This provides some insight to project control issues and some ways of dealing with them.

1. The Project Control Tightrope
By Kam Jugdev, Janice Thompson, and Jeremy Bangay
Presented By: Hugh Shults
July 12, 2011

2. Introduction
Tightrope Performers Project Managers
Tightrope performers practice Project Managers and project
for years to hone their abilities staff who understand project
to walk across high wires control requirements can more
effectively balance their way
They balance themselves by across projects
means of long poles and their They balance projects by
well-developed sense of means of software tools and
equilibrium. their well-developed sense of
intuition.

3. Literature
Review
The Project Management Body of Knowledge defines
Control as the process of
Comparing actual performance with planned performance
Analyzing variances
Evaluating possible alternatives
Taking appropriate corrective actions as needed (1996, pp.
161)
In other words, “things are done as they are supposed to be
done” (Lewis, 1995, pp. 187).

4. Literature
Review
“Whatever is planned will also have to be controlled”
(Meredith & Mantel, 1995, pp. 534)
Control takes place throughout the project as noted by
Scope Change Control
Schedule Control
Cost Control
Quality Control
Risk Response Control
Change Control Management

5. Tools
The most frequently used project management tools
are…
Microsoft Project
Primavera
Project Planner
Timeline
Microsoft Excel

6. Project Organizations
In addition to the tools and techniques, project
control functions are the functions of project
organizations, also known as…
Project Control Office (PCO)
Project Support Office (PSO)
Project Management Office (PMO)
Project Management Center of Excellence (PMCE)
This office oversee/control projects for the business

7. The Study
This paper is primarily about a study that examines
why project control is under-used.
Reason Category
Lack of understanding on how to use the tool Personal Anxiety Issues
Too busy to learn new tool or technique Cost, Time & Value Issues
Uncomfortable with new or unfamiliar Personal Anxiety Issues
methods
Use of tool is too time consuming Cost, Time & Value Issues
Tool leads to unwanted polices and procedures Control People vs.
Informational Issues

8. Conclusions
The recommendations for implementing effective
project control are…
Provide the appropriate applied training and support
Review the objective, value and benefits of the tools
before they are introduced
Involve staff in tool selections or pre-testing
Provide the appropriate organizational infrastructure,
e.g. few but useful polices/procedures

9. Questions
Are there any questions?
References:
• Lewis, J.P. (1995). Project planning, scheduling and control. McGraw-Hill.
New York
• Meredith, J.R. & Mantel, S.J. (1995). Project Management: A managerial
approach, 3rd Edition. John Wiley & Sons, New York.
• Project Management Institute Standards Committee (1996): A guide to the
project management body of knowledge. Project Management Institute,
Upper Darby, PA.
• Thamhain, H.J. (1996). Best practices for controlling technology-based projects.
Project management journal, 27(4), 37-48.