Executing, Monitoring, and Controlling
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Executing
Executing means doing the work and managing people, resources, and communications to deliver the plan. The manager's job is to remove obstacles, make decisions, maintain quality, and keep stakeholders informed.
Monitoring and Controlling
Monitoring collects data on progress, and controlling compares it with the plan and takes corrective action. In the PMBOK Guide's eighth edition, Monitoring and Controlling is one of the five focus areas, and Governance is a performance domain covering decisions, monitoring, and change (PMI, 2025; Projectmanagement.com.br, 2025).
What to Measure
| Dimension | Example measures |
| Schedule | Milestones met, percent complete, SPI, burn-down chart |
| Cost | Spend versus budget, CPI |
| Scope | Deliverables accepted, change requests |
| Quality | Defects, review findings, test results |
| Risk | Number and severity of open risks |
| Stakeholders | Satisfaction, engagement, feedback |
| Team | Workload, morale, turnover |
Reporting Status
A simple RAG (red-amber-green) status is often used: green means on track, amber means at risk but recoverable, red means off track and needs a decision. Always add a sentence explaining the status and what action is being taken. Show trends, not only snapshots.
Variance Analysis and Corrective Action
When a measure departs from the plan, find the cause before reacting. Options include re-planning, adding resources, reducing scope, accepting the variance, or escalating. Record the decision and its rationale.
Integrated Change Control
Any change that affects scope, schedule, cost, or quality should be recorded in a change log, assessed for its impact, and approved or rejected by the appropriate authority, then communicated. Keep a decision log and an issue log, so that the project has a memory.
Reviews and Retrospectives
Hold regular reviews, and in agile projects, a retrospective after each cycle, to ask what went well, what did not, and what to change. Small, steady improvement beats rare, large rescues.
Beyond the Single Project: Programs, Portfolios, and PMOs
| Level | Definition | Example |
| Project | Temporary effort for a unique result | A single thesis study |
| Program | A group of related projects managed together to obtain benefits | A research center's linked studies on one theme |
| Portfolio | A collection of projects and programs managed to meet strategic goals | A university's research investments |
| PMO | A project management office: a unit that standardizes methods, supports managers, and provides governance | A department office that supports grant projects |
A doctoral candidate, in practice, runs a small portfolio: the main thesis, several papers, teaching, and service. Treat it that way, and prioritize explicitly.
Governance
Governance is the framework of decision rights, oversight, and accountability that keeps the project aligned with the organization's goals. For a student project, it consists of the supervisor, the committee, the ethics board, and institutional regulations. Know who decides what, and at which gate.
CHAPTER 14