How to Manage and Control a Project?

By Zulk Shamsuddin

The Project Management Plan has been approved and the project sponsor has instructed you to execute the project and control the project to deliver the project objectives. This is the most challenging task in the life of the project. You and the project team need to start executing the project activities defined in the project schedule while continuing to monitor the threats or risks facing the project.
How do you plan to achieve this? You probably consult the PMBOK® which is a guidebook that discusses a list of project management processes associated with managing and controlling a project. A lot of processes, which ones shall I use?
"How to Manage and Control a Project" is the solution to your problem. Get this book to learn the processes required to manage and control a project. Make the best impression to your leaders or bosses that you are the right individual for the job.
Content is represented in a structured tutorial and illustrations that will assist you in conducting project execution and control activities with confidence and command respect from your team.
Managing and controlling a project involves management of the project cost, scope, schedule, and quality of the project.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Oct 20, 2016
• ISBN: 9781365473111

Book preview

Copyright © 2020 Zulk Shamsuddin, PhD / GAFM ACADEMY

All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-1-365-47311-1

INTRODUCTION

The Project Management Plan has been approved and the project sponsor has instructed you to execute the project and control the project to deliver the project objectives. This is the most challenging task in the life of the project. You and the project team need to start executing the project activities defined in the project schedule while continuing to monitor the threats or risks facing the project. 

How do you plan to achieve this? You probably consult the PMBOK® which is a guidebook that discusses a list of project management processes associated with managing and controlling a project.  A lot of processes, which ones shall I use?

How to Manage and Control a Project is the solution to your problem.  Get this book to learn the processes required to manage and control a project. Make the best impression to your leaders or bosses that you are the right individual for the job.

Content is represented in a structured tutorial and illustrations that will assist you in conducting project execution and control activities with confidence and command respect from your team.   

Managing and controlling a project involves management of the project cost, scope, schedule, and quality of the project.

Project management is the supervision and control of the work required to complete the project vision. The project team carries out the work needed to complete the project, while the project manager schedules, monitors, and controls the various project tasks. Projects, being the temporary and unique things that they are, require the project manager to be actively involved with the project implementation. They are not self-propelled. Project management is comprised of the following ten knowledge management areas: 

Integration Management include includes unification, consolidation, communication, and the integrative actions to control project execution, to manage stakeholder expectations, and to meet project requirements.

Scope Management includes the process of creating the project scope document that describes the scope of the project and the scope of the product. The key benefit of this process is that it provides guidance and direction on how the scope will be managed throughout the project. 

Time Management deals with the ability to plan and finish the project promptly. It involved defining project activities, estimating the resources required to perform the work, estimating the duration of activities, scheduling activities and ensuring adherence to the project schedule. 

Cost Management includes the processes that establish the policies, procedures, and documentation for planning, managing, expending and controlling project costs. The key benefit of this process is that it provides guidance and direction on how the project costs will be managed throughout the project. 

Quality Management is to ensure that the project outputs are delivered fit-for-purpose. If outputs are not fit-for-purpose there is a possibility that planned project benefits will not be realized, or realized to a much lesser extent. It can be achieved by developing quality criteria for the outputs themselves and by ensuring that all project management processes are conducted in a quality manner. 

Human Resource Management involves planning for managing the people, finances, and physical and information resources required to perform the project activities is vital, no matter what the project size or complexity. For small projects, this planning may not be documented, but for large and/or more complex projects, detailed documentation will enable better management of the resources, as well as transparency for the Key Stakeholders. 

Communications Management includes the processes involved in developing an appropriate approach and plan for project communications based on stakeholder’s information needs and requirements and available organizational assets. 

Stakeholder Management involves the identification of people or organizations that have an interest in the project processes, outputs, outcomes or benefits, and planning for how their involvement will be managed on an ongoing basis. It may be done very quickly for a small project, whereas a large and/or more complex project will require a formal stakeholder analysis, a Stakeholder Management Plan as part of the Project Business Plan and ongoing monitoring and review of progress. Stakeholder Management is closely related to communication strategy and planning. 

Risk Management describes the processes concerned with identifying, analyzing and responding to project risk. It consists of risk identification, risk analysis, risk evaluation, and risk treatment. The processes are iterative throughout the life of the project and should be built into the project management planning and activities. For small projects, a brief scan and ongoing monitoring may be all that is required. For large and/or more complex projects, a formalized system for analyzing, managing and reporting should be established, including the use of a Risk Register.

Procurement Management includes the processes associated with contract management and change control processes required to develop and administer contracts or purchase orders issued by authorized project team members; administer any contract issued by an outside organization (the buyer) that is acquiring deliverables from the project.

Project Manager Responsibilities

The Certified Project Manager decides and develops the most appropriate economic models and engineering methods for projects. They work in a variety of fields such as information technology, engineering, telecommunication, construction, logistics, hospitality, and others. Project Manager is normally onsite during an engineering project to supervise all stages of work and provide solutions. Most Project Managers work full-time alongside a wide number of team mates, such as site managers, surveyors, and site engineers, to ensure a project runs on schedule and that materials are sufficient. Successful Certified Project Managers are comfortable working in fast-paced environments.

Although a Certified Project Manager’s day-to-day duties and responsibilities are determined by where they work, there are many core tasks associated with the role. Based on our analysis of job listings, these include:

Create Project Execution Plans

Deciding on proper management techniques and milestone sequences for each project stage is the most important role of a Certified Project Manager. They set targets for activities based on each phase of a project plan and ensure it meets the client’s specifications. Certified Project Manager makes estimations for timescales and costs using specialized design software packages.

Project Monitoring and Reporting

Certified Project Manager monitors day-to-day work progress for a project and provides accurate weekly and monthly reports by swiftly communicating potential progress delays or project slippages. Tracking and analyzing field results is another key responsibility. Certified Project Manager s continually make comparisons between planned progress and actual progress and report any differences to their lead project manager. They also study the impact of alternative approaches.

Perform Project Coordination

Certified Project Manager analyze expenses and identify opportunities to save costs. They make sure complex projects are handled on time and within budget by overseeing the project planning, inventory services, cost control, team leadership, and project management.

Manage Stakeholder and Team Communication

A Certified Project Manager works closely with others involved in a project and directs the daily workload of subordinate team members. They attend crucial meetings and provide current status updates to vendors, supervisors, and other stakeholders.

Drive Process Improvement

Driving continuous improvement by working with leadership teams is a key duty for Certified Project Managers. They identify gaps in key performance areas and plan activities to increase overall project efficiency.

Project Management Skills

A Project Manager (PM) should be self-motivated, extremely organized, and have strong communication and project management aptitude. Employers typically seek candidates with a bachelor’s degree, project management certification, and the following skills:

Project Management skills – Project Manager needs a strong understanding of the project management body of knowledge and the processes

Strategic planning – the primary job of a Project Manager is determining the necessary path for a project to get completed on time

Risk management –skills in the application of risk management processes to manage threats and risks in the project

Teamwork – The project Manager interacts effectively with cross-functional team members and external stakeholders at various levels of responsibility

Analytical skills – high levels of analytical and problem-solving skills are critical to the performance of this role

Communication skills – Project Manager needs strong verbal and written skills to provide reports to clients and stakeholders as well as articulate complex project plans to team members

Interpersonal skills – listening, leadership, empathy, and dependability

Computer skills – Project Manager uses specialized computer software for project management purposes, and also to produce visual presentations, using bar charts and graphs to explain work schedules

There are five phases of a project management life cycle. The Project Initiation phase as the name suggests is the first phase that kicks off a project. The Project Planning phase will start only after approval has been obtained from the Project Sponsor to proceed with the planning activities associated with the project. The Project Execution phase will be carried out only after the project sponsor is satisfied with the planning work performed during the Project Planning phase. The Project Execution phase deals with the execution of the various tasks to be undertaken by the project team based upon the detailed scope of work defined in the planning phase. The Project Monitoring and Control phase run in parallel with the Project Execution phase that deals with the management and control of the cost, scope, schedule, risk, and quality affecting the project when the project team is executing the tasks defined in the project management plan. The Project Closeout phase deals with the tasks to close the project after all project deliverables have been delivered and accepted by the Customer.

The purpose of Project Planning is to define the exact parameters of a project and ensure that all the prerequisites for Project Execution and Control are in place. Project Planning builds upon the work performed during Project Initiation. The project definition and scope are validated with appropriate Stakeholders, starting with the Project Sponsor and Customer decision-makers. Project Scope, Schedule, and Budget are refined and confirmed, and risk assessment activities

Reviews for How to Manage and Control a Project?

[Liyana Abdullah · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Excellent content, pleasure reading. Recommended for anyone who needs to get up to speed in managing and controlling a project.