Chapter 11. Monitoring and Controlling
11.0 Learning Objectives and Overview
Learning Objectives
- Explain the monitoring and controlling process and differentiate between monitoring and controlling.
- Describe qualitative monitoring for project management knowledge areas except for schedule and cost.
- Describe Earned Value Management (EVM), a quantitative monitoring tool, to monitor and control of the progress of project activities.
- Define the change control process.
Overview
The monitoring and controlling process differentiates from other processes (i.e., initiating, planning, executing, and closing out), in that, it spans throughout the whole project. Project managers should ensure that everything is on track (e.g., scheduled activities are completed on time, there is no budget overrun), and take the project back on track if it deviates from its three main baselines, which are triple (iron) constraints, scope, schedule and cost, and other constraints such as quality and resources, and the satisfaction of the client and stakeholder eventually. Project managers implement a holistic approach by focusing on all the aspects of a project to keep the project on track and accomplish a successful closeout where the client and stakeholders are satisfied with the project outcomes. There are various techniques utilized to monitor and control the projects, which have been discussed in sections 11.2 and 11.3 in this chapter.
