Chapter 25: Integration Management during Monitoring & Controlling the Project

Aim: To understand the following two processes related to Project Integration Management Knowledge Area in Monitoring & Controlling Phase.

• Monitor and Control Project Work
• Perform Integrated Change Control

Exam Trivia:

Why is monitoring and controlling important? In general, all project failures and cancellations can be tracked back to the lack of effective controls in one or more of these areas: scope, cost, quality, and risk management.

Factors That Cause Project Change

To effectively monitor and control a project, the project manager must prepare organizational processes that work like sentinels on the fence. These sentinels help the project manager identify events (people, cultural, or strategic) that might force a change to the project or the environment where the project is executing. In other words your project will be influenced by elements outside of its normal execution and identified risks. These processes can include elements, such as

• Execution trend analysis
• Risk trigger management
• Forecast reports (just like the weather)
• Work package progress status and variances reports
• Lessons learned from similar projects
• Best practices
• Corporate strategy committee resolutions

Some examples of project control processes and their elements are

• You could use earned value analysis to determine how your project is performing against the planned activities, schedule, and cost.
• You can prescribe corrective or preventive actions after performing trend analysis in work packages variances.
• You can identify a potential project change request after evaluating defect and frequency control charts.
• When executing enterprise projects, you can arrange a monthly meeting with the company CEO to discuss progress and new corporate initiatives.

Exam Trivia:

Monitoring and controlling is an iterative group of processes. Milestones tend to have a compilation of work packages and deliverables under them. If you monitor and control activities only at their completion you might not learn of problems until late in the project. Like the autopilot in an airplane, the main function of project control is to make frequent minor course corrections instead of waiting until you are far off the planned course.

Monitor and Control Project Work

The monitor and control project work process is the first process in the monitoring and controlling process group. This process formally specifies what the project manager requires as inputs to properly monitor and control the project execution activities.

The table shows the inputs, tools and techniques, and outputs for the monitor and control project work process.

Monitor and Control Project Work
Inputs	Tools & Techniques	Outputs
Project management plan Performance reports Enterprise environmental factors Organizational process assets	Expert judgment	Change requests Project management plan updates Project document updates

As you can see, this process is a high-level process that requires expert judgment on the part of the project manager to assess whether the project is within the constraints of the plan or not. Any deviations require intervention or requests for changes to the plan.

To know more about the Monitor & Control Project Work process http://getpmpcertified.blogspot.com/2011/07/chapter-74-monitoring-and-controlling.html

Perform Integrated Change Control

When an opportunity for change is identified, the project manager must make the time to acknowledge the request for change, evaluate its associated risks, and consider its potential not just to the timeline but also to the other aspects of the project namely scope, cost, staff, quality, make or buy, and communication. The perform integrated change control process helps you to identify if a requested change is gold plating or if it has direct effect to the project deliverables and its return on investment.

Exam Trivia:

What is gold plating? Gold plating is a change to the project or a work package within the project that has not gone through an adequate change control management process. Such requests often initiate from informal requests. Ensure all change requests are routed through the formal procedures. Remember that during your practical experience as a Project Manager, your organization may endorst Gold Plating & even suggest to all Managers that they deliver more value to customer by means of gold plating. But, as per PMI gold plating is incorrect and we must deliver only what was promised as part of the Projects Approved Scope Statement.

The table shows the inputs, tools and techniques, and outputs for the perform integrated change control process.

Perform Integrated Change Control
Inputs	Tools & Techniques	Outputs
Project management plan Work performance information Change requests Enterprise environmental factors Organizational process assets	Expert judgment Change control meetings	Change request status updates Project management plan updates Project document updates

After you determine that a proposed change has merit and supports the project objectives, the change request is submitted to the project control team for final determinations. For the most part, the interaction with the control board is defined in the planning stage and can remain in place until the completion of the project. In the event that the organization has a project management office, the members of the change control board can change to accommodate strategic impact or affected areas in the project organization.

Exam Trivia:

Do you remember what a change control board is? A change control board is an enterprise decision body tasked with approving the changes to projects or their impact in strategic initiatives.

In addition, you should monitor any trends in requested changes that could indicate inadequate requirements definition in the planning stage of your project.

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