The Setting up Project Control on a Large, Complex Project is an essential endeavor that requires a lot of focus and effort in the first few months of the Project. It is an essential investment and the Project Control team needs to be highly involved from the first day of the Project to make it successful. Our new White Paper 2016-15 ‘How to Properly Setup Project Control on a Large, Complex Project’ details what this setup process entails – it complements White Paper 2016-13 on the wider issue of Project Start-Up.

The main objectives of the setup phase for Project Control include:

1. Recover all relevant data from the tender/ proposal stage and check it against the actual Contract to provide a proper reference to the Project,
2. Establish a proper Project execution baseline consistent with the Project execution strategy, associated with a relevant level of resilience as assessed by statistical analysis. This includes the design of suitable data breakdown structures,
3. Establish appropriate baseline change control processes,
4. Assign accountability for cost and schedule throughout the team in a comprehensive manner (to ‘Scope Owners’) through a formal endorsement process,
5. Establish contractual consistency and necessary requirements for suppliers / vendors and contractors.
6. Establish relevant processes for updating and reporting on the actual situation (Actual Costs, physical progress etc.) and forecasts from external stakeholders with the aim to obtain accuracy while minimizing cumbersome information gathering work, so as to leave more space for analysis,
7. Implement collaboration systems to enhance communication and collaboration within the team, as well as the gathering of important progress and status information,
8. Implement the breakdown structure and data gathering requirements in all relevant systems throughout all Functions,
9. Establish / enhance / adapt the relevant Information Technology systems to ensure that key processes will remain under control.

The Project Control setup is absolutely essential and needs to be performed urgently at Project Start-Up. A roadmap has been given that will ensure comprehensiveness and success. Read our new White Paper 2016-15 ‘How to Properly Setup Project Control on a Large, Complex Project’!