Project Management

What do we mean by project monitoring?

It means to keep a careful check of project activities over a period of time.

Why should we monitor a project?

Surely if everyone is doing their best, things will go well?

To work to its full potential, any kind of project needs to set out proposals and objectives. Then a monitoring system should be worked out to keep a check on all the various activities, including finances. This will help project staff to know how things are going, as well as giving early warning of possible problems and difficulties.

How can a project be monitored?

1. Keep it simple
Remember… monitoring is meant to be a help to good project management and not a burden.

2. Objectives
Work out clearly at the beginning the objectives of the project, including a budget of the likely cost (expenditure).

3. Plan the activities
- what needs to be done
- when it should be done
- who will be involved in doing it
- what resources are needed to do it
- how long it will take to do
- how much it will cost.

Monitoring
Work out the most appropriate way of monitoring the work - again, keep it simple:
- meetings
- diaries
- reports on progress
- accounts, reports on finances