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Lack Of Project Audits To Measure Progress - Project Management Mistake # 11

September 16, 2008 | Author: PM Hut | Filed under: Communications Management, Performance Reporting

Lack Of Project Audits To Measure Progress - Project Management Mistake # 11 (#11 in the series 15 Deadly Project Management Mistakes Government Agencies Make Which Cost Them Revenue, Time & Efficiency)
By Keith Mathis - PM Expert Live

Project audits are very important for tracking and monitoring project progress in a methodical way. Project audits can be used to help drive the project forward while maintaining quality throughout the entire process. In this section we want to examine what should be audited, the timing of audits, who should conduct the audit, and how those audits will be reported.

  • Discuss areas to audit

    Audits should take place throughout the entire project. This means that the project team should determine to conduct an audit based on time, budget expenditure, or anything that they are designed to track. Project audits are a means of tracking projects early rather than examination at the end of the project cycle.

    Some of the most common areas to audit are:

    • Budget
    • Time
    • Phases
    • Level of service
    • Quality
    • Communication
    • Cycle time
    • Processes
    • Pilot programs

  • Timing of audits

    Audits can take place at any time during the project. The interval of the audit can be determined and planned by the project team based on feedback desire. For an example, if a project team is having a severe problem with quality in the area of internal customer service, it is possible for that team to conduct an audit periodically to see if the service is getting better or worse. In other cases, it is possible for project audits to take place to determine the quality of a particular product. You see this happen when a project is being conducted that produces a product such as software designers. They will design the product and test it over a period of weeks or months to determine that is working at the most optimal level of quality.

    In summary, audits can be conducted throughout the entire project based on the timing and sequence needed to provide the data and confidence the project is doing well.

  • Who will do them

    The person or persons conducting the project audit are going to be an expert in that particular area. This means that people who have an expertise in quality will normally examine the area dealing with quality. If a person has an expertise in structural engineering, they will conduct an audit in the area of their strength. This does not mean other individuals cannot be part of the audit team, nor does it mean that you must always have an expertise in that particular area. It is possible for people to be very beneficial to a project audit even though they do not have an expertise in that area. They can participate and be beneficial by giving comments and feedback while conducting an audit that is outside of their realm of expertise.

  • Who they will be reporting to

    Normally, audits are reported first to the project team and then to all the relevant individuals involved in the project. It is not uncommon for an audit to be reported to the project sponsor, project manager, or internal and external customers to gain feedback, and to give them insights into the level of quality that is being accomplished by this project. In larger organizations, project audits are sometimes tracked by a project management center that has been created by the organization for the purpose of maintaining project quality. This same center will also conduct project management training and encourage certification in project management in order to constantly push skills to higher level.

    Project audits are very important for tracking and monitoring project progress in a methodical way. Project audits can be used to help drive the project forward while maintaining quality throughout the entire process. In this section we want to examine what should be audited, the timing of audits, who should conduct the audit, and how those audits will be reported.

Dr. Keith Mathis, founder and CEO of The Mathis Group, specializes in Project Management, Management Leadership, and Marketing training for private businesses and government agencies of all kinds. He offers 33 Project Management courses, is a Project Management Professional, is certified by the Project Management Institute and will customize every training session to your individual company’s needs. The Mathis Group also sponsors www.pmexpertlive.com, which is a powerful project management resource with free reports, podcasts, videos, and a monthly newsletter. He also offers customized management training and coaching on any subject with prolific communication and professionalism.

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