Discussion Forum: Integrated Monitoring
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation
Integrated Monitoring
Monitoring is a concept used in project management and it refers to continuous and periodic assessment of a project or program to ascertain whether the project is progressing according to plan and implement necessary changes. Integrated monitoring involves having an all-round monitoring system that incorporates all aspects of a project in assessing the project’s implementation to ensure it is according to schedule (Mortaji et al., 2018). Monitoring takes various forms and it assesses various aspects such as physical implementation of the project, financial aspects, analyzing the process and impact of the implementation plan. Therefore, integrated monitoring deals with analyzing all these aspects of the project and providing feedback to stakeholders for necessary action. The main reason for integrated monitoring is to ensure no aspect of the project lags behind. That is because any segment that lags behind the rest has the potential to affect the whole project adversely. As a project manager, what method of monitoring would you employ to keep the project implementation in check?
Primary Reason that Project Managers Monitor Project Work Activities
The primary reason why project managers monitor project work activities is to keep track, review and regulate progress of the project to ensure it meets performance goals and objectives as stipulated in the project plan. It helps project managers to generate reports, assess progress, and make recommendations on any desired changes or modifications to the project’s plan (Galante et al., 2019). Monitoring involves analyzing the progress of the project with regard to schedule, cost of implementation, scope, risks and quality of work being done. such an assessment helps managers, project teams and other relevant stakeholders to know the progress of the project in relation to initial plan besides acting as a decision-making tool (Project Management Institute, 2008).
Monitoring is crucial in ensuring the desired outcomes of a project are achieved, and within the scheduled time frame and budget. Basically, monitoring acts as a control tool to prevent the project from failing and to ensure it meets its initial objectives (Galante et al., 2019). Apart from the primary role of monitoring being a control tool to ensure the project is implemented according to plan, what other roles do you think project monitoring plays?
Biblical Integration
Monitoring of projects is crucial and it is even biblically supported. For instance, the book of Luke 14:28 (NIV) states that, “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it?” That scripture outlines the importance of planning in implementation of projects. Planning goes hand in hand with monitoring since it is through monitoring that a project is implemented according to plan. Even when the builder has budgeted for the project, he/she has to monitor its implementation to ensure it is according to plan.
In conclusion, project monitoring is a significant determinant to the success or failure of a project. integrated monitoring is a more effective form of project monitoring since it ensures all aspects of a project are reviewed. Managers monitor projects from initiation to completion to ensure they are implemented according to plan. it also helps stakeholders to recommend any necessary adjustments to the plan.
References
Galante, G. M. La Fata, C. M., & Passannanti, G. (2019). Project monitoring by dynamic statistical control charts. Journal of Modern Project Management, 7(3), 1-18. https://doi-org.ezproxy.liberty.edu/10.19255/JMPM02105
Mortaji, S.T.H. et al. (2018). An ex ante control chart for project monitoring using earned duration management observations. Journal of Industrial Engineering International https://doi.org/10.1007/s40092-017-0251-5
Project Management Institute. (2008). A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge. https://www.works.gov.bh/English/ourstrategy/Project%20Management/Documents/Other%20PM%20Resources/PMBOKGuideFourthEdition_protected.pdf