Senior Managers’ Guide

to Project Controls
Making the Case for Investing in Project Controls

Because when projects

succeed, society benefits
Senior Managers’
Guide to Project
Controls
Making the Case for Investing
in Project Controls

Senior Managers’ Guide to Project Controls 1

Association for Project Management
Ibis House, Regent Park
Summerleys Road, Princes Risborough
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© Association for Project Management 2023

First edition 2023
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Contents

Acknowledgements5

Preface6

1 Introduction 8

Part 1: For the senior manager

2 What are project controls? 11

Why should senior managers embrace project controls? 11
What are the project controls’ capabilities? 12
Projects without controls 13
How do project controls deliver benefits? 14

3 Project controls and project management  17

When should project managers involve project controls? 17
How do project controls benefit project managers? 20
Who else benefits? 21
When do you need project controls? 22
Succession planning 23

Senior Managers’ Guide to Project Controls 3

 Part 2: For the change team

4 Implementing project controls in your organisation 25

Justifying the case for project controls 25
Planning a project controls change programme 26
Creating a roadmap for introducing project controls 27
Collaborating with all elements of the organisation 29
Introducing one way of conducting project controls 30
Creating a project controls community 31
Establishing a project management office (PMO) 32
Measuring successes 32

5 Conclusion 33
Appendix A: Typical responsibilities of project controls staff 34
Appendix B: Typical responsibilities of project management staff 35
References 36

4 Senior Managers’ Guide to Project Controls

Acknowledgements
This guide would not have been possible to complete without the
contributions from all of the APM Planning, Monitoring and Control Specific
Interest Group (PMC SIG) volunteers, but specifically the following members,
who contributed and drafted sections:

• Ewan Glen FAPM, ChPP

• Iain Morton MAPM
• David Cox MAPM ChPP
• Ella Burt MAPM

I’m grateful to Paul Kidston for the material he provided to this guide and for
his support with editing.

Following the production of the initial draft manuscript, I received PMC SIG
comments from Miles Goodchild and Dawn Thompson. It also received
a senior manager’s review – thanks to the following volunteers for their
contribution and perspective: Iain Minns, Steve Wake, James Simons and
Clare Georgy.

Finally, thanks to our Co-Chair Keith Haward for his contributions, for
volunteering me for this task and for his leadership.

Dale Shermon FAPM, Lead Author

Group Head of P3M Professionalism, QinetiQ

Senior Managers’ Guide to Project Controls 5

 Preface
During my 45-year career in the construction industry, the majority of which
was spent in project controls, I was fortunate to work on some inspiring
projects both in the Middle East and Europe. I saw how critical project
controls were in the construction, rail and nuclear industries. Not all projects
were successful, but I realised that I learned more from the difficult projects
than from the ones that ran smoothly.

In both the successful and the difficult projects, awareness was critical. The
various disciplines of project controls helped to identify and highlight the
issues. The project team was then clear about where to focus their attention
and energy to resolve the issues.

One example was Hays Galleria, a fast-track fit-out for Lloyds Bank, costing
£13m over eight months (equivalent to £50m in 2022). With 15 weeks
to completion, it was already eight weeks late! We rescheduled the
programme to recover the delay and issued weekly progress updates each
Thursday night. First thing on Friday morning, the project manager called
a site meeting to see where time could be recovered. Resources were then
deployed over the weekend to recover the delay. As a result, the client
moved in on programme. Project controls gave us the ability to accelerate
and visualise the problems, allowing us to recover the programme.

6 Senior Managers’ Guide to Project Controls

Although the use of project controls does not guarantee project success,
it does give visibility of issues before they become insurmountable. As a
senior manager, one is always looking for the issues that may delay or
derail the project. As the saying goes, forewarned is forearmed. Project
controls enable a manager to be ready to address problems before they
cause an issue.

It’s possible that you are a senior manager in an industry not applying
formal project controls. Or you may be a senior manager in an industry
that has relied on project professionals for decades. This guide can help
you introduce, improve or innovate in the field of project controls. I wish you
every success!

Keith Haward FAPM

Co-Chair, APM Planning, Monitoring and Control Specific Interest Group
Formerly Associate Director, Turner & Townsend

7
 1 Introduction

This Senior Managers’ Guide to Project Controls demonstrates

why executives and managers should invest their time and
organisations’ resources in project controls.

Part one of this guide is a reference document that focuses on what

project controls do, but not how. It recognises that a senior audience
is more interested in strategic delivery and good governance than
in the details of ‘how’. It will refer to all the key project controls areas,
which can be studied in more detail in other guides published by
APM, for example, Planning, Scheduling, Monitoring and Control.

Part two supports the introduction or improvement of project

controls within an organisation. This guide will support project
controls investments and business cases. We are confident that
it will provide credible independent evidence within a business
case to support investment in project controls capability.

8 Senior Managers’ Guide to Project Controls

Part 1:
For the senior manager
• What are project controls?
• Project controls and project management

Part 2:
For the change team
• Implementation of project controls in your organisation
• Summary

Senior Managers’ Guide to Project Controls 9

 Part 1:
For the senior
manager

10 Senior Managers’ Guide to Project Controls

2 What are project controls?
Why should senior managers embrace
project controls?
Project controls teams are the people who collect project data and convert
it into information and insight. This insight is then a catalyst for action.

Good project controls protect profits, contain costs and assures delivery.

Project controls help you take a structured, formal approach to delivering

a project through the project life cycle. It is recognised as the analytical
element of project management.

“I’ve used project

controls on three
projects. When
you look back, it’s
frighteningly accurate.
Often despite what you
believed at the time.”
Project Director, later Divisional Director

Effective project controls establish data that forms a ‘single source of truth’
for projects, to track progress and make decisions against. When done
correctly, data integrity is assured and datasets are integrated to provide
holistic management information.

With effective project controls, you will increase the likelihood of successful
outcomes, improving the basis on which projects are launched, identifying
and mitigating issues to save time, resource costs and reputation in order to
protect profit.
Senior Managers’ Guide to Project Controls 11
 What are the project controls capabilities?
When working with wider functions such as finance and commercial
teams, project managers can use the full capabilities of project controls
to determine how they will deliver their outputs and check performance
through to delivery. The core elements of project controls include:

• managing time
• managing cost
• managing risk (threats and opportunities)
• managing change
• reporting, performance management and decision making
• information management
• associated communications

89% of project teams (on projects ranging

from £50k to £500m) said that, despite issues,
they remain committed to making their
projects succeed.
(APM Conditions for Project Success, 2015)

The scale of controls should be tailored to the environment, recognising

factors such as size of organisation, risk, complexity, contract type,
methodology and lifecycle stage. The core principles will still apply; see
Appendix A for a list of project controls roles.

The scale and complexity of a project or programme will influence the

staffing of project controls. As shown in Figure 1, the project manager may
carry out and be responsible for project controls roles in small projects. At
the other end of the spectrum, there will be programmes of a magnitude
that justify a team of multiple project managers and project controllers,
along with specialists such as planners, schedulers and risk managers.

12 Senior Managers’ Guide to Project Controls

 Project Project Project Project
management controls management controls

Large complex project with Small simple project with part

multiple project managers and time project managers filling
project controllers both roles

Figure 1: Project controls sizing – the scale and complexity of the project will
influence the demarcation of the roles – ©QinetiQ

Projects without controls

The absence of project controls could be compared to driving in the dark
without the lights on. In reality, it’s all about degrees of application, from
approaches that cover the key bases through to more comprehensive
systems for managing large complex projects.

Projects fail through poor scope definition, poor execution, poor estimating
of cost and schedule, poor performance and cost escalation, resulting in
lost profits and reputational damage to the organisation.

Without project controls to monitor the project, there can also be a failure to
deliver project benefits to the stakeholders.

“This is so simple
and so powerful.
Why aren’t we using
it everywhere?”
Major Infrastructure Client Director

Senior Managers’ Guide to Project Controls 13

 How do project controls deliver benefits?
The APM Conditions for Project Success report identified 12 factors for
successful delivery, which are influenced by project controls. Table 1 highlights
the factors and how the project controls can deliver these benefits.

Factors for successful project delivery Project controls inputs

1. Effective governance: The project Providing clear management
has clearly identified leadership, information and certainty
responsibilities, reporting lines and regarding the schedule, cost
communications between all parties. and risk position.
2. Goals and objectives: The overall goal Providing assessment of
of the project is clearly specified and progress towards the project
recognised by all stakeholders. It is not goals, and forecasting
in conflict with subsidiary objectives the project’s benefits and
and project leaders have a clear vision outcomes.
of the project outcomes.
3. Commitment to project success: All Highlighting areas of under-
parties involved in the project are and performance and suggesting
remain committed to the project’s recovery actions.
success. Any lack of commitment is
recognised and dealt with, and project
leadership inspires commitment in
others.
4. Capable sponsors: Sponsors play an Providing sponsors with
active role in the project’s life cycle. management information
They assume ultimate responsibility and facilitating reviews.
and accountability for the project
outcomes.
5. Secure funding: The project has a Supporting the generation of
secure funding base. Contingency the business case or proposal
funding is recognised from the start with justified and credible
and budgets are tightly controlled to cost estimates.
ensure maximum value is realised.
6. Project planning and review: Pre- Well thought out project
project planning is thorough and plans with regular monitoring
considered. There is regular and supplies valuable data for
careful progress monitoring. The monitoring and control.
project has realistic time schedules,
active risk management and a post-
project review.

14 Senior Managers’ Guide to Project Controls

 Factors for successful project delivery Project controls inputs
7. Supportive organisations: The Facilitating integrated
environment in which the project project delivery through
operates is project friendly. The dependency management
organisation provides support and engagement across the
and resourcing for project activity organisation.
(including financing) and access to
stakeholders.
8. End users and operators: End users or Coordinating the handover
operators are engaged in the project’s process, including user
design. The project team engages training and interface.
with users who can take on what the
project has produced effectively and
efficiently.
9. Competent project teams: Project Providing performance
professionals forming a core team are management and monitoring
fully competent. Other team members team delivery.
are also fully competent, and the
project team engages in positive
behaviours which encourage success.
10. Aligned supply chain: All direct Providing supplier
and indirect suppliers are aware of integration and performance
project needs, schedules and quality management.
standards. Higher and lower tiers of
supply chains are coordinated.
11. Proven methods and tools: Good Providing the application of
practice project management tools, APM best practice.
methods and techniques are applied
in a way which maintains an effective
balance between flexibility and
robustness.
12. Appropriate standards: Quality Assuring compliance with
standards are actively used to drive organisational policy,
the quality of outputs. Adherence to procedures and practices.
other standards is regularly monitored
to ensure delivery meets best practice
levels.

Table 1: How project controls can influence the factors for successful project 2015
delivery (Source: Conditions for Project Success. Available online at:
apm.org.uk/media/1621/conditions-for-project-success_web_final_0.pdf)

Senior Managers’ Guide to Project Controls 15

 The benefits of a mature project controls function are as follows:

• Continuous monitoring through project controls gives the project team

and stakeholders insight into their project’s performance. This identifies
areas of work which are performing well (on time and cost) and any
that may need closer scrutiny or may need change to be considered.
• Cost escalations can be reduced through the ability to make timely
decisions based on performance data, increased visibility of project
financial performance and forecasts, and efficiencies in processes.
• The application of project controls methodologies provides benefits
by increased standardisation across an organisation or portfolio,
simplifying the process of reviewing project data and providing a
like-for-like picture across a range of projects.
• Project controls staff can efficiently transfer from project to project
because they are already familiar with the process.
• Progress and performance data are easier to analyse, supporting
decision making and ensuring information is easy to find.
• Providing quality information and lessons learned.
• Project controls support the organisation in reducing and controlling
scope creep, understanding the impacts of customer-driven change,
and providing mechanisms for assuring confidence in project delivery
costs/time.

Although the research

revealed that the vast
majority of respondents
considered their projects
to be a success to some
degree, around 1 in 8
actually failed to meet
their budget.
(APM Conditions for Project Success, 2015)

16 Senior Managers’ Guide to Project Controls

3 Project controls and
project management

Project managers need the insight that project controls can deliver. Without
project controls, project managers are left to make decisions based on
personal judgement. Project controls provide the data that balances any
optimism bias. This ensures that senior managers can trust in their project
managers’ decisions.

When should project managers involve

project controls?
Project controls constitute a significant part of the planning and delivery of
a project. They should be adopted as early in the life cycle as possible and
applied through to closure – and beyond.

Project controls are the data, analytical, reporting and forecasting part of
project management, while traditional project management emphasises
the softer skills, such as stakeholder management and issue resolution. Both
aspects of a project professional’s time are essential, as shown in Figure 2.

Project management process Project management time

Planning
and control

Soft issues

Figure 2: The importance of planning and controls in project management

(Source: Planning, Scheduling, Monitoring and Control guide)

Senior Managers’ Guide to Project Controls 17

Table 2 shows how the project controls and project management
functions complement each other. See Appendix B for a full list of project
management roles.

Discipline Project controls Project management

(Recommending) (Deciding)
Performance Establishing and operating Decision making based upon
management the governance and the information presented.
performance regime needed
to enable effective decision
making (e.g. data structures,
review cycle, review packs,
term of reference).
Schedule Interrogating project Gaining situational
analysis schedules to identify awareness by working
potential risks and issues, with project controls to
and emerging trends that understand critical stages
may need addressing. within the project and to
obtain an accurate idea of
Identifying potential
whether the project is on
improvement options
time.
to address issues and
emerging negative trends. Making timely decisions on
mitigation and recovery
Techniques include critical
options.
path analysis, schedule
risk analysis, dependency
analysis and delay analysis.
Budget and cost Establishing the cost Being responsible for the
controls breakdown structure, project budget and utilising
estimating the budget, forecasting information to
establishing a baseline, establish accurate data on
receiving actual cost project cost performance.
information, determining Taking mitigating actions
accruals and engaging to correct or manage
project team members to variances.
forecast remaining costs to
assess the project against
the cost baseline.
Validating payment
applications.

18 Senior Managers’ Guide to Project Controls

Discipline Project controls Project management
(Recommending) (Deciding)
Resource Identifying the resources Utilising resourcing
analysis (e.g. labour, materials, information to engage the
equipment, infrastructure) wider organisation to source
needed to deliver the project, the resources needed to
and understanding when deliver the project.
each resource is required.
Deciding on and
Analysing where there may be implementing any corrective
shortfalls or over-assignment actions to resolve conflicts
of resources and identifying optimising resources
potential mitigation strategies according to the available
to address any issues options (in conjunction with
by optimising the use of the project controls team).
resources.
Risk and issue Engaging project team Utilising risk and issue
management members to identify, assess, information to mitigate risks,
quantify and mitigate avoiding/reducing their
threats, opportunities and potential impact on project
issues. performance.
Change control Identifying and assessing Utilising change information
the impact of change and to make informed decisions
monitoring how change is about what changes to
managed across the project. enact.
Identifying change trends to Understanding a change’s
understand if they will cause potential time, cost or quality
risks or issues within the impact and communicating
project. this before proceeding with
the change.
Utilising scenario planning
techniques, where relevant,
to illustrate different courses
of action for team analysis
and agreement.
Communications Using easy-to-understand Utilising the communication
and accessible formats plan to perform key
to communicate plans, engagement activities
budgets and risks, and the with stakeholders and
performance against them. utilising project controls
to understand their
Providing relevant information
effectiveness and whether
to be communicated to
they need to be changed.
stakeholders.

Senior Managers’ Guide to Project Controls 19

 How do project controls benefit
project managers?
Project controls bring together a range of project data so that project
managers can understand project progress and performance in order to
make decisions. Good project controls increase the overall likelihood of
projects completing successfully.

Project controls provide an opportunity for project managers to stand

back, seek clarity of direction and reflect on the information provided on
their project.

Applying project controls provides a clear and robust governance structure

to project delivery. It sets clear objectives and can help the project team
understand their roles.

20 Senior Managers’ Guide to Project Controls

Who else benefits?
If project controls need investment, it is helpful to identify who will benefit.
Consider the following stakeholders:

Organisation
Project controls:

• allow visibility of data across the enterprise in a standardised manner

• make the need for corrective actions clear
• support project/organisation decision making
• enable future planning based on project forecasting

Shareholders
Effective project controls can protect the organisation’s reputation and
strategic targets by:

• reducing cost and time overruns in projects

• identifying opportunities for savings and profitability
• managing scope creep

Customers and users

Project controls influence confidence in delivery milestones because there
are no cost or schedule surprises. This generates trust and reinforces an
organisation’s reputation for customer satisfaction.

The research revealed that other factors

considered as important but less likely to be
in place are goals and objectives, and effective
governance. 88% of respondents said effective
governance was important.
(APM Conditions for Project Success, 2015)

Senior Managers’ Guide to Project Controls 21

 Although the initial set-up of a complete project controls system within
an organisation can need resources and time, once the systems are
integrated into everyday project delivery, the benefits will be tangible, both
on a day-to-day basis and in terms of the overall project outcomes. The
implementation need not be a ‘big bang’ – it is possible to enhance project
controls capability incrementally, as shown in Figure 3.

Long-term steady state

New capability (business-as-usual)

Short-term
Increasing capability

deployment of step
changes in capability

Medium-term
Current
change programme
capability
Initial business-as-usual
activities Time

Figure 3: Increasing organisation project controls capability through programme

management (Source: APM Body of Knowledge, 7th edition)

When do you need project controls?

Project controls enable the project manager to take a strategic view using
trusted accurate and timely information. This enables them to focus on their
key responsibilities for delivering the project.

Project controls ensure effective governance, because project information is

accurately collected and reported to the stakeholders. They support prompt
action, particularly when preparing for decision gates within the governance
process (see Figure 4).

22 Senior Managers’ Guide to Project Controls

 Product life cycle

Extended project life cycle

Concept

Definition

Deployment

Transition

Adoption

Benefits realisation
Gate review Post project review
Operation
Stage review Benefit review
Termination

Output Outcome

Figure 4: Typical decision gates and other reviews within the project governance
process (Source: APM Body of Knowledge, 7th edition)

Project controls are utilised from project conception through to project

termination. Therefore, project controls are required throughout the project
life cycle.

Succession planning
Ultimately, the project controls community can be a source of an
organisation’s future project managers. Their core analytical skills are
valuable and should be deployed at every level of the organisation.

Senior Managers’ Guide to Project Controls 23

 Part 2:
For the
change team

24 Senior Managers’ Guide to Project Controls

4 Implementing project
controls in your organisation

This section is intended to support senior managers and their case to

introduce new, or improve the performance of existing, project controls
within their organisation.

Justifying the case for project controls

To help support the development of the case, you can use the APM Project
Controls Maturity Assessment Framework (see References) to establish
your current level of maturity. This tool helps you think about what level of
maturity you need to achieve and conducts a gap analysis between the
current and desired maturity levels to determine how you will implement
project controls.

Consider the following to build the case:

• Define the problems and identify the lack of existing capabilities.

• Define the intended outcome and its alignment to strategic objectives.
• Identify a clear motivation for the change to (or introduction of)
project controls, which can be communicated to your stakeholders.
This should include measuring the project controls maturity and
establishing the benefit it will bring. It may be an economic change to
enhance profits, make savings or a response to changing technology.
• Understand the reason for the change. For example, has this initiative
come from the organisation’s board in response to a competitor’s
actions or a desire to improve?

When resources or new technology are needed, you will probably require a
business case to justify and approve the expenditure. The key dimensions of
a business case are shown in Figure 5. The benefits, which were described in
sections 3.2 and 3.3, can be used to support your case.

Senior Managers’ Guide to Project Controls 25

 Is there a compelling
case for change?

Does the
recommended
option optimise
public value?
Strategic

How will the

proposal be
successfully
Management Economic
delivered?

Financial Commercial
Is the proposed
deal achievable
and attractive
in the market
Is the spending place?
proposal affordable?

Figure 5: Key dimensions of the business case (Source: APM Body of Knowledge,
7th edition)

Planning a project controls change

programme
The APM Body of Knowledge 7th edition provides a detailed reference for:

• Setting up for success (chapter 1)

• Preparing for change (chapter 2)
• People and behaviours (chapter 3)
• Planning and managing deployment (chapter 4)

(Source: APM Body of Knowledge 7th edition)

26 Senior Managers’ Guide to Project Controls

Implementing or improving project controls will involve a change that
impacts people, process and tools. As such, it should be planned and
managed as a formal project, as shown in Figure 6.

Concept

Definition

Deployment

Transition

Figure 6: Change project lifecycle – structure your introduction of project controls

(Source: APM Body of Knowledge)

Creating a roadmap for introducing project

controls
As the senior manager, you must act as the sponsor, create the vision and
establish the change project’s mission statement. The change project team
will implement its objectives, strategies and action (see Figure 7 for some
examples).

The vision is your aspiration – how you want the project controls team to be
seen, internally and externally.

The mission is more tactical – what needs to be done to deliver your vision.
Providing senior sponsorship makes it easier to make changes as the team
has visible support from the top.

Senior Managers’ Guide to Project Controls 27

 To deliver the world’s best project
Vision controls service

To improve project delivery by maturing

Mission global, industry-standard project
controls principles

To support the project community

Objectives in delivering safely, responsibly
and sustainably

Data, single source of truth

Systems and tools
Strategy Recruitment, training, people
Processes

Specific, measurable,
Actions achievable, relevant
and timely

Figure 7: The VMOSA model for strategic planning

Identify any resistance to change, and acknowledge it and engage the

resistant people, making a compelling case for the change. Consider
using superusers of new technology or systems to train others and spread
the word. You could also identify a change network of people who are
enthusiastic about the benefit of project controls and who can help build
consensus.

If there is a reluctance to change, make available a suggestions box for

anonymous comments. Utilise the frequently asked questions (FAQ) format
in communications, to include explanations and clarifications. Use meetings
effectively to discuss any concerns or anxieties, and negotiate with reluctant
staff to help align them to the change. Recognise that opposition may be
caused by fear, misunderstanding, lack of knowledge or assumptions, so try
to clarify whenever possible.

28 Senior Managers’ Guide to Project Controls

Collaborating with all elements
of the organisation
To be effective and sustainable, project controls need to be fully integrated
into your wider organisation processes, including those through which you
manage:

• finance
• commercial
• procurement
• wider governance

By engaging the owners of these processes when implementing project

controls, you can help ensure that the information through which the
organisation is managed is coherent, structured and focuses management
action on the areas requiring action.

The factors with the highest

bearing on success are clear
goals and objectives – 92% said
goals should be clearly specified.
(Source: APM, 2015)

You need to assign responsibilities and develop commitments to your

change project, which includes appointing a change manager. Work with a
team to make the project controls changes and consider how you are going
to involve your stakeholders, for example by constructing a stakeholder
map to identify their strengths. Ensure that they are all involved and active
in supporting the changes to project controls.

You will need to empower people who understand project controls, but it is
crucial to assess everyone in the team and utilise their strengths.

Senior Managers’ Guide to Project Controls 29

 Introducing one way of conducting project
controls
Project controls solutions need to be tailored to the size, scale and
complexity of the organisation in which they are being applied. Before
putting it into practice, it is key to assess what level of control and oversight
you need, recognising the needs of the project, customers and other
key stakeholders, and the capacity of the organisation to deliver these
requirements.

Once this is understood, you need to establish your ways of working and
ensure the organisation is equipped to follow them. It is important to
document the overall approach so that you understand how the different
components will be delivered, as well as how they will work together. From
this, you can:

• establish toolsets that are appropriate to your approach

• develop the skills within your staff to deliver the processes with the
tools you have adopted

The outcome should be a consistent approach for controlling project

delivery, ensuring appropriate levels of oversight, holding staff to account
via performance reviews, and providing a single source of truth that
underpins management decisions.

Formalising the approaches you have adopted enables you to apply

governance and assurance to confirm that they are being followed, allowing
the identification of areas for improvement and continuous learning across
the organisation.

30 Senior Managers’ Guide to Project Controls

Creating a project controls community
To make project controls a self-sustaining function within your organisation,
it is important to establish a community that facilitates the sharing of
knowledge and best practice across projects and programmes. This can
be underpinned by regular communications and interactive events, such
as ‘lunch and learn’ sessions, a community of practice and masterclasses.
Formal training and qualifications also help establish the required skillsets.

Consider wider engagement with universities, professional bodies (e.g. APM)

and industry partners. This engagement allows your organisation to gain a
wider perspective on the application of project controls. It also enables you
to gather examples of best practice from the experience of others while also
sharing your own knowledge to benefit the wider profession and raise the
profile of your organisation.

“Project controls is a
catalyst for action”

Sector director

Senior Managers’ Guide to Project Controls 31

 Establishing a project management office
(PMO)
One means of implementing and sustaining project controls is the
establishment of a PMO. The PMO can adopt various services and functions
depending on the size and complexity of the projects, programmes or
portfolio it supports.

The PMO supports the projects or programmes by providing management

information that can enable effective decision making. This provides
efficiencies and cost savings by sharing experience and resources across
projects.

Project controls or the PMO can be utilised at project, programme and/or

portfolio levels. Each level provides data and information which supports
the organisation. When collated and used at the next level, there are further
opportunities to gather data, analyse and gain insight. This allows the
development of efficiencies, innovations and the focus on best practice
across the enterprise. These, in turn, can substantially improve cash flow,
value for money and profit.

Measuring successes
The outcome of this implementation can be measured through the
increased maturity against the APM Project Controls Maturity Assessment
Framework, which will further identify the focus for continuous improvement
activities. Any additional improvement activities must align with your
organisation’s strategy.

32 Senior Managers’ Guide to Project Controls

5 Conclusion
We hope that this Senior Managers’ Guide to Project Controls makes the
case for investment. There is more detail in other guides published by APM,
for example, the Planning, Scheduling, Monitoring and Controls guide.

We have provided a view of the positive value of project controls to an

organisation working within the project management discipline.

Project controls provide insight and recommendations that the project

manager can rely upon to make evidence-based decisions.

We are confident that this guide will benefit the wider senior manager
community in supporting investment in project controls. It also supports
the APM mission and charitable aim ‘to advance the science, theory and
practice of project and programme management for the public benefit’.

“Project controls is used extensively on our

design team and proving to be an excellent
tool to drive delivery”
Project Director

Senior Managers’ Guide to Project Controls 33

 Appendix A: Typical responsibilities of project
controls staff
Project controls encompass the people, processes and tools used to plan, manage
and mitigate cost and schedule issues and any risk events that may impact a project.
Project controls processes and skills are a combination of various sub-disciplines
or components:

1 Project controls management 4 Cost management

• Coaching and mentoring • Managing project costs
• Setting standards • Controlling project costs
• Allocating resources • Carrying out project and
• Setting objectives programme trending and
trend analysis
• Dependency analysis
• Forecasting project and programme
• Creating work breakdown
costs
structures
• Supporting fiscal year cost
• Creating cost breakdown structures
forecasting
• Project control strategy
5 Earned value analysis and
2 Planning and scheduling management
• Developing and managing project • Measuring/reporting progress
schedules
• Analysing and calculating
• Coordinating and planning for performance
outages
• Schedule forecasting 6 Change management
• Resourcing • Coordinating change
• Integrating a level 2 schedule – (programme wide)
programme wide • Putting in place change controls
• Identifying project and programme • Enabling change board
milestones administration

3 Estimating 7 Risk
• Compiling project estimates for • Ensuring risk assessment, analysis
investment sanctions (QRA) and management
• Providing support for contractor • Employing forensic schedule
bid reviews analysis
• Supporting historical cost 8 Programme and project reporting
collection and data capture
• Producing project status reports
• Estimating significant project
• Producing project review reports
changes (where required)
• Producing programme reports
• Developing and maintaining
cost book • Producing project close-out reports
• Benchmarking within organisation 9 Information management
and the wider industry
• Security
• GDPR
• Configuration and version controls

34 Senior Managers’ Guide to Project Controls

Appendix B: Typical responsibilities of project
management staff
Project management encompasses the people, processes and tools used to plan,
manage and mitigate cost and schedule issues and any risk events that may impact
a project. Project management processes and skills are a combination of various
sub-disciplines or components:

1 Stakeholder engagement 9 Contract management

• Stakeholder identification • Contract type
• Stakeholder analysis • Terms and conditions
• Communications strategy • Procurement law

2 Requirements and scope 10 Transition management

management • Commissioning
• Create compliance matrix • Handover plan
• Controlling scope • Gap analysis
3 Conflict management • Adoption
• Win-win solutions 11 Solution development
• Assertiveness skills • Options analysis
• Listening skills • Analysis of alternatives
• Personal resilience
12 Negotiating and influencing
4 Team management • Negotiation strategy
• Correct behaviours • Walk away’ position
• Create right culture
13 Change management
• Cascading objectives
• Baselining current state
5 Benefit management • Scope change
• Benefits definition, tracking • Desired future state
• Benefits realisation
14 Quality management
6 Business case • Quality plans
• Publication and socialising • Acceptance criteria
• Submission and approval
15 Communications management
7 Resource management • Communications strategy
• Manage resource demands • Audience analysis
• Capability management
16 Procurement management
• Successor identification
• Supply chain
8 Leadership • Tender evaluation
• Mission and vision • Vendor selection
• Strategy and direction
17 Governance and assurance
• Influence and alignment
• Gated process
• Inspiring and empowerment
• Independent review
• Delegation
18 Life cycle management
• Life cycle selection (spiral, evolution, linear
(waterfall), incremental (agile))
• Project organisation design

Senior Managers’ Guide to Project Controls 35

 References
APM (2015), Conditions for Project Success, available online at:
apm.org.uk/media/1621/conditions-for-project-success_web_final_0.pdf

APM (2021), APM Project Controls Maturity Assessment Framework, APM Planning,
Monitoring and Control (PMC) SIG, in ‘Have you got control of your controls?’, available
online at:
apm.org.uk/blog/have-you-got-control-of-your-controls/

APM (2015) Planning, Scheduling, Monitoring and Control ISBN:978-1-903494-44-8

APM (2019), APM Body of Knowledge 7th edition, ISBN: 978-1-903494-82-0

36 Senior Managers’ Guide to Project Controls