Posted on by barnesa

Redefining Project Status

Have you ever been involved in a project where regular status updates are needed, but the standard “RAG” status isn’t sufficient? Then this post is for you!

All to often we run projects that have so many moving parts that your simple “RAG” status isn’t sufficient:

  • Red
  • Amber
  • Green

Introducing the DTC Project Status Scale (DPSS)

The DTC Project Status Scale introduces you to suitably obscure project status updates, which hint at progress, could even be considered plausible*, and deflect from deep discussion into the anticipated emotional response to (for example) a “Red” rating

  • (Headless) Bat <– New!
  • (Koasy) Koala
  • (Full) Giraffe
  • (Toasty) Bagel
  • (Sad) Panda
  • (Gone) SCUBA

Contextual Use of the DPSS

Examples of using the DPSS “in a sentence”

(Headless) Bat

Now we’re flying ! … Headless Bat

(Koasy) Koala

Going well, up a tree – elevated to Koasy Koala

(Full) Giraffe

We are Full Giraffe on our status.

If you’re using this scale then, likely, most projects live here

(Toasty) Bagel

Bagel is down

The Bagel is running hot

We have a Toasty Bagel

(Sad) Panda

No-one likes a Sad Panda, don’t be this project

(Gone) SCUBA

We’re so far under that we have Gone SCUBA

As Zackkkkkk wisely put it:

it’s not funny if there isn’t a sufficient amount of /dev/random

Credit to Zack(kkkkk) Deems for the inspiration behind the DPSS

* Satirical blog post – use at your own discretion
*** Plausibility not guranteed