Project Monitoring and Controlling: Managing Change and Scope

By Chris Regis, PMP

Have you ever compared the expected results to the actual results of a deliverable and found a large difference based on the original scope? Monitoring and Controlling is the process by which project managers ensure that the deliverables created during execution match the scope and that project changes follow the correct process. Project managers must be ready to react to changes or variances areas that occur in all of the PMI Knowledge Areas, such as scope, schedule, cost, and risks. There is considerable interaction between this phase and project execution, especially when it comes to communication.

Realizing when a change is needed and managing that change appropriately is key to a project’s success. I have seen project teams struggle to follow the change control process properly. I have also seen and project managers not taking the appropriate action to control scope and other project aspects, even when provided with accurate data. Both of these situations lead to rework and risk that can be avoided. This article will explore methods to help avoid such situations. The same interpersonal skills that make project execution successful are also needed in this phase.

While project work is being executed, we receive reports, including status tracking and performance against to various metrics. I have found that project managers pay most attention to the percentage of work complete tracked towards a due date. The importance of various status data will vary depending on one’s project and industry. How a project manager reacts to these metrics is key to identifying and resolving risks and problems that arise while a deliverable is being created. The following points are important to consider during this phase:

1.    When a status report indicates that an aspect of the project is not working out, the project manager should make a thorough effort to determine the root cause of problem. Making assumptions about why a deliverable is late or over budget can lead to additional unwanted rework and finger pointing. This exercise may identify that the metric itself is invalid or based on incorrect information. If there is a situation that needs to be addressed the project manager will have the best information available to work towards a solution.

2.    Many of the ‘Control’ knowledge areas involve comparing actual results to expected results via a variance analysis. Project Managers are usually skilled at finding a variance, but a common issue I have seen is the lack of documentation of the actual reason for the variance and the lack of an action plan for avoiding the variance in the future. This is common in software testing. For example, if an issue causes a variance in internal testing and is subsequently fixed, but not documented, it can reoccur in client testing in a different software environment or database.

3.    If a true problem or variance does arise, a project manager needs the communication skills to describe it to different stakeholders. How you explain an issue to a software developer will be different than how it is explained to a program manager. Communicating issue impact is just an important. A variance might be correctable with minimal resources, but the materials needed could be expensive. A cost-averse stakeholder will see this as problematic, while a stakeholder who is concerned about staffing will not be as concerned.

Performing the change control process is an important part of the Monitoring and Controlling phase. The amount of time spent on this depends on the project itself. Some organizations have meetings in which change control is the only topic discussed. Other organizations might view this process as an informal conversation between two stakeholders. We have all participated in projects where this process worked well and in others where it didn’t. The following points aide in successful change control and are based on my own career experiences:

1.    A project manager should set and enforce clear expectations with their team about following the change control process so that team members don't just act alone for what they think is in the team’s best interest. For example, a construction worker observes that a material being used for a building project is not adequate and decides to use a different material that is far more expensive without telling their project manager. The project manager only finds out about this later when a large cost variance occurs. The construction worker should have first brought this situation to the project manager’s attention so that the appropriate process could be followed and documented.

2.    I think many project managers are skilled at identifying and implementing a change, but they sometimes don’t think about how a change will affect other aspects of the project. This can cause defects and variances down the line. How will changing the deliverable impact other areas of a project, such as cost and schedule? Will one change cause risk in another area?

3.    Although it is often time-consuming and cumbersome, documenting why and how a change was made is critically important. It is frustrating when a stakeholder asks why something changed from the original plan, but the project manager has no documentation explaining why the change occurred. This is often uncovered when comparing the deliverable to its original requirements.

Monitoring and controlling all aspects of project during its execution can challenge even an experienced project manager. Each knowledge area—such as cost, quality, schedule, and risk—presents their own unique circumstances and level of importance from project to project. A thorough plan and a well-trained team aide smooth project execution, which makes monitoring a project easier. A successful project manager can interpret data metrics, manage change controls, and communicate all of this to stakeholders successfully to drive towards acceptance of the project deliverables.