly?
Last updated: 13 January 2026
Themes

Control

Governance

Communication