Monitoring and Controlling

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These are the processes required to track, review and regulate the progress and performance of a project, identify deviations from the plan, bringing activities back into alignment with the plan when appropriate and update the plan as required. These processes include monitoring and controlling the work, performing integrated change control, scope verification and control, schedule control, cost control, quality control, risk monitoring and control, procurement administration and performance reporting. This process group uses the following PMBOK Knowledge Areas:

  • Project Integration Management
  • Project Quality Management
  • Project Human Resource Management
  • Project Communications Management
  • Project Procurement Management
  • Project Stakeholder Management

4.0 Project Integration Management

The Project Integration Management processes used in this process group are:

4.4 Monitor and Control Project Work

4.5 Perform Integrated Change Control

4.4 Monitor and Control Project Work

Process Definition

Then project manager has the job of monitoring the work being performed by collecting, evaluating and distributing performance information, then recommending improvements to effect control. One of the most common outputs is change control and corrective actions. The PM will also update forecasts and issue logs.

Process Assessment

The project manager must continually monitor and control the project work.  This is, after all, one of his primary jobs.  

 figure 36 inputs, tools & techniques, outputs to monitor and control project work.jpg

Figure 36. Monitor and Control Project Work: Inputs, Tools and Techniques, and Outputs. Reprinted from "A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide), 5th Edition" by Project Management Institute, 2013, p. 86. Copyright 2013 by Project Management Institute, Inc. Reprinted without permission.

 1) Work Performance Information: Performance data collected from a controlling process, analyzed in context and integrated, based on relationships across other areas.  This document analyzes a companies quality and gives an analysis of the data.

 2) Expert Judgement: This is an example of expert judgement, an essay on Southwest's strategies to benefited their company's profits.

 3) Project Document Updates: Adding detail to the project WBS would be an update to the project.  This is an essay that was written to comment on the monitoring and controlling benefits of the WBS to the PM.

Artifacts:

Click here to download Artifact 4.4.1 Quality Metrics.xlsx

Click here to download Artifact 4.4.2 Strategic Management.docx

Click here to download Artifact 4.4.3 Project Management Tools.docx

4.5 Perform Integrated change Control

Process Definition

All changes to a project, whether driven by changing requirements, risk management or external market forces, must be captured in the plan.  Changes in deliverables should be reflected in the scope, schedule adjustments must be captured in the schedule, and cost impacts should be captured in the budget.  The use for formal change processes, including documentation, review and configuration management, are key to the success of any project.

Process Assessment

Integrated change control is the key to avoiding chaos on a project. It is absolutely critical to evaluate the impact of all changes on all aspects of the project prior to permitting them.  Then all changes and activities associated with them must be captured in the scope, schedule and budget, as appropriate.  And finally, the team must keep an eye out for risk every time there is a change in the project plan.  

figure 37 inputs, tools & techniques, outputs to perform integrated change control.jpg

Figure 37. Perform Integrated Change Control: Inputs, Tools and Techniques, and Outputs. Reprinted from "A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide), 5th Edition" by Project Management Institute, 2013, p. 94. Copyright 2013 by Project Management Institute, Inc. Reprinted without permission.

1) Change Requests: A formal proposal to change any document, deliverable, or baseline.

 2) Expert Judgement: This tool assists in quantifying the risk involved in a project activity.  This is an essay which discusses the Integrated Control of Risks in a virtual team project.

3) Approved Change Requests:  A formal proposal document to modify any document, deliverable, or baseline.  This document must be signed by the client and the PM or approved person.

Artifact:

Click here to download Artifact 4.5.1 Change Request Form.docx

 Click here to download Artifact 4.5.2 Integrated Control of Risk.docx

Click here to download Artifact 4.5.3 Change Control Form Approved.docx

5.0 Project Scope Management

Scope verification involves the use of a scope baseline from the project management plan and the requirements documentation to formalize acceptance of deliverables by the customer. The outputs of scope verification include accepted deliverables and change requests for issues that need to be resolved prior to delivery and acceptance. Scope control involves monitoring the status of the project to ensure all deliverables are prepared in accordance with project scope baseline and requirements. The Project Scope Management processes used in this process group are:

5.5 Validate Scope
5.6 Control Scope

 5.5 Validate Scope

Process Definition

Scope validation formalizes the acceptance of the final project deliverables. It ensures that the deliverables have been completed according to the plan and meet all the requirements set forth throughout the project. Unlike quality control, scope validation is primarily concerned with customer acceptance.

Process Assessment

This process should be started earlier in a project than most people consider.  Waiting until the last minute to validate the scope can result in very expensive changes after much of the work is completed, and lead to very large schedule slips. 

figure 38 inputs, tools & techniques, outputs to validate scope.jpg 

Figure 38. Validate Scope: Inputs, Tools and Techniques, and Outputs. Reprinted from "A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide), 5th Edition" by Project Management Institute, 2013, p. 133. Copyright 2013 by Project Management Institute, Inc. Reprinted without permission.

1) Bicycle Project Work Breakdown Structure (WBS): Initial WBS and requirement template for the bicycle project, part of an assignment performed in class.

2) Inspection: Procurement Product Inspection should be considered very early in a project and criteria created in written form.  This is a form listing the acceptance of the product and its quality standards.  This documentation must be signed in order to be accepted.

3) Project Document Updates: Procurement package checklist is a list of requirements that should be inspected to confirm everything is completed, this requires a signature in order to be complete.

Artifact:

Click here to download Artifact 5.5.1 Requirements Documentation.docx

Click here to download Artifact 5.5.2 Inspection of a Procurement Product.docx

 Click here to download Artifact 5.5.3 Procurement Package Checklist.docx

5.6 Control Scope

Process Definition

Controlling scope ensues that changes to the scope baseline are properly captured in the project plan or that changes and corrective actions are taken to bring scope activities into compliance with the plan. Variance analysis is a key tool for this process, and integrated change requests one of the primary outputs.

Process Assessment

Controlling scope is important from two perspectives.  It's important to keep the sponsor/customer from changing scope objectives after the project has been initiated and planned.  It's also important to keep the design team from "over designing" the products.  This is know as "shooting the engineer."  Sometimes you just have to pull the trigger. 

figure 39 inputs, tools & techniques, outputs to control scope.jpg

Figure 39. Control Scope: Inputs, Tools and Techniques, and Outputs. Reprinted from "A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide), 5th Edition" by Project Management Institute, 2013, p. 136. Copyright 2013 by Project Management Institute, Inc. Reprinted without permission.

1) Project Management Plan: The Human Resource Plan is a part of the project management plan that describes how the roles and responsibilities, reporting relationships, and staff management will be addressed and structured.

2) Expert Judgement: Value Analysis essay written describing the benefits of using cost analysis tools.

3) Project Documentation: A stakeholder register can be an updated document if a person is added to the stakeholder list or even dropped as the project processes are wrapped-up.

Artifact:

Click here to download Artifact 5.6.1 Human Resource Plan.docx

Click here to download Artifact 5.6.2 Value Analysis Reporting.docx 

Click here to download Artifact 5.6.3 Stakeholder Register.docx 

6.0 Project Time Management

6.7 Control Schedule

Process Definition

Schedule control involves monitoring the progress of schedule execution to ensure the baseline plan is being adhered to. The project manager must determine the current status of scheduled activities, manage resources and stakeholders to bring variances into conformance, when possible, and implementing integrated project changes when necessary.

Process Assessment

Poor schedule control is one of the most commons facing project managers.  The schedule should be reviewed at least weekly, if not daily, for variance identification.  Once a schedule begin to slip, it is very difficult to recover lost time.  It is helpful to have a Monte Carlo assessment done and use the resulting tornado diagram to identify the high risk activities as early as possible.  Appropriate attention and resources can then be applied to those high risk activities as early as possible in order to avoid schedule problems down the road.   

figure 40  inputs, tools & techniques, outputs to control schedule.jpg

Figure 40. Control Schedule: Inputs, Tools and Techniques, and Outputs. Reprinted from "A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide), 5th Edition" by Project Management Institute, 2013, p. 185. Copyright 2013 by Project Management Institute, Inc. Reprinted without permission.

1) Project Management Plan: A communication Matrix is useful in reminding a project manager that there are exchanges of information to various stakeholders and clients.  Keeping up to date with communication will help prevent project slip.

2) Resource Optimization Technique: This is an essay explaining "Crashing Technique", it is a method of shortening a projects time.

3) Project performance: This document contains some charts from a Dashboard Project was created. This particular project is approximately 48% complete and the charts show their current productivity.

Artifact:

 Click here to download Artifact 6.7.1 Communication Plan Matrix.docx

 Click here to download Artifact 6.7.2 Crashing Technique.docx

 Click here to download Artifact 6.7.3 Project Performance.docx

7.0 Project Cost Management

7.4 Control Costs

Process Definition

Cost control involves monitoring the progress of project execution to ensure the baseline plan is being adhered to. The project manager must update the budget to reflect project progress and any deviations from plan. All budget increases must be approved through a formal change control process. Two key PM activities include enforcing budgetary discipline on the project team and maintaining updated budget forecasts.

Process Assessment

Earned value management is a powerful tool in controlling costs.  And it must be initiated and adhered to early in the project, which is when most projects that are going to go off the rails begin to do so.

figure 41 inputs, tools & techniques, outputs to control costs.jpg

Figure 41. Control Costs: Inputs, Tools and Techniques, and Outputs. Reprinted from "A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide), 5th Edition" by Project Management Institute, 2013, p. 215. Copyright 2013 by Project Management Institute, Inc. Reprinted without permission.

1) Project Management Plan: A WBS Dictionary is part of the Scope Management Plan, which provides detailed deliverable, activity, and scheduling information about each component in the work breakdown structure. 

2) Project Management Software Reviews: This is a review on a project management software program for an assignment.  There are many different kinds of software that can be used, each company will likely experiment with different programs to find one that will better suit their needs.

3) Project documents Update: Things change during a project, sometimes scope has some additions, when this happens updates should occur.  One type of update is cost forecasts, which could change the budget, this is a Budget Update for the project.

Artifact:

Click here to download Artifact 7.4.1 WBS Dictionary.docx 

Click here to download Artifact 7.4.2 Project Software Review.docx

Click here to download Actifact 7.4.3 Budget Change.docx

8.0 Project Quality Management

8.3 Control Quality

Process Definition

Quality control is the process of monitoring project deliverables to ensure they are created in accordance with project requirements and recommending necessary changes when items are found to be unacceptable. Key inputs include the quality management plan and work performance measurements. Primary outputs include validated deliverables and change requests.

Process Assessment

The project managers job is to make sure the quality control team does its job.  Engaging the quality team as early as possible, including in the design phase, allows them to maximize their effectiveness. 

figure 42 inputs, tools & techniques, outputs to control quality.jpg

Figure 42. Control Quality: Inputs, Tools and Techniques, and Outputs. Reprinted from "A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide), 5th Edition" by Project Management Institute, 2013, p. 249. Copyright 2013 by Project Management Institute, Inc. Reprinted without permission.

1) Project Documents: This an assignment that was completed on Quality Analysis of an airline with a virtual team.

2) Seven Quality Tools: A standard toolkit used by quality management professionals who are responsible for planning, monitoring, and controlling the issues related to quality in an organization.

3) Verified Deliveries: This is a Letter of Transmittal to deliver the Quality Analysis that was completed by a virtual team in class.

Artifact:

 Click here to download Artifact 8.3.1 Quality Analysis of Qantas Airlines.docx

 Click here to download Artifact 8.3.2 Seven Quality Control Tools.docx

 Click here to download Artifact 8.3.3 Letter of Transmittal.docx

10.0 Project Communications Management

10.3 Control Communications

Process Definition

Controlling communications reporting ensures that all stakeholders receive the correct information at the right time. This includes status reports, progress measurements and forecasts. A project performance report should include a forecast project completion estimate.

Process Assessment

Controlling the communications is critically important for a project manager.  Having the wrong people talk to each other, or having inaccurate messages transmitted by any team member can be a real problem.  It's not that there is anything to hide, it's just that different messages have different meanings to different people, and it's the PM's job to understand and control those messages and meanings. 

figure 43 inputs, tools & techniques, outputs to control communications.jpg

Figure 43. Control Communications: Inputs, Tools and Techniques, and Outputs. Reprinted from "A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide), 5th Edition" by Project Management Institute, 2013, p. 303. Copyright 2013 by Project Management Institute, Inc. Reprinted without permission.

1) Project Communications: Communications Management Plan is part of the project management plan and it is an important section all its own.  It is extremely important that communication be a large part of the project management, in order for the project to be a success.

2)  Expert Judgement: Knowledge with multiple technologies is always helpful, this is a short Power Point presentation showcasing some learned skills.

3) Work Performance information: This is an essay that was written about creating an information dashboard.  Project dashboards will be created to suit the viewer, each type will have various schedule information.

Artifact:

Click here to download Artifact 10.3.1 Communication Plan.docx

 Click here to download Artifact 10.3.2 Presentation_Group4_1minute.pptx

 Click here to download Artifact 10.3.3 Project Reporting Dashboard.docx

11.0 Project Risk Management

11.6 Control Risks

Process Definition

Risk monitor and control involves implementing risk response plans and updating risk evaluations to make sure the responses are effective. New risks can also be identified during this process, with new response plans developed and implemented.

Process Assessment

Controlling risk is often overlooked by project teams.  A great deal of time can be spent up front identifying and planning for risk, but then everything is shelved and people focus on the problem. Keeping an eye on risk helps minimize those problems.  

figure 44 inputs, tools & techniques, outputs to control risks.jpg

Figure 44. Control Risks: Inputs, Tools and Techniques, and Outputs. Reprinted from "A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide), 5th Edition" by Project Management Institute, 2013, p. 349. Copyright 2013 by Project Management Institute, Inc. Reprinted without permission.

1) Project Management Plan:  This complete Risk Management Plan is a component of the project management plan.

2) Risk Assessment: This is part of a Risk Management Plan which documented Risk Assessment and gave warning signs, probability, and risk urgency ratings.

3) Work Performance Information:  This is a schedule from a dashboard assignment, the dashboard is updated often, but this depicts the up-to-date information on the schedule of the project at that time.

Artifact:

Click here to download Artifact 11.6.1 Risk Management Plan.docx

 Click here to download Artifact 11.6.2 Risk Assessment.docx

Click here to download Artifact 11.6.3 Dashboard Project Schedule Example.docx 

12.0 Project Procurement Management

12.3 Control Procurement

Process Definition

The control phase of procurement management involves administering procurement to manage procurement relationships, monitor contract performance, make changes and corrections as needed and, above all, make sure all contractual obligations are met.

Process Assessment

Procurement can become forgotten items in long term projects.  Teams tend to treat them as "fire and forget" items.  Then when things go wrong it's always a last-minute discovery and causes major problems on a project.  Always monitor and control your procurement.

figure 45 inputs, tools & techniques, outputs to control procurements.jpg

Figure 45. Control Procurement: Inputs, Tools and Techniques, and Outputs. Reprinted from "A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide), 5th Edition" by Project Management Institute, 2013, p. 379. Copyright 2013 by Project Management Institute, Inc. Reprinted without permission.

1) Project Management Plan: This is a Procurement Management Plan that was completed as a virtual team for an assignment.

2) Contract Change Control System: This is a Change Control Plan from a project that was performed in a virtual team project.

3) Project Document Updates: Change Log for Procurement that was accomplished during a virtual team project.

Artifact:

 Click here to download Artifact 12.3.1 Procurement Management Plan.docx

 Click here to download Artfact 12.3.2 Change Control Plan.docx

 Click here to download Artifact 12.3.3 Change Procurement Log.docx

13.0 Project Stakeholder Management

13.4 Control Stakeholder Engagement

Process Definition

Controlling stakeholder engagement involves monitoring stakeholder relationships and adjusting the plan through integrated change control, when necessary, to meet the needs and expectations of all the stakeholders.  Success in this phase ensures efficient engagement from stakeholders and successful resolution of problems.

Process Assessment

Once the project plan is in place, managing stakeholders is one of the biggest jobs of the project manager.  Making sure the customer/sponsor is happy with progress, and making sure the executing team has the resources necessary to execute consumes most of the time of the project manger. 

figure 45 inputs, tools & techniques, outputs to control procurements.jpg

Figure 46. Control Stakeholder Engagement: Inputs, Tools and Techniques, and Outputs. Reprinted from "A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide), 5th Edition" by Project Management Institute, 2013, p. 410. Copyright 2013 by Project Management Institute, Inc. Reprinted without permission.

1) Work Performance reports: This is a schedule update chart, which can be shared with the appropriate stakeholders.

2) Inspection and Audits: This is an inspection form that verifies that the procurement item(s) measure the specified criteria for the item(s).

3) Project Documents Updates: Sponsor Acceptance Documentation is a document which the sponsor has seen the finished project and approved the project being complete. 

Artifact:

 Click here to download Artifact 13.4.1 Project Schedule Update.docx

Click here to download Artifact 13.4.2 Inspection of a Procurement Product.docx

Click here to download Artifact 13.4.3 Sponsor Acceptance Documentation.docx

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