Leadership in IT Project Management: A Comprehensive Report

This report delves into the critical aspects of leadership in IT project management, emphasizing the significance of project control methodologies. It examines the application of earned value management (EVM) and project risk analysis as essential tools for monitoring and influencing project outcomes, including time, cost, and schedule. The report analyzes the importance of project control in mitigating risks and ensuring project success. It highlights the need for a well-defined project control strategy from the planning phase. The report integrates the earned value methodology with project risk analysis. The report also discusses different approaches to project monitoring and control, including the top-down and bottom-up approaches. The conclusions underscore that effective project control is integral to project management, aiding in the successful estimation of project outcomes, while also providing valuable lessons for IT managers on developing robust project management strategies. The report also looks at the importance of EVM or earned value management in developing a proper project control strategy.

Running head: LEADERSHIP IN IT PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Leadership in IT Project Management
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Table of Contents
1. Introduction......................................................................................................................2
2. Analysis...........................................................................................................................2
3. Conclusion.......................................................................................................................4
4. Lessons for IT Manager...................................................................................................5
References............................................................................................................................6

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1. Introduction
The project control is an analytical process of data gathering and management that is
generally used to in predicting, understanding and influencing time, cost and schedule of a
project. The chosen journal is based on the different approaches of project control and discusses
some basic concepts of project management. This paper integrates the earned value methodology
with the project risk analysis, which is an effective method of project control. This is a widely
used methodology as it helps the project managers in estimating whether the project is deviating
from the planned value is within the expected deviations that were derived from the earlier
planned activity. The article discusses the concept of earned value Management as a widely used
project management methodology (Acebes et al., 2014). This is a most widely used project
control technique as it integrates the scope, time and cost associated with a project. The authors
performed a secondary research by researching in three case studies. The traditional or basic
project control technique include estimating the schedule by PERT, which is considered
statistically very optimistic. The article further elaborates the views of several authors who have
improved the process of traditional EV by increasing the potential in monitoring and evaluation
of progress of the project (Fleming & Koppelman, 2016).
2. Analysis
The conclusions reached by the authors of this article, project control can be defined as a
formal process of project management. It is a function that deals with the comparison of the
actual performance with a planned performance using a corrective action that yields desired
outcome. EVM is an effective project control technique that is based on the analysis of the three
measures. At first, the budgeted cost for work schedule, which is also known as planned value is

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considered. Secondly, the actual cost for the work and finally the cost of the work that was
budgeted, is performed, which is also known as earned value or EV. The definition of the cost
performance index and schedule performance index is needed to be understood for comparing
the projects with different sizes. The authors, in order to establish the need for proper project
control methodology, evaluate the non-repetitive nature of the project along with the uncertainty
and risk, that are considered to be the very core of the project management. Project control deals
with thorough review of the metrics of the project and the metrics reports that identify the
fluctuation from the project baseline. These fluctuations are identifies by the comparison of the
original performance metrics in the implementation or execution phase with the baseline metrics
identified during the planning phase. The project control phase generally deals with taking
proper action in anticipation of a probabale problems (Burke, 2013).
One of the major aspects of project control is the relationship between the control phase
of the project and the other phases, which should be concise and clear. Project control is an
major aspect of project management as it determines the success of the project by the project
stakeholders. The success of the project is further related to the cost of the project, project
completion date, customer expectations and the performance (Olawale & Sun, 2012). Project
control is associated with the proper project progress. The project is least expected to fail
because of one issue, however, a collection of certain minor issues may have a significant impact
on the cost, schedule and risk associated with the project. The primary concepts of project
control associated with the scope, change, schedule and cost of the project is thoroughly
reviewed in the article.
The article suggests two approaches of project monitoring and control that includes the
top down approach. This top down approach is based on earned value metrics. The bottom-up

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approach that is based on the analysis method of schedule risk. The authors have studied the
different reasons of EVM and schedule risk analysis as an effective method of project control
(Willems & Vanhoucke, 2015). The earned schedule as an effective project control method that
estimates the date when the current earned value of a project is achieved. Project control is a
necessary part of project management because it helps in dealing with the non-repetitive nature
of the projects, project uncertainty and project risks. In this article, the author uses the method of
Monte Carlo simulation in computing the statistical distribution function of the of the cost and
duration of the entire project.
Therefore, it can be said that the project control can help in understanding and tracking
the delays, intrinsic variability and project progress. Enabling a proper project methodology may
therefore help in gaining a confidence about the timely completion of the project. This analytical
process of project control helps in understanding and tracking the time and cost outcome of a
project or a program that highly influences the project outcomes and helps the management in
effective decision-making (Colin & Vanhoucke, 2015). Project control is an effective part of
project strategy that enhances the outcome of the project. Apart from this, an effective project
control methodology helps in managing the different risks associated with the project.
3. Conclusion
Therefore, from the above discussion it can be concluded that the authors of the article
has clearly established the need for having an effective project control methodology. Project
control is an integral part of project management as it helps in estimating the success of the
project. The chosen article evaluates the importance of EVM or earned value management in
developing a proper project control strategy. This paper is found to be very useful in identifying

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the needs and importance of the different project control methodologies. Project control is an
important aspect of project management as the risks associated with a project can be effectively
mitigated.
4. Lessons for IT Manager
This paper evaluates different aspects of project management that can be beneficial for a
project manager. The need for a proper project management strategy is evaluated in this article.
A good project manager should definitely consider the need of developing a proper project
control strategy in the planning phase of the project management (Kerzner, 2013). It is important
and necessary for a project manager to understand the need of project control.

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References
Acebes, F., Pajares, J., Galán, J. M., & López-Paredes, A. (2014). A new approach for project
control under uncertainty. Going back to the basics. International Journal of Project
Management, 32(3), 423-434.
Burke, R. (2013). Project management: planning and control techniques. New Jersey, USA.
Colin, J., & Vanhoucke, M. (2015). A comparison of the performance of various project control
methods using earned value management systems. Expert Systems with
Applications, 42(6), 3159-3175.
Fleming, Q. W., & Koppelman, J. M. (2016, December). Earned value project management.
Project Management Institute.
Kerzner, H. (2013). Project management: a systems approach to planning, scheduling, and
controlling. John Wiley & Sons.
Olawale, Y., & Sun, M. (2012). PCIM: Project control and inhibiting-factors management
model. Journal of management in engineering, 29(1), 60-70.
Willems, L. L., & Vanhoucke, M. (2015). Classification of articles and journals on project
control and earned value management. International Journal of Project
Management, 33(7), 1610-1634.