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Project Monitoring and Control Process: 10 Key Activities |

ProjectPractical.com
Editorial Team

10 - 13 minutes

The project monitoring and control process aims at tracking and reviewing the project and is
undertaken from the initiation of the project to its closure. Various activities performed during
this process assess if the project is being run in accordance with the established plan. This
process is based on the PMBOK framework. This means it is a proven practice that is applied
widely in project management.

Monitoring and controlling a project facilitate identification of deviations that pose a threat to
successful completion of the project. If deviations are not identified and addressed, they result in
unplanned and undesired project outcomes. Thus, this process ensures that abnormalities are
detected and acted upon early on to prevent their escalation, which may lead to major and costly
issues.

When unplanned issues are eliminated, there is an assurance that the project will be completed
on time and that envisioned results will be achieved. There are several methods that are applied
by project managers together with other key stakeholders to evaluate the project performance.
Monitoring and evaluation consist one of these approaches and it should be undertaken regularly
at different project phases. Doing that will make sure that issues that arise are recognized and
addressed on time.

The objective of project monitoring and control process is to:

 Maintain accurate and up-to-date information about the project status and performance
throughout the project lifecycle.
 Evaluate the actual performance of a project versus the desire and planned performance.
 Offer project estimations and performance insights that can be used to update the schedule and
budget.
 Determine if corrective or preventive measures are required.
 Assess the effectiveness of effected changes and provide information that supports forecasting
at different phases.

Concerning the scope of this process, monitoring and control is applied to but not limited to
managing and controlling project works and risks, quality control measures, project performance
in the entire lifecycle, controlling scheduling, and management of control of change throughout
the project’s lifecycle.
 Proj
ect Monitoring and Control Process Flow Chart

The following activities are performed during project monitoring and control phase:
1. Administer Procurements

This activity ensures to monitor the vendor to make sure that their performance satisfied the
requirements of the contract. Moreover, this activity is used to make the required corrections and
changes and to manage procurement relationships.

The project manager evaluates the sales deliverables using procurement performance
measurement. Administering of procurements is accomplished through different techniques
including contract change control system. Besides, the project manager refers to the contract,
procurement documents, and performance information during the administer procurements
activity.

2. Control Quality

The aim of this activity is to assess and make a determination on whether the activities are
meeting the quality standards that have been established. In doing so, the project manager makes
sure that various project operations and processes are implemented within the scope of project
planning.

To accomplish this activity, the project manager relies on the quality management plan to
identify the standards that have been established. These quality standards should be conformed
as well as achieved to ensure project success. The project manager needs to be keen to
understanding customer expectations and making sure that they are satisfied by the end product.
The project manager refers to the Quality Management Plan to complete this activity
successfully.

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3. Control Costs

This activity is concerned with the supervision and management of project expenses. At this
phase, the project manager needs to prepare for financial risks that might occur. During this
activity, the expenses that are needed at various payment stages are identified and controlled.
Besides, the project manager makes sure to manage the project budget. This is vital in order to
ensure the appropriate use of finances and prevent shortfalls. Besides, spending money on
unplanned events is controlled to prevent using money that is allocated to other uses. A Cost
Forecast document is prepared during this activity.

4. Control Schedule

This activity seeks to monitor the status of different activities involved in a project. The activity
also concerns making necessary updates to the project process and managing changes made to
the schedule. By making comparisons between the scheduled baseline and project progress, a
project manager determines whether certain project activities are behind or ahead of the
schedule. Following this, correction actions are planned to ensure effective management of
changes to the planned schedule. This activity eliminates the risk of late delivery of a project.

The guiding principle in this activity is that changes ought not to just be reacted but they should
also be controlled proactively. Therefore, the project manager should act promptly to prevent
changes from influencing or affecting the whole project schedule.

This includes preventing late project delivery by planning appropriate corrective actions for
activities that are behind schedule. Besides, pending work plans should be reprioritized and
relevant stakeholders should also be informed about the execution of planned work. During this
activity, the project manager refers to the Project Schedule.

5. Control Risks

In all projects, risks are always present a project manager should have the ability to mitigate
those risks proactively and envision potential risks as well. Effective methods for controlling
risks required in project management. Control risks activity concerns implementing risk response
plans. It involves monitoring residual risks, identifying new risks, tracking identified risks, and
assessing the effectiveness of risk mitigation processes used during the project.

The risk manager goes through the risk management plan to familiarize himself with the
identified risks. This helps to come up with appropriate and effective risk response strategies. A
key advantage of the control risk activity is that it enhances stakeholders’ efficiency to manage
risks during the project lifecycle. Besides, this activity motivates stakeholders to elevate their
risk responses. The Risk Management Plan is consulted in this activity.

Related Articles:

1. Project Initiation Process: 6 Key Activities

2. Project Planning Process: 7 Key Activities
3. Project Execution Process: 8 Key Activities
4. Project Closing Process: 8 Key Activities
5. Project Handover Process: 11 Key Activities
6. Risk Management Process: 11 Key Activities
7. Quality Management Process: 9 Key Activities
8. Change Control Process: 8 Key Activities
9. Issue Management Process: 9 Key Activities

6. Implement Risk Mitigation Plan

This activity aims to actualize the measure outlined in the risk management plan. This includes
exploring available opportunities, restructuring the workforce, using the latest technology, and
developing risk barriers. During this activity, the project team assesses the likelihood of
unexpected happenings that can harm a project.
This is followed by identifying the most appropriate method for avoiding those events.
Moreover, the project team goes ahead to implement planned actions that are aimed at reducing
the effects of threats that are unavoidable. Collaboration with relevant agencies and companies is
also initiated to share responsibilities regarding extremely risky activities. The Risk Response
Strategy is referenced to undertake this activity effectively.

7. Perform Integrated Change Control

This activity focuses on measuring change impact on project limitations. Changes relating to
different parts of a project can be requested particularly during the execution as well as
monitoring and control phases. There is no need to implement all requested changes. Thus, this
activity is performed to accept or reject changes based on an effective evaluation of their
impacts.

All change or modification requests to baselines, deliverables, project documents, or project

management plan are reviewed and either accepted or rejected based on their impact on the
project. A key benefit of performing integrated change control is that it permits the consideration
of documented changes in an integrated approach while minimizing project risks.

These risks usually arise from changes that are implemented without careful consideration of
their impact on the entire project. A Change Requests document is prepared in this activity. This
document is forwarded to the project sponsor for review and approval.

8. Implement Change Requests

This activity aims to incorporate into the project scope the change requests that have been
approved. A project may fail to deliver the desired outcome if approved changes are not
integrated into the project scope. The project team performs tasks and activities that will
actualize the approved changes. Feedback on changes that have been done is provided. This is
followed by an assessment of whether implemented changes were sufficient.

9. Monitor and Control Project Work

The aim of this activity is to track and review as well as report the project progress. This activity
enables stakeholders to comprehend the project’s current status, schedule, budget, steps taken,
and scope forecasts. Here, the project manager looks for any deviations from project plans.
Identified deviations are assessed and relevant corrective actions are executed to avoid
unplanned outcomes. The output document in this activity is the Project performance Reports.

10. Validate Project Deliverables

This activity concerns checking project deliverables to ascertain their correctness and
completeness. The activity helps to know whether they meet the set quality criteria. Thus, the
project manager makes an assessment of the outcomes against the results projected in the plans.
Besides, all deliverables are reviewed to ensure they are satisfactory. The Project Scope
Statement is referenced during this activity.
Conclusion

Project monitoring and control process helps to tract and review all metrics and tasks required to
make sure that the authorized and approved project is on time, within budget, and on budget.
Besides, the process ensures that the project work is carried out with minimal risks. Therefore, it
is vital to master these activities and follow them accordingly to guarantee the achievement of
the expected outcomes.

.
www.projectpractical.com

Issue Management Process: 9 Key Activities | ProjectPractical.com

Editorial Team

9 - 12 minutes

The issue management process aims at managing issues that can be a threat to the achievement
of the objectives of the project. This process helps in dealing with issues quickly and efficiently
in order to keep the project on track. It runs throughout the project lifecycle, that is, from the
initiation to closure stage.

Issues are present conditions or situations that are likely to cause an impact on the objectives of
the project. They can therefore be termed as risks that have a 100% likelihood of occurrence.
This makes it certain that even if they are not currently happening, they will surely happen
sooner or later.

The issue management process helps in visualizing and tracking the personnel responsible for the
issue resolution and how they are going to address each issues encountered.

Issue management process should be defined before the commencement of the project.. Risk
identification helps the project team to deal with the predictable problems that may come up, and
solve them before they occur and become issues. It’s therefore important to have a risk
management plan before establishing an issue management process so as to ensure that all
possible problems are solved before they actually burst out.

The objectives of the issue management process are:

 To clearly identify and record the issues.

 To properly document the issues
 To determine the impact of each issue.
 To prioritize issues and report on their status.
 To review all the issues and determine the next course of action.
 To take the necessary step and quickly resolve the issues.

The scope of the issue management process involves:

 Issue identification and documentation

 Analysis of the root cause of issues
 Designing issue action plan and implementing resolutions
 Reporting about project issues
Issue Management Process Flow Chart
1. Issue Identification

The problems, gaps, inconsistencies, and conflicts that may be facing the project are
acknowledged. The project manager identifies all the issues present or bound to occur in the
project’s lifecycle. He also gathers all necessary information that may point out the possible
issues.
2. Record Issue

The purpose of this activity is to record the issues as they happen. The project manager records
the issues in order to provide a report and have a clear communication on the happenings of the
project. It also makes it easier to track, investigate, and resolve the issues quickly and efficiently.

The record of the issue bears the type of issue, the identifier, the timing of the issue resolution,
the description of the issue, and the manner of its priority. It should also bear who the resolution
of the issue has been assigned to, the projected target date for the issue resolution, the status of
the issue, the description of the action required for the issue resolution, and the final resolution of
the issue. The issue register is the output document for the record issue activity.

3. Assign for Action

The aim of this activity is to assign people to different problems for them to tackle and track their
progress. The project manager assigns the necessary personnel of the project team to take action
on the issues identified. He also determines the action to be taken while assigning the
responsibility and also sets a deadline for the resolution. Each issue is assigned to the person best
equipped to tackle it.

Click Here to download 3000+ Project Management Documents: Complete Library of Project
Management Templates, Processes, Plans, Checklists, Forms, Tools, Presentation Slides and
Infographics. Suitable For All Industries.

The actions necessary for the issue resolution are assigned based on their priority levels, with the
project’s most threatening issues being prioritized. This is because the issues that are of a higher
priority may potentially derail the completion of the project, or even bring it to a complete
standstill.

Issues that are of medium priority may also significantly affect the success of the project, but not
to stall it completely, while issues of a low priority don’t necessarily affect the core objectives of
the project or the crucial processes, but could end up creating a bigger problem if they are
ignored for a long time.

4. Perform Root Cause Analysis

The objective of this activity is to carry out an analysis to find out what the root cause of the
issues identified is. The project team performs the analysis to dig on the main possible causes of
the issues raised. The root cause of the issues may cause the issues to recur from time to time.

Performing analysis for the root cause of issues is very crucial. This is because some issues keep
on cropping up from time to time, and could only be solved through the resolution of their root
cause. Otherwise, it would be much like treating the symptoms while the disease is still bottled
up inside.
This is why the root cause analysis important, as it provides a full solution for the underlying
issues, and gives an implication of the issue as to why it matters, and how much it matters. The
output document for the perform root cause analysis activity is the RCA report.

5. Propose Action Plan

The purpose of this activity is to propose a detailed plan for problem-solving. The project team
performs detailed planning for all the subsequent actions necessary to resolve the issues facing
the project. It lays out all possible options for dealing with the issues at hand, along with an
assessment for each action.

The project team is tasked with brainstorming on an action plan to be applied in resolving issues
that are raised in the project. The action plan is drawn from the finding of the analysis performed
on the project, and the identification of the root cause for the issues raised.

6. Review and Assess Action plan

This activity aims to review and perform an assessment on the proposed action plan to determine
its viability in the resolution of the issues at hand. This helps in ensuring that the proposed action
plan provides a solid solution to all the issues identified in the project.

The project manager reviews the proposed action plan to make sure that it incorporates a solution
that is viable for the raised project issues. They also evaluate the action plan to ensure it fully
resolves the issues at hand.

After a successful review and assessment of the action plan by the project manager, he
recommends the action plan to the project sponsor for review and approval.

Related Articles:

1. Project Initiation Process: 6 Key Activities

2. Project Planning Process: 7 Key Activities
3. Project Execution Process: 8 Key Activities
4. Project Monitoring and Control Process: 10 Key Activities
5. Project Closing Process: 8 Key Activities
6. Project Handover Process: 11 Key Activities
7. Risk Management Process: 11 Key Activities
8. Quality Management Process: 9 Key Activities
9. Change Control Process: 8 Key Activities

7. Implement Resolution

This activity aims at implementing the resolutions proposed for the issues at hand. This is the
point at which the change happens. The project team creates a change request and handles the
subsequent change control process.
The team also manages the consequential changes in the budget, schedule, or business case. This
is because the issues being resolved may have caused an impact on the organization of the
process, thus the need for adjustment on the budget, timeline, or the business case.

The implantation of the issue resolution should be prioritized. This is because some issues may
cause massive losses if they remain unresolved for long or even end up needing escalation. The
resolution implementation should also be monitored to make sure that the project remains on
track.

After the completion of the resolution implementation, the project team is tasked with
determining whether the issues raised were satisfactorily resolved. If the issues are found not to
have been fully resolved, the process rolls back to the perform root cause analysis stage. This in
turn results in an amendment on the RCA Report. If the issues are fully resolved, the issue
management process moves on to the next stage.

8. Prepare Report

The purpose of this activity is to ensure that the status of the project has been properly
documented and that all the key stakeholders are up to date in matters regarding the resolution of
the issues of the project. The project team assigned to handle the issue prepares the report to
ensure a smooth flow of information regarding the project to all key players.

Preparation of the status report ensures transparency and accountability during the process of
issue management. This is therefore important as every action taken will be well accounted for,
and the resources allocated will be properly utilized. The whole process will therefore be
transparent and have minimal misuse of the resources utilized.

Report preparation is also an important aspect of good governance. A detailed report should be
prepared for the issue management process. This also helps in detailing the issues for a better and
precise understanding of the issues. The output document for the prepare report stage is the
Status Report.

9. Close issue

The close issue activity marks the end of the issue management process.

Conclusion

Successful resolution of all issues in the course of the project lifecycle guarantees that
achievement of the expected outcome. To effectively identify and manage issues, the steps in the
issue management process should be adhered to.

Meta description: Following the activities in the issue management process ensures systematic
management of all issues that may threaten project success.
www.projectpractical.com

Change Control Process: 8 Key Activities | ProjectPractical.com

Editorial Team

10 - 12 minutes

The change control process is a fundamental part of project management that shouldn’t be
overlooked. This is because changes may occur during any phase of a project life cycle. When
they occur, they must be managed appropriately to ensure that the project’s success is not
threatened. Changes are beneficial for a project because they help to streamline the project and
align it with the strategic goals of an organization. Assessment should take place before any
important decisions are made regarding the approval or rejection of a change. If this part is
ignored, the organization is at risk because unnecessary changes may bring losses to the whole
project in terms of wasting resources, time wastage, and losing money.

Therefore, the change control process is intended to track changes made within the project
lifecycle and should be thoroughly explained and analyzed. Additionally, the process ensures
that only the significant changes go through the approval and implementation process. The
process also helps to avoid any unwanted protocols that may ruin the project such as misusing
resources that may lead to disruption of the project.

The main aim of the change control process is to shield any unnecessary changes and all the
important ones are recorded and don’t disrupt the project in any way, it should ensure that
resources are used adequately. Below are the objectives of the change control process:

 To avoid any disruption caused by changes that cannot be managed

 To allow enough planning so that changes are implemented effectively
 To ensure that all changes made are documented and communicated.
 To make sure the project stays within its scope and not mismanaged
 To establish the main reasons for the change and put a value on it
 To identify the possible risks that may occur due to the changes
 To avoid negative effects brought about by the changes
 To make sure that unnecessary changes don’t reach the implementation and approval stage
 To make sure that all changes made are reviewed and analyzed

The change control board, project team, and project manager have to establish the boundaries of
the change control process. The scope is important because these are the main stakeholders that
actively participate in the change control process. Thus, the change control process covers the
following:

a. Assessing the changes made

b. Documenting the changes made
c. Reviewing and approval of the analysis report
d. Documenting and recording the work done and its success
 e. Assignment of change to a change owner
f. Implementation of the approved change request
g. Identification of proposed changes
h. Change analysis and impact assessment

Change
Control Process Flow Chart
1. Need For Change

Here, the objective is to communicate with the project manager about the need for change. The
change request comes from the organization and some internal factors such as upcoming
opportunities for a merger, new technology, or if the business gets a new direction through the
senior manager. Some of the external factors driving the need for change include economic
conditions, competition, and changes in the law. Therefore, all changes that were suggested
should be identified.

2. Record Change Request

This activity involves documenting change requests. The suggested change has to be recorded
including all the details like the need for change, timeframe, the reason behind the change
request, conditions for its success, and the envisioned value. The person making an actual
request should explain it so that it can be understood and clearly defined. Appropriate
documentation should be done and expected by the project manager or the business. The project
manager updates the change register with the requests for change. The register is inclusive of the
change request and the decisions governing each of them. Thus, the output document in this
activity is the Change Register.

3. Assign Change Owner

The main objective of this activity is to choose someone who will take the responsibility of
clearly defining the change process and support it. A change owner is in charge of all the
activities taking place in regard to the assigned change. He or she works together with the project
manager on all matters relating to the assigned change. This is done through efficient planning
and making sure issues are resolved adequately. It’s up to the project manager to appoint an
individual and make him the change owner.

4. Perform Change Analysis And Impact Assessment

This activity aims to identify the good and the bad of the requested change. It requires
determining things that need improvement for it to accomplish its role. The activity also
identifies the possible risks and their effect on the project and its resources. Structured ways to
analyze changes and assess their impact are determined. During this activity, the project team
estimates the impacts of change and the risks involved. There should be an evaluation of the
importance of these changes and how they are justified. The team also makes a summary of their
findings in regard to the change analysis report. The project team takes up the role of defining
the extent and variation of these changes according to the current and future states. The Change
Analysis Report is the output document in this activity.

5. Review Change Analysis Report

After a proper comprehension of the analysis report, this activity should help evaluate the
proposed change and find its possible effects and benefits. The report is supposed to show the
resources required, the benefits, savings, and the cost benefits altogether. The activity also helps
to determine any missing parts relating to the changes and they become open for suggestions.
The project manager reads through the report and understands where the project team has made
proposed changes and he corrects immediately. The project manager is allowed to seek
clarifications on the suggestions made and indicate where necessary. After the project is done
with the review, he hands over the report analysis to the change control board for review and
approval of the requested change.

The objective of the change control board in this activity is to find the importance of the
requested change, whether it is beneficial or not. The information found on the report has the
reasons behind the changes and thus it has to be reviewed before any decisions are made. The
activity will make sure that only the important changes go through the approval stage hence
avoiding other unnecessary changes.

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Management Templates, Processes, Plans, Checklists, Forms, Tools, Presentation Slides and
Infographics. Suitable For All Industries.

Thus, the change control board goes through the report to determine if the change requested is
necessary and beneficial to the organization. It will then approve the change once they have
established its importance to the project. After approval, the process moves to the
implementation stage. If benefits are not identified at this point, the change request is denied and
the process is closed. The board has the responsibility of rejecting changes that may jeopardize
the project. The change control board may also postpone the implementation of the change for a
later date in the future depending on the needs and circumstances at hand.

6. Implement Change

After the approval, the change needs to be planned, scheduled, and executed for the time frame
requested on the report. This activity enables necessary actions that will bring benefits or the
future as expected. There should be enough resources in terms of tools, equipment, and financing
that will make the implementation stage successful. During implementation, the project team
members actualize the requested change. Tasks and activities are shared among team members to
ensure execution of the change is done within the schedule. Every activity to be done has to be
planned appropriately according to the specific time stated.

An assessment is conducted to counter check the effected changes and if they were implemented
appropriately. If there is any problem or incomplete work, the project team should have the
problem resolved and the pending work completed. The objective is to ensure that work was
done well and the outcomes will ultimately lead to success. The project manager should also go
through the implemented changes and verifies if everything was accomplished properly.

7. Prepare Report

The objective of this activity is to document the success achieved by team members after the
implementation stage. All the activities that took place during change implementation should be
recorded in the report. This report will act as a reference for implementing similar or related
changes in the future. It’s the role of the project team to report details involved in the change
implementation process and how it was achieved. The benefits are to be documented and key
details involving the change mentioned. Thus, the CR Implementation Report is the output
document in this activity. The team hands over the report to the project manager.

Related Articles:

1. Project Initiation Process: 6 Key Activities

2. Project Planning Process: 7 Key Activities
3. Project Execution Process: 8 Key Activities
4. Project Monitoring and Control Process: 10 Key Activities
5. Project Closing Process: 8 Key Activities
6. Project Handover Process: 11 Key Activities
7. Risk Management Process: 11 Key Activities
8. Quality Management Process: 9 Key Activities
9. Issue Management Process: 9 Key Activities

8. Close Change

This activity indicates that the change control process has come to an end. It is undertaken after
reviewing and assessing the change to know if it was completed. Thus, the project manager
closes the change process formally and the team members are relieved of their roles.

Conclusion

Change is inevitable and thus appropriate strategies must be put in place to deal with change
whenever it is needed or requested. In order to track changes effectively, these activities must be
adhered to. Besides, the change control process helps to approve changes that are beneficial and
do away with those that threaten the success of a project.
www.projectpractical.com

Quality Management Process: 9 Key Activities | ProjectPractical.com

Editorial Team

9 - 12 minutes

The purpose of quality management process is to ensure that the project conforms to the
mutually agreed requirements, specifications, and expectations. The aim is to measure the
progress of the project while assessing its performance to determine whether it satisfies the
function intended for the project. This process is founded on the PMBOK framework thereby
confirming that it is a proven practice that is applied widely in project management.

The quality management is carried out to ensure that the final product of the project complies
with the quality standards and regulations that have been put in place. It should therefore be
carried out throughout the project, from the initiation of the project to its closure. This should be
done both internally, that is, for the company, project team, PMO, and the project manager, and
externally, for the clients and the stakeholders.

Thus, the process helps to monitor the final results of a project on both the management level and
the product to determine if they correspond to the set standards and establish what could be done
to improve the results to meets the standards.

This process is critical as it helps in ensuring that the deliverables acquired can meet the
requirements of the customer, this therefore improves the quality of the deliverables.

The objectives of the quality management process are:

 To set the quality targets to be met by the project team

 To define how the set quality targets are to be measured
 To take all necessary actions to measure the project quality
 To report on the overall level of quality achieved on the project

The scope of the quality management process involves both the internal and external
stakeholders of the project, to ensure that all set standards for the project are met to ensure
optimal quality of the project’s results.

Thus, the scope of the process involves:

a. Developing a quality management plan

 b. Testing and inspecting planning
c. Undertaking process and documentation audit
d. Performing quality assurance
e. Undertaking product testing and quality control
f. Implementation of change

Q
uality Management Process Flow Chart
1. Plan Quality Management

Planning quality management involves defining the quality management process to achieve the
results needed. The process needs to be defined and detailed with all the expected results
identified.

The project manager is tasked with the planning of the quality management process. This
planning process touches on all the aspects of the scope of the project as they all determine the
quality of the final results of the project.

2. Test and Inspection Planning

This activity aims at planning on how tests and inspections will be carried out for quality
assurance. The quality assurance team plans on what should be considered and how the test and
inspection will be carried out to measure the quality targets set out for the project. This is done to
ensure that the final results and product of the project complies with the standards and
regulations put in place.

Click Here to download 3000+ Project Management Documents: Complete Library of Project
Management Templates, Processes, Plans, Checklists, Forms, Tools, Presentation Slides and
Infographics. Suitable For All Industries.

The Test Plan is the output document for the test and inspection planning activity. It details how
the tests and inspection will be conducted on the project to measure its level of quality.

3. Develop Quality Management Plan

The purpose of this activity is to establish a plan on how to manage the quality of the results and
deliverables to be achieved from the project. This puts in place a well-elaborated plan on the
prediction and prevention of quality problems, and the inspection of the final results of the
project to determine their compliance with the set standards. The project manager develops the
quality management plan while putting into consideration all the quality standards that were set
for the project.

To develop the quality management plan, it will require all the documents detailing the quality
standards and regulations to be used. These documents may include the company’s quality
policy, standard descriptions, and the project scope statement.

The Quality Management Plan is the output document for this activity. The quality management
plan is passed over to the project sponsor for approval. The project sponsor goes through the
whole document to make sure that it covers all the aspects required for the quality management
of the project. The project sponsor then approves the quality management plan.
4. Perform Process Audit

The aim of this activity is to carry out an audit on the project management processes. The
quality assurance team carries out the audit to ensure that the project’s quality management
process is in line with the requirements, specifications and expectations of the clients. This audit
is carried out following the quality management plan developed for the project. This ensures that
all set standards are met, and the regulations duly followed.

The Quality Management Plan document is used as the point of reference during the process
audit. This ensures that the auditing process covers all necessary aspects required in ensuring the
quality of the final product.

Related Articles:

1. Project Initiation Process: 6 Key Activities

2. Project Planning Process: 7 Key Activities
3. Project Execution Process: 8 Key Activities
4. Project Monitoring and Control Process: 10 Key Activities
5. Project Closing Process: 8 Key Activities
6. Project Handover Process: 11 Key Activities
7. Risk Management Process: 11 Key Activities
8. Change Control Process: 8 Key Activities
9. Issue Management Process: 9 Key Activities

5. Perform Documentation Audit

The objective of this activity is to carry out an audit on all the documentations made on the
project. The quality assurance team performs the audit to make sure that the information
contained in those documents is in line with the practices and procedures carried out in the
project. This ensures that all activities and timelines carried out in the project are in line with the
initial projections.

It also ensures that each person involved in the project satisfactorily carries out their roles to
ensure that the project achieves its expectations without compromising the quality of the
deliverables. The output document for the perform documentation audit activity is the Audit
Reports. These reports detail the findings of the audit performed by the quality assurance team
on the project’s documentation.

6. Change Request

From the findings of the audits performed, the quality assurance team is tasked with determining
if there is any change request required. If there is, it is forwarded to the project team for
implementation. After the implementation of the change request, the process moves back the
Perform Process Audit activity by the quality assurance team. If there is no change request, the
process moves to the next activity.
7. Internal Product Testing

This activity aims to internally run tests on the products of the project. The quality assurance
team runs the test on the products to ensure that it meets all the requirements, specifications and
expectations intended at the very beginning. This ensures that the final product satisfies the
quality standards set and the objectives of the project initiation before bringing in the client.

The output document of the internal product testing activity is the Test Script.It lays out the
details of the product testing carried out internally.

8. User Acceptance Test

The aim of this activity is to test the product’s acceptance by the users. The project sponsor
carries out the user acceptance test to determine the acceptability of their final product by the
users. The product could either be a success or a flop. This is why a user acceptance test is
important. It gives the project sponsor a window to determine the next course of action.

They don’t have to heavily invest in a product that will only end up causing them a big loss but
instead give them a chance to improve on the problems identified. The UATtest scriptis the
output document for the user acceptance test activity. It therefore details the findings of the tests
carried out on users in the user acceptance test activity.

Here, the project sponsor is tasked with deciding whether the test passed or failed. If the test
indicates a pass, the process moves on to the last activity. If the test indicates a fail, another
decision is run to determine if there is any change request required.

At this point, the project sponsor decides whether a change request is required on the product or
not. If it is needed, the process moves to the implementation of the change request activity. It
then rolls back to the internal product testing stage.

If not, the process moves on to the problem-solving stage. The underlying problem is solved, and
then the process rolls back to the internal product testing stage.

9. Sign-off Deliverables Acceptance

This activity indicates the end of the quality management process. The purpose of this activity is
to approve the deliverables of the project. The project sponsor accepts and approves the final
products and deliverables of the project.

The output document of this activity is the Acceptance Document. It acts a proof of the project
sponsor’s approval and satisfaction by the project’s deliverables and final results.

Conclusion

Quality management is not an independent and separate process that occurs at the end of the
project lifecycle. Rather, it is a continuous process that should begin and end with the project.
Thus, these activities must be implemented effectively to ensure the expected product quality is
realized.

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Risk Management Process: 11 Key Activities | ProjectPractical.com

Editorial Team

10 - 12 minutes

The purpose of risk management process is to identify, analyze and minimize the potential
problems that could affect the activities of a project. Managing the risks facing a project is
important as it ensures the stability of the activities of the project. If the risks are not identified
and managed, they would result in loss of valuable resources especially an increase in the budget
allocated for the project, and the time planned. The basis of this process is the PMBOK
framework, which confirms that the process is a proven practice that is used extensively in
project management.

The risk management process aims at handling anything that may hinder the project from
attaining its ultimate goal. If the risks are not identified, avoided, or resolved the project may end
up with a bigger budget, be delayed or even end up completely stalled.

Risk may arise any time over the project lifecycle. Thus, there is need to help the project remain
afloat and achieve its goal. Risk management is not only reactive, but should therefore be part of
the planning process to figure out all the risks that may happen in the project, and the possible
ways that could be used to control the risks if at all they occur.

The risks identified in a project should be evaluated in order to determine the number of
resources to be allocated to them. This helps especially when it comes to risk prioritization. This
is important since some risks would cause the project to stall if delayed or if not handled with the
urgency required.

The objectives of the risk management process are:

 To identify the risks.

 To avoid the risks.
 To prevent the risks.
  To control the possible risks.
 To reduce the possible risks.
 To mitigate the possible risks.

The scope of the risk management process involves the key stakeholders of the project such as
the project manager, the project team, and the project sponsor. They all ensure that all possible
risks have been identified and planned for beforehand.

The scope of the process comprises:

a. Development of a risk management plan

b. Risk workshop
c. Risk identification and evaluation
d. Risk analysis and planning risk responses
e. Risk control
f. Implementing the risk response strategy
g. Risk reassessment
 Ris
k Management Process Flow Chart
1. Plan Risk Management

Planning risk management aims to define how the risks involved in the project will be managed.
The project manager is tasked with planning on how the risk management process will be carried
out.
2. Develop Risk Management Plan

The purpose of this activity is to document how the risks will be assessed, who will handle it,
and how often the risk planning will be done. This is because risks are bound to come up
throughout the project. The project manager is mandated with the development of the risk
management plan.

The plan developed should provide a scale that would help in figuring out the probability of
every risk. This is because some risks are more likely to occur than others.

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The Risk Management Plan is the output document of the develop risk management plan
activity. It details how the risks facing a project will be handled. It also captures the positive and
negative impacts on the project and the actions that will be required to deal with each one of
them.

The Risk Management Plan is then forwarded to the project sponsor for review and approval.
The project sponsor reviews the document to ensure that it satisfactorily covers all possible risks
of the project and their possible ways of mitigation. The project sponsor then approves the
document.

3. Conduct Risk Workshop

The objective of this activity is to brief all key stakeholders on the assessment of the risks
involved in the project. The project manager brings together all key stakeholders of the project to
conduct a formal assessment of the project. This ensures a good understanding of the tools and
benefits of a well-structured analysis of the risks of a project.

At this stage, proactive project managers come up with elaborate management programs for risks
for their projects.

4. Identify Risks

This activity aims to identify all the risks that are involved in a project from its initiation to
closure. The project team conducts brainstorming sessions where they create a list of all things
that could possibly go wrong. It also involves the use of checklists of potential risks and
evaluation of how likely those events may occur on the project.

The checklist is important for risk identification as they help in determining specific risks on the
checklist, and to also expand the thinking of the team to identify those that may not be included
on the checklist. Sources of risks can also be identified in categories while exploring potential
risks in a project.
The Risk Registeris the output document for the identify risks activity. It therefore registers all
risks identified on the project.

Related Articles:

1. Project Initiation Process: 6 Key Activities

2. Project Planning Process: 7 Key Activities
3. Project Execution Process: 8 Key Activities
4. Project Monitoring and Control Process: 10 Key Activities
5. Project Closing Process: 8 Key Activities
6. Project Handover Process: 11 Key Activities
7. Quality Management Process: 9 Key Activities
8. Change Control Process: 8 Key Activities
9. Issue Management Process: 9 Key Activities

5. Analyze Risks

The purpose of this activity is to determine the probability of each of the risks identified is to
happen. The project team analyses and determines the risk factor by how it impacts on your
project across different metrics. Rules are therefore applied depending on the influences the risks
have on the project’s activity resources, timeline, and the cost estimates.

An assessment should be carried out to determine the impact of the risks on the project’s
schedule and budget, quality, and procurements. All this will therefore help the project team to
understand the full effect of the risks on the project. The Risk Probability and Impact
Assessmentdocumentis the output document of the analyze risks activity.

6. Evaluate Risks

This activity aims to evaluate the risks based on the probability that it may occur, and the
potential loss that its occurrence may cause to the project. The project team evaluates the
probability of the occurrence of the risk and the potential and severity of the loss it may bring
along. This is because some risks are more likely to occur than others, and their severity also
varies.

Evaluation of risks involves development of an understanding of the potential risks that have the
highest possibility of occurring and can therefore greatly impact the project negatively. The Risk
Prioritization document is the output for the evaluate risks activity.

7. Plan Risk Responses

The purpose of this activity is to establish strategies that are to be put in place to mitigate the
risks identified. The project team may come up with either a preventative or a contingency plan.
The plans are created in containing all possible solutions to the risks identified. The team
therefore responds to the risks with the best possible solution and in order of priority. The output
document for this activity is the Risk Response Strategy.

8. Control Risks

The aim of this activity is to solve or control all the risks that may occur in the project. The
project manager sets the required forces for the risk control, while the person responsible for
handling the risk will track its progress to ensure it is fully resolved. The project manager will
therefore need to be updated from time to time to ensure he has accurate information on the
project’s overall progress in order to be able to identify and control the risks that may come up.

There is also a need for transparent communication during the control of risks. This ensures that
all key stakeholders involved in the project are aware of the happenings and are therefore on the
lookout for any new risks, and can help manage the process. The risk management plan
document acts as the point of reference in the control risks activity.

9. Implement Risk Response Strategy

The purpose of this activity is to implement the strategies established for the risk response. The
project team implements the policies and procedures that would help in avoiding or minimizing
the risks.

While implementing the risk response strategy, it is important to categorize the risks as high,
medium, or low. This helps in the implementation as it is clear which risks should be prioritized
as they may have an urgent need for resolution and therefore needs immediate attention. This is
because some risks may cause the project to come to a standstill and may not even be completed
without giving a priority to solving those risks.

10. Risk Reassessment

This activity aims to re-evaluate the risks identified to ensure that they have been fully mitigated.
The project manager reassesses the risk to ensure that they have been dealt with accordingly.
This is important because failure to fully mitigate risk could cause a big loss to the project,
especially on the resources allocated to it. These resources could be monetary as on the budget,
or on the timeline set for the project.

After the reassessment of the risks, the project manager is tasked with making the decision
whether the risk has been fully mitigated or not. If risk is not mitigated, implementation of risk
response strategy is done again followed by risk reassessment. Otherwise, if mitigation was
effective, the risk management process is closed.

11. Close Risk

This is the last activity and end of the risk management process.
Conclusion

With every new project, there are new risks that lay in waiting. While it is difficult to entirely
avoid all risks, they can be anticipated, mitigated, and eliminated systematically through the risk
management process. Ensure to follow all activities involved in this process to make the project
team more responsive and agile when risks occur.

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Project Handover Process: 11 Key Activities | ProjectPractical.com
Editorial Team

10 - 12 minutes

The aim of the project handover process is to hand over a project to a new project manager to
ensure that it gets completed in time. A transition happens and the project is assigned to another
project manager. The project handover could happen as a result of the current project manager
having an emergency to take care of, or having to soon go for retirement. The project manager
could also have had a transfer to another department or branch, and therefore need for a new
project manager to see the project through.

The process of handing over a project is not an easy task, and shouldn’t be perceived to be easy.
It involves much more than handing over office keys and software access details. It is therefore
important to ensure that the person taking over the project is in the best condition to continue the
project and successfully accomplish its goals. The objects of project handover process are to:

 To ensure the project yields the same results and achieved the goals set out.
 To ensure that the stakeholders and the clients are fully satisfied.
 To establish the project’s current status.
 To establish at which point the new project manager is to take over.
 To formulate the transition from the current project manager to the new project manager.
 To introduce the new project manager to the project team, stakeholders and the client.

The scope of the project handover process encompasses steps that ensure smooth transitioning so
that project activities continue uninterrupted even after a new project manager takes over the
project. Thus, the scope of the handover process entails:

 Preparing the project status report

 Filing in the project handover checklist
 Briefing new project manager on project details and introducing him to the project team, the
client, and project stakeholders
 Completing outstanding documents and activities
 Handing over project document and files
 Signing off the project handover checklist
 Project
Handover Process Flow Chart
1. Instruction for Handover to new Project Manager

The instruction for handover to new project manager indicates the beginning of the project
handover process. It lays out the instructions to be followed during the transition process to a
new project manager. The project management office (PMO) evokes the project handover
process when the need for transition of the project from one project manager to another arises.
During this process, the project management office (PMO) establishes the instructions to guide
the transition of the project from the current project manager to a new project manager.
2. Prepare Project Status Report

The aim of the prepare project status report process is to establish a status report for the project
up to the point of time where the handover is being carried out. It therefore explains the status of
the project in relation to the start-up documentation. The outgoing project manager prepares the
project status report so that the successor would know what has so far been accomplished in
relation to the set out objectives for the project, and where to pick up from. This helps the new
project manager to know where to start, and what goals he has to accomplish. Thus, the work of
the project manager at this phase is to prepare a project status report to show the current status of
the project. Besides, the outgoing project manager advises the new project manager on the next
steps to be taken on the project.

3. Fill In Project Handover Checklist

The purpose of the fill in project handover checklist process is to create a checklist of all
important things that are to be managed during the handover. This ensures that there is nothing
left out during the whole handover process. The project manager fills in the handover checklist to
ensure that everything is handed over at the right time to ensure a smooth transition.

Checklists are always very useful as they summarize actions and timeline of events that would
have otherwise been complicated to explain. They are therefore a crucial support in the handing
over of a project between project managers. The project manager fills in a checklist for all
actions to be undertaken alongside their timelines in the project handover process. The project
handover checklist is the output document in this phase.

4. Brief new PM on Project Details

The brief new project manager on project details phase aims to debrief the new project manager
on all details in regards to the project. The project manager brings the new project manager up to
speed on all matters on the project to ensure that the new project manager is well informed on all
matters. This helps the new project manager to understand the whole project better.

Several actions are required during this phase. The project manager lists all the people working
on the project alongside their roles, skills, and competencies. He informs the new project
manager on the work environment such as the passwords, keys, and key card among others. The
project manager informs the new project manager on the technical or practical dependencies
involved in the project. He informs the new project manager on how long the handover will take
and gives a list of all important contacts for the project, and the frequency of communication
with each contact and their topics of discussion.

5. Review Project Handover Checklist

Purpose: The purpose on the review project handover checklist is to review the checklist
prepared by the project manager for the project handover process. The new project manager
reviews the project handover checklist to ensure that it incorporates all the things required for the
handover. This ensures that there are no important things left out during the project handover.
The new project manager goes through the project handover checklist prepared by the project
manager to ensure it includes all the necessary aspects.

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Management Templates, Processes, Plans, Checklists, Forms, Tools, Presentation Slides and
Infographics. Suitable For All Industries.
6. Introduce new PM to Project Team

The purpose of introduce new project manager to project team process is to introduce the new
project manager to the project team as they are expected to work together. The project manager
introduces the new project manager to the project team. This ensures that the project manager is
well acquainted with the whole project team. Thus, during this process, the new project manager
gets to know the members of the project team that he will be working with for the remaining
phases of the project.

7. Introduce new PM to Client and Project Stakeholders

This is a critical phase in the project handover process because the new project manager
familiarizes himself with the client as well as the project stakeholders. This is important because
a project manager does not work in isolation during the project lifecycle. Rather, he is in
continuous communication and engagement with the stakeholders to ensure their expectations
and concerns are met and addressed accordingly. Thus, the process ensures that the new project
manager is well acquainted with the clients and the stakeholders.

Related Articles:

1. Project Initiation Process: 6 Key Activities

2. Project Planning Process: 7 Key Activities
3. Project Execution Process: 8 Key Activities
4. Project Monitoring and Control Process: 10 Key Activities
5. Project Closing Process: 8 Key Activities
6. Risk Management Process: 11 Key Activities
7. Quality Management Process: 9 Key Activities
8. Change Control Process: 8 Key Activities
9. Issue Management Process: 9 Key Activities

8. Start the Transition Process Gradually

The purpose of the start the transition process gradually is to transfer the project manager from
the outgoing project manager to the new project manager. This transition happens slowly with
the new project manager taking up their new role step by step. The project manager conducts the
transition by gradually transferring the project to the new project manager. Smooth transition of
project processes and operations is very important as it guarantees that nothing goes wrong
during the handover process.
The purpose of this phase is to determine when the transition has been completely and
successfully done. This is to ensure that everything is in order and nothing has been left out. The
new project manager determines when the transition process has been successful.

If the new project manager finds the handover to be incomplete, he refers back to the project
manager so that the outstanding documents or activities should be completed.

If the handover process is complete, the process moves to the next phase. The new project
manager evaluates the whole handover process to determine whether that process is complete or
not. Besides, he identifies any outstanding activities for completion.

9. Handover Project Document/Files

The purpose of the handover project document and files is to transfer the project documents and
files from the outgoing project manager to the new project manager. The project manager hands
over all documents and files for the project in his custody to the new project manager. This
ensures that the new project manager acquires all the important documents and files, and
therefore a smooth take over. Thus, the entire project documentation is handed over to the new
project manager.

10. Sign-off Project Handover Checklist

The purpose of the sign-off project handover checklist is to approve the handover checklist
prepared by the project manager. The new project manager approves handover checklist for the
project. This shows that the handover of the project has been successful. Thus, the new project
manager is expected to approve the project handover checklist and approve that the transition
process was successfully.

11. Handover process Complete

The handover process complete phase indicates that the project handover process has been
completed.

Conclusion

The project handover process is very pivotal in the project lifecycle because it may make or
break a project success. By adhering to the steps in this process, projects will run smoothly even
when new project managers take over.
www.projectpractical.com

Project Closing Process: 8 Key Activities | ProjectPractical.com

Editorial Team

10 - 12 minutes

The project closing process concerns activities conducted to officially conclude and terminate all
activities, tasks, and parts of a project. Notably, this process concludes by approving, accepting,
and transferring final deliverables to the customer or assigning party. This process is based on
the PMBOK framework and this affirms that it is a proven practice that is applied widely in
project management.

It is vital to fully complete this process at project conclusion for several reasons. It provides an
assurance that a project is closed and further charges cannot be attributed or accrued to that
particular project. Moreover, it confirms that the project has been concluded and this permits
reassignment of faculty and staff assigned to that project to a different activity or task. A post-
implementation review of the project is carried out to identify lessons learned. Also, the review
determines if the project was executed in accordance with the plan.

The objectives of the project closing process are to:

 Ensure project deliverables are approved and transferred to the assigning party.
 Assess whether the project was done in accordance with the plan
 Make sure that all project plans and documentation are transferred to the client and archived
 Release project team members involved in the project
 Determine the lessons learned throughout the project

The scope of the project closing process includes:

a. Approval and acceptance of project deliverables and reviewing if they meet the requirements
b. Transferring project documentation and plans to the assigning partly for archiving
c. Issue management, financial, and risk management closure
d. Gathering the lessons learned from the project
e. Conducting project closure meeting and releasing the project team
Project Closing Process Flow Chart
The project closing process consists of the following activities.

1. Submit Final Deliverable Documents

The final deliverable documents contain the service or product produced by a project for the
client, customer, or the project sponsor. In other words, the documents detail items that have
been developed for the assigning party. The delivery of the final deliverable documents is among
the objectives of a project. The submission of the final deliverable documents is a vital activity
that facilitates communication of what has been achieved.

Using these documents, the client can determine whether the deliverables meet the set quality
standards. The client or customer utilizes the deliverable documents to make a review of what
has been achieved. This helps to make an informed decision regarding the approval of project
deliverables. Thus, the deliverable documents are prepared by the project team who subsequently
deliver them to the project manager.

After receiving these documents, the project manager conducts a review to make sure that all
deliverables have been recorded. A project usually has internal and external deliverables. While
internal deliverables make a project run, they do not constitute the product expected to be seen
by the end users. But external deliverables are the product that is delivered to the client or end
users. Thus, the project manager reviews the deliverable documents to make sure that all the
required information is captured.

Besides, the project manager ensures the completeness and correctness.

Following the review, the project manager seeks the approval of the project deliverables from the
client. The client takes time to assess the deliverables and determine whether they are in line
with the requirements and expected outcomes. Verification is important for the client to ascertain
that the project delivers the expected results. A client or customer expects to receive a product or
service that satisfies his expectations. Thus, the project manager should ensure that right from the
project initiation stage, customer expectations are considered so that their fulfillment is
guaranteed at the end of the project. Thus, after ascertaining that the requirements have been
fulfilled, the client makes a formal approval of deliverables by accepting and signing the
deliverable documents.

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Management Templates, Processes, Plans, Checklists, Forms, Tools, Presentation Slides and
Infographics. Suitable For All Industries.

After the approval of the client, the project sponsor goes ahead to approve the project
deliverables. This happens after the client has confirmed that project deliverables are
satisfactory. Besides, the project sponsor makes sure to reference the Project Management Plan
to further confirm that the deliverables are in line with the outcomes projected at the planning
stage. Therefore, the project sponsor conducts a review of the final deliverables to make sure
they meet the requirements specified in the project management plan.
2. Financial Closure

This activity aims to review all the pending project payment and clear them. Different suppliers
deliver particular goods or services to facilitate the implementation of the project. Thus, during
the project closing process, unpaid supplied are compiled and finances for the same are released
to respective suppliers. All other pending payments are also determined and processed. The
project manager takes the responsibility of ensuring that all payments are cleared. For instance,
the project manager achieves this by preparing a list of all pending payment and approving their
clearance.

3. Issue Management Closure

Stakeholders may have some issues concerning the project and the final product. This activity
aims to identify and resolve such issues. All stakeholders’ issues regarding the project outcomes
should be identified through this activity. Once identified, the project manager works closely
with affected stakeholders to discuss their specific issues and resolve them. The project manager
clarifies the effect of the final product or service to the stakeholders or processes and operations
of the company. Thus, the project manager resolves issues by identifying them and coming up
with appropriate responses for every issue.

4. Risk Management Closure

Here, the objective is to gather all the risk issues that were encountered in the course of planning
and implementing the project. In this activity, documentation of the risk issues identified is done.
In addition, relevant mitigation strategies and responses are also documented. Therefore, the
project manager reviews all threats faced in the project and records appropriate ways to address
them.

Related Articles:

1. Project Initiation Process: 6 Key Activities

2. Project Planning Process: 7 Key Activities
3. Project Execution Process: 8 Key Activities
4. Project Monitoring and Control Process: 10 Key Activities
5. Project Handover Process: 11 Key Activities
6. Risk Management Process: 11 Key Activities
7. Quality Management Process: 9 Key Activities
8. Change Control Process: 8 Key Activities
9. Issue Management Process: 9 Key Activities

5. Lessons Learned

Implementing a project is a learning experience. Thus, this activity seeks to identify what
stakeholders learned in the course of implementing the project. Stakeholders in a project have
different levels of involvement. Thus, it is vital to involve all stakeholders in this activity to
identify their specific lessons. The lessons learned in a project need to be preserved for future
reference. Therefore, the project manager works with all stakeholders to collect the lessons they
learned. At the end of this activity, the project manager develops a Lessons Learned Report.

6. Conduct Project Closure Meeting

Convening a project closure meeting is the best way to end any project. The meeting aims to
have the project owner agree with the idea of closing the project. The project manager can
increase the chance of getting the project owner to approve the closure by having a set agenda
for the meeting.

During the meeting, a description of the project purpose should be done. Some projects take a
long time to complete and it is likely that some individuals may not recall the original purpose.
This makes it vital to remind the stakeholders about the original purpose. Then, a review of what
the project has achieved should be done. The project manager should guide the stakeholders in
reviewing whether the project has delivered all that was expected.

Any extra work performed should also be identified. If there is any area that the project failed to
deliver, it should be noted. This will bring about the question of why there were variations
between the end product and expected results. The project manager should be honest with the
stakeholders and explain the reasons that cause the variation.

The project manager should ensure that the project owner understands every detail of concern,
and also elaborate about the project handover work including support that will be provided after
project closure. These details are important particularly to the project owner to ensure that after
agreeing to the project closure, complaints will not arise. After setting the project background,
the project owner should be given the chance to close the project. the output document in this
activity is the Meeting Minutes.

7. Prepare report

This activity is concerned with the documentation of all the activities involved in the project
closing process. The success in the project is recorded to aid future project managers and
stakeholders obtain guidance and achieve better results. This activity ends with the preparation of
the Project Closure Report, which is the output document of this activity. This report is presented
to the project sponsor who formally receives and approves it.

8. Release Project Team

The objective of this activity is to release the employees who were involved in the project. This
happens after successful project completion. The activity aims to have the employees get back to
their usual duties or assigned another project.
Conclusion

The project closing process is critical in the project lifecycle because if a project is not closed,
additional cost will continue to be incurred. To avoid this, stakeholders should understand and
follow these project closing activities to guarantee more effective and better outcomes.

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Project Execution Process: 8 Key Activities | ProjectPractical.com

Editorial Team

10 - 12 minutes

Project execution is about actualizing the already designed plan. It involves putting into action
all the activities that were set in the previous processes of the project cycle. The project activities
are done according to the set plans, sequence and procedures to satisfy the requirements of the
project. The purpose of implementing or executing a project is to deliver the expected results.
Concerning the span of the project processes, this project execution is the longest and is the one
that utilizes a lot of the resources. This process is based on the PMBOK framework and this
affirms that it is a proven practice that is applied widely in project management.

During this stage, all the prepared schedules, procedures, and templates are used. Unexpected
and unplanned events and situations are usually taken care of in advance. However,
unanticipated happenings are likely to occur in the execution of the project. Such happenings
need to be mitigated early by the project manager and other important stakeholders.

Project managers have mandates to make sure that the project team performs the given tasks
effectively within the proposed timeframe for the project to be completed on time. It should be
noted that working within the scope of the project is an important element in the execution of the
project. Therefore, this process should be introduced right after completing project planning.

The objectives of the project execution process are to:

 Make sure that activities being carried out follows the management plan
 Assemble the team involved, advance and maintain it during the lifecycle of the project
 Create deliverables using the project plan, assess processes and plans involved to deliver the
overall output.
 Ensure that the project team is managed effectively so that their performance is maximized and
all issues are promptly addressed.
 Ensure that there is no gap in the communication channels to enable information to be received
and responded on time.
 Guarantee that excellence project execution is undertaken to ensure that quality is obtained

The scope of this process covers:

a. Conducting procurements
b. Validation of procurements
c. Acquiring project team
d. Executing project activities according to plan
e. Managing project team
f. Managing communications
g. Managing stakeholder engagement
h. Performing quality assurance
Project Execution Process Flow Chart

The project execution process consists of the following activities.

1. Conduct Procurements

The objective of this activity is to analyze different sellers in order to identify the most suitable
vendor. Timely execution of the project requires timely delivery of different raw materials. This
implies that the project manager needs to select vendors carefully to avoid working with
individuals or companies that will not deliver materials on time.

To achieve this, the project manager organizes bidder conferences, issues out the bid packages to
suppliers, and leads in the evaluation of the potential suppliers. Besides, he heads the team that
conducts the selection of the most suitable bidder. The project manager documents the final
results and informs the selected supplier about what they need to do. The project manager
communicates with the vendor about the need for cooperation to facilitate the execution of the
project based on the set plan. The Project Management Plan is reference to undertake this
activity effectively and appropriately.

2. Validate Procurements

This activity involves the validation of the procurement process. The purpose of validating the
procurements is to provide the assurance that the equipment and resources needed for the
completion of the project will be provided.

This is essential because the projects sponsor gets to approve the chosen bidder and the items to
be purchased.in relation to the project. Validation also guarantees that the bidder will be paid for
delivering his or her supplies.

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Management Templates, Processes, Plans, Checklists, Forms, Tools, Presentation Slides and
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3. Acquire Project Team

The objective of this activity is to select individuals who will constitute the project team.
Members of the project team perform different project tasks with some requiring specialized
skills. This requires determining the skills of different individuals to allocate each task to the
most qualified individual.

This activity also seeks to ascertain availability of individuals who can perform various project
activities. Thus, the project manager gathers information pertaining to the experience and
competence of all team members. The skills of the project team members are evaluated in
consideration of the level of experience required and how project execution will be performed.
4. Execute Project Activates According to Plan

The objective of this activity is to make sure that actual work on the project has started. Members
of the project team implement the tasks and activities they have been assigned. In other words,
the project plan is translated into action. The project manager oversees project works and ensures
that all activities are executed according to plan to guarantee project success.

The activities detailed in the project plan are initiated and the project manager ensures that they
are executed as planned. During this activity, the project manager references the Project
Management Plan to ensure that all activities, operations, processes, and tasks are executed as
planned.

5. Manage Project Team

The objective of this activity is to follow up on the performance of project team members to
ensure the project performance is optimized. Besides, this activity concerns resolving issues,
providing feedback, and managing team changes. This activity is vital to the project because it
helps to appraise the performance of team members, resolve issues, manage conflict, and
influence team behavior.

As such, the project manager makes sure that team members are performing their roles correctly
and as expected. The project manager intervenes whenever issues arise to help resolve them
early on. In order to perform effectively, all the necessary resources are provided to the team
members. Besides, the project manager makes sure that optimal work is allocated to the team
members.

Related Articles:

1. Project Initiation Process: 6 Key Activities

2. Project Planning Process: 7 Key Activities
3. Project Monitoring and Control Process: 10 Key Activities
4. Project Closing Process: 8 Key Activities
5. Project Handover Process: 11 Key Activities
6. Risk Management Process: 11 Key Activities
7. Quality Management Process: 9 Key Activities
8. Change Control Process: 8 Key Activities
9. Issue Management Process: 9 Key Activities

6. Manage Communication

This activity is concerned with facilitating effective and efficient communication between the
stakeholders. The activity is vital because it facilitates communication between stakeholders who
communicate often on project implementation matters. Different communication tools, measures,
and techniques are utilized to suit the intended purpose. The output documents in this activity are
Meeting Minutes and Emails.
7. Manage Stakeholder Engagement

This activity is absolutely necessary for every project because it boosts the support of the project
by stakeholders and significantly reduces their resistance to the project. A great way to raise the
possibility of achieving project success is to ensure that stakeholders are engaged and managed
effectively.

To effectively manage stakeholders’ engagement, the project manager should consult the
stakeholder management strategy to familiarize himself with approaches for enhancing support
from stakeholders and minimize their resistance. Communicating and working with stakeholders
at every stage of the project is vital to make sure that their needs and expected outcomes are
considered and satisfied.

This involves providing updates on the project to the stakeholders and getting their input
whenever it’s needed. The issues that happen from time to time during project execution should
be notified to the stakeholders and it is wise to seek their input when coming up with the most
appropriate solution for the same. Thus, the document that is referenced at this stage is the
Stakeholder Management Strategy.

8. Perform Quality Assurance

This activity is carried out as the project work is being carried out. The purpose of performing
quality assurance is to enhance quality processes in the project. It involves performing an audit
on the quality requirements and findings of quality control assessment to make sure that
appropriate operational definitions and quality standards are used. A key benefit of conducting
quality assurance is that it helps to improve quality processes. Some of the tools and techniques
used to achieve the objectives of this activity are process analysis, quality audits, tree diagrams,
and matrix diagrams. Thus, when undertaking this activity, the project manager establishes and
plans those processes that are related to the objectives of the project. The identification of
processes that are required to deliver quality is also performed. Another activity that is
performed here is process testing, which aims to determine whether they meet the set quality
level. The inputs utilized in the quality assurance activity include project management plan,
quality management plan, and quality control measurements.

At the end of this activity, the project manager prepares a Quality Audit Report that documents
the quality assessment findings. Although corrective actions for issues identified may not be
suggested in this report, areas in the organization that are non-compliant with the set quality
systems and standards are recorded. Using this information, appropriate corrective actions and
strategies can be developed.

Conclusion

To actualize the project plan and deliver expected outcomes, the actors in the project execution
process should carefully and effectively implement all the activities. Thus, this information is
very vital to project managers and other stakeholders who are directly involved in project
implementation.
www.projectpractical.com

Project Planning Process: 7 Key Activities | ProjectPractical.com

Editorial Team

9 - 12 minutes

The objective of the project planning process is to make plans for project implementation. The
project planning process also helps in identifying all the resources required to run the project.
This helps in coming up with a budget estimation for the project. It also helps in identifying and
sourcing of possible suppliers for various requirements of the project. This therefore results to
proper management of time and budgetary resources as there is maximization of available
resources. This process is based on the PMBOK framework. This means it is a proven practice
that is applied widely in project management.

All options available for every stage of the project are weighed up to determine which works best
for the project at hand. This helps the project managers to optimally plan on the time and budget
allocated for the project.

The objectives of the project planning process are:

 To identify project requirements – The project managers identify all requirements for the
project beforehand. This helps them to source for possible suppliers thus prevents loss of time
later on trying to source for suppliers.
 To establish a budget, schedule, milestones and deadlines – The project managers are able to
come up with a budget with the project costs estimates. They also lay out a well-defined
schedule with all steps to be taken on the project with clear deadlines and milestones.
 To plan on available resources – The project managers are able to come up with plans on all
available resources. This helps them to maximize on use of all available resources especially
human and budgetary resources.

Thus, the scope of the project planning process covers:

a. Scope planning – this specifies all the requirements of the project in order to come up with a
work break-down structure (WBS).
b. Preparing of the WBS – this spells out the division of the project into specific task and sub-tasks.
c. Project schedule development – it lists a timeline of the activities of the project and details an
implementation sequence for them.
d. Resource planning- it indicates who is to do a specific task, and at what time it should be done,
and if there is any specific skills required to tackle it.
e. Budget planning – it specifies the cost estimations for the whole project.
f. Procurement planning – it focuses on suppliers and contractors involved in the project.
g. Risk management – this involves planning on all risks to be possibly encountered in the project
implementation and all options available to counter them.
h. Quality planning – this assesses a quality standard to be followed in the project.
i. Communication planning – this involves coming up with a design of a communication protocol
to be used between the parties involved in the project.
Project Planning Process Flow Chart

The project planning process consists of the following activities.

1. Determine Detailed Requirements and Finalize Project Scope

This activity aims to establish in details all the requirements of the project and also to finalize
laying out the scope of the project. The project manager determines what resources are required
in each and every step of the project. They also lay out the scope of the project to ensure a
smooth flow of events in the project implementation.

In the end of this activity, a Project Scope Statement document is developed. This is the
document that details the scope of the project and acts as a guide to ensure that all factors have
been considered and are fully covered.

2. Create Activity List and Prepare WBS

The purpose of this activity is to come up with a list of all activities of the project with their
timelines, and to also prepare a work break-down structure (WBS) for the project.

The project manager establishes a timeline for all activities involved in the project. The project is
also broken into smaller tasks and sub-tasks with well-defined timelines for optimal execution.
The output of this activity is two documents: an Activity List and a WBS.

3. Develop Project Schedule

Here, the schedule of the project is developed. This includes establishing what should be done,
when it should be done and what resources to be used to optimally carry out the task. The project
manager lists all the activities alongside the milestones and their deliverables, all with the
intended start date and finish date.

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Management Templates, Processes, Plans, Checklists, Forms, Tools, Presentation Slides and
Infographics. Suitable For All Industries.

This ensures that a clear timeframe is followed to implement and complete the project. A Gantt
Chart and a Project Schedule are the output documents of this activity. A Gantt chart is a type of
a timeline chart that lists all activities against their timelines thus showing their estimated start
and end dates while a project schedule is a list of all activities, milestones and their deliverables
with their estimated timelines.

4. Assess What to Purchase and Prepare Procurement Document

This activity involves evaluating the things that should be bought to facilitate the successful
implementation of the project. Doing this helps the project manager to identify all the items that
should be purchased and prepare the necessary procurement documents. Besides, the activity
helps to come up with cost estimates for the required items.

The project manager therefore comes up with a procurement document that details all the items
to be procured including their budget estimates and possible suppliers. To perform this activity
effectively, the project manager references the Project Proposal document.

Related Articles:

1. Project Initiation Process: 6 Key Activities

2. Project Execution Process: 8 Key Activities
3. Project Monitoring and Control Process: 10 Key Activities
4. Project Closing Process: 8 Key Activities
5. Project Handover Process: 11 Key Activities
6. Risk Management Process: 11 Key Activities
7. Quality Management Process: 9 Key Activities
8. Change Control Process: 8 Key Activities
9. Issue Management Process: 9 Key Activities

5. Determine Project Team, Roles and Responsibilities

The purpose of this activity is to identify the team that will be involved in performing project
tasks and activities. The project manager identifies individuals that can perform various
activities. The abilities and qualifications of team members are critical in the process of
assigning project roles.

Here, the project manager seeks to identify every project task or activity and match it to the most
suited individual. The project manager assigns key roles that require special skills to persons that
have the required skills. Each role is therefore assigned with respect to the required skills.

The Project Organization Chart is the output document for this activity. This chart provides an
outline the project, the personnel to perform various tasks and their roles and responsibilities.

6. Prepare Project Management Plan, Communication Management Plan, Risk

Management Plan and Quality Management Plan

The objective of this activity is to design plans and strategies that will facilitate project
management, communication management, risk management, and quality management processes
throughout the project lifecycle.

The project management plan is created to keep the project on schedule and within budget. It
ensures that the project goals and objectives are satisfactorily met and the resources allocated are
optimally utilized.
The communication management plan establishes a protocol to be followed for communication
throughout the entire project. This ensures that a proper communication channel is established to
prevent a communication breakdown.

The risk management plan assesses all possible risk in every step of the project. This helps the
project manager to plan on ways to avoid or mitigate any risk that comes up. This therefore
ensures that the project manager and his entire team are well prepared for any underlying risk.

The quality management plan helps to lay down certain quality standards to be followed
throughout the project. This ensures that the quality of the project is not compromised at any
level.

Thus, Project, Communication, Risk & Quality Management plans are the output documents of
this activity. After preparing these plans, the project manager forwards them to the Head of PMO
for review. Then, the Head of PMO hands them over to the project sponsor for approval. The
approval of these documents permits the project manager to conduct the kick-off meeting.

7. Conduct Kick-off Meeting

The aim of the Conduct Kick-off Meeting is to bring together all the key stakeholders of the
project such as the project manager, the project sponsors and project team, in order to debrief
them about the project and commence the project execution.

The project manager conducts the kick-off meeting in order to bring on set all the involved
personnel and inform them about their roles and responsibilities in the project. The Meeting
Minutes are the output of the kick-off meeting. The minutes record the matters that have been
discussed and the conclusions that have been made.

Conclusion

The project planning process is very vital because it helps to create and document project plans,
requirements, deliverables, and the schedule. Thus, a full understanding of the activities involved
in this process will help to lay the perfect foundation for project execution. At the end of the
project planning process, all the necessary plans concerning the schedule, resources, and staff
needed to complete a project are completed.
www.projectpractical.com

Project Initiation Process: 6 Key Activities | ProjectPractical.com

Editorial Team

10 - 12 minutes

The purpose of the project initiation process is to initiate a project. Important questions on the
necessity and achievability of the project are raised, and decisions made on the way forward. The
project initiation phase is the stage whereby the goals, objectives and schedule of the project are
defined. This process is based on the PMBOK framework. It is a proven practice that is applied
widely in project management.

Key stakeholders of the project such as the project team and project sponsors are identified and
brought together.

The project manager makes reference to the business case and the project proposal in order to
understand the necessity of the project. Information needed is also gathered to evaluate time and
cost estimates of the project.

The process initiation process constitutes activities that are aimed at defining the project. This
process is finalized through the creation of the project carter, which outlines the purpose and
requirements of the project.

The objectives of the project initiation process are:

 To define the purpose and the expectations of the project.

 To define the project scope to ensure that the project covers all the required aspects and full
addresses them.
 To define clear milestones and timeline for the project to ensure a smooth flow of events
throughout the project.
 To devise the project’s deliverables that are in line with the goals and the clients expectations.
 To identify all the stakeholders that are to be directly or indirectly affected by the project.
 To come up with an enough budget – at this stage, a budget estimation is made for running the
project.
 To establish the risks, issues and interdependencies connected to the project – this would help
the team prepare and plan beforehand to avert the risks and tackle the issues.

The key stakeholders of the project such as the project manager, project sponsor and the PMO
use the scope of the project initiation process as the reference throughout the project.
The scope of this process covers:

 Project objectives
 Project Scope
 Deliverables
 Constraints
 Assumptions
 Exclusions
 Schedule
 Budget
Project Initiation Process Flow Chart

The project initiation process consists of the following activities:

1. Assignment of a Project to Project Manager

This is done in the process initiation process to authorize the involvement of the project manager
from the beginning to the end of the project. This ensures that the project manager has an in-
depth understanding of the project and can therefore identify imminent risks and constraints in
the project. At this stage, the project sponsor as well as the client confirm their support for the
project and releases the financial support required to begin working on the project.

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Management Templates, Processes, Plans, Checklists, Forms, Tools, Presentation Slides and
Infographics. Suitable For All Industries.
2. Understand Business Case, Project Scope and Requirements

The aim of this activity is to comprehend the reasoning behind project initiation. Understanding
the business case will allow stakeholders to know the justification for carrying out a project.
Besides, going through the scope and requirement of the project helps to know the range within
which the project will be undertaken the needs that should be fulfilled. The project scope will
therefore act as the guide on what to be done, when and at what stage.

A good understanding of the project requirements will also help in the execution of the project in
order to realize satisfaction for the organization. The project manager refers to the business case
and identifies the elements of the project. The project manager should therefore consider the
benefits, costs and risks rising from the project, and also the business context which covers the
drivers of the business, the choices made and the options considered.

The project manager also refers to the project scope while developing a business case in order to
maintain the context of the project. The project manager also refers to the project requirements in
order to align the business case with the business needs to be addressed by the project. The
project manager references the Business Case and Project proposal documents to conduct this
activity effectively.

3. Create Measurable Objectives

This activity aims at establishing project goals to be achieved by the project. The project
manager comes up with targets that can be measured at some point during the project lifecycle or
after project completion. The project manager will aim at attaining those objectives to guarantee
project success.

Coming up with measurable objective is important to avoid setting goals that cannot be realized
given the available resources. Besides, these objectives guide the planning process and activities
that will help to make the project a success. Thus, the project manager should make sure to
create objectives that adhere to the SMART criteria so as to ensure that they are clear and
concise, and most importantly achievable.

Measurable objectives are critical in assessing the performance of a project. This is because they
are utilized by stakeholders to guide decisions regarding the management of different resources.

Related Articles:

1. Project Planning Process: 7 Key Activities

2. Project Execution Process: 8 Key Activities
3. Project Monitoring and Control Process: 10 Key Activities
4. Project Closing Process: 8 Key Activities
5. Project Handover Process: 11 Key Activities
6. Risk Management Process: 11 Key Activities
7. Quality Management Process: 9 Key Activities
8. Change Control Process: 8 Key Activities
9. Issue Management Process: 9 Key Activities

4. Identify Project Stakeholders & Their Influence

The purpose of this activity is to establish the stakeholders, both internal and external, that will
be affected by the project implementation, either directly or indirectly. This also involves
establishing their impact on the project.

The project manager also needs to create strong relationships with the project stakeholders. The
project manager therefore needs to analyze the stakeholders by assessing their interests,
characteristics and motivations in order to determine their roles and levels of involvement in the
project. The project manager also needs to measure the level on influence the stakeholders have
to the project, and also what they want in return.

The more influence a stakeholder has on the project, the more support will be needed from them.
The project manager should also keep stakeholders involved in the project through a proper and
effective communication. This guarantees transparency throughout the project. The project
manager should develop a management strategy for the stakeholders to establish ways to tackle
negative impacts on the project, and instead increase the support. The Stakeholder Management
Strategy is the output document for the Identify Project Stakeholders & their Influence activity.

5. Divide Large Projects into Phases

The purpose of this activity is to subdivide the project into phases to ensure a timely completion
of the project. The project manager needs to identify the various tasks of the project on the basis
of their time of completion, importance and their execution criteria.

The PM also needs to identify tasks that depend on the completion of other tasks. Milestones are
also established with a clear timeline to ensure that all activities are completed in time and make
sure that the project in completed within the stipulated time.A Milestone List is created at the
end of the Divide Large Projects into Phases activity.

6. Develop Project Charter

This activity involves authorization of the project through documentation of project elements
such as the objectives, constraints, stakeholders, risks identified and budgets involved in the
project implementation. It therefore provides a foundation for defining the decisions of a project,
and to ensure they are in line with the goals of the company.

The project charter therefore seeks to make the authorizations of the project formal. Its typical
length is between one to two pages, but it may be longer depending on the size, type, and
complexity of the project. The project manager therefore needs to establish the contents of the
project charter. These may include:

 The goals or deliverables

 The scope
 Impact of the project on other business units and systems
 The project’s key stakeholders
 Milestones
 The budget estimation of the project
 The constraints, assumptions, dependencies and risks
 The success measurements of the project and the ROI
 Project approval

The development of the project charter marks the climax of the process initiation phase as it
details the most crucial information about the project. It contains the purpose of the project, the
most important project requirements, the major risks involved, the appointed project manager, a
list of the main stakeholders, and the measureable objectives of the project.

An assumption log is also developed to illustrate the operational and strategic assumptions made
and also what is expected of the project and the risks and issues likely to come up throughout the
project. A project charter is therefore the output document for the Develop Project Charter
activity.

After the successful development of the project charter, the project manager forwards it to the
project sponsor for review and approval. The project sponsor evaluates the project charter to
ensure it is in line with the project requirements. After ascertaining the correctness and
appropriateness of the charter, the project sponsor approves it by appending a signature on the
document.

Conclusion

In order to have an effective project initiation process, you need to clearly understand these
activities. This will ensure that every activity will be perfectly undertaken to promote efficiency
of the project, and achieve better results and the intended goals and deliverables.