Controlling
1. Purpose of Controlling
Controlling is the active part of project management — it means taking action based on what tracking and reporting reveal.
It’s how managers steer a project toward its goals, rather than merely observing or describing it.
Controlling answers the question:
“What should we do about what we’ve learned?”
Key aspects of control include:
- Decision‑making: choosing how to respond to deviations.
- Correction: implementing actions to fix or prevent problems.
- Learning: using data to improve estimates, methods, and team behavior.
2. The Feedback Loop
Tracking, reporting, and controlling form a continuous feedback cycle:
| Stage | Function | Output |
|---|---|---|
| Tracking | Collect data on current state | Facts and metrics |
| Reporting | Communicate and interpret | Insights and forecasts |
| Controlling | Decide and act | Adjustments and improvements |
The loop must be frequent and transparent — otherwise, issues grow faster than responses.
3. Corrective Actions
When tracking shows a deviation, managers can respond in several ways:
| Type of Deviation | Typical Actions |
|---|---|
| Schedule delay | Re-sequence tasks, fast-track, add resources, reduce scope |
| Cost overrun | Re-estimate, optimize resource mix, re-scope noncritical features |
| Quality issues | Pause for defect removal, strengthen reviews or testing |
| Scope creep | Re-negotiate requirements, tighten change control |
| Team performance | Coaching, reassignments, improve communication |
Control is not about punishment — it’s about recovery and learning.
4. Managing Baseline Changes
When the baseline plan becomes outdated, changes must be formalized and traceable:
- Document the change — describe what and why.
- Identify source of funding — management reserve, new budget, or reallocation.
- Adjust the baseline — update scope, schedule, or cost targets.
- Maintain history — record the evolution.
Never change the baseline just to hide poor performance.
5. Control in Agile Projects
Control in Agile frameworks is embedded in iteration cycles rather than done periodically.
| Predictive (Plan‑Driven) | Agile (Iterative) |
|---|---|
| Control via scheduled reviews and variance reports | Control via sprint reviews and retrospectives |
| Formal change requests | Continuous backlog refinement |
| Focus on variance from plan | Focus on adaptability and flow efficiency |
Agile teams use burndown charts, cumulative flow diagrams, and task boards for immediate, team‑owned control.
6. Visual Tools for Control
- Burndown charts: downward slope shows progress; flat/rising slope signals stagnation.
- Task boards: highlight WIP and bottlenecks.
- Cumulative flow diagrams: reveal congestion or healthy flow.
Visual control enables rapid feedback — the essence of agility.
7. Controlling Quality: Testing & Fixing
Key metrics and levers:
- Test coverage — are we validating enough?
- Defect trends — improving or regressing?
- Time‑to‑fix and reopen rate — fix efficiency and quality.
When defect rates rise, options include freezing new features, focusing on stabilization, or adding reviews.
8. Human Aspects of Control
Effective control involves people:
- Explain why corrective actions are needed.
- Involve the team in deciding how to fix issues.
- Balance accountability with psychological safety.
When control is punitive, teams hide problems; when collaborative, they surface them early.
9. Governance and Escalation
Control feeds into governance:
- Steering meetings review variances and approve changes.
- Thresholds define when deviations are escalated (e.g., >10% overrun).
- Lessons learned are logged for future improvements.
Control ensures alignment with organizational strategy.
10. Summary
Controlling closes the loop between tracking and planning: it transforms awareness into action.
| Step | Purpose | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Tracking | Observe and measure | Facts |
| Reporting | Communicate | Understanding |
| Controlling | Decide and act | Improvement |
You can’t control what you don’t track — and tracking is pointless unless it leads to control.
Disclaimer: AI is used for text summarization, explaining and formatting. Authors have verified all facts and claims. In case of an error, feel free to file an issue or fix with a pull request.