Project Monitoring and Control
Introduction
Once the project plan has been approved, the plan is executed. The team needs to be aware of what needs to be done and achievements for each team member agreed. The progress of the project needs to be monitored and any aspects not going as required addressed. This is the purpose of monitoring and control. Measurements are usually effected against the plan
Introduction
Monitoring and Control are opposite sides of selection and planning
bases for selection dictate what to monitor plans identify elements to control
Monitoring is collection, recording,
and reporting of information Control uses monitored information to align actual performance with the plan
Plan-Monitor-Control Cycle
Closed loop process Planning-monitoring-controlling effort often minimized to spend time on the real work
Project Authorization and Expenditure Control System Information Flow
Designing the Monitoring System
Identify special characteristics of performance, cost, and time that need to be controlled
performance characteristics should be set for each level of detail in the project
Real-time data should be collected and compared against plans
mechanisms to collect this data must be designed
Avoid tendency to focus on easily collected data
DATA COLLECTION AND REPORTING
Formats of Data
Frequency Counts Raw Numbers Subjective Numeric Ratings Indicators and Surrogates Verbal Characterizations
Data Analysis
Aggregation Techniques Fitting Statistical Distributions Curve Fitting Quality Management Techniques
E.g.Number of Bugs per Unit of Test Time
Ratio of Actual Material Cost to Estimated Material Cost
Reporting
Reports
Project Status Reports Time/Cost Reports Variance Reports
Not all stakeholders need to receive same information Impact of Electronic Media Relationship between projects information system and overall organizations information system
Report Types
Routine Exception Special Analysis
Meetings
Meetings should be help primarily for group decision making
avoid weekly progress report meetings
Virtual Reports, Meetings, and Project Management
Use of the Internet Use of Software Programs Virtual Project Teams
Earned Value
task budgeted cost task % completion
all tasks
Percent of tasks budget actually spent not good indicator of percent completion
Conventions Used to Estimate Progress on Tasks
50-50
50% complete when task started and other 50% added when task finished 100% complete when finished and zero percent before that
100%
Ratio of Cost Expended to Cost Budgeted
PROJECT CONTROL
Background
Acts which seek to reduce differences between plan and actuality Difficult Task
human behavior involved problems rarely clear cut
Purposes of Control
Stewardship of Organizational Assets
physical asset control human resources financial control
Regulation of Results Through the Alteration of Activities
DESIGNING THE CONTROL SYSTEM
Background
Purpose is to correct errors, not punish the guilty Investments in control subject to diminishing returns Must consider impact on creativity and innovation Be careful not emphasize short-run results at the expense of long-run objectives Dangers of across the board cuts
Primary Mechanisms by Which PM Exerts Control
Process Reviews Personnel Assignments Resource Allocations
Components of a Control System
Sensor Standard Comparator Decision Maker Effector
Types of Control Systems
Go/No-Go Controls
predetermined standard must be met for permission to be granted to continue done after project completed purpose is to allow future projects to learn from past project experience
Post-Control
Sample Project Milestone Status Report
Tools for Control
Variance Analysis Trend Projections Earned Value Analysis Critical Ratio
actual progress budgeted cost scheduled progress actual cost
Trend Projection
Critical Ratios with Control Limits
Cost Control Chart
SCOPE CREEP AND CHANGE CONTROL
Scope Creep
Coping with changes frequently cited by PMs as the single most important problem Common Reasons for Change Requests
Client Availability of new technologies and materials
Purpose of Change Control System
Review all requested changes Identify impact of change Evaluate advantages and disadvantages of requested change Install process so that individual with authority may accept or reject changes
Purpose of Change Control System continued
Communicate change to concerned parties Ensure changes implemented properly Prepare reports that summarize changes made to date and their impact
Rules for Controlling Scope Creep
Include in contract change control system Require all changes be introduced by a change order Require approval in writing by the clients agent and senior management Consult with PM prior to preparation of change order Amend master plan to reflect changes
