PROJECT MONITORING AND CONTROL

To tackle the menace of the tenacious armyworm pest, so as to avoid economic hardship for
farmers in the Northern Ghana needs a quick and coordinated action, as well as an effective
awareness campaign, scientific innovation and multi-institutional collaboration. Under the
project monitoring and control, issues to discuss are concern with the requirement management
to develop the appropriate policy and measures for a more practical and sustainable approach to
handle the army work infestation epidemic

Requirement management
Partner and collaborate with Food and Agriculture Organization
A frightening risk of the armyworm to food security among the maize farmers in the Northern
Region is for the Ministry of Agriculture to recognize and tackled the menace with a holistic
integrated pest management program. For instance, a report from the Global Maize Program at
the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT, 2017) have revealed that,
the armyworm pest cannot be eliminated from Africa, but there should be a support to farmers
and make provision for options to manage the crops against the armyworm.

However, in the case of the Ministry of Agriculture, there is the need to create an enabling
national plant protection group that will work with the farmers to control the level of damage to
their farms. In the long term, the ministry needs to have a collaborative effort between the
international and national agencies to make provision for a long term solution. For instance, the
Ministry of Agriculture can partner with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to
coordinate in controlling and managing the armyworm. With this approach, there is a mutual
capacity to take on the responsibility of fighting against the pest.

Moreover, the Ministry of Agriculture can prioritize the development of resilience to farmers so
as to prepare for, manage and recover from the pest, and this need to include pests and disease
control. With the implementation of this approach, the Ministry will be able to strengthen the
controls on food safety among the farmers in the Northern Region and boost productivity and
trade among farmers.
Integrated pest management
Another requirement management towards the control of the armyworm is for the Ministry of
Agriculture to make provision for emergency pesticides to all farmers. With this approach, it aim
to deliver only a mixed success as a result of the capacity of the armyworm developing resistance
to chemicals and the fact that several of the farmers utilize these pesticides inappropriately.

In addition, the adoption of an effective integrated pest management (IPM) strategy that will be
able to survey and monitor the movement of these pests, assess the level of yield loss and to
compile data with the use of remote sensing equipment of these farms. With these accumulated
data, it will be able to contribute to the establishment of a uniform cross-regions government
standard to identify and fight the pest. Therefore, by developing and deploying a fast-track
approach to improve drought-tolerance, disease-resistant hybrids that are resistant to the
armyworm, there will be an effective control of the pest.

Build resilience
There is the need for the Ministry of Agriculture to build resilience, increase agricultural
productivity and regional coordination on agriculture. Therefore, with the development of
resilience within this system, it will come with an early warning, which will be able to reduce the
effect of the shocks and control the pest in the region.

Project scope and schedule management

Scope statement
The project manager, project sponsor and stakeholders will create and approves al documents
relating to the control of the armyworm in the Northern Ghana. To enhance the scope
management, the work breakdown structure will serve as the main integral part of the project.

Scope control
The scope control of the project will focus on monitoring all the element of the project scope.
Therefore, as the project continue to allocating measures to control the armyworms, any other
change made to impact on the approval of the project scope baseline need to be attested by the
project manager and project sponsors.
Scope management
The outbreak of the pest put several farmers on the verge to control the armyworm. In this sense,
an immediate recommendation towards the management of the pest should be a priority for the
Ministry of Agriculture and other stakeholders including farmers. Possible approaches to adhere
to include the following;
 The Ministry of Agriculture needs to encourage farmers to visit their maize farms often
and determine the status of the crop—it should focus on the health and signs of presence
of the armyworm—egg masses and young larvae. To achieve this, there is the need for
farmers to recognize the different stage of the armyworm and take direct action by
crushing their egg masses and young larvae
 There is the need for farmers to have in-depth knowledge about the ovipositor—what
often attracts the female moths to lay their eggs on a particular plant and what makes
them to move on without eggs on maize plant.
 Local remedies can be applied and these include the application of ashes, sand or soil
directly into the infested whorls.

Schedule management
With the recent awareness of the armyworm within Sub Sahara Africa, the project will be
structured into two main timeline—short and long term. The short term will take 6 months to
pilot the measures and actions adapted; whilst that of the long term will take 12 months. The
short term will make use of the measures adapted and the long term will make use of alternative
measures and action plan. This is to weigh how these measures are able to control the pest
effectively.

Project budget and cost management

Project cost management defines how the cost of the project will be administered or disbursed.
This is very significant so as to ensure that, the project is executed within the allocated budget.
For the purpose of this project, the allocated budget is estimated at GHC 1,749,909. This cost is
expected to cover the 18 months’ timeline.
Scope
The budget for the project will cover the project team resource, additional staff to be recruited,
capital equipment, communication with the various platforms, as well as other miscellaneous
expenses.

Budget delivery
Activities/ deliverables Cost Percent
Fertilizers 202,763 11.59%
Extension officers 140,893 8.05%
Labours 110,098 6.29%
Machinery 390,900 22.24%
Pesticides 140,590 8.03%
Workshop 300,893 17.19%
Communication 190,909 10.91%
Tools 105,900 6.05%
Expenses (travel, feeding etc) 120,500 6.89%
Miscellaneous 46,463 2.66%
Total 1,749,909 100.0%
 Expenses (travel,
Miscellaneous , 2.66%
feeding etc), 6.89%
Tools , 6.05% Extension officers ,
Fertilizers , 11.59%
8.05%

Communication ,
10.91% Labours , 6.29%

Workshop , 17.19%
Machinery , 22.24%

Pesticides , 8.03%

Tracking of costs
Documents that are related to the actual expenditure of the project will be filed and copy will be
given to the project manager to make a comparison with the cost of the baseline on weekly or
monthly basis.

Measures for cost control

When the project exceeds the set threshold, there would be a thorough analysis with respect to
the general description of the control measures, the personnel involved the timeline to implement
and issues or concern with regards to implementation.

Project quality management

This is another knowledge area in project management framework to aim to ensure that, the
project meet the satisfaction of the requirement for which it was set for. Therefore, a project to
bring the army worm infestation in parts of Northern Ghana under control requires the approval
of agencies to adapt and implement the measures.
Quality standard
All pesticides that will be used for the control of the armyworm infestation will be tested by the
quarantine unit of the Ministry of Agriculture. Also, all pesticide imported for the control will be
inspected by the Ghana Standard Authority and the Food and Drugs Board.

Quality control
Quality control involves the process of inspecting, measuring and testing results of deliverables
of a project. In the case of this project, quality control will be achieved through the use of a
competitive tendering where suppliers of pesticides will be selected based on the best price.
Also, consultants will be selected based on their wide experience and competitive pricing.

Project communication plan

A mass farmer’s information and training campaign will be introduce to offer a first management
response to the armyworm. The campaign aim to promote measures, that have been used and
reported to be effective to reduce the armyworm infestation. However, the scale of disseminating
the management option to a wider number of farmers requires the need to work through existing
structures and to leverage the opportunities that exist to reach the large number of farmers.
Therefore, the communication plan will include the local government, the national agriculture
extension service, and the farmers.

Local government
Most of the local government entities have a regular contact with farmers. Therefore, mobilizing
through the use of locally elected officials and administrators may be cost effective and effective
approach to disseminate simple message within the immediate term. Also, the authorities in these
villages and communities will help to mobilize communities to create a community management
plan for the armyworm infestation.

National extension service and farmers organization

There will be adequate communication with the national extension service so as to provide the
capacity development in equipping them to provide the required technical supports to farmers so
as to manage the armyworm infestation sustainable.
Mass communication campaign
There are several communication mechanisms that can be used to create awareness among
farmers. With the use of mass media, ICT, communication materials in local language including
visual objects like posters, programs and leaflets can be an effective tool to communicate to
farmers on the armyworm infestation and possible measures to adapt so as to control the pest.

Project performance management

Measures taken to manage the performance of the project is to record the outcomes of the
measures taken. The project manager will require all project teams to make a week report on
their respective roles to the project. This is to update the project sponsors on the progress and
achievement of the project.

Project risk management and change management

Risk categorization
The potential risks to the project are illustrated as follows;
 Risk qualitative analysis
Risks Occurrence (scale of 1-10) Impact (scale of 1-10) Action to take
Estimating errors 7 3 Avoid
Unrest of employees 4 5 Avoid
Health and safety 5 3 Transfer
Unfavourable weather 5 4 Avoid
condition
Unreliable suppliers 3 3 Transfer
Unavailability of resources 3 5 Transfer
Irregular supply of service 5 3 Avoid
(water and electricity)
Issues with funding 6 5 Avoid
Lack of commitment from 2 7 Mitigate
project sponsors

Change management
Illustrates below is the process to be followed for any change made in the project. Logging may
be occurring at all the various points;

Submit change
request
Evaluate Decide
Log Integrate
change/ whether to
change change in Communic
recommend implement
the ate
Recognize change in action change
project change to
realized risk or issue document project
team

PROJECT CLOSURE
The under listed individuals have agreed to the terms and conditions with regards to the control
and monitoring of the armyworm infestation;
Names Role Sign Date

1st Name ---------------------- ------------------ -----------------

2nd Name ---------------------- ------------------ -----------------

3rd Name ---------------------- ------------------ -----------------

4th Name ---------------------- ------------------ -----------------

5th Name ---------------------- ------------------ -----------------

Reference

International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT, 2017). Parasitoids attacking fall
armyworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in sweet corn habitats. Biological Control 95: 66-72.