Hello everyone so now let's talk about the process which is our monitor and control project
work.
So we started with the initiation then we move to planning then we move to execution
we did two processes in execution and finally now we are in the in the monitoring piece.
So whatever you do, you want to make sure you monitor it, as a project manager.
It's not just about initiating the work, it's not just about planning the project, it's
not just about executing, it's also about monitoring and controlling.
It's your job as a project manager to make sure if the team or if the work is not going
as well planned, what are the preventive steps you are taking, what are the corrective actions
you are taking, so this is monitor and control project work.
So this process occurs as long as there is work to be produced.
Process groups, so the process group which is used is M&C process that ensures their
project work and deliverables are in line with the plan.
So basically what you're doing over here, you're doing a comparison of the planned work
versus the actual work, for example your plan is to complete all the videos for this particular
knowledge area today, but unfortunately you only covered three or four, so that's a variance.
What you planned and what you actually did is the variance or let's say your plan was
to cover the entire knowledge area but you also covered the scope management, Right?
You found it interesting and you want to listen more about it that is also the variance.
So a variance occurs when there is a difference between planned and actual, again it could
be positive variance or it could be negative variance.
To go into much more details about the variance we will probably discuss that in the cost
management knowledge area, where we would be discussing the earned value management,
based upon this variance we will have some recommendations, so recommendations will result
from the measured variance which may affect the changes in the execution of the plan or
changes to the plan itself.
Think from this perspective that things are not going right, as a project manager, you
will definitely take a step ,that step will make sure that you are back in line with what
you have planned or you might be delayed with a few more days or it might cost you more,
Right.
So whatever steps you take, these recommendations will come out of it.
Sometimes you take a corrective step or sometimes you take a preventive step, because you don't
want to make a mistake.
So you have to be proactive and specifically when you are monitoring and controlling the
work.
Issues, potential problems as well as existing issues may be uncovered, so if things are
not going right, then this is an issue, how to resolve that issue?
It's a part of your project management.
Now let's discuss the ITTO’s of this process, since it's monitor and control project work,
you will get lot of inputs because you want to monitor almost everything.
So first, we have the project management plan, where all the components you want to monitor,
all the components of project management plan, then in the project document is concerned
first we have the assumption log, so assumption log is a very important input, why? because
assumption is something which I assumed to be correct, okay I assumed to be true and
for example, if I'm assuming that my friend who has pretty good knowledge would help me
and if he or she is not helping me out, right?
So that's my plan may not complete on time and let me blame it on my friend that he didn't
tell me, it took me six months to buy that car so that was an assumption right.
I was not able to properly monitor and control the project work.
Then basis of estimates, this is thing we will talk about in much more detail in the
cost management, like what were the real basis, how did you come up with this those estimate.
So you want to control those as well.
Cost forecast, so forecast is something which you say that okay the way I'm doing this class
I might end up completing the project on let's say ten days prior to my exam date, or I might
end up not fully prepared.
That's cost forecast.
You do some kind of forecast and if you are doing something related to do budget that's
your cost forecast.
Issue log, of course you want to monitor and control your issue log.
Lessons learn register.
Of course then something from a previous project can help you to make sure you properly manage
your project.
Milestone list.
You want to make sure that your milestone is monitor and controlled, your quality reports,
your risk register, risk report, schedule, forecasts so and not just Cost forecast, this
risk for the schedule forecast should also be properly monitored and controlled.
Then we will have the work performance information as an input, okay remember, work performance
data gets converted into work performance information, work performance information
gets converted into work performance reports, so data gets converted into information, information
gets converted into reports, If in this case work performance information is an input,
you will definitely have a performance report as an output, if you see here, work performance
report as an output.
Data which was the raw observation, gets converted into something more substantial that is your
information and information actually takes the form of a report.
That's what performance report is.
Then you want to make sure you monitor, control the agreements.
If you are dealing with a seller then it is your job as a project manager to deal with
those agreements and monitor and control, whether the seller is doing the right thing,
is he following the contract, if not then what are the steps we need to take.
So that's part of monitor and control project work.
Of course we will have EEF, OPA, the common inputs as well.
As far as tools are concerned, we will have expert judgment, decision-making, meetings,
and data analysis, we'll discuss that in detail.
Output, we had the work performance information, which got converted into reports.
Of course, you will have change requests, so for all the monitor and control project
work, whenever you are monitoring and controlling , for example if you are in control cost or
control schedule, control monitor resources, like all of those may result in to change
requests.
If you are not doing the right thing at the right time then then it's a change request,
you might have to take some corrective actions for that, which might result into some preventive
actions to be taken for the future deliverables of yours, so all of that is part of change
request.
Your plan documents may be updated and similarly your documents, project document may be updated,
like issue log, cost forecast, lessons learned, risk register, schedule forecasts, all of
those make it updated as well.
Ok, so we have already gone through the inputs, we discussed, that project management plan
,how you would monitor, how you would control it, you need to know that information, this
is something which the project management plan is giving you.
Then project documents, lot of project documents, we discuss each one of them in detail, similarly
we discuss why work performance information is an input, then agreements, buyer-seller
relationship.
You need to make sure that's properly monitored and control and of course our OPA and the
EEF updates.
Ok so as far as tools and technique is concerned, so this is something, which I wanted to discuss.
So expert judgment is another common tool.
We have discussed this lot of time, when you are monitoring, when you are controlling,
you need a help of expert.
So this is a common one, you will see that every time.
As far as data analysis is concerned, we have the alternative analysis, which we will be
discussing in the resource management, but what is this alternative analysis?
In order to do something there might be alternative, like many possible ways, selecting the best
way is alternative analysis.
You as a project manager, it's your job to make sure that you first of all, find all
the alternatives and then select the best one, which suits you the best for your product.
Cost-benefit analysis, remember this is we will be discussing in quality management knowledge
area, but if you remember we briefly discuss about the CBR cost-benefit ratio and the benefit
cost ratio in the introduction slide, so in the introduction we talked about how benefit
should be more than the cost, and if the ratio of BCR, comparing that with the two projects
will result in to which project to select like the higher priority project to select.
Then we would be discussing the Earned value and analysis, I want to discuss the earned
value management which will actually help you to talk about the variance, then will
have the root cause analysis which we would be discussing at the quality management, trying
to find out the root cause of the problem.
So if you are trying to do the monitor and control, there are problems right?
So if there are problems we want to know the root cause, so that you can work on the root
cause, so that it doesn't happen in future.
Then you will have the trend analysis, trend analysis is actually basically about the forecast,
which forecasts the future performance based upon the past trends, for example I use this
trend analysis for buying shares in the stock market, if I want to buy a share of an e-commerce
company, I know that around Thanksgiving or around Christmas that's a holiday period,
Right?
So around Thanksgiving a Christmas many people actually buy gifts and at that time if you
see the stock market is pretty good and specifically for those e-commerce company is pretty good,
so that's the trend.
So I'll probably try to buy it at lower time and try to sell it when it's vacation and
holiday season.
Then we have the variance analysis, variance is more like a comparison of planned and actual
and try to find the variance.
Decision-making, we will be talking about decision-making in scope management knowledge
area, in order to take a decision there are many techniques like voting, majority, plurality,
all those are actually voting techniques, which we will be discussing in detail ,and
of course will have team meetings as well.
Outputs we have all discussed, it's a monitor and control project work, so you will always
have a change request, keep that in mind.
Your work performance information was an input and as I told you work performance information
will get converted into work performance reports, document updates and plan updates.
These are common outputs, they will definitely get updated.
Okay let us do a quick revision, so first it is a monitor and control project work,
what you're doing and trying to do the comparison of planned versus actual, so focus your efforts
on understanding the primary output, work performance reports and the change requests.
Make sure that these are the two outputs and of course, the change request is something,
which will definitely be an output to this process.
For monitor and control you will have change requests, Know this oversight process does
not occur once but many times in the cycle of planning, executing and monitor and control,
so this is something you keep on doing again and again and again.
See lot of processes are repetitive, you will do that again and again and why?
Because you want to monitor project whole through a project.
Not just in the beginning or in the when you are doing the execution, or when you are just
planning, you want to do it whole through.
Of course and sometimes you want to monitor more, if you are not doing the right thing,
I am probably monitoring in a more aggressive fashion so that is monitor and control.
Now this process follows direct and managed project work and precedes the perform integrated
change control, which we will be discussing the next.
So once we have an deliverable, we try to make sure that is done in the right way ,so
we monitor and control at that time, once we get it, after that we try to monitor it
to make sure that it has actually followed all the requirements which were defined in
the requirements management plan.
It has to go through testing, so that is one of the aspect.
Always remember it does the comparison of planned versus actual so this is like the
basic thing.