Your Project Management Coach: Best Practices for Managing Projects in the Real World

Chapter 17

Gathering Progress Information

Before you can see how your project is doing and whether you need to take action to keep it on course, you need to know where things stand. That's why monitoring and controlling your project begins with collecting data about your project's progress from your team members.

Some aspects of gathering project data are consistent from project to project, while other facets vary depending on the project. The data you need typically includes how many hours were worked, when work was performed, how much cost was incurred, and so on. However, you might ask for more or less detail based on the size of your team or choose a frequency for updates to suit the project.

Because a project is a microcosm within a host organization, you often have to figure out how to get the project-related data you need while also working with the time and cost reporting for the overall organization. In this chapter, you learn some approaches for gathering project data without overtaxing team members with status reporting.

Cross-Reference

The information in this chapter relates to the PMP Exam's Domain IV: Monitoring and Controlling the Project, Task 1, “Measure project performance using appropriate tools and techniques, in order to identify and quantify any variances, perform approved corrective actions, and communicate with relevant stakeholders.”

Choosing the Data to Collect

The project finish date and the final price tag are almost always important factors for the ...