Title: Monitoring and Controlling Projects
Course: MAN 2582 Intro to Project Management > Section: Module 6

Introduction

"Don't expect what you don't inspect."
- Transforming Leadership, Wayne Hedlund

The formal definition of the monitoring and controlling phase of the project is, "… those processes required to track, review, and regulate the process and performance of the project; identify any areas in which changes to the plan are required; and initiate the corresponding changes.

In short, the monitoring and controlling process is ensuring that the plan is followed. Where that is not feasible, it is identifying where, when, and how the project execution can be changed.

It consists of monitoring the project scope, the schedule, the costs, the quality standards, the human resources, the communications plan, risk management, procurements, and stakeholder management. This phase is not punitive in the sense that people are punished for doing the wrong thing. Don't forget that projects are always written in pencil so they can be changed if necessary. It's important that during the monitoring and controlling process, the project manager is aware that some of the initial planning may be flawed. In that case, the execution plan needs to be changed to fit the realities inhibiting the project.

So, this phase is not just rigidly controlling the different aspects of the execution phase, it's actually looking for adjustments that can make the project more successful.

Objectives

Upon completion of this module, the student will be able to:

- List several processes and outputs of project monitoring and controlling, and describe outputs common to all knowledge areas
- Discuss monitoring and controlling project work and performing integration change control as part of project integration management and how to use earned value management
- Explain the importance of validating and controlling scope
- Describe the schedule control process and schedule performance measurement tools, such as tracking Gantt charts
- Discuss tools and techniques to assist in cost control
- List the Seven Basic Tools of Quality and provide examples of how they assist in performing quality control
- Summarize methods for controlling communications
- Discuss different approaches to controlling stakeholder engagement
- Describe the process of controlling risks
- Explain how to control procurements

Readings & Resources

An Introduction to Project Management, 4th Edition

- Chapter 7