Controlling a
Stage
Once
a decision has been taken to proceed with work, and resources have been
committed, the Project Management Team must be focused on delivery within the
tolerance laid down.
This
means controlled production of the agreed products:
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To stated quality
standards |
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Within cost, effort and
time agreed |
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Ultimately to achieve
defined benefits. |
To
achieve this success, the project must:
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Focus management
attention on delivery of the stage's products or outcomes |
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Focus the resources used
during the stage towards this end |
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Keep the risks under
control |
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Keep the Business Case
under review |
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Carefully monitor any
movement away from the direction and products agreed at the start of the stage
to avoid 'scope creep' and loss of focus. |
This
process handles day-to-day management of the project. It is started after
approval of a Stage Plan. It describes the work of the
Project Manager
The
following processes, shows the `natural' pattern of events, and ensures that
all necessary actions are carried out on a regular basis. HOWEVER, much of
project management is of an ad hoc nature, driven by problems and circumstances
as they arise. This means that any or all of Controlling a Stage may be used in
an event-driven manner as well as on the regular basis indicated.
The
objectives of Controlling, a Stage are to:
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Deliver the right
products |
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Ensure that quality is achieved
as planned |
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Deliver products on time
and to cost within agreed tolerance |
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Direct and conduct work
on products correctly |
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Direct and utilise
resources properly |
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Update plans with actuals,
enabling progress to be checked against the plan |
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Cost resource usage
correctly |
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Manage any deviations
from Stage or Project Plans correctly |
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Inform all interested
parties about project progress in a timely manner |
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Ensure that projects are
stopped or re-directed if the reasons for setting them up have been
invalidated by internal or external events. |
Central
to the ultimate success of the project is the day-to-day control of the work that
is being conducted. Throughout a stage this will consist of a cycle of:
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Authorising work to be
done |
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Monitoring progress
information about that work |
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Watching for changes |
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Reviewing the situation and
triggering new work authorisations |
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Reporting |
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Taking any necessary
corrective action. |
If
changes are observed which are forecast deviations beyond agreed tolerances,
Escalating Project Issues covers the activities of bringing the situation
to the attention of the Project
Board.
Other
factors that must be borne in mind are that:
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The current stage
contains work and involves resource expenditure that have been authorised by the
Project Board. It is therefore important to give the Project Board feedback
on progress against its expectations |
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All individual items of
work in a stage should be authorised |
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Project work can be
adequately controlled only against a plan |
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If the project is to be
successful, the Project Manager and
Project Board must react quickly to
changes and deviations from the agreed Stage
Plan. |