RAG status is supposed to make things simple.
Red. Amber. Green.
You can look at a project and get a rough idea of how things are going without reading six pages of an update.
Then we get hold of it.
I’ve seen separate RAGs for scope, timeline, budget, resources, risk, individual workstreams, teams and God knows what else. At that point you’re not making things clearer. You’ve just created another reporting exercise.
For most senior project reporting, I want one overall status.
The bigger problem with RAG though isn’t the system. It’s people.
Green is comfortable. Nobody gets particularly upset about Green. The project is on track. Carry on.
Although if I see a large project sitting Green month after month after month, I’ll probably start wondering what’s going on. Projects have problems. That’s normal.
A completely green dashboard doesn’t always tell me there are no problems. Sometimes it tells me nobody particularly wants to report them.
Red is where it gets interesting.
Mark something Red and suddenly everyone has an opinion, particularly if the issue relates to their area.
“Is it really Red?”
“Surely that’s Amber?”
“Maybe it’s more of an amber-y Red?”
I’ve genuinely had conversations like that.
Once you’re debating whether something is amber-y Red, there’s a decent chance you’re no longer discussing the project. You’re discussing how comfortable everyone is with the colour.
Red isn’t an accusation. It doesn’t mean somebody has failed. It means there’s a problem serious enough that we need to talk about it and probably do something.
That’s useful information.
Then there’s Amber. Poor Amber.
Amber is where everything ends up when nobody quite wants to say Green but Red feels a bit aggressive.
There’s a problem, but we’re dealing with it. There’s a risk, but we’re keeping an eye on it. We’re not quite on track, but we’re not quite off track either.
Keep doing that and eventually half the portfolio is Amber and the colour tells you almost nothing.
I keep the definitions pretty basic:
Green: We’re on track. Nothing I think this group needs to worry about.
Amber: There’s a problem or a meaningful risk, but I think we can handle it. You may want to know about it.
Red: We need help, a decision, a change of plan or at least a proper conversation about what’s happening.
That’s roughly it.
The exact definitions aren’t especially important. What’s important is that people understand what the colours mean and that you use them consistently.
And be honest about them.
If something is Red, call it Red. You should be able to explain why, what you’re doing about it and what you need from the people you’re reporting to.
But don’t change the colour just because somebody doesn’t like seeing Red beside their project.
They may disagree with you. They may even overrule you.
Fine.
At least you had the conversation.