This article explains how to define and use project health in TeamDynamix (TDX). It is intended to help project managers communicate project status clearly and consistently so that leadership, stakeholders, and governance teams can quickly understand whether a project is on track or requires attention.
The goal of project health is not to evaluate effort or performance, but to provide a high level signal that supports transparency, timely decision making, and proactive project management. By focusing on predictability, risk awareness, and timely communication, departments can use project health to strengthen project outcomes and reduce surprises.
Table of Contents
Overview
Overview
Project health in TDX is a summary indicator that reflects the overall condition of a project at a point in time. It allows leadership to assess project status without reviewing detailed tasks, risks, or issues. Project health should answer one core question: If leadership reviewed this project today, should they be concerned?
Health indicators are typically displayed as:
These indicators should be updated intentionally and used consistently across projects.
What Project Health is
Project Health Is:
- A communication tool to leadership and stakeholders regarding risk related to a project's implementation.
- A Project Manager's assessment of risk, progress, and stability
Project Health Is Not:
- A measure of effort or workload
- A judgment of team performance
- An indicator of project importance
- A guarantee that nothing will go wrong
Using project health correctly helps prevent surprises and enables early intervention when needed.
Defining Project Health States
Green - On Track
A project should be marked Green when:
- Scope is stable and well understood
- Timeline is realistic and being met
- Risks are identified and actively managed
- Issues, if present, are minor or being resolved
- No immediate leadership action is required
Green does not mean perfect. It means the project is progressing as expected.
Yellow - At Risk
A project should be marked Yellow when:
- Key risks are increasing or becoming more likely
- One or more milestones may be delayed
- Dependencies or resource availability are uncertain
- Potential issues are emerging but manageable
Yellow signals that attention is needed. It reflects transparency and early awareness, not failure.
Red - Off Track
A project should be marked Red when:
- Critical deadlines have been missed or are no longer achievable
- Scope has changed with a need to revise Project budget or timeline.
- A major issue is blocking progress
- Escalation or leadership intervention is required
Red is a request for support or decision making, not an indication of poor performance.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
When using project health in TDX, avoid the following:
- Marking all projects Green to appear positive
- Delaying health updates until problems are unavoidable
- Using health to protect feelings rather than communicate risk
- Treating health as a permanent label rather than a dynamic indicator
Health should change as conditions change.
Relationship Between Project Health, Risks, and Issues
Project health should align with the project’s documented risks and issues:
- Increasing risk exposure may warrant a Yellow status
- Unresolved or high impact issues may justify a Red status
- Closed risks and resolved issues may support a return to Green
Project health acts as the headline, while risks and issues provide the supporting detail.
When to Update Project Health
Project health should be reviewed and updated:
- During regular project status updates
- At major milestones
- When scope, timeline, or risk changes
- When new issues emerge or existing ones escalate
Even if no changes are made, health should be intentionally reviewed rather than assumed.
Additional Support
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