5 Crucial Parts of Executive Summary You Should Know About

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5 Crucial Parts of Executive

Summary [Bonus: Free Templates]
Executives are, perhaps, the busiest people in an organization or a company. They have a lot
of things on their plates and every second is precious to them. It is important for them to know
everything about the organization. However they do not have enough time to analyze all the
details. That is why it is important to deliver an executive project report that is brief, but effec-
tively communicates the precise status of an undertaking.
The key to this is to craft the report in a way that the executive will have just enough data for
them to get a concrete grasp on where the project stands at that time.
How to Write an Executive Summary: Questions and 5 Crucial Parts Part 1
Executive Summary: Download Free Templates Part 2
Additional Resources Part 3
How to Dramatically Reduce Time You Spend Creating Reports Part 4
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1/26/23, 8:53 AM 5 Crucial Parts of Executive Summary You Should Know About | Free Download | status.net
PART 1
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Questions to Ask Yourself Before Starting to Craft an Executive Summary
When preparing an Executive Summary, be guided by the following:
Who will read it? It is important to remember that the reader of the Executive
Summary should be able to find all the necessary information they need to know
about the project. There shouldn’t be a need to read all the other reports. Even if the
executive does read all the reports and other documents pertaining to the project, the
Executive Summary should stand out on its own.
What is the main point? Try to come up with two to three sentences summarizing
what the project is all about. It’s just like when someone asks you what the report is
about and you try to answer the question in only a few sentences.
What is the purpose of the project? Briefly discuss the purpose of the project—
whether it is to launch a new campaign, develop a new policy, conduct a survey or
research, or test a product, etc.
If there are too many sections in other reports, which ones among those points are
crucial to the understanding and appreciation of the project? Depending on their
purpose, other types of project reports contain too many details, even if these are
arranged into topics and subtopics. Some of these subjects or subtopics may not
really be necessary if you only need to provide a summary of the project. Eliminate
those which may not be needed immediately, and also any other information that will
not affect the understanding and appreciation of the project if left out.
What is the recommended course of action, if any? This part may be one of the
most important points of the project and must also be highlighted in the Executive
Summary. Briefly, but concisely, discuss the recommendations for the project based
on its results and key findings.
What are the benefits or consequences of this recommended courses of action?

This is the other section that the readers will deem most valuable. This will enable
decision makers to decide whether to accept the recommendations based on the
project’s results and findings, or not. There is a limitation of how much can be
discussed in an Executive Summary report. This means that it is important for the
writer of the report to capture the essence of the entire project in a just few sentences
without losing its value. In this section, the benefits that the organization will derive
from the recommended courses of action, and its impacts, both positive and negative
should be clear.

5 Crucial Parts of an Executive Summary
1 Project Summary
In two to three sentences, provide a brief description of the project, its purpose, and
the main problem or issue it was supposed to resolve or address.
2 Background
Provide a brief history of the project and cite a particular event which led to its con-
ception. Do not forget to mention if the project is the first of its kind or a part of a se-
ries of projects.
It is also good to mention here if the project is carried out in partnership with
other organizations or institutions, or if it has been funded by one.
3 Process
Discuss what departments are involved, how they participate, what their contribu-
tions are—and how long it takes for completion. Give an account of the key chal-
lenges and the problems or issues encountered during the project’s implementation.
Also, highlight how the team can resolve and address such issues.
4 Results and Conclusions
Provide a brief discussion of the results and key findings of the project and how the
organization can use this information. Briefly, discuss how the project resolved the
central problem or issue it was to address, and whether the project really provided a
solution to the problem or issue at hand.
5 Recommendations
Briefly, explain how the findings and results will be translated into actual policy or
strategy. If there will be changes as a consequence of the creation of a new policy or
strategy, discuss how they will impact the organization, the resources needed, and
other matters the shift will entail such as any new procedures, guidelines, or business
directions.

Common Pitfalls in Writing an Executive Summary
1 Though it still needs to be as comprehensive as possible, providing too many details
defeats
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of project report.
2 Using terms in the Executive Summary which are different from those employed in
other reports about the same project is confusing. As much as possible, observe
uniformity by using the same terms and concepts used in other reports.
3 Mismatching contents will also generate confusion. The Executive Report should have
the same information as other reports, and the major points of the rest of the reports
should also be reflected in the Executive Summary.
Executive Project Report
An Executive Project Report should include what the team is doing at the time of the report,
the most tangible result or output so far, the major risks associated with the project, and what
the executive can do for the project (e.g. decisions to be made, approvals needed,
interventions).
Here are some points to take note:
Concentrate on the most important details
A project manager may be proud about developments on the project he is handling

and be over-enthusiastic when reporting them. This means that they give a blow-by-
blow account of how each of the tasks was carried out. This might work in some other
kinds of project report but not in an Executive Project report.
The report can center on these four major points—the current phase of the
project, the status of the project, milestones achieved, and the target date of
completion of the current phase of the project, or the project, as a whole.
Be straight to the point
It is a skill to be able to provide a complete and comprehensive project status report

in just a few words. One way to do this is through the use of bullet points to convey
the message of the report. Express each idea in short but informative sentences and, if
possible, refrain from using adverbs and adjectives unless the report requires the use
of such.
Do not forget about project milestones
There are important details about project milestones which need to be included in the
status report. These details are enough to paint an image of how the project is pro-
gressing. Include the name of the milestone, the percentage of its completion, the
planned and the actual start and finish dates. It is advisable to list the milestones or
the tasks chronologically to avoid confusion.
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PART 2
Executive Summary: Free Download
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Click Here to Download Executive Project Report 2 DOC
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PART 3
Additional Sources
1 How to Write an Executive Status Report (Easy!) + Free Templates
2 A Very Handy Project Summary Report + Free Template Download
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1/26/23, 8:53 AM 5 Crucial Parts of Executive Summary You Should Know About | Free Download | status.

5 Crucial Parts of Executive

How to Write an Executive Summary: Questions and 5 Crucial Parts Part 1

Executive Summary: Download Free Templates Part 2

Additional Resources Part 3

How to Dramatically Reduce Time You Spend Creating Reports Part 4

Apply to UoPeople Today

Questions to Ask Yourself Before Starting to Craft an Executive Summary

When preparing an Executive Summary, be guided by the following:

What are the benefits or consequences of this recommended courses of action?

Apply to UoPeople Today

5 Crucial Parts of an Executive Summary

4 Results and Conclusions

Apply to UoPeople Today

Common Pitfalls in Writing an Executive Summary

Executive Project Report

Here are some points to take note:

Concentrate on the most important details

A project manager may be proud about developments on the project he is handling

Be straight to the point

It is a skill to be able to provide a complete and comprehensive project status report

Do not forget about project milestones

Executive Summary: Free Download

Click Here to Download Executive Summary Report DOC

Click Here to Download Executive Project Report 2 DOC

Apply to UoPeople Today

Apply to UoPeople Today

EDIT AND USE THIS TEMPLATE

Apply to UoPeople Today

EDIT AND USE THIS TEMPLATE

Apply to UoPeople Today

EDIT AND USE THIS TEMPLATE

EDIT AND USE THIS TEMPLATE

EDIT AND USE THIS TEMPLATE

EDIT AND USE THIS TEMPLATE

EDIT AND USE THIS TEMPLATE

EDIT AND USE THIS TEMPLATE

EDIT AND USE THIS TEMPLATE

EDIT AND USE THIS TEMPLATE

EDIT AND USE THIS TEMPLATE

EDIT AND USE THIS TEMPLATE

EDIT AND USE THIS TEMPLATE

EDIT AND USE THIS TEMPLATE

1 How to Write an Executive Status Report (Easy!) + Free Templates

2 A Very Handy Project Summary Report + Free Template Download

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