5th Edition PMBOK® Guide—Process 4.4 Monitor and Control Project Work

Posted on February 21, 2013 by Jerome Rowley

 

1. Monitor and Control Project Work–overview

With this fourth process out of five, we go from the Executing Process Group to the Monitoring and Controlling Process Group, which should be evident from the title of the process.

In the Planning Process, we plan the work; in the Executing Process, we work the plan; and in the Monitoring and Controlling Process, which for the Integration Knowledge Area means this particular process 4.4 Monitor and Control Project Work, we check the work to make sure that it is indeed going to plan. And if it isn’t, and changes need to be made in either the work OR the plan, those requests for changes get fed into the NEXT process, 4.5 Perform Integrated Change Control.

Here’s a list of the inputs, tools & techniques, and the outputs for this process.

4.4 MONITOR AND CONTROL PROJECT WORK
INPUTS
1. Project Management Plan This includes

  • Performance baselines (scope, schedule, cost)
  • Management plans from the 9 knowledge areas other than Integration
  • Subsidiary management plans (process improvement, requirements)
2. Schedule Forecasts
  • SV, SPI, ETC
3. Cost Forecasts
  • CV, CPI, EAC
4. Validated Changes Changes that were

  • approved in process 4.5 Perform Integrated Change Control and were
  • implemented in process 4.3 Direct and Manage Project Work are now
  • validated, meaning they are confirmed as to whether they were implemented correctly in process 4.3 Direct and Manage Project Work
5. Work Performance Information Work performance data that was an output of process 4.3 Direct and Manage Project Work is collected, analyzed, and integrated to produce work performance information such as

  • Status of deliverables
  • Implementation status for change requests
  • Forecasts (ETC, EAC, etc.)
6. EEFs
  • Government and/or industry standards
  • Work authorization systems
  • Stakeholder risk tolerances
  • Project management information system (PMIS)
7. OPAs Consists of a) procedures and guidelines and b) corporate knowledge database

  • Communication requirements (what format, how often, who receives, etc.)
  • Financial controls procedures (time reporting, accounting codes, expenditure and disbursement reviews, standard contract provisions)
  • Issue and defect management procedures
  • Change control procedures
  • Risk control procedures
  • Process measurement database
  • Lessons learned database
TOOLS & TECHNIQUES
1. Expert judgment
  • Helps interpret information from monitor and control processes so PM can determine actions required to make performance match expectations
2. Analytical techniques
  • Regression analysis
  • Grouping methods
  • Causal analysis
  • Root cause analysis
  • Forecasting methods
  • Failure mode and effect analysis (FMEA)
  • Fault tree analysis (FTA)
  • Reserve analysis
  • Trend analysis
  • Earned value management
  • Variance analysis
3. Project Management Information System (PMIS) Automated tools which include

  • Scheduling, cost, resourcing tools
  • Key performance indicators (KPIs)
  • Databases
  • Project records
  • Financial records
4. Meetings Discussion and decision making regarding actions required to make performance match expectations.
OUTPUTS
1. Change requests Can include one of four categories

  • Defect repair
  • Corrective action
  • Preventive action
  • Updates to project management plan

The first three adjust the work to the plan, the last one adjusts the plan itself.
2. Work Performance Reports Work performance information that was an input to this process is compiled in project documents which are then communicated to appropriate stakeholders in the form of work performance reports. Examples include

  • Status reports or memos, updates
  • Recommendations
3. Project Management Plan updates The same project management plans that are listed as input #1 for this process are updated:

  • Performance baselines (scope, schedule, cost)
  • Management plans from the 9 knowledge areas other than Integration
  • Subsidiary management plans (process improvement, requirements)
4. Project Document updates Examples of documents updated in this process are:

  • Schedule and cost forecasts
  • Work performance reports
  • Issue log

These are lists that are in the PMBOK® Guide, but with additional explanations and organized in a more coherent way.

The next post will go through the tool & technique of meetings. There are many categories to consider: the format, the purpose, and the type of meeting.

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