Controlling a Project

In this chapter

• Clarify what we mean by "controlling" a project
• Understand why project planning is so important to controlling a project
• Learn the principles of an effective project control system
• Learn powerful techniques that simplify project control
• Understand why earned value management is the best technique for measuring project performance, yet the least used
• Review the essential principles of project status reporting

Now that we have our project plan, we are ready to implement it. From a project management perspective, implementing a project plan involves two general categories of activities: project execution and project control. These activities are performed in parallel to complete the work of the project, report project progress, and keep the project on track. For the purposes of this book, we will address the process-focused activities in Part III of the book, "Project Control," and the people-focused aspects in Part IV, "Project Execution."

While there are entire books and courses that address just single aspects of project control and project execution, we will focus on the "need to know" fundamentals that will greatly reduce your learning curve and accelerate your effectiveness as a project manager.

This chapter serves as an excellent bridge between the "Project Planning" part we just completed and the "Project Control" part we are just beginning. In this chapter, we will clarify what "controlling" a project" really means, emphasize the key principles of a project control system, highlight the impact that project planning has on this effort, review powerful techniques that should always be considered, and discuss how to avoid the common challenges faced by most project managers. Finally, to summarize the key fundamentals of controlling a project, we will study the lessons that can be learned from project recovery missions. This will lead to an understanding that will enable you to develop an appropriate project control system that best meets the needs of your next project.