What is the project status? Red Amber Green what does that mean?
Why are these 3 words so hard to say?
“I don’t know.”
My wife asked me about RAG Status. “What is RAG status used for?”
“Ah..” was about all I had.
It’s okay to say those three words.
RAG Status
RAG Status or Red Amber Green is used to communicate project status quickly. It is used to evaluate Key Performance Indicators or KPIs.
The three colors are similar to a traffic light. This is to create a simple reminder of where a project is currently.
Red
Red status means the project is likely to fail. To paraphrase Arthur Miller, “Attention should be paid to this project!”
Things are not proceeding. Intervention is needed. Additional resources may be required.
The red status is a bullseye. Managers and stakeholders will ask questions. They should be seriously concerned.
Amber
While not as bad as red, amber means we are slightly off course. Stakeholders should keep their eye on this.
For instance, there might be roadblocks in the way. Maybe a key resource just went out on maternity leave.
