How can you monitor and control your project more effectively?

The first and most important thing is to establish a clear project baseline. This includes defining the project scope, schedule, budget, and quality standards. The baseline will serve as your benchmark for tracking progress and identifying deviations. The second step is tracking progress against the baseline, identifying and assessing risks, and monitoring issues and changes. You can use a variety of tools and techniques to monitor project performance, such as project management software. The third step is to take corrective action when needed. If the project is deviating from the baseline, take corrective action to bring it back on track.

Monitoring and controlling a project effectively is all about laying down a solid foundation. Here's my down-to-earth guide: 1. Start by setting objectives that are clear and match what your customer needs 2. Clearly define the scope of work; what's in, and what's out? 3. Identify key deliverables and milestones and set them up along a timeline 4. Create baselines for both cost and time and regularly check in to make sure you're sticking to the plan 5. You can use tools like MS Project, Jira, Prism, or even good old Excel to keep tabs on how each part of the project is doing 6. Identify potential risks and keep an eye on them before they blow up 7. Update stakeholders With these points, you'll steer your projects in the right direction!

In my experience, clear mandate is critical to ensure the project able to run smoothly from beginning to the end. On top of that, clear mandate will give project manager peace of mind and authority to make certain decisions/adjustments to ensure the project goal is achievable. Missing the mandate, regardless of how good your project management skills, the project would definitely fail miserably.

Effective project monitoring and control boils down to three simple tactics: Automate where possible - Modern PM tools offer real-time dashboards to track tasks, budgets, risks. Set up alerts for early issue detection. Saves time playing catch-up. Check-in regularly - Short weekly team meetings quickly highlight blocking points before they derail projects. Informal chats also help sense workload and pacing. Align tracking to risk levels - Complex projects may need daily tests and reviews. Simple ones can rely on weekly checks, avoiding unnecessary noise. Stay laser-focused on the few make-or-break items. This transforms control from reactive stress to calm, confident oversight. Leave the rest to the software.

I would say communication should be both formal and informal. A friendly chat can help in identifying issues at an early stage and at times, is more effective than formal status meetings.

It’s also important to have an effective change management system in place. Today’s environment, customers, stakeholders’ needs are constantly changing. Sticking to a rigid plan doesn’t mean consistency. Consistency works when you embed it in your principles and systems. If methods don’t work or the goals have simply changed, you have to change them. Plans, charters, etc., are examples of methods. So, if your needs have changed, no doubt, your plans should change. But are you really ready for that? Think of it at the beginning of planning process. This is sometimes ignored at the beginning. Design a change management system and agree on that. Then, when you encounter a complicated situation, where you need to change, you know what to do.

Base line constitutes of Critical milestones, approvals of sanctioned drawings from DTCP , allocated duration for design development, Stake holders approvals of schematic Drawings , Estimation and cost of project , Technical and financial closure of critical packages , tendering process , Negotiation, LOI , Procurement schedule aligned to base line , Monthly cash in and cash out projection . CRM milestones

- Document project requirements and get approval from stakeholders . - Use a project plan to track progress, identify and resolve issues, and communicate status . - Communicate early and often with the project team and stakeholders . - Monitor and control the project performance, risks, issues, and changes, and take corrective actions when needed . - Avoid scope creep by defining and managing the project scope clearly and following a change management process . - Manage your team and stakeholders effectively by providing guidance, support, feedback, motivation, and alignment . - Hold regular retrospective and conclusion meetings to review, learn, and improve .

If monitoring a high number of projects, track 2 things: 1) how often do the PMs update percents complete and EACs. Outliers generally require attention. The better PMs will follow a steady rhythm— typically monthly on percents. The weaker PMs will be inconsistent. 2) How closely do the reported physical percents complete track the financial burn. A PM can stay off the exception report by plugging percents to fit— often out of learned ignorance. You’re looking for those projects where the match is TOO close. The Percent Complete is always the mathematical complement of Percent Incomplete— that’s expensive lesson many novices don’t really grasp until it’s too late.