Executing

Issue Log

The issue log is a project document used to record and monitor issues. An issue is defined as a current condition or situation that could have an impact on the project objectives. Examples of issues are points or matters in question that are in dispute or under discussion, or over which there are opposing views or disagreements. Issues can also arise from a risk event that has occurred and must now be dealt with. An issue log includes:

Identifier
Type
Issue description
Priority
Impact on objectives
Responsible party
Status
Resolution date
Final resolution
Comments

The issue log is an output from process 4.3 Direct and Manage Project Work in the PMBOK® Guide – Sixth Edition. It is a dynamic document that is created at the start of the project and is maintained through- out the project.

Tailoring Tips

Consider the following tips to help tailor the issue log to meet your needs:

You may want to add information on the source of the issue.
You could add a field that documents which stakeholders are impacted by the issue or should be involved with resolving the issue.

Alignment

The issue log should be aligned and consistent with the following documents:

Risk register
Decision log
Lessons learned register

Document Element	Description
ID	Enter a unique issue identifier.
Type	Document the type or category of the issue, such as stakeholder issue, technical issue, conflict, etc.
Issue description	Provide a detailed description of the issue.
Priority	Define the priority, such as urgent, high, medium, or low.
Impact on objectives	Identify the project objectives that the issue impacts and the degree of impact.
Responsible party	Identify the person who is assigned to resolve the issue.
Status	Denote the status of the issue as open or closed.
Resolution date	Document the date by which the issue needs to be resolved.
Final resolution	Describe how the issue was resolved.
Comments	Document any clarifying comments about the issue, resolution, or other fields on the form.