Monitoring & controlling
- Lana Hazelton
- Nov 22, 2023
- 2 min read
What is the difference between project monitoring and project controlling in project management?
Project Life Cycle
Although monitoring and controlling represent the same stage of the project life cycle, there is a difference between these two concepts. Project controlling cannot be effectively executed without prior project monitoring. Monitoring leads to controlling, and at the same time, controlling may require more monitoring. It is also worth mentioning that the monitoring and controlling stage does not exist in solation, it is closely connected with the execution stage.
Let’s clarify the difference between monitoring and controlling.
Monitoring is focused on collecting project data and tracking the project’s progress, generating data as a result of day-to-day project work.
Controlling is focused on comparing actual project data against planned project data and implementing corrective measures to meet project goals and objectives.
Monitoring outputs:
Collecting project performance data
Producing performance measures
Reporting and distributing performance information to stakeholders
Controlling outputs:
Comparing actual performance with planned performance benchmarks (project scope baseline, project schedule baseline, and planned budget).
Analyzing variances (discrepancies) between actual performance and planned performance
Analyzing trends and patterns that might affect project performance.
Evaluating possible alternatives (what will happen to the project if the trend continues uncorrected)
Recommending corrective actions
While monitoring involves the systematic collection of project data and the tracking of progress, controlling takes it a step further by comparing this data to the planned benchmarks and implementing corrective measures when necessary. Monitoring and controlling processes are interdependent as project controlling cannot be effectively carried out without prior monitoring. The integration of monitoring and controlling is essential during the execution stage, and it provides a continuous feedback loop for project manager to assess performance against established baselines and make informed decisions.
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