Chapter 10
Information Requirements
for the Project
Copyright 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Introduction
Monitoring - Collecting, recording, and
reporting information concerning any and all
aspects of project performance
Controlling - Uses the data supplied by
monitoring to bring actual performance into
compliance with the plan
Evaluation - Judgments regarding the
quality and effectiveness of project
performance
Planning–Monitoring–Controlling
Cycle
Must decide what is important enough to
monitor
We mainly want to monitor:
– Project performance
– Budget
– Time
Must be operationalized
– Some may be monitored continuously
– Others may be checked only at milestones
Designing the Monitoring System
1. Identify key factors to be controlled
– Performance
– Cost
– Time
2. Information to be collected must be
identified
Designing the Monitoring System
Continued
Want to avoid collecting necessary data
because it is hard to get
Do not want to collect too much data
The next step is to design a reporting
system that gets the data to the proper
people in a timely and understandable
manner
Data Collection
Once we know the data we want, we
need to decide how to collect it
Should the data be collected after some
event?
Should it be collected on a regular
basis?
Are any special forms needed for data
collection?
Much Data Involves
1. Frequency counts
2. Raw numbers
3. Subjective numeric ratings
4. Indicators
5. Verbal measures
Information Needs and Reporting
Project reports need to correspond to the
schedule
As work packages are finished, reports on
those packages are no longer needed
New work packages generate the need for
new reports
Thus, the nature of project reports changes
over time
Information Needs and Reporting
Continued
Reports should address each level
Not at same depth for every level
– Lower levels need detailed information
– Senior levels need overview reports
The Reporting Process
Reports must contain relevant data
Must be issued frequently
Should be available in time for control
Report Types
1. Routine - Reports that are issued on a
regular basis or each time the project
reaches a milestone
2. Exception - Reports that are generated
when an usual condition occur or as an
informational vehicle when an unusual
decision is made
3. Special Analysis - Reports that result from
studies commissioned to look into
unexpected problems
Meetings
Reports do not have to be written
They can be delivered verbally in meetings
Projects have too many meetings
The trick is to keep them to as few as
possible
Meeting Rules
Avoid regular status report meetings
Start and end on time
Have an agenda and stick to it
Publish the agenda early
Take minutes
Common Reporting Problems
Too much detail
Poor interface between the
data/procedures of the project and the
information system of the parent
company
Poor connections between the planning
process and the monitoring process
Earned Value Analysis
Earned value is an estimate of the
percentage of work completed thus far
This can be a difficult for a project
Why is that the case?
The Earned Value Calculations
50-50 rule
0-100 percent rule
Critical input use rule
The proportionality rule
The Earned Value Chart
Figure 10-6
Variances and Indices
Variances and indices can help analyze
a project
Will look at some of the more common
ones
Cost Variance (CV)
CV = EV – AC
Negative variance indicates a cost
overrun
Magnitude depends on the costs
Schedule Variance (SV)
SV = EV – PV
Negative variance indicates you are
behind schedule
Measured using costs
Time Variance (TV)
TV = ST – AT
Negative variance indicates you are
behind schedule
Indices
Cost Performance Index
EV
CPI
AC
Schedule Performance Index
EV
SPI
PV
Cost - Schedule Index
EV EV EV 2
CSI CPI SPI
AC PV AC PV
“To complete” and “At
Completion”
Project manager reviewing what is complete
and what remains
Final cost and final completion date are
moving targets
The project manager compiles these into a to
complete forecast
Actual + forecast = final date and cost at
completion
Milestone Reporting
Reports that are created when a project
reaches a major milestone
They are designed to keep everyone
up-to-date on project status
For executives and clients, these may
be the only reports they receive
