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Chapter 18 - Project Review

Part 3

Summary

To summarise the keywords of that chapter, here is a quick overview:

Technical term Definition
Claim management Field of project management that involves the monitoring and appraisal of deviations or changes and their economic consequences for the purpose of identifying and asserting claims
Project management system A defined entity in the organisation that through the interaction of its units is able to prepare and implement projects
An efficient project management system includes project feedback and early warning systems, project reporting and status reports for stakeholders
Project review Review of project progress on a specific reporting date

Test yourself!

Now it is time to check your knowledge.

Answer the following questions for yourself. Please take your time and think carefully about what you would answer before revealing the solution.

What constitutes change control in a project?

Change control is necessary for the monitoring and management of changes that have to be

  • identified,
  • described,
  • classified,
  • assessed,
  • approved,
  • implemented and
  • verified.
Why are changes sometimes necessary in a project?
  • One's own fault
  • Third party fault
  • Customer request
  • Statutory requirements
  • New technical developments
What are the functions of change control in a project?
  • Identify changes (reason for change)
  • Describe the content (What?) and process (How?)
  • Classify changes (What consequential changes will be necessary as a result?)
  • Assess changes (What benefits will the change provide?)
  • Approve changes (change implementation)
  • Implement changes (new deadline, budget)
  • Verify changes (Has the benefit occurred?)
How do configuration, documentation and change management tie in with each other?

Effective project control is only possible on the basis of efficient configuration, document and change management. These three elements only deliver optimum results if they are implemented in conjunction with one another.

  • Configuration management:
    What has been decided upon?

This has an impact on:

  • Document management:
    What is documented where and what is the status?
  • Change management:
    Why was a change implemented and who documented the change?
What impact does change control have on project control?

Changes almost always necessitate a fundamental reassessment of costs, deadlines and risks. They therefore influence existing contractual agreements. Systematic project controlling and claim management is necessary to control the financial impact of changes.

What is the purpose of project control?

Provision of project planning and control systems which are suitable for the users. They are effective only if a structured reporting system is installed.

What are the functions of a project controller?
  • Preparation of variance analyses, forecasts, costing
  • Updating of the project information system
  • Ensuring effective, transparent project implementation
  • Creation of project documents
  • Support in planning processes
  • Monitoring of method application
  • Provision of suitable data on project progress and performance status