Project Monitoring and Control

Project Monitoring and Control

Project monitoring and control process includes procedures which are performed to observe project performance so that potential problems are identified, and appropriate action can be taken to meet the desired performance of the project. Project Monitoring and control activities run parallel with the project development process.   

 The goal of Project Monitoring and Control (PMC) is to ensure that whether the project proceeds according to the activities that are planned or not. It helps to develop an understanding of project progress, which helps in taking appropriate actions to control deviations of plans.

Project Monitoring and Control processes

There are several processes in Project Monitoring and Control as follows:-

Monitor and control project work - It helps to check whether the team is working according to plan or not and able to complete the project on time. Project managers make performance measures or use previous performance measures to analyze project performance at regular intervals during the development of the project.

Integrated change control - Project manager, always try to avoid the changes and control them if changes occur. Change is required, but there is no compulsion. If it requires a change, the project manager discusses with the consultants, senior management, or other stakeholders, including customer and try to find out the solution.

Scope verification and control scope - The project manager controls the scope all over the development phases. The customer will verify the scope to check whether the developed product fulfills all the requirements of the customer’s or not. If it meets the requirements, then it is delivered to the customer's site, and if not, then it should again go back to the development stage.

Control schedule and control cost - With the help of Earned Value Management (EVM), the project manager controls the schedule and cost of the project. With the help of Earned Value Management (EVM), the project manager control the timing and cost of the project, and depending upon the results of CPI(Cost Performance Index) and SPI(Schedule Performance Index) project is monitored and controlled.

Perform quality control - Before delivering the product to the customer, the developed product is verified again to check that the product we are giving to the customer is delivered with the required quality. There are a lot of quality tools and processes to check the quality of the product, like Root Cause Analysis, Pareto chart, Control chart, Histogram, etc.

Report performance – Large projects would have many stakeholders. The project manager will update the project performance to the stakeholders. This process collects performance information like status reports, progress reports, and forecasts.

Control risk – Project managers also monitor the risks involved with the project. The project may have different types of risks, including process, people (internal, customer, vendor), tools, and technology.

Administer Procurement - If any process is handed over to the third-party, their performance should also be monitored. Based on their performance, the outcome of the project is decided. The project manager also needs to monitor the role and responsibility of the third-party.

Benefits of Process Monitoring and Control

• It helps in the better control of the project
• It provides an in-depth knowledge of the progress of the project.
• It helps in maintaining coordination among team members.
• It helps in monitoring and managing the project process.