Concept of Project Monitoring

Monitoring refers to timely gathering of information to review project

implementation. It is an ongoing management review key factors of project
implementation performance.
Monitoring is collecting, recording and reporting information concerning any
and all aspects of project performance that the project managers or other in
the organization wish to know. Monitoring means to keep track of and to
check systematically all project activities.

Project monitoring is defined as a process which is performed to track the

progress of project execution so that potential problems can be identified well
in time for the taking of the corrective actions for the purpose of controlling
the execution of the project. It is a continuing function during project
implementation which provides management of an ongoing development
intervention with indications of the extent of progress and achievement of
objectives and progress in the use of allocated funds. It provides information
and ensures the use of such information by management to assess project
effects – both intentional and unintentional – and their impact. It aims at
determining whether or not the intended project goals and objectives are
being on the track.

Project monitoring can also be defined as the ongoing process by which

management gets regular feedback on the progress being made towards
achieving the goals and objectives of the project. It focuses on reviewing of
progress against achieving of goals. In other words, monitoring is not only
concerned with the taking of the actions but is also concerned with making the
progress towards achievement of the results. In the more limited approach,
monitoring can focus on tracking project with regards to the use of the
resources. In the broader approach, monitoring also involves tracking
strategies and actions being taken by management, and figuring out what new
strategies and actions need to be taken to ensure progress towards the project
objectives.

Objectives of Monitoring

In defining the term monitoring, one needs to be exposed to a number of

concepts associated therewith. Monitoring is the continuous assessment of a
programme or project in relation to the agreed implementation schedule. It is
also a good management tool which should, if used properly, provide
continuous feedback on the project implementation as well assist in the
identification of potential successes and constraints to facilitate timely
decisions. Unfortunately, in many projects, the role of this is barely understood
and therefore negatively impacts on the projects. Monitoring is not only
concerned with the transformation of inputs into outputs, but can also take
the following forms:

Physical and financial monitoring :Measuring progress of project or

programme activities against established schedules and indicators of success.

Process monitoring: Identifying factors accounting for progress of activities or

success of output production.

Impact monitoring: Measuring the initial responses and reactions to project

activities and their immediate short and long term effects.

Projects are monitored so as to:

• assess the stakeholders’ understanding of the project;

• minimise the risk of project failure;

• promote systematic and professional management; and

• assess progress in implementation are ensured

One needs to recognize the role played by the various stakeholders in

monitoring. These players include the financiers, implementing agencies,
project teams, interested groups such as churches, environmentalists, etc. It
should further be recognized that, to be an effective management tool,
monitoring should be regular but should take into account the risks inherent in
the project/programme and its implementation.

Objectives of Project Monitoring

1. To determine whether recipient is carrying out its development project, and

its individual activities, as described in the application for assistance and the
agreement.
2. To determine whether the activities are carried out in a timely manner, in
accordance with the schedule included in the Agreement.

3. To determine whether charging costs to the project are eligible under

applicable laws, regulations, and are reasonable in light of the services or
products delivered.

4. To determine whether conducting activities are adequate to control over

program and financial performance, and in a way that minimizes opportunities
for waste, mismanagement, fraud, and abuse.

5. To assess if the program has continuing capacity to carry out the approved
project, as well as other grants for which it may apply.

6. To identify potential problem areas and to assist them in complying with

applicable laws and regulations.

7. To assist in resolving compliance problems through discussion, negotiation,

and the provision of technical assistance and training.

8. To provide adequate follow-up measures to ensure that performance and

compliance deficiencies are corrected and not repeated.

9. To comply with the Government monitoring requirements

10. To determine if any conflicts of interest exist in the operation of the

program,

11. To ensure that required records are maintained to demonstrate

compliance with applicable regulations.

Steps of Monitoring

Step 1. Define the desired goal of the project

One of the most important assessment questions to ask is, “What best
practices efforts are building on”? “What is to expect to accomplish through
this project? Another way to phrase this is: What challenges/opportunity does
the project address (e.g., lack of coordination for health services, poor
nutrition, and dental health)? Often projects are established to meet one or
more specific goals and build on evidence from promising efforts. These goals
and efforts are often described in the original project plans. Goals do not need
to be measurable, but they must be consistent with the overall purpose and
intent of what you want to accomplish.

Step 2. Define the desired objective(s) for each goal

A prerequisite for evaluation is the development of a project plan with

measurable objectives that are logically related to one another and to the
goals and interventions defined in the project proposal. All project objectives
should specify what is to be done and by when. It is imperative that project
staff clarify the project’s objectives for each goal. You and your project staff
must review your project‘s objectives, and if necessary, you may have to
rewrite some of the objectives to reflect what you can measure. If your
preproject planning was done thoroughly, then, it should be relatively easy to
determine program goals, objectives and activities.

IT IS CRITICAL TO HAVE CLEARLY STATED OBJECTIVE(S)

Need to Ask: Are your objectives S-M-A-R-T? – Are they:

Specific – linked to clear tasks and outcomes, Performance Measures

Measurable (Process–Monitoring, Outcome–Evaluation)

Attainable – Given Socio-Cultural, Political and Technical Reality and Capacity

of Your System

Relevant - Current and Planned Programs and Services

Time-Bound – tasks to be accomplished within well thought out timeframes

Step 3. Define the target value

Once all aspects of the objectives have been determined, the target value must
be defined and documented. The target value allows the indicators or terms to
be measured, interpreted and analyzed. Without an expected target level for
your measure it will be very difficult to interpret and analyze your indicator
data. In other words did the plan do well or poorly on this measure? Was the
measure accomplished as expected or not? The target value adds specificity to
the project expectation or outcome statement(s). Remember that
Quantitatively the target value is the level of change you would like to obtain
for all persons described in your target population. Quantitatively, it is that
level of information needed or deemed acceptable to help you/your team
make decisions about your targeted actions . You will need to identify a value
or set of information as the baseline from which to develop a meaningful
analysis of the measurement of your defined target.

Step 4. Define one or more indicators/measures for your objectives

The types of information needed will be guided by the objective you assess.
For example, when the objective refers to what you plan to do, you must
collect information on the types of services, activities, or educational/training
products that are developed and implemented; who received them; and their
duration and intensity.

Outcomes and indicators are often confused as one and the same, when they
are actually distinct concepts as has been described above. Each project is
unique and is aimed at achieving a range of different results (outcomes).

Step 5. Identify formula to measure progress towards achieving each

objective(s)

A Formula is a method used to provide a result (in the form of a fraction or

summary statement) that specify the extent to which an objective or sub-
objective is achieved. The Achievement Index is a snapshot of project
performance based on project assessments that shows how project performs
in regarding overall achievements. To calculate a formula you must have a
baseline (starting figure), numerator (top figure) and denominator (bottom
figure). For purposes of the Achievement Index the denominator is the target
value or point of observation (in the case of qualitative objectives) and the
numerator is targeted activity or type of change (quantitative or qualitative)
that is be achieved.

Step 6. Define steps/activities (interventions) that you believe are effective

toward achieving the objectives

A critical next step after the indicator(s), measure(s), numerator(s) and

denominator(s) have been defined and documented is to define and clarify
what it will take to get the work done. What is to be done depends on what
defines the desired result or type of objective.
Steps/activities/tasks are actions that are necessary to accomplish the desired
result. Modified Achievement Index for example, they are descriptions of the
details or logistics. Depending on time and resources, these details can be
intricate or simple.

However, they must be logically linked to the indicators and measure and the
desired results. For example, steps/activities/tasks for establishing an advisory
group must be specific to achieving this objective; so using the advisory group
to assist with the development of a needs assessment form would not fit, the
latter would occur after the group has been formed and would be a part of a
separate objective or sub-objective.

An Intervention is any planned effort designed to produce intended changes in

a target population. If the objective is focused (also) on changing something
(e.g., attitude, behaviors, system operation, etc.) than it becomes necessary to
identify, define and document what type(s) of intervention will be needed.

Step 7. Identify the source (s) of the data for each measure

There are four basic ways to collect assessment data: document review,
observation, interview and surveys. Sources of Data may include claims data,
client service database, client Intake profile database, local, state and national
economic characteristic database, population-based data Interview documents
or notes, meeting documents or notes, client personal logs etc.

Step 8. Record the results of the steps/activities/intervention

Documentation of the result comes from the product of the Formula to

Measure Success. As discussed earlier that formula provides a fraction or
summary statement that indicates the degree to which the objective or sub-
objective has been achieved within a certain time frame (e.g., by the end of six
months or one year).

The result, effect or impact (expected or unexpected, intended or unintended)

that can be reasonable attributed to the activities or actions of a program.
These can be intermittent (short-term/ongoing) or ultimate (long-term or end-
of-program) outcomes.

METHODS OF MONITORING

Some of the tools/approaches/methods are complementary or substitutes;

some are broad in scope, others narrower. The methods are:

 Performance indicators.

These measure inputs, processes, outputs, outcomes and impacts of

development interventions. They are used for setting targets and
measuring progress towards them.

 The logical framework (LogFrame) .

This identifies objectives and expected causal links and risks along the
results chain. It is a vehicle for engaging partners and can help improve
programme design. Originally designed for use in simple timebound
projects, it is now the tool of choice for donors in interventions ranging
from small projects to organisational core funding. The logical
framework is often used as a basis for monitoring and evaluation.

 Theory-based monitoring

Similar to the LogFrame approach, this provides a deeper

understanding of the workings of a complex intervention. It helps
planning and management by identifying critical success factors. This
approach is effectively based on what is called deductive reasoning. It
starts with a theory and then test and refine it.

 Formal surveys.

These are used to collect standardised information from a sample of

people or households. They are useful for understanding actual
conditions and changes over time.
  Rapid appraisal methods.

These are quick, cheap ways of providing decision-makers with views

and feedback from beneficiaries and stakeholders. They include
interviewing, focus groups and field observation.

 Participatory methods. These allow stakeholders to be actively involved

in decision-making. They generate a sense of ownership of M&E results
and recommendations, and build local capacity.

 Public expenditure tracking surveys.

These trace the flow of public funds and assess whether resources
reach the intended recipients. They can help diagnose service-delivery
problems and improve accountability.

 Cost-benefit and cost-effectiveness analysis.

These tools assess whether the cost of an activity is justified by its

impact. Cost-benefit measures inputs and outputs in monetary terms,
whereas cost-effectiveness looks at outputs in non-monetary terms.

 Impact Monitoring.

This is the systematic identification of the effects of an intervention on

households, institutions and the environment, using some of the above
methods. It can be used to gauge the effectiveness of activities in
reaching the poor.

Purpose of Evaluation

Evaluating a project means performing a rigorous analysis of completed goals,

objectives and activities to determine whether the project has produced
planned results, delivered expected benefits, and made desired change. The
project evaluation process involves an analysis of different components or
indicators that characterize the project’s progress towards the achievement of
its goals and objectives.

Project evaluation is a systematic and objective assessment of an ongoing or

completed project. The aim is to determine the relevance and level of
achievement of project objectives, development effectiveness, efficiency,
impact and sustainability.

 helping to ensure that objectives are met

 identifying successes
 identifying problems and weakness so they can be rectified
 providing information to aid further development
 providing evidence of the benefits and impacts of project
 contributing to securing funding for further development
 identifying staff training and development needs
 gaining the support of institutional managers
 guiding future plans
 providing information for stakeholders
 developing guidelines which may be useful for other services
 devising strategies to develop projects into services
 positioning and developing knowledge management in relation to
current learning and research environment.

Stages in Evaluation

Step 1: Define your stakeholders

Your stakeholders are supporters, implementers, recipients, and decision-
makers related to your program. Getting them involved early on will help you
get different perspectives on the program and establish common expectations.
This helps to clarify goals and objectives of the program you’ll evaluate, so
everyone understands its purpose.

Step 2: Describe the program

Taking the time to articulate what your program does and what you want to
accomplish is essential to establishing your evaluation plan. Your descriptions
should answer questions like: What is the goal of our program? Which
activities will we pursue to reach our goal? How will we do it? What are our
resources? How many people do we expect to serve?

Articulating the answers to those questions will not only help with
accountability and quality improvement, but it will also help you promote the
program to its beneficiaries.

Step 3: Focus the design of your evaluation

Evaluations can focus on process, means, resources, activities, and outputs.
They can focus on outcomes or how well you achieved your goal. You may also
choose to evaluate both process and outcomes.

As you begin formulating your evaluation, think about the specific purpose of
the evaluation—what questions are you trying to answer? How will the
information be used? What information-gathering methods are best suited for
collecting what our organization needs to know?

Step 4: Gather evidence

Qualitative and quantitative data are the two main forms of data you may
collect.

Qualitative data offers descriptive information that may capture experience,

behavior, opinion, value, feeling, knowledge, sensory response, or observable
phenomena. Three commonly used methods used for gathering qualitative
evaluation data are: key informant interviews, focus groups, and participant
observation.

Quantitative methods refer to information that may be measured by numbers

or tallies. Methods for collecting quantitative data include counting systems,
surveys, and questionnaires.

Step 5: Draw conclusions

This is the step where you answer the bottom-line question: Are we getting
better, getting worse, or staying the same? Data comparisons show trends,
gaps, strengths, weaknesses. You can compare evaluation data with targets set
for the program, against standards established by your stakeholders or
funders, or make comparisons with other programs.

Step 6: Present findings and ensure use

It is important that all the work you put into program evaluation gets used for
quality improvement. When you present your findings and recommendations,
it is important to know the values, beliefs, and perceptions of your group; build
on the group’s background and build on common ground; and state the
underlying purpose for your recommendations before you get to the details.

Types of Evaluation
The best development project will conduct different types of evaluations,
constantly looking to streamline their project or program at different stages
and using different metrics.

Formative Evaluation
(also known as ‘evaluability assessment’)

Formative evaluation is used before program design or implementation. It

generates data on the need for the program and develops the baseline for
subsequent monitoring. It also identifies areas of improvement and can give
insights on what the program’s priorities should be. This helps project
managers determine their areas of concern and focus, and increases
awareness of your program among the target population prior to launch.

Conduct sample surveys and focus group discussions among the target
population focused on whether they are likely to need, understand, and accept
program elements.

Process Evaluation
(also known as ‘program monitoring’)

Process evaluation occurs once program implementation has begun, and it

measures how effective your program’s procedures are. The data it generates
is useful in identifying inefficiencies and streamlining processes, and portrays
the program’s status to external parties.

Conduct a review of internal reports and a survey of program managers and a

sample of the target population. The aim should be to measure the number of
participants, how long they have to wait to receive benefits, and what their
experience has been.

Outcome Evaluation
(also known as ‘objective-based evaluation’)

Outcome evaluation is conventionally used during program implementation. It

generates data on the program’s outcomes and to what degree those
outcomes are attributable to the program itself. It is useful in measuring how
effective your program has been and helps make it more effective in terms of
delivering the intended benefits.
A randomized controlled trial, comparing the status of beneficiaries before and
during the program or comparing beneficiaries to similar people outside of the
program. This can be done through a survey or a focus group discussion.

Economic Evaluation
(also known as ‘cost analysis’, ‘cost-effectiveness evaluation’, ‘cost-benefit
analysis’, and ‘cost-utility analysis’)

Economic evaluation is used during the program’s implementation and looks to

measure the benefits of the programs against the costs. Doing so generates
useful quantitative data that measures the efficiency of the program. This data
is like an audit, and provides useful information to sponsors and backers who
often want to see what benefits their money would bring to beneficiaries.

Impact Evaluation
Impact evaluation studies the entire program from beginning to end (or at
whatever stage the program is at), and looks to quantify whether or not it has
been successful. Focused on the long-term impact, impact evaluation is useful
for measuring sustained changes brought about by the program or making
policy changes or modifications to the program.

A macroscopic review of the program, coupled with an extensive survey of

program participants, to determine the effort involved and the impact
achieved. Insights from program officers and suggestions from program
participants are also useful, and a control group of non-participants for
comparison is helpful.

Summative Evaluation
Summative evaluation is conducted after the program’s completion or at the
end of a program cycle. It generates data about how well the project delivered
benefits to the target population. It is useful for program administrators to
justify the project, show what they have achieved, and lobby for project
continuation or expansion.

Conduct a review of internal reports and a survey for program managers and
target populations. The aim should be to measure the change that the project
has brought about and compare the change to the costs.
Goals-Based Evaluation
(also known as ‘objectively set evaluation)

Goals-based evaluation is usually done towards the end of the program or at

previously agreed-upon intervals. Development programs often set ‘SMART’
targets — Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Timely — and goals-
based evaluation measures progress towards these targets. The evaluation is
useful in presenting reports to program administrators and backers, as it
provides them the information that was agreed upon at the start of the
program.

This depends entirely on the goals that were agreed upon. Usually, goals-based
evaluation would involve some survey of the participants to measure impact,
as well as a review of input costs and efficiency.

Development programs with effective monitoring and evaluation frameworks

use different types of evaluation at different points of time. Some programs
might even run two different types of evaluation at the same time for entirely
different purposes. No matter what types of evaluation you use, we hope you
find this blog useful in making your project and program more successful and
efficient.

Evaluations can be defined in terms of different modalities of UNDP

support,such as project and programme, and also different levels or
frameworks of results such as outcome, UNDAF and themes. Evaluations can
also be defined by when they are carried out:
Ex-ante evaluation is a forward-looking assessment of the likely future effects
of new initiatives and support such as policies, programmes and strategies. It
takes place prior to the implementation of an initiative.
Midterm evaluation generally has a formative nature as it is undertaken
around the middle period of implementation of the initiative.Formative
evaluation intendsto improve performance, most often conducted during the
implementation phase of projects or programmes.
Final or terminal evaluations normally serve the purpose of a summative
evaluation since they are undertaken towards the end of the implementation
phase of projects or programmers. Summative evaluation is conducted at the
end of an initiative (or a phase of that initiative) to determine the extent to
which anticipated outcomes were produced. It is intended to provide
information about the worth of the programme.
Ex-post evaluation is a type of summative evaluation of an initiative after it
has been completed; usually conducted two years or more after completion.
Its purpose is to study how well the initiative (programme or project) served its
aims,to assess sustainability of results and impacts and to draw conclusions for
similar initiatives in the future. Evaluations defined by the modality of
development initiatives or level of results can be further defined by the timing.
For example, a programme unit may undertake a final project evaluation or a
midterm UNDAF evaluation

Estimating Project Time and Cost

• Estimating

The process of forecasting or approximating the time and cost of completing

project deliverables.

The task of balancing expectations of stakeholders and need for control while
the project is implemented.

• Types of Estimates – Top-down (macro) estimates: analogy, group consensus,

or mathematical relationships – Bottom-up (micro) estimates: estimates of
elements of the work breakdown structure

Reasons for Estimating

 To support good decisions.

 To schedule work.
 To determine how long the project should take and its cost.
 To determine whether the project is worth doing.
 To develop cash flow needs.
 To determine how well the project is progressing.
 To develop time-phased budgets and establish the project baseline.
Beyond the broad classifications of direct and indirect costs, project expenses fall
into more specific categories. Common types of expenses include:

 Labor: The cost of human effort expended towards project objectives.

 Materials: The cost of resources needed to create products.
 Equipment: The cost of buying and maintaining equipment used in project
work.
 Services: The cost of external work that a company seeks for any given
project (vendors, contractors, etc.).
 Software: Non-physical computer resources.
 Hardware: Physical computer resources.
 Facilities: The cost of renting or using specialized equipment, services, or
locations.
 Contingency costs: Costs added to the project budget to address specific
risks.

MAJOR ESTIMATING TECHNIQUES

To create accurate estimates, cost estimators use a combination of estimating

techniques that allow for varying levels of accuracy. While the cost estimator
always aims to create the most accurate estimate possible, they may have to
start with less accurate estimates and revise once project scope and
deliverables are fleshed out. The most widely used cost estimating techniques
are:

Analogous estimating: Like expert judgment, analogous estimating — also

called top-down estimating or historical costing — relies on historical project
data to form estimates for new projects. Analogous estimating draws from a
purpose-built archive of historical project data, often specific to an
organization. If an organization repeatedly performs similar projects, it
becomes easier to draw parallels between project deliverables and their
associated costs, and to adjust these according to the scale and complexity of a
project.
Analogous estimating can be quite accurate if used to form estimates for
similar projects and if experts can precisely assess the factors affecting costs.
For example, a similar project conducted three years ago might be used as the
basis for a new project cost estimate. Adjust the estimate upward for inflation,
downward for the amount of resources required, and upward again for the
project’s level of difficulty. These adjustments are typically stated as
percentage changes — a new project might require 10 percent more
preparation time and 15 percent more on resources.

Bottom-up estimating: Also called analytical estimating, this is the most

accurate estimating technique - if a complete work breakdown structure is
available. A work breakdown structure divides project deliverables into a series
of work packages (each work package comprised of a series of tasks). The
project team estimates the cost of completing each task, and eventually
creates a cost estimate for the entire project by totaling the costs of all its
constituent tasks and work packages — hence the name bottom-up. Bottom-
up estimates can draw from the knowledge of experienced project teams, who
are better equipped to provide task cost estimates.

While deterministic estimating techniques such as bottom-up estimating are

undoubtedly the most accurate, they can also be time-consuming, especially in
large and complex projects with numerous work breakdown structure
components. It is not unusual for definitive estimates to also use techniques
such as stochastic, parametric, and expert-judgment-based estimating (if these
have proved suitably accurate in early estimates). That said, bottom-up
estimating is also the most versatile estimating technique and you can use it
for many types of projects.

Parametric estimating: For projects that involve similar tasks with high
degrees of repeatability, use a parametric estimating technique to create
highly accurate estimates using unit costs. To use parametric estimating, first
divide a project into units of work. Then, you must determine the cost per unit,
and then multiply the number of units by the cost per unit to estimate the
total cost. These units might be the length in feet of pipeline to be laid, or the
area in square yards of ceiling to be painted. As long as the cost per unit is
accurate, estimators determine quite precise and accurate estimates.

Expert Judgement:

Expert judgment is one of the most popular estimation techniques, as it tends

to be quick and easy. This technique involves relying on the experience and gut
feel of experts to estimate projects. It’s most useful when you’re planning a
standard project that is similar to ones your team has completed before.
Expert judgment can be used for creating top-down or bottom-up estimates.

Types of Project Constraints

One of the biggest challenges of every project manager is project constraints.

They limit a project, and they can quickly endanger your project’s success.
Hence, it’s important to know all possible constraints, their influences on each
other and the project management tools that address those constraints.

Classic Project Management Constraints

Every project manager knows (and often fears) the classic project
constraints in project management:

Time: What’s the deadline for delivering the output?

Scope: What exactly is the expected outcome?
Cost: How much money is available to achieve this outcome?

It’s called the triple constraint for a reason. If you’re pulling one constraint
lever, it will directly affect the other two constraints. For example, if you
decide to extend the scope and build 20 webpages instead of 10, you’ll need
more time and money to achieve that adjusted goal.
The triple constraint is well-known, so it’s already been discussed a lot. But
even if this type of constraint is balanced, issues can occur. So I started
wondering why.

Most project management books will tell you this: If you make sure that the
triple constraint is covered, you won’t have any problems. But you actually
need to optimize further constraints as well.

An Extended Approach to Constraints in Project Management

A project is often defined as successful if the project’s objectives are achieved
by the deadline and stay within the budget. But apart from time, scope, and
cost, there are six additional constraints that limit the process of properly
accomplishing the project’s goals.

Quality
While this constraint is quite similar to scope, it’s slightly different. Scope
defines the exact desired outcome. For example, your project’s scope may
involve creating 10 webpages. Quality concentrates on the attributes of each
of these webpages. It can be defined by answering this question: “How closely
does the outcome match the expectations?”

In our example, the quality doesn’t define the number of webpages, but there
could be a quality tolerance regarding the number of words. Perhaps you’ve
requested 1,000 words, and you have a quality tolerance of +/- 100 words. So
if a webpage contains 900 words, you’d approve it. And if another webpage
only contains 850 words, you’d reject it.

Quality interrelates with the other constraints. Let’s assume you’re running out
of time and need to meet a certain due date. You could possibly meet the
deadline by enlarging the quality tolerance and decreasing the number of
words to 800.

Risk
Managing risks is an important task for project managers. But what does this
term actually mean? When you estimate probability, a risk will have a certain
impact on your proect. Perhaps you’re creating a wireframe for your website,
and you decide to skip the client-review step because you’re running late. If so,
there’s a risk that the client will reject your final webpages.
Of course, you can control risk to a certain extent. For instance, you could
decide to avoid the risk and insist on the review step. But this decision would
affect your timeline and your related costs, since the client would review each
of your designs, and a project manager needs to oversee this process.

Resources
Resources are strongly connected to the project cost. The amount of money
that’s available for achieving the desired outcome will restrict the use and
acquisition of resources, which creates a separate constraint.

Sometimes, even an infinite amount of money couldn’t allow you to acquire

the specific resources you need. For example, it’s going to take longer than you
expected to receive a physical resource in the project (such as a chip), which
will cause you to miss the deadline. If this resource is essential to the project,
you’ll have to sacrifice making the deadline, because no reasonable amount of
money could reduce the delivery time.

Sustainability
The sustainability of a project can play a major role in the long-term strategy of
a company, and can often affect a project’s success. There are three parts of
sustainability: social, environmental, and economic. Even if the first two ones
don’t apply to your project, the economic component shouldn’t be neglected
by project managers.

Basically, managing a project’s economic sustainability refers to the way you

handle its possible impact on the future of the the organization behind it. For
example, if you’re managing an automotive production line, you could use
cheap resources to build some parts of the cars, in order to save costs. But
you’ll also be sacrificing sustainability, since cheaper parts tend to bite the dust
more frequently than high-quality pieces.

Organizational Processes & Structures

The organizational structure of a company can greatly impact the project’s
success, since it’s defining the project’s environment. Stakeholders could have
a significant influence on decisions that need to be taken. Or the slow
communication flow between executives and project managers could result in
unpredictable project decelerations.
Coping with organizational structure and limitations can be difficult. You’re
often not able to break through the organization’s existing patterns, make the
deadline, and stay within the budget.

Methodology
Each of these methodologies manifest various limitations. If you use Scrum,
you’ll need to organize daily meetings and get plenty of reviews, so you’ll have
to acquire decent resources to cover these efforts. But if you use Agile, you’ll
be more likely to deliver excellent quality.

However, with Agile, it’s harder to estimate the needed time upfront, which
will increase the risk of missing your deadline. Hence, to choose the right
methodology, it’s important to assess the project’s situation.

 Analyze the different dimensions of the project (novelty, technology,

complexity, and pace).
 Select a suitable methodology for project management.
Customer Satisfaction
Customer satisfaction measures how much you’re meeting the customer’s
expectations. If your team handed over excellent deliverables on time and
within the budget, your client will probably be happy.

But, if your cost turned out to be higher than expected, it would force you to
make a tradeoff. Perhaps you’re sacrificing customer satisfaction, since the
product isn’t meeting your client’s expectations anymore. In the end, customer
satisfaction will highly affect the project’s success.

Conclusion
It’s crucial to know the different constraints of a project. The only way to
control them is to understand them. So when making important decisions,
don’t just consider time, scope, and budget, but also factor in quality, risk,
resources, sustainability, organization, methodology and customer satisfaction.
Balancing all the constraints within project management requires robust tools
for tracking and reporting.
Concept of Project Closure

Project closure is the last phase of the project management process. Upon the
end of implementation phase, preliminary acceptance of the project result is
accomplished; yet minor items may still be open, summarized on a list of open
points, LOP (sometimes also referred to as list of open items).

The close of the project is the final phase of your job, it’s the last turn of the
project life cycle, and like any other aspect of a project, it requires a process.
The following are five steps you should take to make sure you’ve dotted all the
I’s and crossed all the T’s, as well as taken full advantage of the experience.

1. Arrange a Post Mortem

Managing a project isn’t only about tasks and resources, budget and deadlines,
it’s an experience you can constantly learn from. While you should have been
learning throughout the project, now is a great time to look back without the
pressure and distractions that might have dulled your focus.

Gather the core team to invite feedback about what worked, and what didn’t.
Encourage honesty. By documenting the mistakes and the successes of the
project, you’re building a catalog that offers historic data. You can go back and
look over the information for precedents when planning for new projects.
Projects are never standalone things, but part of a continuum, where the
specifics might vary, but the general methods usually remain the same. There’s
a wealth of knowledge produced after any project closes.

2. Complete Paperwork
As noted, projects generate reams of documents. These documents are going
to have to get sign off and approval from stakeholders. Everything needs
attention, and must be signed for, which is the legal proof that in fact these
documents have concluded. That includes closes all contracts you might have
made with internal partners or vendors or any other resources you contracted
with.

This includes addressing all outstanding payments. You want to make sure that
all invoices, commissions, fees, bonus, what have you, are paid. Complete all
the costs involved with the project. It’s not done, if it’s not paid for.
3. Release Resources
You assemble a team for the project, and now you must cut them loose. It’s a
formal process, and a crucial one, which frees them for the next project. Each
team is brought together for the mix of skills and experience they bring to a
project. The project determines the team members you’ll want to work with,
and each project is going to be a little bit different, which will be reflected in
the team hired to execute it.

This is true for internal as well as external resources. The external ones might
be more obvious, as you contracted with them, and that contract is going to
have a duration. When it’s over, make sure they’re all paid in full so they can
sign off and leave. But internal resources remain, so you have to remind
yourself that their time on the project is also limited, and you might be
blocking other team’s projects if you don’t release your resources once the
project is done.

4. Archive Documents
There are lessons to be learned from old projects, which is why you meet with
your team regularly during the project and look back on the process
afterwards. However, if you don’t have an archive in which to pull the old
records, then whatever knowledge you gain is lost because of poor
organization and management. You worked hard to have great project
documentation, don’t lose it.

Before you close a project, archive all the documents and any notes and data
that could prove useful. Even if you never access it, there’s a need to keep a
paper trail of the work done on any project for other people in the
organization. This might include legal teams, or HR teams, or even your
successor. You never know when someone might have to go back and respond
to a question or want to learn how an old issue was resolved. Consider it like
putting away provisions for the winter.

5. Celebrate Success
Rewarding your team to acknowledge a job well done creates closure, which is
what this part of the project is all about, but it also plants a seed that will
bloom in later projects when you work with members of the old team.
That’s because when you note a job well done you’re building morale. It makes
team members feel better. You might have been a hard task master in the
project, but you give them their due for a job well done. That creates loyalty,
and they’re going to work even harder for you the next time. And there will be
a next time, because a happy team is a team that you retain. Why would you
want to close a project and lose the very resources that made it a success?

Activities in Project Closing Process

Many seem to think that project closure is not an important process in

project management, but that’s not true. Closing a project is as important
as other processes in project management. Until and unless your project
has been closed with the planned procedures, it officially provides no
value to the organization.

Our major activities in order to close the project phase are:

 resolve all those open points of the LOP

 support settlement of open claims
 prepare the final presentation of the project results
 get final acceptance of the project results
 handover the project results to the customer and/or user, combined with an
official celebration
 close all project controlling tools
 complete and close all reports or documents
 generate final project reports for your own organization, the customer,
other stakeholders
 call for feedback of team members, your control board, the customer, and
other stakeholders
 carry out a lessons learned workshop, including a final risk assessment
 handover to the team that takes care of the warranty period or further
customer support
 have a party with your team
 release resources and support them to find new assignments
 close all project accounts and carry out the final project calculation