Free Issue Log Template
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Every project has problems. The good PMs are not the ones with no issues. They are the ones who write each issue down, give it one owner and follow it until it is really fixed. This free Excel issue log helps you do that from day one.
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Quick answer
An issue log is a list of problems that are already hurting your project. Each one gets a priority, an owner, a status and a resolution. This free Excel template has 10 columns and 3 drop-downs, so you can track every issue from open to closed.
Quick difference: a risk might happen, an issue has already happened. If you want to learn how to find and plan for risks, read my risk management guide. If you need to record who decided what and why, use the decision log template. This page is about one thing: how to fill in an issue log properly, row by row.
What's in the issue log template?
The file is one Excel sheet with a branded header, a project details row and 50 ready rows. Category, Priority and Status use drop-downs, so everyone fills them in the same way and you can filter the log in seconds.
| Column | Field | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| ID | Issue Number | Pre-filled ISS-001 to ISS-050. Extend by copying the last row. The ID links this log entry to any associated change requests or action items. |
| Date Raised | Date | When the issue was first formally raised, not when it was first noticed. Entering it in the log is the act of raising it formally. |
| Issue Description | What the issue is | A clear, specific description. State the problem, its current impact and what is at risk if it is not resolved. Avoid vague entries like "system issue": be specific enough that someone unfamiliar with the project can understand it. |
| Category | Drop-down | Technical / Resource / Schedule / Budget / Scope / External / Other. Validated drop-down, use to filter by type for reporting or root cause analysis. |
| Priority | Drop-down | Critical / High / Medium / Low. Set based on the impact on project baselines and the urgency of resolution required. See the priority guide below. |
| Status | Drop-down | Open / In Progress / Escalated / Resolved / Closed. Use Escalated when the issue has been formally raised above the PM's authority for resolution. |
| Raised By | Name | Who identified and raised the issue. Not necessarily the person responsible for resolving it. |
| Owner | Name | The single person accountable for driving resolution. One name only. If the issue requires escalation, the owner is the PM until a senior owner formally accepts it. |
| Resolution | What was done | How the issue was resolved, the specific action taken. Only complete when the issue is Resolved or Closed. This column is what makes a good issue log genuinely useful for lessons learned. |
| Date Closed | Date | When resolution was confirmed and verified. An issue is not closed because the owner says they have fixed it. It is closed when the PM confirms the fix is working and the impact has been removed. |
How do you set issue priority?
Priority tells the team how fast to act and how much attention an issue needs. Agree these meanings with your team at the start, so "High" means the same thing to everyone.
Priority Can Change: Review It Every Meeting
Priority is not fixed. A Medium issue that sits for two weeks can become High. A High issue that blocks a critical path task can become Critical. Check priority at every meeting and change it when the situation changes. Downgrade issues that are getting better too. It shows people the log is alive.
Issue Status: From Open to Closed
The Status drop-down has five options. Each one is a step in the life of an issue. The one people get wrong most is Resolved versus Closed, so read that part carefully.
Resolved vs Closed: an Important Distinction
Resolved means the owner has done the fix and thinks the problem has gone. Closed means you, the PM, have checked that the fix works and the impact has gone. Example: a subcontractor reworks a failed item and marks it Resolved. It stays Resolved, not Closed, until the re-inspection passes.
Never let owners close their own issues. The PM, or someone you name to review quality, moves the status from Resolved to Closed after checking.
How to fill in the issue log: a worked example
Here is how I would fill in the first rows on a building project. This is an example only, based on the kind of problems you see on a UAE fit-out or construction job. Copy the style, not the content.
| ID | Description | Category | Priority | Status | Owner | Resolution |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ISS-001 | Consultant has not approved the revised MEP shop drawings. Level 3 ceiling works cannot start. Each week of delay pushes the ceiling handover. | Technical | High | Escalated | Project Manager | Joint review meeting with the consultant. Comments closed, drawings approved at next revision. |
| ISS-002 | Fire alarm subcontractor is short of technicians on site. Second fix on two floors is behind the 3-week look-ahead. | Resource | Medium | In Progress | MEP Coordinator | (open: subcontractor to confirm extra crew by Thursday) |
| ISS-003 | Civil Defence inspection failed on fire stopping at service shafts. Re-inspection needed before ceilings close. | External | Critical | Resolved | Site Engineer | Fire stopping redone and photographed. Re-inspection booked. PM to confirm pass before Closed. |
Notice ISS-003. The work is done, so it is Resolved. It only becomes Closed when the inspection passes and the PM checks it.
Mistakes I see when people fill this in
- Risks logged as issues. "Steel might arrive late" is a risk. "Steel arrived late and the slab pour moved" is an issue.
- A team name as owner. "Contractor" or "MEP team" is not an owner. Write one person's name.
- Vague descriptions. "Drawing delay" tells nobody anything. Say which drawing, what it blocks and what happens if it stays open.
- Owners closing their own issues. The owner moves it to Resolved. You, as PM, move it to Closed after you check.
- Empty Resolution column. If you do not write what fixed it, you lose the lesson for the next project.
What is the difference between an issue, a risk and an action?
During delivery you will usually run three logs side by side. Keep the line between them clear and each log stays useful.
| Dimension | Issue Log | Risk Register | Action Tracker |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it records | Problems that have occurred and need resolving | Uncertain future events that might affect the project | Tasks committed by someone to someone by a date |
| Tense | Present: happening now | Future: may or may not happen | Future: will be done by a date |
| Trigger to create entry | A problem has occurred and is affecting the project | An uncertainty is identified that could affect the project | A commitment is made in a meeting or decision |
| Closed when | Resolution verified effective by PM | Risk has passed, been mitigated or materialised (becomes issue) | Task completed and output verified |
| Link between registers | A risk that materialises → moves to the issue log. An issue resolution decision → logged in the decision log. An issue or risk → generates action items in the action tracker. | ||
Issue Log: 4 Common Questions
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