• The Midterm Report
    • Chapter 9

    The Midterm Report

    This chapter discusses the significance and execution of a midterm report, emphasizing its role in evaluating project progress and adjusting paths forward with stakeholders. The report serves as a crucial checkpoint to confirm the relevance of project scope and deliverables, update sponsors on achievements, and propose necessary changes based on learnings. Additionally, the chapter offers insights on how to best receive critical feedback and stresses the importance of emotional resilience and avoiding negative thinking patterns towards yourself or others.

    Midterm Report: Outcomes Based on Interaction Level

    • Have a midterm meeting with your sponsor and present your midterm report documentation.

    Professional-in-waiting Level (All student level outcomes, plus):

    • Show your sponsor what has been accomplished with clear concrete examples and any impact or value your project has created for the sponsor's business.

    What is a Midterm Report?

    A midterm report is an opportunity to take inventory of your project progress mid-way through the semester and plan for the second half. The midterm report consists of two parts: 

    1 - Creating a report (or deliverable) with your team. You will work with your team to prepare a deliverable that will communicate to your sponsor your team's findings, progress, and plan to move forward. 

    2 - Presenting or reporting on your progress to your company sponsor: Your team will meet with your sponsor to present your deliverable and gain valuable feedback. 

    Why Have a Midterm Report?

    It is important to share the midterm report with your company sponsor in order to: 

  • Confirm that the scope and deliverables are still relevant
  • Confirm that the work plan will still reach the deliverable targets
  • Give an update on your progress and report on what has been accomplished
  • Share what information and insights have been gained so far during the project
  • Suggest changes based on new findings or approaches
  • Define a path forward and project results
  • Modify sponsor expectations as needed to ensure success
  • Ask for help and commitments as needed from the sponsor
  • Discuss date, time, and location for the final presentation

    •  

    The following video illustrates a team discussing why they need to have a midterm report.

    Is Your Project on Track?

    Have you ever been using a GPS or navigation on your phone and taken a wrong turn? What does your GPS do? Most likely, it will recalculate your route and work plan directions. In your projects, you may sometimes need to recalculate your direction. Part of the midterm report will be determining whether or not you need to recalculate the course of your project.

    Based on your team discussions, you might discover that you need to change direction or adjust what you are doing for your sponsor.

    The following image shows a spectrum of where the progress of your report is at:

    Image shows three women. The first woman is running. The text below the woman says "Everything is going well." The second woman is bending over, catching her breath. The text below the second woman says "Work Plan Won't Get Us There." The third woman is kneeling on the ground with her head in her hands. The text below the third woman says "Deliverables are not relevant."

    Image by BYU Independent Study

    Scenario 1: Everything is going well

    If everything is going well, then keep it up! Continue updating and referencing your work plan, communicate regularly with your sponsor and TA coordinator, and continue to achieve your deliverables. Search for ways you can exceed your sponsor's expectations.

    Scenario 2: Our work plan will not get us to the end

    Take a step back and see what needs to happen. If you cannot complete all the work by the semester's end, determine with your sponsor what the high priority items are and adjust your work plan accordingly. If your work plan is too short, determine whether you need to adjust your timeline to more accurately reflect time commitments, or if you need to actually add more deliverables.

    Scenario 3: Our deliverables are not relevant.

    You will need to meet as a team and determine what your project needs to continue moving forward. You may not need to make many adjustments, or you may need to completely change what you are doing. Regardless of any changes in your project, you need to report everything to your sponsor in your midterm presentation.

    Reflection Question

    Is your project on track to deliver everything you promised in the engagement letter? Why or why not?

    Will you be able to do more than you promised in your engagement letter? What would that be? 

    What if anything will you need to change about your project? (Deliverables, Work Plan, etc.) 

    Additional Resources

    The following videos show different plans of action you may need to take depending on the status of your project. These videos may be helpful in understand the three scenarios described above. 

    Scenario 1: Everything is Going Well

     

    Scenario 2: Our Work Plan Will Not Get Us to the End 

     

    Scenario 3: Our Deliverables are Not Relevant


    You will need to meet as a team and determine what your project needs to continue moving forward. You may not need to make many adjustments, or you may need to completely change what you are doing. Regardless of any changes in your project, you need to report everything to your sponsor in your midterm report.

    The following pages will help you work with your team in order to create a midterm report. 

    Presenting Your ReportUsing Critical Feedback

    This content is provided to you freely by Ensign College.

    Access it online or download it at https://ensign.edtechbooks.org/projectbasedinternship/the_midterm_report.