The process-based approach of the sixth edition of a guide to the project management body of knowledge (PMBOK) outlines the five process groups of the project management methodology. These process groups – initiating, planning, executing, monitoring and controlling, and closing-consist of processes and activities that assist project managers in leading and directing projects for their organizations. The monitoring and controlling process group have processes that help project managers keep track of the project and adjust the performance to reach the project goals.
Monitoring and Controlling in Project Management
The main objective of the project management monitoring and controlling process group is to measure and analyze the project’s performance regularly. By doing so, project managers can ensure that the project is proceeding according to the project management plan and is on track to attain the project objectives. Thus, project managers use project management’s monitor and control phase of to avoid scope creep and take appropriate corrective measures in case of deviations from the project scope. Since the monitoring and controlling processes are carried out simultaneously, they have been merged to help project managers take control of the project.
The monitoring and controlling process group is ongoing as it is conducted at regular intervals throughout the project life cycle. Therefore, the processes under monitoring and controlling overlap with other project management processes. However, this process-based approach is absent in the latest edition of PMBOK. The measurement performance domain has been replaced the monitoring and controlling process group in project management. This performance domain, a part of the eight performance domains of the PMBOK 7th Edition, helps project managers measure the project’s performance to attain the desired project objectives.
Processes of Monitoring and Controlling Process Group
Like every process group in project management, the monitoring and controlling process group consist of a certain number of processes divided into the ten project management knowledge areas. The monitoring and controlling process group have twelve processes; they are:
- Monitor and Control Project Work – This process is a part of the project integration management knowledge area. Here, the project’s performance and progress are monitored and controlled. Reports and documents help project managers keep a record of the project’s progression against the project management plan.
- Perform Integrated Change Control – This is another process under project integration management where the change requests made by any of the project stakeholders are managed appropriately. Project Managers address the change requests by comparing their impacts on the overall project and taking necessary actions.
- Validate Scope – A part of the scope management knowledge area, validating scope helps justify the final project matches the original project scope.
- Control Scope – In this process, under the project scope management knowledge area, the final project delivered is checked against the scope baseline that the project stakeholders agreed on.
- Control Schedule – This process under the project schedule management knowledge area assists project managers in controlling the actual schedule of the project using the approved schedule baseline.
- Control Costs – As part of the project cost management knowledge area, this process helps project managers control the project’s actual costs by comparing them to the cost baseline.
- Control Quality – This process focuses on controlling the quality of the project and is an essential part of the project quality management knowledge area.
- Control Resources – This process under the project resource management knowledge area helps project managers control the project’s actual resources against the resource management plan and take necessary corrective or preventive actions.
- Monitor Communications – This project communications management process helps project managers improve project communications by monitoring the implementation of the project communication.
- Monitor Risks – This process comes under the project risk management knowledge area and assists project managers in monitoring and controlling project risks.
- Control Procurements – This process, as part of the project procurement management knowledge area, helps project managers monitor and control the project procurements according to the procurement management plan.
- Monitor Stakeholder Engagement – In this project stakeholder management knowledge area process, the engagement levels of the project stakeholders are monitored.
Conclusion
The monitoring and controlling process group in project management is very important as it helps project managers adjust the project deliverables according to the required goals. Therefore, future project managers and aspiring project management professionals (PMPs) should thoroughly understand the monitoring and controlling process group of project management to lead and direct projects for their organizations.
