Issue Register

Here you can find a simple Issue Register template in Microsoft Word/Excel format, along with explanation on how to use it.
Download icon Download the Template

Background

So, you’ve already decided how you want to manage issues and what columns you want to have in the Issue Register, and this decision is documented in…

It’s documented in the Change Control Approach!

Don’t add too many fields to the register; that makes it difficult to maintain it. It’s best to start with the simplest form, and add extra fields if you find them really helpful or necessary.

Some of the fields have fixed values; for example, the “issue type” has three values in PRINCE2:

So, it’s best to create a lookup table for it, which is done in the template file (values are in the second worksheet, and connected to the first one). This helps ensure there are no typos in the values that can cause problems in potential formulas and reports. What I explained can be done with the Data Validation command in the Data tab of the ribbon in Excel. You can also use it for say that the date fields can only accept dates; again, it helps ensure that those values are correct, and there won’t be problems when you filter the register.

Composition

It’s just a number of fields in an Excel file!

Which fields are needed? You can see the most common fields in the template, but feel free to adjust them.

eLearning Courses

If you’d like to learn everything about PRINCE2, I can suggest our eLearning courses:

The first few lessons in each course are free. You can start taking the courses right now and make sure it’s what you’ve been looking for before you buy.

Note: The first 30% of the courses used to be free, but because of the recent constraints from PeopleCert, we’re not allowed to offer more than 15% of the scope or more than 90 minutes of the duration for free.