---
title: "Monitor and control project work"
subject: "ICT Project Management"
chapter: 7
key: "semester_7/ict_project_management:monitor-control-project-work"
source: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_7/ict_project_management/monitor-control-project-work
site: BCT Engineering
---

# Monitor and control project work

ICT Project Management · Chapter 7: Project Integration Management

- Asked in: year not given
- Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort) on 2026-10-14
- Page: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_7/ict_project_management/monitor-control-project-work
- Whole chapter: https://www.bctengineer.com/md/semester_7/ict_project_management/chapter-7

## Question

How to monitor and control project work? Describe tracking project progress, optimizing benefits and benefits tracking and project status report.

## Short answer

Monitor and control project work by comparing actual performance to baselines, assessing variances, and tracking progress using earned value and status meetings. Optimize benefits by focusing on high-value scope; project status reports summarise schedule, cost, issues, and forecasts.

## Answer

**Monitor and control project work** (Integration Management) is the process of tracking, reviewing and reporting progress to meet the performance objectives defined in the project management plan. Monitoring collects and analyses data; controlling compares actual with planned performance, finds variances and takes corrective or preventive action. It runs from start to close.

#### Steps / how to monitor and control
1. Compare actual project performance against the plan.
2. Assess performance to decide if corrective or preventive actions are needed.
3. Check the status of individual risks and issues.
4. Maintain accurate information on product status.
5. Provide cost and schedule forecasts.
6. Monitor implementation of approved changes.
7. Report progress to stakeholders.

#### Tracking project progress
- Use the baseline schedule, cost and scope as references.
- Methods: status meetings, milestone reviews, Gantt chart tracking, percent complete, earned value (CPI, SPI), issue and defect logs.
- Hold regular reviews, check deliverables against requirements.

#### Optimising benefits and benefits tracking
- A project must deliver the benefits promised in the business case (cost saving, revenue, service improvement).
- **Optimising benefits**: adjust scope or priorities, remove low-value features and focus on high-value ones.
- **Benefits tracking**: measure benefits against targets during and after the project, using indicators defined in the benefits realisation plan (e.g. reduction in processing time from 5 days to 1 day).

#### Project status report
A periodic report to stakeholders summarising progress.
| Content | Example |
|---|---|
| Period and overall status | Green/Amber/Red |
| Accomplishments | Design approved |
| Schedule and cost status | SPI 0.92, CPI 1.05 |
| Issues and risks | Vendor delay |
| Change requests | Two pending |
| Next steps | Start testing |
| Forecast | Expected finish: Week 24 |

```text
Plan/baseline --compare--> Actual
        variance --> Corrective action --> Updated plan
```

**Outputs**: change requests, work performance reports, updates to plans and documents.

## Check yourself

The answer's key points as multiple-choice questions, with the correct option and why.

1. Controlling mainly involves:
   A. Comparing actual with planned performance and taking corrective action
   B. Writing the charter
   C. Selecting projects
   D. Hiring vendors
   Answer: A. Control finds variances and triggers corrective or preventive action. (Key point: Controlling)

2. Benefits tracking means:
   A. Cutting all features
   B. Measuring benefits against targets using indicators from the benefits realisation plan
   C. Ending the project
   D. Counting team members
   Answer: B. Benefits are measured against targets during and after the project. (Key point: Benefits tracking)

3. Which are earned value indicators for tracking progress?
   A. SWOT
   B. NPV and IRR
   C. CPI and SPI
   D. OPA and EEF
   Answer: C. Cost performance index and schedule performance index track progress. (Key point: Earned value)

4. Which does a status report contain?
   A. Vendor advertisements
   B. Only salary details
   C. Only the charter
   D. Overall status, accomplishments, schedule/cost status, issues, change requests, next steps
   Answer: D. A status report summarises progress for stakeholders. (Key point: Status report)

## Related in ICT Project Management

- [Project versus operational work](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Fict_project_management%3Aproject-vs-operations) — ICT Project Management, chapter 1
- [Manage and perform project work](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Fict_project_management%3Amanage-project-work) — ICT Project Management, chapter 7
- [Project scope control](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Fict_project_management%3Aproject-scope-control) — ICT Project Management, chapter 7
- [Statement of work](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Fict_project_management%3Astatement-of-work) — ICT Project Management, chapter 7
- [Work breakdown structure (WBS)](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Fict_project_management%3Awork-breakdown-structure) — ICT Project Management, chapter 7
- [QA and QC for a successful project](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Fict_project_management%3Aqa-qc-successful-project) — ICT Project Management, chapter 10

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