At first glance, Work Performance Data and Work Performance Information may seem alike. While they are closely related, understanding the distinction between these terms is key to accurately assessing and managing your project’s status.
Work Performance Data provides raw data about the project’s current state, which is then used to generate Work Performance Information—the foundation for performance reports.
Performance reports are vital communication tools for project managers. You’ll need both Work Performance Data and Work Performance Information to create them.
In today’s blog post, I will explain these two concepts and their differences.
Work Performance Data and Work Performance Information
Creating performance reports becomes straightforward once you grasp these two concepts. Let’s begin with Work Performance Data.
Work Performance Data
Work Performance Data refers to the raw, unprocessed data collected during project execution. It includes metrics such as task completion status, costs incurred, and quality measurements, providing an objective view of the project’s current state.
According to the PMBOK Guide, Work Performance Data is “the raw observations and measurements identified during activities performed to carry out the project work, e.g., actual cost, actual duration, and the percent of work physically completed.”
Examples of Work Performance Data
Work Performance Data includes, but is not limited to, the following:
- Scope: This covers requirements, non-conformities, the number of change requests received, and those accepted or rejected.
- Time: This tracks how many activities have started, how many have been completed, and the status of ongoing tasks.
- Cost: This reflects the project’s cost performance, including how much work has been completed and the amount spent so far.
- Quality: This measures technical performance, such as product characteristics, quality metrics, defect counts, and rejection rates.
- Communications: This shows which reports have been distributed and the feedback received on these communications.
- Risks: This tracks the occurrence of identified and unidentified risks, new risks discovered, the effectiveness of risk response plans, and the use of contingency or management reserves, as well as their impact on project constraints like schedule, cost, and scope.
- Procurement: This provides data on procurement activities, including seller performance and adherence to quality standards.
Next, let’s review WPD in the PMBOK Guide:
- The output of Direct and Manage Project Work
- Input to Validate Scope
- Input to Control Scope
- Input to Control Schedule
- Input to Control Cost
- Input to Control Quality
- Input to Control Communication
- Input to Control Risks
- Input to Control Procurements
- Input to Control Stakeholder Engagement
Work Performance Data (WPD) is an output of the Direct and Manage Project Work process. It is collected throughout the execution phase and then passed to various controlling processes—such as Validate Scope, Control Scope, Control Schedule, and Control Cost—for further analysis. This data is then transformed into Work Performance Information (WPI).
Work Performance Information
Work Performance Information (WPI) is the processed and analyzed data derived from Work Performance Data (WPD). It provides meaningful insights into project progress by comparing actual performance against the project plan. WPI includes key details such as project status, variance analysis, and trends, serving as a basis for decision-making and reporting on the project’s health.
According to the PMBOK Guide, the Work Performance Information is “the performance data collected from various controlling processes, analyzed in context and integrated based on relationships across areas, e.g., the status of deliverables, forecasted estimates to complete, etc.”
Examples of Work Performance Information
Work Performance Information includes, but is not limited to, the following:
- Scope: Review the project’s progress, such as the status of deliverables, whether they are accepted, and how the project scope is performing compared to the scope baseline.
- Time: Compare the planned schedule with the actual schedule, noting the planned duration of activities versus the actual time taken to complete them.
- Cost: Examine the planned cost for a task against the actual cost incurred. This includes reviewing cost variance, cost performance, and overall budget alignment.
- Quality: Analyze planned versus actual technical performance, including the number of defects, allowed tolerances and thresholds, costs associated with quality, and required rework.
- Risk: Assess how many identified risks have materialized, the effectiveness of the risk response plan, the amount of contingency funds used, and the remaining contingency or management reserves.
- Procurement: Evaluate the performance of the seller and how well procurement activities align with expectations.
Let’s have a look at the PMBOK Guide, which describes WPI as:
- Input to Monitor and Control Project Work
- The output of the Validate Scope
- The output of the Control Scope
- The output of the Control Schedule
- The output of the Control Costs
- The output of the Control Quality
- The output of the Control Communications
- The output of the Control Risks
- The output of the Control Procurements
- The output of the Control Stakeholder Engagement
Work Performance Information is the output of various controlling processes and serves as an input to the Monitor and Control Project Work process. There, it generates performance reports, providing insights into the project’s status and overall progress.
Work Performance Data Vs Work Performance Information
- Work Performance Data is raw, unprocessed data collected during project activities. It provides basic facts and figures about project status, such as task completion, costs incurred, and work progress. Examples are the number of tasks completed, costs to date, hours worked, and defects reported.
- Work Performance Information is the analyzed and processed data that offers meaningful insights and context for decision-making. It provides actionable information by comparing actual performance against planned performance identifying trends and variances. Cost variance, schedule performance, quality trends, and risk assessments are examples.
In short, WPD is the raw data gathered during project execution, while WPI is the refined information that results from analyzing that data.
Summary
Work Performance Data is the raw data from observations of your project, and Work Performance Information is the analysis and comparison between the actual data and the planned data. These two are the backbone of your performance reports and essential communication tools, helping you monitor the project’s progress and compare it with the planned progress.
Further Readings:
- What is a Status Report?
- What is a Progress Report?
- What is Performance Reporting?
- How to Track Project Progress?
- What is the Scope Baseline?
This topic is important from a PMP exam point of view.
I am Mohammad Fahad Usmani, B.E. PMP, PMI-RMP. I have been blogging on project management topics since 2011. To date, thousands of professionals have passed the PMP exam using my resources.
Thanks so much for your sharing, Fahad :)
Why Work Performance Report as an input leads to Work Performance
Information as an output in Monitor Communication? Discuss
This information is clearly mentioned in the PMBOK Guide. Please refer to it.
By the way, it is work performance data is being converted to work performance information in monitor communications process.
PLEASE CAN I GET A COMPLETE DATA ON THE WORK PERFORMANE
I did not understand you.
Salam alikom brother Fahad,
I found your explanation is much better than what is available in YouTube.
thankyou for your great explanations
Thanks Majed for your visit and leaving comment.
Hi Fahad,
Maybe I posted my situation in a wrong blogpost. I think this should be the right one.
I have one fundamental question about work performance information given as a input to “Monitor & Control” process.
If my understanding is correct, all the control processes compares the current data with the corresponding baselines, and raises change requests for any deviations. These change requests are sent to “Integrated Change Control” for further processing. However, the same information is provided as “Work Performance Information” to “Monitor & Control Project work” process. In this process also, the work performance information is compared with performance baselines. This as well gives raise to change requests
Isn’t this a duplicate effort? Can you be kind enough to differentiate between the objectives of control processes and “monitor & control project work” process?
Hello Vijay,
Please refer to the page 87 of the PMBOK Guide fifth edition. You will see that output of all controlling processes is work performance information and it is an input to monitoring and controlling project work process.
There is no repetition of effort.
Hi Vejay,
my understanding to your question is WPIs sent as input to MCPW to issue a WPR only and that WPR will be input to PICC.BMBOK in not perfect and there are many circumstances either wrong or not well explained and thats why they updated it.
Very informative thank you.
You are welcome Dhanunjaya.
Hello Usman,
Thanks for the explanation. A few things are still not clear, can you please explain
Risks – Work Performance Data
Here you will see how many identified and unidentified risks have occurred, how many new risks are identified, the effectiveness of risk response plan, how much contingency or management reserve has been utilized, the impact of risks on project constraints such as schedule, cost, and scope, etc.
What point is not clear to you?
Can you provide the Input / Output list of other terms like you mentioned in this page.
e.g:
Work performance data — Output to some and input to some processes
Work performance information — output to some and input to some processes
Please provide same pattern to other terms.
Thanks
I provide it whenever I can but can I not provide it in full as it will be copyright violation. I suggest you read the PMBOK to understand the ITTO.
hi talha,
WPD is output of DMPW
WPD is inputs to the 10 monitoring and controlling processes except for the two processes in the integration management ( MCPW,PICC) .
WPIs is outputs of the 10 monitoring and controlling processes except for the two processes in the integration management( MCPW,PICC) .
WPIs is input to MCPW.
Thanks mate, very clear explanation!
You are welcome Qlitosucito.
Appreciate your efforts and Thanks. Furthermore, just to underline what I understood, I would like to discuss the following case:-
30% of the project is completed (WPD) and the actual cost incurred as of now is 150,000 US$ (WPD), which is let’ s say 15% more than the PV -Planned Value (WPD).
Based on these “raw” data, the project manager has come up with forecasts like EAC (WPI), TCPI (WPI) etc.
Finally the project manager compiles all the above information and documents it to develop a Project Status Report (WPR).
Your comments are remarks are very much appreciated.
Thanks again.
Yes you’re right Hassan.
One can see the trend that other than human resource management, WPD is almost always the input of control processes and WPI is almost always the output of those processes.
Human Resource management doesn’t have a process in Monitor & Control process group, so no question of inputs / outputs.
Well presented. Thanks.
You are welcome Ivan, and thanks for stopping by.
I am glad Atif that you find my blog useful.
Great hard work Fahad!
WPD and WPI was confusing to me. Now, it’s clear to me after reading your blog.
One of my concern is to memorize the input, tool and technique and outputs. Your comprehensive analysis also lessen my poor “Ratta”(Ability to memorize) concern as well.
Good work so far….Really helpful this.Please make a blog about the work authorization system,conduct procurement.
Thanks
Malaka
Okay Malaka.
I have noted your request and will write a blog post on these points soon.
Thank you for taking the time to break down the concept so I can see why and when WPD is performed. When you look at input and output of each process you don’t see what is really happening. So now I can visualize that when they say raw data that generated by the iron triangle and works through the other processes to be an input into M/C Project works WPI to develop reports. When you read the PMBOK it’s hard to visualize the process as you are reading step by step processes and the project is more of a ” progressive elaboration” :)
Once again
thank you
You are welcome Ralph.
Dear Fahad
Crystal clear explanation in all your blogs, can you also mention the last updation in the heading of the blog.
thanks a lot for the clear cut explanations!
I try to keep all my posts current, and updated.
explained on a very good way
thanks alot
Very nicely explained, very easy to understand !
Thanks,
Neil
I am glad that I could be of help.
Thank you!
You are welcome Sandra.
This is very crisp and compact info about WPD and WPI.
Thanks for compiling and sharing with all.
Best Regards,
Bhavesh Patel
I’m glad that I could help you.
Very well explained!!
Thanks Rajat.
This was very comprehensive and provided a context for my learning on this section. Thank you.
You’re welcome Margaret.
Your explanation helped me clear my concept until i read Page 251 of pmbok 5:
8.3.1.4 Work Performance Data
Described in Section 4.3.3.2. Work performance data can include:
Planned vs. actual technical performance,
Planned vs. actual schedule performance, and
Planned vs. actual cost performance.
And all my concepts are messed up again.
Please help.
Usman
P.S:
Confusion: A comparison between Planned vs. actual is supposed to make it a work performance information. e.g, SV, CV
Hello Usman,
I think you have identified a discrepancy (or possibly I’m misunderstanding it) in the PMBOK Guide.
However, if you go to point 4.3.3.2, it explains the correct concept.
Thanks for your response.
For the sake of information sharing, section 10.3.1.4 on page 305 of PMBOK says:
10.3.1.4 Work Performance Data
Described in Section 4.3.3.2. Work performance data organizes and summarizes the information gathered, and presents the results of comparative analysis to the performance measurement baseline.
Thanks…
My PMBOK (5th Edition) says: 10.3.1.4 Described in Section 4.3.3.2 Work performance data can include details about which communications have actually been distributed, feedback on communications, survey results on communication effectiveness, or other raw observations identified during communication activities.
I think this supports Fahad’s explaination and perhaps PMI simply did a poor job in updating the 5th edition. @Usman, Odd that your 5th edition and mine say totally different things.
Thanks… very useful ….I think you may need to modify the “Summary part” under Performance report as it still refers to old terms.
Hello Vijay,
Thanks for pointing it out…
Assalaam walekum ,,,can u send to me cmplt data with formula of emplyess performance ..on this mail id [email protected]
plz send to me i needed that cauz it is very important for me .