1

Monitoring and

Monitoring and

Controlling the Project

Controlling the Project

Key Concepts

Key Concepts

Plan-Monitor-Control Cycle

Plan-Monitor-Control Cycle

Data Collection and Reporting

Data Collection and Reporting

Earned Value

Earned Value

2

Plan-Monitor-Control Cycle

Plan-Monitor-Control Cycle



Closed loop process

Closed loop process



Planning-monitoring-controlling effort

Planning-monitoring-controlling effort

often minimized to spend time on

often minimized to spend time on

“the real work”

“the real work”

3

Designing the Monitoring

Designing the Monitoring

System

System



Identify special characteristics of

Identify special characteristics of

performance, cost, and time that

performance, cost, and time that

need to be controlled

need to be controlled



Real-time data should be collected

Real-time data should be collected

and compared against plans

and compared against plans



Avoid tendency to focus on easily

Avoid tendency to focus on easily

collected data

collected data

4

Formats of Data

Formats of Data



Frequency Counts

Frequency Counts



Raw Numbers

Raw Numbers



Subjective Numeric Ratings

Subjective Numeric Ratings



Indicators and Surrogates

Indicators and Surrogates



Verbal Characterisations

Verbal Characterisations

5

Data Analysis

Data Analysis



Aggregation Techniques

Aggregation Techniques



Fitting Statistical Distributions

Fitting Statistical Distributions



Curve Fitting

Curve Fitting



Quality Management Techniques

Quality Management Techniques

6

Report Types

Report Types



Routine

Routine



Exception

Exception



Special Analysis

Special Analysis

7

Reporting

Reporting



Not all stakeholders need to receive

Not all stakeholders need to receive

same information

same information



Avoid periodic reports

Avoid periodic reports



Impact of Electronic Media

Impact of Electronic Media



Relationship between project’s

Relationship between project’s

information system and overall

information system and overall

organisation’s information system

organisation’s information system

8

Meeting Guidelines

Meeting Guidelines



Should be help primarily for group

Should be help primarily for group

decision making

decision making



Distribute written agenda in advance of

Distribute written agenda in advance of

meeting

meeting



Ensure everyone is properly prepared for

Ensure everyone is properly prepared for

meeting

meeting



Chair of meeting should take minutes

Chair of meeting should take minutes



Avoid excessive formality

Avoid excessive formality



If held to address specific crisis, restrict

If held to address specific crisis, restrict

meeting to this issue alone

meeting to this issue alone

9

Earned Value

Earned Value



Percent of task’s budget actually

Percent of task’s budget actually

spent not good indicator of percent

spent not good indicator of percent

completion

completion

10

Earned Value

Earned Value

ACWP = Actual Cost Work Performed

ACWP = Actual Cost Work Performed

BCWP = Budgeted Cost Work Performed

BCWP = Budgeted Cost Work Performed

BCWS = Budgeted Cost Work Scheduled

BCWS = Budgeted Cost Work Scheduled

SV = Schedule Variance

SV = Schedule Variance

CV = Cost Variance

CV = Cost Variance

AC = Actual Cost

AC = Actual Cost

TE = Planned Time

TE = Planned Time

TA = Actual Time

TA = Actual Time

CPI = Cost Performance Index

CPI = Cost Performance Index

SPI = Scheduled Performance Index

SPI = Scheduled Performance Index

TPI = Time Performance Index

TPI = Time Performance Index

CSI = Cost-Schedule Index

CSI = Cost-Schedule Index

ETC = Estimated Cost to Complete

ETC = Estimated Cost to Complete

BAC = Budget at Completion

BAC = Budget at Completion

EAC = Estimated Cost to Complete

EAC = Estimated Cost to Complete

FAC = Computed Cost to Complete

FAC = Computed Cost to Complete

VAC = Variance at Completion

VAC = Variance at Completion

LOE = Level of Effort

LOE = Level of Effort

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Earned Value

Earned Value

CV = BCWP - ACWP

CV = BCWP - ACWP

SV = BCWP – BCWS

SV = BCWP – BCWS

CPI = BCWP/ACWP

CPI = BCWP/ACWP

SPI = BCWP/BCWS

SPI = BCWP/BCWS

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Earned Value

Earned Value

13

Earned Value

Earned Value

14

PROJECT CONTROL

PROJECT CONTROL

Background

Background



Acts which seek to reduce differences

Acts which seek to reduce differences

between plan and actuality

between plan and actuality



Difficult Task

Difficult Task



human behavior involved

human behavior involved



problems rarely clear cut

problems rarely clear cut

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Purpose of Control

Purpose of Control



Stewardship of Organisational Assets

Stewardship of Organisational Assets



physical asset control

physical asset control



human resources

human resources



financial control

financial control



Regulation of Results Through the

Regulation of Results Through the

Alteration of Activities

Alteration of Activities

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DESIGNING THE

DESIGNING THE

CONTROL SYSTEM

CONTROL SYSTEM



Purpose is to correct errors, not punish the

Purpose is to correct errors, not punish the

guilty

guilty



Investments in control subject to

Investments in control subject to

diminishing returns

diminishing returns



Must consider impact on creativity and

Must consider impact on creativity and

innovation

innovation



Be careful not emphasise short-run results

Be careful not emphasise short-run results

at the expense of long-run objectives

at the expense of long-run objectives



Dangers of across the board cuts

Dangers of across the board cuts

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Primary Mechanisms by Which

Primary Mechanisms by Which

PM Exerts Control

PM Exerts Control



Process Reviews

Process Reviews



Personnel Assignments

Personnel Assignments



Resource Allocations

Resource Allocations

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Components of a Control

Components of a Control

System

System



Sensor

Sensor



Standard

Standard



Comparator

Comparator



Decision Maker

Decision Maker



Effector

Effector

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Types of Control Systems

Types of Control Systems



Go/No-Go Controls

Go/No-Go Controls



predetermined standard must be met for

predetermined standard must be met for

permission to be granted to continue

permission to be granted to continue



Post-Control

Post-Control



done after project completed

done after project completed



purpose is to allow future projects to

purpose is to allow future projects to

learn from past project experience

learn from past project experience

20

SCOPE CREEP AND CHANGE

SCOPE CREEP AND CHANGE

CONTROL

CONTROL



Coping with changes frequently cited

Coping with changes frequently cited

by PMs as the single most important

by PMs as the single most important

problem

problem



Common Reasons for Change Requests

Common Reasons for Change Requests



Client

Client



Availability of new technologies and

Availability of new technologies and

materials

materials

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Purpose of Change Control

Purpose of Change Control

System

System



Review all requested changes

Review all requested changes



Identify impact of change

Identify impact of change



Evaluate advantages and disadvantages of

Evaluate advantages and disadvantages of

requested change

requested change



Install process so that individual with

Install process so that individual with

authority may accept or reject changes

authority may accept or reject changes



Communicate change to concerned parties

Communicate change to concerned parties



Ensure changes implemented properly

Ensure changes implemented properly



Prepare reports that summarize changes

Prepare reports that summarize changes

made to date and their impact

made to date and their impact

22

Rules for Controlling

Rules for Controlling

Scope Creep

Scope Creep



Include in contract change control system

Include in contract change control system



Require all changes be introduced by a

Require all changes be introduced by a

change order

change order



Require approval in writing by the client’s

Require approval in writing by the client’s

agent and senior management

agent and senior management



Consult with PM prior to preparation of

Consult with PM prior to preparation of

change order

change order



Amend master plan to reflect changes

Amend master plan to reflect changes