Controlling projects: Develop skills in monitoring project progress, identifying and addressing issues, and ensuring project objectives are met.

The Art of Controlling Projects: A Critical Skill in Project Management

"Controlling" may easily be associated with being overbearing or micromanaging; however, within the context of project management, it holds a different meaning. It refers to the process of monitoring project progression, identifying and addressing potential issues, and ensuring that project objectives are met.

Let's delve into the intricacies of controlling projects and look at some real-life examples to get a better understanding.

Project Monitoring: The Pulse Check of Your Project

Keeping an eye on the project's progress is critical. This ongoing process allows the project manager to ensure that the project is advancing as per the timeline and within the allocated budget. Project monitoring involves routine checks and regular updates, which can include anything from daily stand-up meetings to more formal weekly or monthly reports.

One of the tools widely used in project monitoring is the Gantt chart. These charts provide a visual representation of a project’s timeline and can easily highlight if the project is lagging behind schedule.

For example, during the construction of the Shard in London, one of the tallest buildings in Western Europe, the project managers relied heavily on Gantt charts. These charts helped them monitor progress against the planned schedule. This monitoring proved crucial in identifying delays early on and taking appropriate actions to get the project back on track.

Identifying and Addressing Issues: Nipping Problems in the Bud

In every project, issues are bound to arise. However, how swiftly and effectively you identify and deal with these issues can make or break your project. Risk management involves foreseeing potential problems and having a plan in place to handle them if they do occur.

One example of top-notch risk management was during the Y2K transition. When the world was bracing itself for potential chaos as the calendars rolled over to the year 2000, project managers worldwide were actively identifying potential risks and implementing solutions to mitigate any systems failures.

An example of this was in the banking sector, where the potential for a complete systems shutdown posed a significant risk. To mitigate this, project managers developed and tested backup systems, ensuring a seamless transition into the new millennium.

Ensuring Project Objectives are Met: The True Measure of Success

All projects have an end goal or a set of objectives that they aim to achieve. It is the project manager's responsibility to ensure that these objectives are met. This requirement involves continuous coordination with the team and stakeholders, and making adjustments as necessary to keep the project on track.

The SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound) framework is often used to define and measure objectives. This framework provides clear criteria to guide in the setting of objectives.

In the successful completion of the Mars Rover project by NASA, the project managers had to ensure that the objectives were met. To do this, they used the SMART framework to establish clear objectives, such as "Landing the Rover on Mars' surface by a specific date." With continuous project control, they were able to achieve this and more!

In conclusion, controlling projects is not about restricting team members but rather about guiding the project to its successful completion. It's about understanding the project's pulse, foreseeing potential risks, and keeping the project objectives clearly in sight.

Monitoring project progress

Question: How can you track project milestones, tasks, and deliverables using project management tools and techniques?

Use a spreadsheet to manually track and update project milestones, tasks, and deliverables.Utilize project management software that allows you to create and manage project schedules, tasks, and milestones.Assign a dedicated team member to manually track and update project milestones, tasks, and deliverables.Use a whiteboard or physical board to visually track project milestones, tasks, and deliverables.

Identifying and addressing issues

• Learn how to identify potential issues and risks that may impact project progress and objectives.

• Develop skills in conducting root cause analysis to determine the underlying causes of issues.

• Learn techniques for problem-solving and decision-making to address issues effectively.

• Understand the importance of communication and collaboration in addressing issues and involving stakeholders when necessary.

Ensuring project objectives are met

To do: You are required to create a detailed project plan for an imaginary project of your choice. This plan should include the following:

1. Clearly defined project objectives.

2. List of project activities and how they align with the overall project objectives.

3. A system for evaluating project performance against predefined objectives and targets.

4. An approach to identify and implement corrective actions to ensure project objectives are met.

5. A description of project closure processes to ensure all project deliverables are completed and objectives are achieved.

Scoring Criteria:

1. Clarity of project objectives, alignment of activities to objectives, and realistic and measurable targets for performance evaluation (40 points).

2. Practicality and sufficiency of the approach to identify and implement corrective actions, and completeness of project closure processes (40 points).

3. Overall coherence and clarity of the project plan (20 points).

Step-by-step plan:

1. Choose an imaginary project - Example: Organizing a company-wide employee training event.

2. Define the project objectives - Example: Improve employees' soft skills, boost morale, and promote company culture.

3. List all the project activities - Example: selecting the trainers, scheduling the training sessions, arranging the venue, and so on. Show how each activity is linked to the overall objectives.

4. Define the performance evaluation process - Example: set targets such as training completion rate, attendees' satisfaction score, the attendance rate, and measure these targets to evaluate the project's success.

5. Describe how you will identify and implement corrective actions during the project - Example: Regular progress meetings, early detection of deviations from the plan, timely decision-making to correct the deviations.

6. Describe the project closure process - Example: Ensure all training sessions have been conducted, feedback collected and analyzed, and lessons learned documented for future projects.

🍏The best solution:

1. Project: Company-Wide Employee Training Event

2. Objectives: To improve employees' soft skills by 30%, boost employee morale by 20%, and enhance the understanding of company culture among 90% employees.

3. Activities and Alignment: Selection of qualified trainers (to ensure quality training), scheduling interactive training sessions (to engage employees and aid in learning), arranging a comfortable venue (to create a conducive learning environment), among others.

4. Performance Evaluation: Training completion rate target - 90%, attendees' satisfaction score - above 8 on a scale of 10, attendance rate - at least 80% of total employees.

5. Corrective Actions: Regular weekly progress meetings will be held where team members report their updates. If deviations from the plan are detected, quick decisions will be made to adjust schedules, change trainers, or modify the training materials, among other actions.

6. Project Closure: All training sessions shall be completed as per schedule, attendees' feedback shall be collected and analyzed, and all findings, along with the project experience, shall be documented for guiding future similar projects.

Stakeholder management

The Power of Stakeholders

Have you ever wondered why some projects, despite having solid plans and adequate resources, still fail to achieve their objectives? One major factor that can make or break a project is stakeholder management. In project control, understanding the role of stakeholders and the importance of their engagement cannot be overstated.

Decoding the Role of Stakeholders

In the context of project management, stakeholders are individuals, groups or entities that have a vested interest in the project. They can influence or be influenced by the project's outcome. These might include project team members, clients, vendors, top management, and even the wider community.

Stakeholder management focuses on nurturing positive relationships with these parties. Why? Because stakeholders can impact a project's timeline, budget, resources and overall success. Proactive engagement with stakeholders ensures their concerns are addressed, their expectations managed, and their support garnered for project success.

Real-life Example

Consider the building of a new airport. This project would involve various stakeholders like government agencies, local residents, construction firms, airlines, and passengers. Without proper stakeholder management, issues like protests from local residents, delay in approvals from government agencies, or disagreements with construction firms could derail the project.

Mastering Stakeholder Communication

Effective communication is a pillar of stakeholder management. By keeping stakeholders informed about project progress, issues, and risks, you can ensure their continued support and cooperation. This might involve project status reports, meetings, email updates or even social media engagement depending on the stakeholder's preference.

For instance, the project manager of a software development project might send weekly email updates to the client detailing completed tasks, upcoming activities and any potential risks. This keeps the client informed and involved, and helps manage their expectations. 

However, remember that communication is a two-way street. Listening to stakeholders' feedback and concerns is equally important.

Managing Expectations like a Pro

Understanding and managing stakeholder expectations is a crucial aspect of project control. This requires clear communication about the project's objectives, deliverables, timeframe, and constraints. Regular updates on project status also help to keep expectations in line with reality.

Remember that stakeholder expectations can change over time, and might not always align with the project's goals. In such cases, negotiation and compromise might be needed.

The Art of Stakeholder Analysis and Mapping

Identifying key stakeholders and understanding their influence on the project is done through stakeholder analysis and mapping. This involves identifying all stakeholders, understanding their interests and influence, and categorizing them based on their power and interest in the project.

For instance, stakeholders with high power and high interest (like top management or major clients) need to be closely managed. On the other hand, stakeholders with low power and low interest (like a supplier providing a non-critical resource) might need less attention.

Stakeholder mapping can also help to uncover potential risks or issues. For instance, a stakeholder with high power but low interest might become a risk if not adequately engaged.

In a hospital construction project, the local health department might be a key stakeholder with high power and high interest. Neglecting their concerns and requirements could lead to delays in permits, fines or even project cancellation. 

In conclusion, stakeholder management is a critical aspect of project control. It involves understanding the role of stakeholders, effective communication, managing expectations, and stakeholder analysis and mapping. With these skills, you can ensure that your projects are set up for success.

Project documentation and reporting

Question: You are a project manager and need to create and maintain project documentation, including project plans, schedules, and progress reports. Which of the following is NOT a benefit of regular project reporting?