Unit-4

PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND CONTROL Framework for Management and

control – Collection of data – Visualizing progress – Cost monitoring – Earned Value
Analysis – Prioritizing Monitoring – Project tracking – Change control – Software
Configuration Management – Managing contracts – Contract Management.

Project Management and Control:

Framework for Management and control:
Project Management Framework refers to a set of methods, procedures, and rules that
relate to and cover the entire lifecycle of the project. Essentially, a Project
Management Framework defines a project’s charter, scope, and purpose by specifying
and delineating the processes, steps, and actions needed to execute the project from
initiation to delivery.
Project management framework (PM framework) is a subset of tasks, processes,
tools and templates used in combination by the management team to get insight into
the major structural elements of the project in order to initiate, plan, execute, control,
monitor, and terminate the project activities throughout the management life-cycle.
PM framework allows using various methodologies and approaches to plan and
schedule the major phases of the life-cycle.
Idea:

To create and share a clear understanding of the basis of a project and share this
understanding among all stakeholders, including the team.
Purpose:

 Simplify and assist with sharing information on project management best

practices, approaches, tools, templates and samples.
 Improve the level of competence
 Create and share an understanding of the best practices for planning &
management for all types and kinds of projects, including IT projects,
construction projects, etc.

Collection of data:

 Data collection is the process of gathering quantitative and qualitative

information on specific variables with the aim of evaluating outcomes or
gleaning actionable insights.
 Good data collection requires a clear process to ensure the data you collect
is clean, consistent, and reliable.
 Data collection is defined as the procedure of collecting, measuring and
analyzing accurate insights for research using standard validated techniques.
 A researcher can evaluate their hypothesis on the basis of collected data. In
most cases, data collection is the primary and most important step for
research, irrespective of the field of research.
  The approach of data collection is different for different fields of study,
depending on the required information.
Most often in data collection and service delivery programs, your data can be broken
down into two categories:
(1)Program performance metrics
(2)Worker performance metrics.
Program performance metrics focus on how well you are meeting the project
objectives.
Worker performance metrics are the best indicators for how well your workers
areperformingtheirdutiesandhowmuchtheyarecontributingtothesuccess of the project.
The Principal tasks are:
Designing the methods and obtaining the tools to support data collection and retention.
Obtaining and training staff for the data collection procedures. Capturing and
recording data for each process that is targeted for measurement.
Using defined forms and formats to supply the collected data to those who perform
analyses.
Monitoring the execution (compliance) and performance of the activities for collecting
and retaining data.

Visualizing progress:
A manager needs some way of presenting that data to the greatest effect. Some methods
of presenting picture are,
Gantt chart – It is used to track project progress .It is the simple and the
oldestformofrepresentingtheprogressoftheproject.Itconsistsofanactivity bar that
indicates the scheduled activity dates and the duration along with the activity floats.
Slip chart – It is a visual indication of activities that are not progressing to schedule.
Alternative view of Gantt chart by providing a visual indication of those activities
which are not on schedule. The more bend in the greater the variation in the project
plan. If the slip line deviates more towards the non achievement of project objectives
then it has to be reconsidered. Additional slip lines can be included at regular intervals.

Ball charts – The way of showing whether or not targets have been met or not. It is
 represented in the form of circles that indicate the start and the end point completion
of activities. Circles of the ball chart mostly contain only two dates, the original and
the revised one. An activity is denoted by a red circle and green color denotes that
the activity is ahead of its schedule. Slippage in the project completion date but it is
overcome by the timeline charts.
TimeLine - The timeline is a method of recording and displaying the way in which
targets have changed throughout the duration of the project.

Cost monitoring:

 Expenditure monitoring is an important component of project control

 A project might be on time but only because more money has been spent
on activities than originally budgeted
 Cost chart is useful if we add project feature
 Computer based planning tool is used
 A project could be late because the staff originally committed, have not been
deployed in this case the project will be behind time but under budget.
  A project could be on time but only because additional resources have been
added and so by over budget
 Need to monitor both achievements and costs

Earned Value Analysis:

 Earned Value Analysis (EVA) is an industry standard method of measuring a

project's progress at any given point in time, forecasting its completion date
and final cost, and analyzing variances in the schedule and budget as the
project proceeds.
 It compares the planned amount of work with what has actually been
completed, to determine if the cost, schedule, and work accomplished are
progressing in accordance with the plan.
 As work is completed, it is considered "earned". Based on assigning value
to each task or work package.
 The assigned value is the original budgeted cost for the item & is known as
budgeted cost of work schedule(BCWS).
 A task that is not started is assigned a value zero earned value

Prioritizing Monitoring:

 The process of prioritizing projects is an activity for defining what projects

within a portfolio to perform in what sequence.
 It is an attempt to make the project portfolio more effective through
identifying the most effective way of implementing the projects.
 Project Prioritization Process is a structured and consistent activity that
aims to analyze the current operational environment to identify any projects
running in parallel within the same portfolio, develop a scoring model
including ranking criteria, and apply that model to prioritizing the projects in
order to determine the execution order that ensures the highest efficiency of
the overall portfolio.
 The process serves as a framework for managing the effectiveness of
parallel projects.
 Steps involved for prioritizing monitoring:

 Collection–you must collect and gather all the data about your projects.
 Ranking–you must develop and use a ranking model that includes criteria
for prioritizing.
 Verification–you must approve the ranked projects.

Project tracking:
 Project tracking is a project management method used to track the progress of
tasks in a project. By tracking your project, you can compare actual to planned
progress, and identify issues that may prevent the project from staying on
schedule and within budget.
 Tracking is the process of determining how well you are sticking to the cost
estimate and schedule.
 It is the same as adapting the schedule according to the latest developments.

Benefits:
Project tracking helps project managers and stakeholders know what work has been
done, there sources that have been used to execute those tasks, and helps them create
an earned value analysis by measuring project variance and tracking milestones.
Steps to track the project:

 Start with a project outline

 Create deliverables and milestones
 Set realistic, clear and measurable goals
 Use a project tracker template or a project tracking software to keep track
of time, costs and tasks
 Meet regularly with team and stakeholders
 Have clear deadlines
 Support transparency

Change control:
Change control is a methodology used to manage any change requests that impact the
baseline of your project. It’s a way to capture that change from the point where it’s
been identified through every step of the project cycle.
That includes evaluating the request and then approving, rejecting or deferring it. Change
control is the process used to manage all these variables.
If change happens (which it always does) then it’s crucial that you have a mechanism in
place to control that process.

Purpose:
To make sure that you’re not changing things in the project that don’t need to be changed.
Benefits:

 Change control not only reinforces your team’s ability to work better
together, but the positive effects bleed into overall efficiency. It works
hand-in-glove with teamwork, of course.
 Managing change effectively is crucial to bringing in your project on time and
within budget.
Software Configuration Management:

1. SCM is concerned with tracking and controlling changes to the software.

2. In software development process, every work product would have to be
accessed and modified by several members
3. Hence a proper configuration management system is required to avoid
several problems
4. Configuration management is carried out through the following two
principal activities
5. Configuration identification
1. It involves deciding which parts of the system should be kept
under configuration management
6. Configuration control
1. It is used to ensure that changes to a system occur smoothly
Configuration management process

Purpose of SCM:

 Concurrent access
 Undoing changes
 System accounting
 Handling variance
 Accurate determination of project status
 Preventing unauthorized access to the work products
 Managing contracts:
Contract management is the overseeing of a project’s contracts from their initial pre-
award phase through to completion.
Proper contract management ensures that the project’s budget and resources are in
alignment with its overall objectives.
Tracking contracts as they progress and identifying and managing any issues as they come
up is an important project management process.

Phases:

1. Contract creation (This contract management stage involves identifying

the contract type and who will be responsible for each task.)
2. Contract negotiation (After the initial contract is drawn up,
negotiation occurs in which line items are discussed, changed,
updated, or completely removed.)
3. Contract approval (Contract approval often involves multiple sign- offs
from various managers and departments, as well as contractors and
vendors. All may have to give approval on the contract’s specifications
before the final deal is made.)
4. Contract finalization (The process of contract signing between the
involved parties is the final step to getting the project started.)
5. Contract change management (All data and information regarding
changes to contract deadlines, budgets, expenditures, etc., must be fully
tracked and shared with the teams involved.)

Contract Management:

 Contract management is an intricate oversight process that follows

contracts from pre-award to completion, including execution, vendor
selection, issue detection and control, tracking and processing.
 When implemented properly, contract management processes ensure that
budgets and abilities are in alignment with project objectives.
 The best contract management flows seamlessly through the
organization and integrates with project management and control,
always involving the team members for input and outcomes, and
carefully monitoring contractors for performance and deadlines.
 When a contract is initiated, it should reflect goals, time lines, budgets,
resources, risks, regulations, and specifications.
  Each phase of the process requires specific elements, purpose and management in
order to proceed to the next step.
 Technicians, engineers, and other skilled professionals must be carefully chosen to
complete the contract and execute the project.
 Provides an active thread connecting all aspects of the project, helping to fill
in the holes during revisions, and ensure communication with the right team
members, at the right time.

Benefits:

 Contract management stream lines adherence to the contract and can lower
business costs. All necessary documents can be found and accounted for in
one place, offering increased transparency for team members from different
departments, as well as contractors working offsite.
 A positive contract experience creates lasting business partners with
vendors and subcontractors. Particularly in the construction industry,
finding good help is paramount for future projects.
 Important business objectives and goals are identified when a contract is
written. A good contract management process sets expectations around those
priorities and ensures commitments in the contract are met.