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Creating a To-Do List for Your Project Team using Microsoft Project

by | reviewed 13/09/2023
In this tutorial, we'll guide you through creating a to-do list for your project team using a custom report in Microsoft Project. We will show you how to create a table report showing the tasks assigned to a particular resource, along with their start and finish date.
Table of contents

Video - How to create a To Do list using Microsoft Project

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Step-by-step guide to creating the To Do list

Step 1: open Microsoft Project

Open up your project plan in Gantt view.

Step 2: Create a New Report

  1. Navigate to the Report tab.
  2. Click on New Report.
  3. Select the Table format for your report.
  4. Enter a name for your report, e.g., "To-Do List".
A screenshot of the Report tab in Microsoft Project. The New Report menu is open showing report options: Blank, Chart, Table and Comparison.

Step 3: Setting up the Report View

  1. On the right-hand side, you'll see the parameters you can add to the report.
  2. In the main section, you'll have a preview of your report.
  3. Start by adding Resource Names to your report.
  4. Set the Outline Level from 'Project Summary' to display All Subtasks.

Step 4: Filtering the Tasks by Resources

  1. Add a filter to your report based on the resource.
  2. The preview should now show all tasks for the resource you selected.
A screenshot of the report design area in Microsoft Project. The Field List is shown and the Using Resource Filter dialog box is open. The Outline Level is set to All Subtasks.

Step 5: Filtering the Tasks by Date Range

  1. If you need to re-open the field list by right-clicking and selecting Show Field List.
  2. Add a new filter 'Using Resource in Date Range'.
  3. Select the resource.
  4. Set the start date by selecting tasks that start after a specific date, e.g., "1st October".
  5. Set the end date by selecting tasks that finish before a certain date, e.g., "1st January".
  6. Now, the to-do list will only show tasks that fall within the selected date range.

Step 6: Print or Export the Report

If necessary, you can print off the to-do list for physical distribution or sharing.

Top tips for formatting the To-Do list

  1. Use the Filter ‘Using Resource in Date Range’ to print lists for a specific week, month etc.
  2. You can drag the table edges to re-size the table and the columns.
  3. Use the Report Design and Layout tabs to customize the report further. For example, you might use different table colours to differentiate between To-Do lists.
  4. If the report runs across several pages, you can use header and footer to show the report title and page numbers on every page.

Download the PowerPoint Presentation

For a visual representation and step-by-step walkthrough of this process, click here to download the PowerPoint presentation.

This comprehensive guide should help you efficiently create a to-do list tailored to a specific resource.

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