Project Management guide · Risk, quality and control
Issue Log: Template, Examples and How to Manage Project Issues
An issue log is the record a project keeps of problems that are happening now and need action, together with their priority, owner, actions and status. It makes sure that nothing raised is forgotten and that every issue is resolved, escalated or closed deliberately.
Key takeaways
- An issue log tracks problems that are happening now.
- Every issue needs an impact, priority, owner, action and date.
- Escalate issues that exceed the project manager's authority.
- Link occurred risks to new issues and close the loop with lessons learned.
What counts as an issue
An issue is any current problem, query, concern or request for change that the project needs to deal with. Unlike a project risk, it is not uncertain: it has already happened or is certain to happen.
- Problems: a test environment is down, a supplier has missed a delivery, a key person is off sick.
- Concerns: a stakeholder is unhappy with the proposed design.
- Off-specification items: a deliverable does not meet its acceptance criteria.
- Requests for change: in some methods, including PRINCE2, change requests are also recorded as a type of issue before they go through change control.
Issue log template: columns
| Column | What to record |
|---|---|
| ID | Unique reference, e.g. I-021 |
| Date raised | When the issue was logged |
| Raised by | Who reported it |
| Type | Problem, concern, off-specification, request for change |
| Description | What is wrong, where, and the evidence |
| Impact | Effect on scope, time, cost, quality or benefits |
| Priority | Critical, high, medium or low, using agreed definitions |
| Owner | Named person responsible for resolving it |
| Actions | Steps agreed, each with a date |
| Target resolution date | When it should be fixed |
| Escalated to | Sponsor or board, if beyond the project manager's authority |
| Status | Open, in progress, escalated, resolved, closed |
| Resolution | What was done and the date closed |
Example entries
| ID | Description | Priority | Owner | Action | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I-007 | Payment gateway sandbox returns errors for card refunds, blocking 14 test cases. | High | Integration lead | Raise ticket with provider; test other cases first | In progress |
| I-008 | Finance manager unavailable for three weeks; budget approval for phase 2 delayed. | Medium | Project manager | Ask sponsor to nominate a deputy approver | Escalated |
| I-009 | Training room booked for go-live week has been double-booked. | Low | Training coordinator | Rebook alternative room | Resolved |
| I-010 | Delivered labels use the old logo; 2,000 units affected. | High | Quality lead | Reject batch; supplier to reprint by 21 June | Open |
How to manage issues step by step
- Capture: log every issue as soon as it is raised, even if it seems small.
- Assess: describe the impact and agree a priority using defined criteria.
- Assign: give the issue a single owner and a target date.
- Act: agree and carry out actions; check whether a contingency plan already exists for it.
- Escalate: if resolving it would breach agreed tolerances or needs decisions above the project manager's authority, escalate to the sponsor or governance body.
- Monitor: review open issues at each team meeting and report high-priority ones in the project status report.
- Close: record the resolution, confirm with the person who raised it, and capture any lessons learned.
Issue log vs risk register
| Issue log | Risk register | |
|---|---|---|
| Timing | Now | Future |
| Certainty | Has happened or certainly will | Might happen |
| Main field | Priority and resolution | Probability, impact and response |
| Goal | Fix or decide | Prevent, reduce or prepare |
When a risk occurs, close it in the risk register (marked 'occurred') and open a linked entry in the issue log. Many teams keep both inside a single RAID log.
Tips
- Define priorities in practical terms, for example 'critical' means work on the critical path has stopped.
- Keep descriptions factual and avoid blame.
- Do not let issues sit without an owner or date; these are the ones that grow.
- Look for patterns. Several issues with the same cause may point to a deeper problem worth analysing with a fishbone diagram.
Free templates for this topic
Frequently asked questions
What is an issue log?
A record of current project problems, concerns and requests, with their priority, owner, actions and status.
What is the difference between an issue and a risk in an issue log?
An issue is happening now; a risk is uncertain and in the future. A risk that occurs becomes an issue.
What should an issue log include?
At least an ID, description, impact, priority, owner, actions, target date and status. Many teams also record who raised it and the final resolution.
Who maintains the issue log?
The project manager or project coordinator, with each owner updating progress on their own issues.
How do you prioritise issues in an issue log?
Use agreed criteria based on the effect on objectives, such as whether critical-path work has stopped, the cost involved and how many people are affected.
When should an issue on the issue log be escalated?
When resolving it needs authority, money or decisions beyond the project manager's agreed tolerances.
Is an issue log the same as a defect log?
Not quite. A defect log tracks faults in a product; an issue log covers any problem affecting the project, which may include serious defects.
Can I keep an issue log in Excel?
Yes. A spreadsheet works for most projects. Many project management tools also have issue or ticket features.
How often should the issue log be reviewed?
High-priority issues may need daily attention; the whole log is usually reviewed at each weekly project meeting.
What is an issue log in PRINCE2?
PRINCE2 uses an issue register for formally managed issues, with informal issues kept in the daily log.
Do Agile teams use issue logs?
Agile teams usually track blockers on their board and raise them at the daily scrum, but a separate log is still common for issues that need escalation.