Alba, Necah Marie Callos, Jarisse Nicole

Dadia, Hanna Pombo, Roweno Jr.

Sabornido, Justin Suico, Everjanetmie
Surriga, Gaille Anne B.

CHAPTER 9 – PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND CONTROL

Project Management means planning, executing, scheduling and controlling activities to

provide solutions to the identified problems.

A. Project Plan
Project Plan serves as the nucleus of a consulting engagement and provides a guide to staff
assignment and completion dates.
Kick off meeting is a key element in establishing the tenor of the project and should be
carefully orchestrated to cover significant points in the project process. It will serve as a
foundation for engagement expectations.

Before deciding on the details of the kick off meeting, it is important to decide on these:
1. Time
2. Venue
3. Participants
4. Agenda for the meeting
Important topics to be addressed at the meeting:
1. Review of the Engagement serves as the means to summarize what has taken place to
date and as a springboard for looking ahead to the project objectives and work required
2. Discussion of the work objectives that involves discussion of engagement objectives and
benefits and agreement on the end results of the project
3. Definition of intermediate work results
Engagement Milestones/Intermediate Work Results:
a. serve as the beginning point for development of the detailed workplan
b. serve as measuring points for progress
c. serve to break the project up into mini-projects
4. Responsibility assignments and client participation - establish responsibility for various
aspects of the project
5. Project Completion Date
Kick off meeting should end with:
a. Review of the decisions and agreements reached
b. Statement that outlines the general steps in the project
c. Every participant understanding how the engagement will proceed
DEVELOPING THE DETAILED WORK PLAN
Detailed work plan
• Serves as the blueprint for execution of the engagement and a means by which the
consultant can monitor project progress
• Shows what staff will be needed for the project
• Provide a further classification of how much effort will be required to deliver the work end
product
Elements/Components of the Detailed Engagement Work Plan
1. Task identification and description
• This involves identifying each activity required to accomplish both intermediate and end
work results
• Sources of task suggestions include project plans from earlier engagement, use of
standard task lists, suggestions from other professional associates and from client staff.
2. Task relationship
• Certain activities can be done at any time during the project while some tasks may depend
on the completion of other activities.
• Methods such as PERT (performance evaluation and review technique), Gantt chart, and
bubble charts can be helpful in illustrating these relationships.
3. Estimating the work effort and completion time
• Estimating involves determining how long, preferably in terms of worker hours, each task
will take.
• Project estimating can be done by an individual or by a team.
• Any estimate of task hours should be carefully reviewed for reasonableness preferably by
someone other than the estimator.
4. Scheduling tasks
Certain rules that the scheduler should observe include the following:
 Assign team members a realistic number of hours each day. Eight hours is the
recommended maximum.
 Plan ahead for weekends, holidays and scheduled vacations so that the staff availability
will be realistic.
 Match the skill levels required to complete a task with the appropriate team member.
 Build in the realistic delay factors.
 Build in time factors for any unusual elements of the project.
 Try to limit the number of persons who work on one task in order to simplify the work and
avoid extra time spent in coordination which can be a real time-waster.
 Schedule time for such administrative tasks as progress meetings and for project
management tasks
5. Determining review point
• One effective approach so that immediate work results can be evaluated and the project
progress can be measured is to key the review points to engagement milestones.
 • Review meetings should be held regularly because they are the most important aspect of
project control.
6. Staffing the project
Choice of the project staff may be limited to members available at the time, or it may
include options such as:
A. Hiring new staff
B. Subcontracting portions of the work
C. Using a specialized consultant as an experienced advisor to the project team
D. Delaying the engagement until additional persons are available
E. Using members of the client’s staff as team members
7. Project Costing
- developing a detailed cost estimate of the engagement.
Worker Cost = (total number of hours scheduled for each staff member) x (staff members’
billing rate)
Other costs to be added to personnel costs:
- costs for obtaining special outside consulting advice and contracting with third parties.
Project expenses such as travel, lodging, etc must be added to project cost.

8. Detailed work plan review

- very critical point in the engagement
- consultant’s means of explaining to the client how the project’s results will be accomplished.
- facts should be available (details of tasks, estimates, scheduling project team assignments
and project cost)
Modifications may involve:
a. Reduction in the scope and objectives of the project including corresponding adjustments in
the work results.
b. Increase in staff availability by adding members of the client’s staff to the project team.
c. Breaking up the project into several sub-engagements.
d. Deferring some of the work until a later time.
The work plan review should conclude with a firm agreement on the
1. Detailed plan,
2. Consent to continue funding the engagement,
3. Commitment on the client responsibilities, and
4. Permission to begin executing the plan.
Major components of a good project plan include:
1. A list of tasks,
2. Estimated time to complete each task,
3. Target completion dates, and
4. Estimated resource requirements by tasks.

B. Organizing the Project Team

Project team - may be just one consultant or may consist several persons.
Project leader - assigns the tasks.
Team briefing should be held before assigning the project tasks to members of the project team.
Briefing should discuss the ff:
a. Responsibility for clerical functions
b. Responsibility for travel arrangement
c. Working space in the client’s office
d. Working hours to be observed
e. Unusual aspects of working with a particular client
f. Project progress reporting
g. Project strategy

C. Project Schedule
Once the planning and organizing phase have been completed, a preparation of
schedules and target completion dates for each member of the project must be made. This
schedule will be based on specific tasks and their corresponding estimated completion time.

D. Project Control
There are two common tools to graphically present the project plan:
a) Gantt Chart
The horizontal axis shows estimated time in completing each task. The vertical
axis lists all the tasks for the project. An advantage of this it is easy to understand,
thus a good choice for client presentation. However, this chart does not show the
interrelationships and prerequisite tasks.
b) PERT (Project Evaluation and Review Technique) diagram or Critical Path Method
This method allows the consultant to chart activities using earliest and latest
start, earliest and latest finish, and completion dates to predict the overall project
completion date. The focus of this method is to identify the critical path or the set of
connected lines which will take the longest time to complete. Other activities not on
the critical path are addressed during the slack time. Also, unlike Gantt chart, this
method shows the interdependency of activities and prerequisites in accomplishing
project objectives.

E. Documentation Policies and Guidelines

Documentation policies and guidelines should address:
1. A defined structure for all documentation with sample formats;
2. Timing for preparing, updating, and completing documentation;
3. Procedures outlining instructions for documenting and complying with documentation
policies; and
4. Responsibilities for documentation and review at various project stages.
How should documentation be prepared and reviewed?
1. Specific procedures providing instruction to consultants using the suggested format
should be defined for each type of documentation.
2. Procedures should also identify responsibilities for completing documentation.
3. Quality Control Review Points should also be established
4. Documentation checklists may be established as a required form to promote quality
control reviews.
What documentation is needed to support conclusions?
1. All background data, interview results, research data, and client-prepared documents
should be filed and reviewed prior to preparing conclusions.
2. The consultant should also document the following:
 a statement of assumptions and alternatives solutions and
 factors influencing conclusions and recommendations

WORK PAPERS
How long and where should client work papers be retained?
1. Retention period should be based on internal requirements, client requirements, or legal
requirements.
2. Work papers should be retained by the firm since the work papers are the support for
client recommendations.
Purpose of work papers:
 They provide historical substantiation of work performed and a basis for developing
conclusions
 They are consultant's source of reference
 They serve as support for recommendations
Contents
The consultant should create the contents of work papers by describing the following key points
through listing:
1. the names
2. the sources of information
3. the purpose of documentation
4. basic facts
5. and the opinions regarding the source and impact of the documented information
Report format should include all or part of the following sections:
● Statement of engagement objectives
● Background information and activities conducted to analyze the client’s business
● Findings and conclusions
● Recommendations
● Benefits of implementing recommendations

Time Management
Time is one of the most valuable commodities a manager has. Effectively managing time
is rewarding and it is not difficult. It is largely a matter of common sense and practice. Effective
time management is not just about doing more, it is also about enjoying things more. Managers
who manage their time well are in control and can avoid panics.

Effective Time Management

Effective time managers follow a series of simple rules so that they can make best use of their
time.
1. Be aware of time
 - Don’t let time catch you out because a task may seem a long way off but it can
quite suddenly become current.
2. Prioritize tasks
- A critical time management skill is to recognize which tasks are more important
at a particular time.
3. Anticipate tasks
- Assess what jobs can be undertaken now even if they are not an immediate
priority.
4. Avoid putting off jobs
- It is very tempting to concentrate on those jobs we like and put off those we are
not so fond of. This temptation should be resisted.
5. Break down tasks
- If a complex task is broken down into smaller parts, it may be possible to
approach that task in stages.
6. Ensure deadlines are understood
- Make sure that involved in the project are clear on deadlines. If you think other
are not aware of a deadline, communicate it.
7. Be prepared
- Time when members of the project team meet with each other, as well as the
client, is particularly valuable.
8. Support other with time management
- Effective time managers do not just manage their own time, they help others
manage theirs as well.

Time Management System

Three essential parts:
- A guide to breaking down projects into their component tasks
- A means of reminding when the task is due to be completed
- A guide to reviewing the tasks
1. One-page planner- flow chart that illustrates the stage of the project
2. Tasks-to-do list- a system that divides the project into intervals
3. Job cards- system that splits the project into task types rather than time intervals
4. The project log- allows you to keep track of tasks and make time management more
effective

Managing Project Shocks

Shocks are unpredictable upsetting/surprising events.

Common Reasons why a project is knocked off course:
1. Changes in client's interests
- a client may see a new project more positively or as having a higher priority than yours.
2. Changes in the client's business situation
- a major change in the business' situation causes a change in its overall goals
- Therefore, the relevance of the project will also change.
3. Cuts in expenditure
- will limit the activities planned for the project
- if resources are tight, the project may be targeted as having low priority
4. Misinterpretation of information
- misinterpreting the information about the business and environment will lead the business in
the wrong direction and will then call for the project to be changed.
5. Loss of key people
- the impact of member/s leaving the team will depend on his/her role and the ability of the
remaining members to undertake that role.
Responding to Project Shocks
1. Be prepared
- expect the unexpected
- Scenarios and contingency plans will have been planned and sketched.
- An effective consultant is prepared to do what is necessary to get the project back on
track
2. Avoid panic
- a cool, measured response is needed
- Refer back to aims and objectives
- ask whether the task profile of the project can be modified so the aims and objectives can still
be achieved
- if objectives are affected, can they be renegotiated within the framework of the original aims?
- if resources are limited, can some objectives be given priority over others?
3. Evaluate resource implication
- activities must be modified or dropped that least affects the original aims or fits best with new
one
4. Modify plans
- consider the implications for the project plans
5. Communicate
- consider who will be affected and how
- Ask what ideas and resources they can offer towards the problem and its solutions
- Ensure that others are informed of all the issues