Skip to main content

Evaluation vs controlling; elements of control

Short answer

Evaluation periodically judges project worth and results; controlling continuously regulates work to stay on plan. Control elements: baseline plan, performance measurement, variance comparison, corrective action, information feedback, and defined organizational authority.

What is the difference between evaluation and controlling? Discuss the elements of project control.

Difference between evaluation and controlling

BasisEvaluationControlling
MeaningJudging the worth and results of the projectRegulating the work to keep it on plan
TimePeriodic; mainly end or mid-termContinuous during implementation
ConcernObjectives achieved, impact, lessonsTime, cost, quality, scope variances
ResultRecommendations and judgementCorrective actions and decisions
DirectionLooks back (and forward for new projects)Acts on the present to correct the future

Elements of project control

  1. Plan / standard (baseline): approved scope, schedule, budget and quality standards against which performance is judged.
  2. Measurement of performance: collecting actual data of progress, cost, quality and resource use (monitoring).
  3. Comparison and variance analysis: finding the difference between actual and planned and its cause and effect on the project.
  4. Corrective action: decisions to bring the project back to plan (more resources, re-sequencing, change of method) or to revise the plan.
  5. Information and reporting (feedback): timely reports to the manager and the client; the result of the action is fed back to the next cycle.
  6. Organisation and authority: clear responsibility, authority and people for control at each level.
Plan -> Measure -> Compare -> Act -> Feedback
  ^                                    |
  +------------------------------------+

✓ Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort)

Related questions

All Project Engineering chapter 4 questions →