Monitoring and controlling project work is a control function that is done from project initiating through project closing. When you think of a large project, it makes sense that the project manager would need to monitor and control how the processes are going, because he or she would not typically be personally involved in performing all the project functions. The results of Monitor and Control Project Work are change requests, work performance reports, as well as updates to the project management plan and documents.
PMBOK Guide Definition – Page 86
Monitor and Control Project Work is the process of tracking, reviewing, and reporting the progress to meet the performance objectives defined in the project management plan.
Monitor and Control Project Work is an integration function because the project manager must balance the demands of the different knowledge areas to control the project. This process also involves monitoring any other performance measures that the project manager has created for the project and distributing that information to stakeholders as needed.
Exam Hint Keep in mind that a project must be controlled. If the exam asks what you should do if a work activity on the project takes longer than estimated, the answer is to take corrective action to make up for the schedule variance. Such action always keeps the project on or close to schedule and allows the project manager to feel comfortable that the scope will be completed according to the budget and schedule agreed to. This is the value of controlling the project.
The Monitor and Control Project Work Process is Concerned with:
Comparing actual project performance against project plan
Assessing work performance to determine if corrective or preventive actions are required
Identifying new risks and monitoring existing risks to make sure the risks are identified
Maintaining accurate and timely information concerning the project's products and associated documentation
Providing the information necessary for status reports, progress measurements, and forecasting
Providing forecasts to update current cost and schedule information
Monitoring implementation of approved changes Inputs
Project Management Plan Schedule Forecasts (page 89)
Schedule forecasts are obtained after analyzing the project progress against the schedule baseline. Earned Value Management Techniques (EVM) are used to
measure the schedule performance. We will discuss these techniques in detail later in the guide.
Cost Forecasts
The cost forecasts are obtained after analyzing the project's spending against the cost performance baseline. Earned Value Measurements such as Earned Value (EV), Cost Variance (CV), Estimate to Complete (ETC), and Cost Performance Index (CPI) are some of the measures used to predict future costs. We will discuss these topics in a greater detail later in the guide.
Validated Changes
Approved change request, that result from the Perform Integrated Change Control process and implemented during the Direct and Manage Project Work process, require validation to ensure that the change was appropriately implemented.
Work Performance Information
The work performance information is obtained by analyzing the work performance data collected from various controlling processes. The project management team transforms the work performance data into work performance information. The work performance information helps the project management team take well informed decisions.
Enterprise Environmental Factors
Enterprise Environmental Factors that can influence this process include, but are not limited to:
Governmental or industry standards
Company work authorization system
Stakeholder risk tolerance
Project Management Information systems Organizational Process Assets
Organizational Process Assets that can influence the process include, but are not limited to:
Organization communication requirements
Financial controls procedures
Issue and defect management procedures
Risk control procedures
Process measurement database
Lessons learned database Tools and Techniques
Expert Judgment
The project team may rely on expert judgment to interpret the information provided by the process.
You should remember the names of the analytical techniques mentioned as the tools and techniques of the Monitor and Control Project Work process. While these tools and techniques may not explicitly be mentioned in the PMBOK Guide, it is valuable to familiarize yourself with them via external sources (online search, etc)
Analytical Techniques
The project management team can utilize various analytical techniques to forecast potential outcomes on possible variations or environment factors and their
interrelationships. Some of the examples of such techniques are:
Regression analysis
Grouping methods
Root cause analysis
Simulations
Trend analysis
Earned value management
Variance analysis
Project Management Information System
Meetings Outputs
Change Requests
Corrective action
Preventative action
Defect repair
Work performance reports are not the same as work performance information. The work performance report is a physical or electronic representation of the work
performance information. The work performance information is the processed form of the work performance data
Work Performance Reports
Work performance reports are the physical or electronic representation of work performance information obtained by transforming the work performance data. These reports play a critical role in providing key project information to the project
stakeholders and enable them to take well-informed decisions.
Project Management Plan Update examples include, but are not limited to:
Schedule management plan
Cost management plan
Quality management plan
Scope baseline
Schedule baseline
Cost performance baseline
Project Document Update examples include, but are not limited to:
Forecasts
Performance reports
Issue log