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What Are The Root Causes of Project Problems and Failure?
8) Project Control
The correct amount of project control depends on the project’s attributes: size, complexity, locations, deadlines, and resources. Poor controls result in the project manager not having an accurate understanding of all aspects of the project’s status at any given time: where the project is with tasks, dependencies, deliverables, schedule, issues, risks, stakeholders and resources. Lack of control will result in poor task and resource coordination, and poor communication and alignment, which will result in delays, rework, wasted time and resources, and frustrated project customers, management and team members.
Control includes a number of processes; many depend on the proper up-front project definition and planning. They include: updating the project plan, schedule, cost, variance and resource plans, managing vendors, meetings, risk, developing and communicating weekly status reports, and conducting regular status meetings with the core team, steering team, customers and management. Project reviews (audits) can be helpful in identifying control processes that are weak or lacking. Control does two things: First, control processes provide information that keeps the project manager in sync and “on top” of the project’s condition and deviations from the plan. Second, the project manager can use that information to keep the project on track by making the necessary mid-course corrections while managing the stakeholder expectations and maintaining alignment.
One of the major benefits of the proper implementation of control processes is transparency. Transparency in control processes means involving project stakeholders as well as publishing (communicating) the information generated from these processes. This facilitates issue resolution and management of stakeholder expectations. Some project managers may see transparency as a risk that their stakeholders will see the problems and issues inside their projects and view the project manager as incompetent. Transparency is more efficient than wasting time covering up and developing excuses for poor project performance. That time is better spent on executing project control processes. Successful and competent project managers will view transparency as an opportunity to build rapport, understanding and alignment with their stakeholders, ultimately resulting in a higher level of stakeholder trust and satisfaction.
Generally, many project problems and failures can be attributed to a lack of control, but it is possible to over-control a project. Project control processes and tools require effort, time and money. They can also “cost” political capital with the project team and stakeholders. Project controls should always be evaluated as to their cost vs. their value and the risks they mitigate. Smaller projects may not need nearly the level of control as those that are more complex and critical. Project managers can lose credibility when stakeholders perceive a project is being over-controlled. Stakeholders may think effort, time and money are being wasted and lose confidence in the project and its manager. If the project manager believes a certain level of control is necessary, then she must work to gain stakeholder understanding of the control benefits vs. their cost.
Project situations that display symptoms of a lack of project control include:
- The project seems never to end. Stakeholders keep adding scope to the project.
- The project resources aren’t available at the time they are needed, even after they committed to working on the project.
- The project’s resources don’t know what they are supposed to do next, or don’t realize other tasks are waiting for the completion of their tasks.
- The project’s customers are not satisfied with the deliverables.
- The project sponsor and/or steering team is shocked/surprised when they are told for the first time the project will be significantly late or will run significantly over budget.
- The project team members aren’t sure the project is active as they have not heard anything about it in several weeks.
- The vendors are not available when needed.
- The project stakeholders have significantly differing expectations.
- The project schedule and milestones continually slip.
- The project stakeholders keep changing their minds about what they want, resulting in a significant amount of rework, cost overruns and missed deadlines.
- The project scope is reduced multiple times to meet a specific deadline.
- The project’s issues aren’t resolved and escalation to management doesn’t work.
- The project’s management has differing levels of support and views of project value and priority.
- The project fades away and is not completed.
- The project resources don’t escalate problems or issues.
