ISO 21502:2020 Clause 6.6 Controlling a project

Project Management 7 Minutes

6.6.1 Overview

The purpose of controlling a project, including phases and work packages, is to monitor and measure performance against an agreed plan, including authorized changes. The project manager should build on the project’s initial plan , adding detail as the activities, deliverables or outputs are designed and developed, and reflecting authorized changes, as required.

Controlling a project is a critical aspect of project management, focusing on monitoring, measuring, and adjusting project performance to ensure that it stays on track and meets its objectives. Project control involves various activities and processes aimed at maintaining control over project variables such as scope, schedule, budget, quality, and risks. By actively controlling and managing these elements, project managers can maintain visibility into the project’s status, make informed decisions, and take proactive measures to address challenges. Regularly reassessing and adapting project control strategies contribute to the overall success of the project. Here are key elements of controlling a project:

  1. Performance Monitoring: Regularly monitor and assess project performance against the planned objectives and milestones. Use key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure progress in areas such as scope completion, schedule adherence, and budget utilization.
  2. Variance Analysis: Conduct variance analysis to identify any discrepancies between planned and actual performance. Analyze the reasons behind variations and assess their potential impact on the project’s overall success.
  3. Scope Management: Continuously manage and control project scope. Monitor changes to scope and assess their impact on the project’s timeline, budget, and resources. Ensure that scope changes are properly documented and approved.
  4. Schedule Control: Regularly review and update the project schedule. Identify any deviations from the planned timeline and assess the critical path. Adjust the schedule as needed to address changes, delays, or unforeseen events.
  5. Budget Control: Monitor project expenditures against the budget. Identify cost overruns or savings and take corrective actions as necessary. Ensure that financial resources are managed efficiently throughout the project life cycle.
  6. Quality Assurance and Control: Implement and monitor quality assurance and control processes to ensure that project deliverables meet the specified quality standards. Address any deviations from quality requirements promptly.
  7. Risk Management: Continue to assess and manage project risks. Identify new risks as they arise and implement risk mitigation strategies. Regularly review the risk management plan and adjust it as needed.
  8. Communication Management: Maintain effective communication channels with project stakeholders. Provide regular updates on project progress, changes, and potential risks. Ensure that stakeholders are informed and engaged throughout the project.
  9. Issue Management: Address project issues as they arise. Implement corrective actions to resolve problems and prevent them from impacting the project’s overall success. Document issues and their resolutions for future reference.
  10. Change Control: Manage changes to the project scope, schedule, or budget through a formal change control process. Assess the impact of changes on the project and obtain approvals before implementing modifications.
  11. Resource Management: Monitor and manage project resources, including human resources, equipment, and materials. Ensure that resources are allocated efficiently and that any resource constraints are addressed promptly.
  12. Performance Reporting: Generate regular project status reports for stakeholders. These reports should highlight key achievements, challenges, and the overall health of the project. Use visual aids and metrics to enhance communication.
  13. Lessons Learned: Continuously capture lessons learned throughout the project. Evaluate what worked well and what could be improved. Apply these insights to enhance project management practices in future projects.
  14. Escalation Process: Establish an escalation process for addressing issues or challenges that cannot be resolved at the project team level. Clearly define the escalation path and ensure that issues reach the appropriate levels of management for resolution.
  15. Project Reviews and Audits: Conduct regular project reviews and audits to assess compliance with project plans, policies, and procedures. Use these reviews to identify areas for improvement and enhance project performance.

The purpose of controlling a project, including phases and work packages, is to monitor and measure performance against an agreed plan, including authorized changes.

Controlling a project, which includes monitoring and measuring performance against an agreed plan, is crucial for ensuring that the project stays on track and aligns with the established objectives. Here’s a more detailed breakdown of the purpose of controlling a project:

  1. Monitoring Performance: Regularly monitor and track the project’s progress in terms of scope completion, schedule adherence, and budget utilization. This involves comparing actual performance against the planned milestones and deliverables.
  2. Measuring Performance: Use key performance indicators (KPIs) and metrics to quantitatively assess project performance. This provides a measurable and objective way to gauge the project’s success and identify areas that may require attention.
  3. Phase Control: Control and manage each phase of the project life cycle. This includes initiating, planning, executing, monitoring and controlling, and closing phases. Each phase has specific objectives and deliverables that need to be monitored and managed accordingly.
  4. Work Package Control: Break down the project into manageable work packages and control each of them individually. This ensures that smaller components of the project are progressing as planned, contributing to the overall success of the project.
  5. Scope Control: Continuously manage and control project scope. Verify that the project is delivering what was initially agreed upon and that any changes to the scope are properly authorized through a formal change control process.
  6. Schedule Control: Regularly review and update the project schedule. Control and adjust the schedule as necessary to accommodate changes, unexpected delays, or shifts in project priorities. Ensure that the project stays on track with its timelines.
  7. Budget Control: Control project expenditures against the budget. Monitor costs, identify any variances, and take corrective actions to address overruns or optimize resource utilization. This involves keeping the project financially aligned with the planned budget.
  8. Quality Control: Implement and manage quality control processes to ensure that project deliverables meet the specified quality standards. This involves inspecting and verifying work to prevent defects and ensure customer satisfaction.
  9. Risk Control: Actively manage and control project risks. This includes identifying new risks, assessing their potential impact, and implementing risk response plans. Regularly review and update the risk management plan.
  10. Change Control: Manage changes to the project through a formal change control process. Control the approval and implementation of changes to the project’s scope, schedule, or budget to avoid unauthorized alterations that could impact project success.
  11. Resource Control: Monitor and manage project resources, including human resources, equipment, and materials. Ensure that resources are allocated efficiently, and any resource constraints are addressed promptly to avoid bottlenecks.
  12. Performance Reporting: Generate regular performance reports that communicate project status, achievements, challenges, and key metrics to stakeholders. This ensures transparency and keeps all relevant parties informed.
  13. Continuous Improvement: Use insights gained from monitoring and measuring performance to identify opportunities for improvement. Implement corrective actions and adjustments to enhance project efficiency and effectiveness.
  14. Compliance Control: Ensure that the project complies with relevant policies, regulations, and industry standards. Conduct regular reviews and audits to verify compliance and address any deviations promptly.
  15. Customer Satisfaction Control: Assess and manage customer satisfaction by meeting or exceeding their expectations. This involves actively seeking feedback, addressing concerns, and ensuring that the project outcomes align with customer requirements.

By actively controlling various project elements, project managers can effectively navigate challenges, respond to changes, and optimize project performance. The ongoing monitoring and measurement process ensures that the project remains aligned with the agreed-upon plan and objectives throughout its life cycle.

The project manager should build on the project’s initial plan , adding detail as the activities, deliverables or outputs are designed and developed, and reflecting authorized changes, as required.

This highlights a key aspect of effective project management—namely, the dynamic and iterative nature of project planning. Project managers should view the initial project plan as a living document that evolves throughout the project life cycle. Here’s a breakdown of how the project manager builds on the initial plan:

  1. Continuous Planning: Project planning is not a one-time activity. It is an ongoing process that evolves as the project progresses. The project manager should continuously refine and expand the project plan to incorporate new information, insights, and changes.
  2. Detail Addition: As the project advances, more details become available. The project manager adds granularity to the plan by breaking down high-level activities into detailed tasks, specifying resource requirements, and providing more in-depth timelines for each phase or work package.
  3. Design and Development Activities: As activities, deliverables, or outputs are designed and developed, the project plan is updated to reflect these developments. This ensures that the plan remains aligned with the actual progress and helps in identifying any deviations or opportunities for optimization.
  4. Reflecting Authorized Changes: Project plans are subject to changes due to various factors such as scope adjustments, stakeholder feedback, or unforeseen circumstances. The project manager updates the plan to reflect authorized changes, ensuring that the team operates based on the most current and approved information.
  5. Change Management: The project manager utilizes a change management process to handle any modifications to the project plan. This involves assessing the impact of changes, obtaining necessary approvals, and implementing adjustments while maintaining control over the project’s scope, schedule, and budget.
  6. Communication of Changes: Any changes to the project plan, especially those that affect key stakeholders, are communicated effectively. Transparency in communicating alterations helps manage expectations and fosters collaboration among team members and stakeholders.
  7. Risk-Driven Adjustments: The project manager considers risk management as an integral part of ongoing planning. If new risks are identified or existing risks evolve, the project plan is adjusted to incorporate risk mitigation strategies and ensure that the project remains resilient.
  8. Team Collaboration: Collaboration with the project team is crucial. The project manager works closely with team members to gather insights, progress updates, and feedback. This collaboration aids in refining the plan based on the collective knowledge and expertise of the project team.
  9. Iterative Planning: Recognizing that projects often operate in dynamic environments, the project manager adopts an iterative approach to planning. Regularly revisiting and revising the plan allows for adaptability, enabling the project team to respond effectively to changing conditions.
  10. Documentation and Version Control: Proper documentation and version control are maintained for the project plan. This ensures that there is a clear record of changes, approvals, and the evolution of the plan over time. Version control helps avoid confusion and ensures that stakeholders refer to the latest version.

By actively building on the initial plan, incorporating details, and reflecting authorized changes, the project manager contributes to the project’s success. This adaptive approach allows the project team to stay agile, responsive, and aligned with project goals throughout its life cycle.

Published by Pretesh Biswas

Pretesh Biswas has wealth of qualifications and experience in providing results-oriented solutions for your system development, training or auditing needs. He has helped dozens of organizations in implementing effective management systems to a number of standards. He provide a unique blend of specialized knowledge, experience, tools and interactive skills to help you develop systems that not only get certified, but also contribute to the bottom line. He has taught literally hundreds of students over the past 5 years. He has experience in training at hundreds of organizations in several industry sectors. His training is unique in that which can be customized as to your management system and activities and deliver them at your facility. This greatly accelerates the learning curve and application of the knowledge acquired. He is now ex-Certification body lead auditor now working as consultancy auditor. He has performed hundreds of audits in several industry sectors. As consultancy auditor, he not just report findings, but provide value-added service in recommending appropriate solutions. Experience Consultancy: He has helped over 100 clients in a wide variety of industries achieve ISO 9001,14001,27001,20000, OHSAS 18001 and TS 16949 certification. Industries include automotive, metal stamping and screw machine, fabrication, machining, assembly, Forging electrostatic and chrome plating, heat-treating, coatings, glass, plastic and rubber products, electrical and electronic equipment, assemblies & components, batteries, computer hardware and software, printing, placement and Security help, warehousing and distribution, repair facilities, consumer credit counseling agencies, banks, call centers, etc. Training: He has delivered public and on-site quality management training to over 1000 students. Courses include ISO/TS -RAB approved Lead Auditor, Internal Auditing, Implementation, Documentation, as well as customized ISO/TS courses, PPAP, FMEA, APQP and Control Plans. Auditing: He has conducted over 100 third party registration and surveillance audits and dozens of gap, internal and pre-assessment audits to ISO/QS/TS Standards, in the manufacturing and service sectors. Other services: He has provided business planning, restructuring, asset management, systems and process streamlining services to a variety of manufacturing and service clients such as printing, plastics, automotive, transportation and custom brokerage, warehousing and distribution, electrical and electronics, trading, equipment leasing, etc. Education & professional certification: Pretesh Biswas has held IRCA certified Lead Auditor for ISO 9001,14001 and 27001. He holds a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Mechanical Engineering and is a MBA in Systems and Marketing. Prior to becoming a business consultant 6 years ago, he has worked in several portfolios such as Marketing, operations, production, Quality and customer care. He is also certified in Six Sigma Black belt .

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