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Project Management
Lecture No.
Project Control
Kwasi Dartey-Baah
Overview
◼ A control plan
◼ The control process
◼ Stakeholder influence control
◼ Key project management processes
◼ Programme management
◼ Project Communication
◼ Discussions
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Control Plan
◼ Developing a control plan
❑ A control plan refers to the techniques used by project
managers to manage and control projects to satisfy
stakeholders.
❑ Some projects need little monitoring while others must be
measured every step on the way.
❑ Note: Before the start of the project the project manager
must decide on the level of monitoring and control from
project initiation but especially at the planning phase.
Control Plan
◼ Project control should be established when in the
monitoring process any of the following changes are
noted:
❑ Project and task duration: Changes in future tasks that will
impact on the entire project.
❑ Resource allocation: When resources: people, capital and
raw materials allocated to the task has changed.
❑ Task Sequence: Changes to the order in which tasks are
completed.
❑ Objectives: Changes to the scope or objectives of the
entire project
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Control Plan
Size factors: duration, budget
team size
Complexity factors: technical
challenges, diversity of
◼ Size stakeholders
High
Control
Zone
Low
Control
Zone
Complexity
The Control Process
◼ Steps in the project control process:
(i) Define what will be measured and /or tested and how
often
❑ Examples can be Business requirements, costs,
technical specification, deadlines along with who is
responsible for it.
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The Control Process
(ii) Monitor progress and evaluate deviation from the
plan.
❑ In monitoring note the following;
(a) Actual project data (time budget, and resources
used along with completed tasks).
(b) Unanticipated changes (budget, schedule, scope).
The Control Process
(iii) Report progress.
❑ Keep reports succinct and timely. Don’t delay reports.
◼ Some delay until perhaps problems are fixed. Don’t!
(iv) Take action where necessary.
❑ Update the project plan and notify stakeholders.
❑ Note: If changes are big stakeholder approval will be
required.
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Stakeholder Influence
◼ Stakeholder Influence on Project Control
❑ The factors project managers monitor and report on to
stakeholders sometimes depend on who the stakeholders
are.
❑ Remember stakeholders have interests and a large
number of what you report on to them should be geared
towards impact of activities on their interests.
❑ In short stakeholders interests can influence what you
report on.
Stakeholder Influence
◼ Stakeholders also influence the following:
(i) Reporting period
❑ Frequency
(ii) Production of status report
❑ Draft / final reports required
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Stakeholder Influence
(iii) The need for information at the executive level.
(iv) New information about activities: (Project team getting a
better picture as project progresses. This can lead to
improvements or changes to agreed arrangements to
some deadlines and costs.
❑ Note:
❑ Frequent reporting sometimes can lead to the
identification of warning signs.
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Stakeholder Influence
(v) Resource mix
❑ Changes to quality and quantity of resources.
(vi) Major events
❑ Positive or negative. These are often known in
advance and the project manager should not
miss it. (marathons, rallies, political events,
elections) and impact on work to be considered.
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Dangers in Control
◼ In managing projects, there are always dangers
and pitfalls that must be avoided to ensure project
success.
❑ Project managers may implement good project control
strategies as discussed but it’s still essential that the
project manager bear these guidelines in mind as means
of fine-tuning the project control strategies.
(i) Take completion criteria seriously: Every work package
has completion criteria and the project manager must
keep strictly to that. Don’t register work to be completed
until what was said will be done has been done.
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Dangers in Control
(ii) Schedule performance measures accomplishments; not
effort.
❑ Using 50% of the budget doesn’t mean 50% completion
of the work.
(iii) The danger of management by exception
❑ Focusing on meeting critical deadlines / milestones while
ignoring non-critical tasks
(iv) Accounting lag time, reduce cost variance accuracy
❑ Manage costs up to date / outstanding
(v) Watch when sharing Human Resources
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Project Management Processes
◼ The Key management processes are as follows:
(a) Project Authorisation
(b) Definition
(c) Planning & Control – Time, Cost, Resources
(d) Risk Management
(e) Change Control
(f) Management Assurance – Quality
(g) Reporting
(h) Stakeholder Management
(i) Administration
(j) Handover and Completion
(k) Post project: Appraisal & Corporate Learning
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Reading List
◼ Hamilton, A (1997) Management by Projects, Thomas Telford, London.
◼ Winch, GW (2002) Managing Construction Projects, Blackwell Science
Ltd., Oxford.
◼ Young, T.L., (2006), Successful Project Management. Kogan Page,
London.
◼ Carroll, J., (2009), Project Management for effective business change.
In Easy Steps, London.
◼ Heyworth, F., (2003), A Guide to Project Management. Council of
Europe Publishing.
◼ Pinto, J. K., (2007), Project Management: Achieving Competitive
Advantage. New Jersey: Pearson-Prentice Hall.
◼ Turner, J.R., and Simister S.J., (2004), Project Management: A
Comprehensive Handbook. New Delhi: Gower Publishing Ltd.
◼ Nokes, S., and Newton R., (2007), Definitive Guide to Project
Management /Project Manager, Pearson.
◼ Chandra, P., (2008), Projects Planning, Analysis, Selection, financing,
Implementation and Review, 6th edition, New Delhi: Tata McGraw-Hill
Publishing company limited.
◼ Westland, J., (2006), The Project Management Life Cycle. Kogan Page,
London.
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