1 Project Management Principles ΥΠΕΥΘΥΝΟΣ: Θ. ΜΑΝΑΒΗΣ Lecture 6 – Project Monitoring and Control

2 Definition: Controlling a software project... “... Defined as all the management activities that ensure that the actual work goes according to plan. –It measures performance against goals and plans, –reveals when and were deviations exists, and –by putting in motion actions to correct deviations, helps ensure accomplishment of plans” (Thayer 1988)

Change is necessary in PM What causes a project to require the control of performance, costs or time –Performance Unexpected technical problems Client requires changes Technological breakthroughs affect the project –Cost The scope of the work increases Budgeting was inadequate Initial bids or estimates were too low –Time Technical difficulties took longer than planned Task sequencing was incorrect »From (Meredith and Mantel 2010) 3

How to tell the project is on target Compare what’s happening with the current targets If there is a mismatch between the planned outcomes and the actual ones –Re-planning is needed to bring the project back on target or –The target needs to be revised. 4

MONITORING THE PROJECT COST 5 3 EARNED VALUE MANAGEMENT SEE ADDITIONAL PDF FILE

The control system Should be cost effective Should be as simple as possible to operate. Must operate in a timely manner. The input data should be reasonably accurate 6

Responsibility and reporting structure The overall responsibility for ensuring satisfactory progress – project steering committee Day-to-day responsibility – project manager or delegate to team leaders Assessing progress –Made on the basis of information collected at regular intervals –Replied on the judgement of the person reporting progress 7

Control Meetings Review the product, not the producer Set agenda and maintain it Limit debate and rebuttal (=αντιπαράθεση) Enunciate (=διατυπώνω ξεκάθαρα) problem areas Take written notes Limit the number of participants Allocate adequate resources and time Train reviewers 8

Monitoring the critical path Regularly view the critical path Closely monitor critical tasks: Tracking Gantt view Review series of tasks that may become the critical path Protect the team by viewing tasks that can slip without affecting the critical path. 9

Prioritizing Monitoring Critical path activities Activities with no free float (remember: activity that has zero free float might not be on the critical path) High risk activities Activities using critical resources 10

Getting the Project Back to Target Shorten critical path –Increase resource levels –Make resources available for longer –Swap resources between non-critical and critical activities Reconsider precedence requirements –Subdividing activities –Early activity starts –Compromising quality 11

Closing the project The reasons for the project to be stopped: –It has been successful and achieved the goals –It is unsuccessful There are better/faster/cheaper alternatives It will cost too much or take too long to get the desired performance Termination by murder (Meredith and Mantel 2010) –Organisational restructuring –Corporate mergers making certain projects redundant 12

Other reasons to terminate a project Cross-cultural terminations – multinational projects fail because people cannot communicate Senescence (=φθορά) terminations – senior management, the project champion, the PM or the key project workers lose interest. The organisation’s attention (and resources) is being directed elsewhere. 13

Management by Exception in PRINCE2 The project manager cannot deliver the agreed plan with agreed tolerances. This is known as ‘exception’ in PRINCE2 and must be escalated to the Project Board for decision. An Exception Report must be produced to raise the issue to the Project Board. The Board will ask for suggestions before deciding the course of action. If the Board cannot decide or beyond its authority to decide the case can be further escalated to the Corporate Management. The Exception Report may include the cause for exception, consequences, alternative plans and suggestions and lessons learned. 14

Project evaluation Why evaluate: –To benefit from past experience implies that one understands them, and understanding requires evaluation –Organisations improve through team learning, and shared vision Improve the processes for organising and managing projects Identify organisational strengths and weaknesses 15

How to evaluate a project Project evaluation –Appraises the progress and performance of a project compared to the planned progress and performance, or to similar projects –The project evaluation process must be as carefully constructed and controlled as the project itself –Carried out by the project manager (post delivery review PDR) –Carried out involving external stakeholders (project audit) 16

Post delivery review (PDR) Usually carried out by the project manager with the rest of the team To find out which patterns and activities should (not) be repeated, what actions are likely to work in specific circumstances Such knowledge can be built into training programmes and become part of the available organisational knowledge 17

What to be reviewed in PDR The success or failure of the product How the project is delivered with regard to the project triangle factors (cost, scope and schedule) and the specified quality objectives The project process including the quality of the project documentation Teamwork 18

Project Audit The audit team needs to be properly selected –Critical to the success of the process –Based on team members’ ability and availability –Usually comprises people from The project itself The finance department Technical speciality areas The customer/client Senior management The personnel department The legal/contract admin department 19

The final report Project performance – comparison of what the project achieved with what the project intends to achieve. Admin performance – usually ignored. Admin practices should be reviewed, especially those worked very well. Organisational structure – comments on the ways the structure aided or impeded the progress of the project 20

The final report Project and admin teams – the confidential section and may be directed to senior manager or line managers. Techniques of project management – the skill with which the forecasting, planning, budgeting, scheduling, resource allocation, risk management and control are handled 21