As the project tasks are executed, and work performance data is gathered, a key el-ement of the communications managel-ement executing tasks is effective reporting of project performance. The communications management plan provides guidance on how project performance is to be reported, which in turn reflects the communica-tion needs of individual stakeholders. Appropriate reporting of project performance is a key element in the successful management of stakeholder expectations.
The project manager can use a variety of performance reporting templates to provide the correct information in the correct format to satisfy stakeholder expecta-tions. Content included in performance reporting can be presented in text, numeri-cal, pictorial, graphinumeri-cal, summary, or detailed form depending on the identified needs of stakeholders.
True or false? Work performance reports should report progress only in relation to cost and time because they are the most important metrics for all stakeholders.
Answer: False. Different stakeholders have different interests in the project: Some stakeholders are certainly interested in cost and time progress; but other stakehold-ers require different information perhaps in relation to numbstakehold-ers of change requests, quality standards being met, or other similar metrics.
MORE INFO You can find out more about the tools and techniques involved in ex-ecuting the tasks as defined in the project plan in the Direct and Manage Project Work process topic in Section 4.3 of the PMBOK® Guide, 5th edition.
Can you answer these questions?
You can find the answers to these questions at the end of this chapter.
1. What are the three baselines contained in the project plan?
2. Which of the subsidiary plans of the project plan is most useful in guiding how stakeholder expectations are successfully managed?
3. What document guides show a project manager how to format the content of their performance reports?
4. Can you place work performance reports, work performance data, and work performance information in the order in which they are naturally developed?
5. What is the name given to any unique and verifiable product, result, or capability to perform a service that is required to be produced to complete a process, phase, or project?
Task 3: Implement the quality management plan using the appropriate tools and techniques, in order to ensure that work is being performed according to required quality standards .
This task focuses on the part of the quality management plan that focuses on qual-ity assurance rather than qualqual-ity control. Qualqual-ity control tasks are completed during the monitoring and controlling domain tasks. Quality assurance involves ensuring that all the quality processes are being implemented and used appropriately so the work being performed meets the required quality standards. This is different from quality control, in which the project deliverables are inspected to see whether they conform to the required quality standards in the quality management plan.
The project manager must take responsibility for ensuring that the quality man-agement plan is detailed enough to provide sufficient guidance on which quality management tools and techniques are to be used throughout the project. These tools and techniques are used on more than just the project deliverables; they determine whether all aspects of the project work are completed to the expected quality standards.
MORE INFO You can find out more about this particular domain task in the Perform Quality assurance process in Section 8.2 in the PMBOK® Guide, 5th edition and in Chapter 6 of the PMP Training Kit.
Exam need to know...
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■ Quality management plan
For example: Which document is used to guide the execution of quality man-agement tasks during the project?
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■ Process improvement plan
For example: Where does the project manager turn to for guidance on how to ensure that continuous improvement is occurring on processes and proce-dures used in the project?
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■ Quality assurance
For example: What is the difference between quality assurance and quality control activities?
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■ Ishikawa seven quality tools
For example: What is the best way to graphically display the numerical results gathered from quality management monitoring and controlling?
Quality management plan
The quality management plan is an essential component required in order to carry out this particular domain task. The quality management plan is a subsidiary plan of the project plan that describes how an organization’s quality policies are imple-mented, and how the project management team and project manager plan to meet the quality requirements for the project. Within the quality management plan are guidelines for carrying out quality assurance and continuous process improvement approaches for the project.
The content and depth of the quality management plan reflect the complex-ity, size, and industry of the project and any information gathered; completing this particular domain task can be used to update the quality management plan.
Specific information contained in the quality management plan are the type and frequency of quality audits, the specific quality management and control tools to be used, and a description of the quality metrics and quality checklists that are used.
True or false? The quality management plan contains guidance on all aspects of project quality, including both quality assurance and quality control.
Answer: True. The quality management plan is the subsidiary plan of the project plan focused on how all aspects of quality, both assurance and control, are carried out on the project.
EXAM TIP all executing tasks must be based on the work done in a relevant plan.
as such, if a question in the exam asks you about how you to execute particular tasks, your first point of reference should always be the relevant plan. This is very true of quality planning, which starts in the initial project conceptual stages.
MORE INFO You can find out more about the Perform Quality Assurance process by reading Chapter 8.2 of the PMBOK® Guide, 5th edition.
Process improvement plan
The process improvement plan is a specific subsidiary of the project plan that details the processes and steps, analyzing all project management and product develop-ment processes in place to establish how they are carried out and to specify how continuous improvement of the processes can occur.
Continuous improvement is a very important concept of quality management.
Quality improvement initiatives such as total quality management(TQM), Six Sigma, and process improvement models such as the organizational project management maturity model (OPM3) and capability maturity model integrated (CMMI) can be used as parts of an organization’s commitment to continuous improvement and process improvement. It is the responsibility of the project manager to ensure that there is a commitment from the project team and the organization to continuous improvement.
Process analysis takes the steps outlined in the process improvement plan to de-termine whether there are opportunities for continuous improvement and examines all aspects of processes being used to determine the root cause of any issue not contributing to add value.
True or false? The process improvement plan guides the activities of the project manager and project team in determining which quality processes provide value and how to continuously improve these processes.
Answer: True. The purpose of the process improvement plan is to guide project manager and project team members to determine which processes to use in all aspects of quality management throughout the project and how to engage in con-tinuous improvement of these processes.