Planned versus Actual Performance Monitoring
The time monitoring process shall be summarized in
the form of a report preferably in tabular or graphical
form. The graphical status report may be prepared at
all levels of WBS and each activity of the project may
be individually monitored. The graphical report
prepared at total project level is a weighted summation
of status report of all the sub-activities in the WBS.
Summarizing the status of various activities of the project into a single index for the total project requires a common measurement parameter for all the activities.
This common parameter may be any of the following:
a) Earned value or budgetary cost of the activity (see Annex B for earned value management technique).
b) Manhour estimate for execution.
c) A pre-agreed weightage based on the criticality/importance of the activity (see Annex C for a sample report based on
weightage).
d) A combination of the above.
Once the common parameter, project metric to be used in the project is decided, all the status report of the project activities shall refer uniformly to the planned and achieved quantum of this project metrics by the activity.
The following procedure for graphical report preparation may be adopted:
a) Time planning process facilitates assigning of quantum of project metric to each activity in the WBS.
b) The assignment of project metric to activities for status reporting may be restricted to Level 3 or Level 4 in WBS or as appropriate for the project [for levels of network/schedule, see 5.2.2 of IS 14580 (Part 2)].
c) Against each activity up to Level 3 or Level 4 as decided in the baseline schedule, the quantum of project metrics is worked out. The time planning process determines the distribution of the metrics on the project timeline.
d) The summation of all the project metric in total WBS will give the project summary which can be graphically represented against project time scale. The summary can be individually obtained at every level of WBS, that is, Level 1, Level 2, Level 3, etc.
e) The project metric on Y-axis and Timeline on X-axis may be used for graphical representation. The points to be plotted may be a cumulative project metric value or absolute value bar histogram. The timescale for metrics distribution and graphical
representation may be month, week or even days depending on the nature of project and level of monitoring required for the project (see Fig. 4).
The identification and monitoring procedure standardization shall be as follows:
a) As the project progresses, the actual performance of the summary activities at the required level shall be again plotted along with its baseline plan value (see Fig. 5).
b) The horizontal offset between the baseline and actual curve shall determine the deviation in project timeline at summary level and vertical offset determines the percent progress deviation.
c) The reasons for deviation may be ascertained by drilling down to lower levels in WBS of the project. This analysis shall become input for time control and decision-making for mitigation.
d) The time control procedure in 6.3 shall determine revised plan and activities metrics for future activities.
e) The project metrics distribution shall be reworked for future activities of the project and plotted in dotted line as a forecast curve.
If the actual progress is behind the baseline and, if it is possible for the backlog to be recovered either before or by the baseline completion time, this is deemed as ‘catching up’, and the distribution plotted for this is called the catch-up curve (see Fig. 6).
f) Graphical representation as illustrated in this section depicts pictorially the status of an updated schedule of the project. This is a tool for time monitoring and this graphical report becomes an input for time control.
g) The data from time monitoring may also be analyzed and reported as tabular or narrative form.
