Status Update Template

Field	Value
Type	Skill Resource
Source	~/.copilot/skills/technical-writing/references/templates/status-update.md
Description	Not specified

Source Content

Status Update Template

The weekly exec/stakeholder update. BLUF: the reader gets the state and the one thing that matters in the first line — everything below is detail for whoever keeps reading. Register: non-technical, per ../voice-and-writers.md § Writing for non-technical readers.

Skeleton

# {{Initiative}} — week of {{ISO date}}

**{{On track / At risk / Blocked}}.** {{The one thing that matters this
week, in one sentence: the win, the risk, or the ask.}}

{{Optional one-line scene — after the BLUF, never before it: "Jack asked
Tuesday whether the launch date holds; this update is that answer."}}

## Wins

- {{Outcome, not activity — "cut deploy time 40%", not "worked on CI".}}

## Risks and asks

| Risk | Impact if unaddressed | Ask | Owner | Needed by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| {{risk}} | {{consequence in reader terms}} | {{specific ask, or -}} | {{name}} | {{date}} |

## Next period

- {{What ships or gets decided next, one per line.}}

## Metrics in context

- {{Metric: value vs last period vs target — "p95 latency 210 ms, down
from 340 ms, target 200 ms". Never a raw number without a comparison.}}

Rules for this template

• BLUF is non-negotiable: state + the one thing that matters, first line. A reader who stops there still leaves informed.
• The two-person story is optional here — one line at most, and always after the BLUF. If you use it, close with one useful ending line after Metrics in context — never a heading; BLUF already carries the payoff.
• Every risk carries a specific ask with an owner and a date, or - if it’s informational.
• Numbers get context: a comparison, a trend, or a target. “2× last month” beats a raw value.
• No unexplained jargon — this doc travels beyond engineering. Define on first use or cut.
• Cast: always Jack (the path with friction) and Jill (the path that works) — see ../personas.md.
• Reminders: story, own line per person · useful ending.
• Format: short paragraphs · lists and tables · diagram + “what to notice”.