PROJECT MONITORING
PROJECT MONITORING
project monitoring is an integral part of the project management. It provides understanding of the progress of the project so that appropriate corrective actions can be taken when the performance deviates significantly from the planned path.
It consists of regular systematic collection and analysis of information to track the progress of the project implementation against pre-set targets and objectives. It is an important management tool which, if used properly, provides continuous feedback on the project implementation progress as well assists in the identification of potential successes and constraints to facilitate timely decisions.
effective monitoring of the project is a critical element of good project management. It supports informed and timely decision making by the management and provides accountability for achieving results. It is a key part of project cycle management.
It is to be built into the project at the planning stage. It is not an ‘add on’ tool which can be used during mid-way of the project implementation. On the other hand, it is to be woven throughout the project.
Project monitoring clarifies project objectives, links activities and their resources to objectives, translates objectives into performance indicators and sets targets, routinely collects data on these indicators, compares actual results with targets, and reports progress to the management and alerts the management about the problems which frequently gets cropped up during the implementation of the project.
It provides information to the management whether the project is proceeding as per schedule relative to the targets or there is time over run in the project implementation. It also focuses, in particular, on the efficiency and the use of resources during the project implementation. It provides support to the management in its efforts to complete the project in time and within the budget.
General aspects of project monitoring
Project monitoring provides opportunities at regular predetermined points to validate the logical progress of the project, its activities and their implementation and to make adjustments as needed. Good planning and designs alone do not ensure results in the execution of the project.
Progress towards achieving results needs to be monitored. Equally, no amount of good monitoring alone can correct poor project designs, plans and results. Information from monitoring needs to be used to encourage improvements or reinforce plans. Information from systematic monitoring also provides critical input for project evaluation.
It is very difficult to evaluate project progress which is not well designed and which is not systematically monitored.
Project monitoring provides records of activities and results, and signals problems to be remedied along the way. It is normally descriptive in nature and does not explain why a particular problem has arisen, or why a particular outcome has occurred or failed to occur.
It helps the management for the fine-tuning of the implementation activities, reorientation of the project implementation by making appropriate changes in future planning. Without effective monitoring it is normally impossible to judge if work is going in the right direction, whether progress and success can be claimed and how further efforts can be improved.