TABLE OF CONTENTS We look at it and we do not see it.
Lao-Tzu,
sixth century B.C.
In project environments the work must be tracked, evaluated, and corrected so that schedules, expenditures, and technical performance can be kept on target. The project manager oversees the work, assesses progress, and issues instructions for corrective action. As information is received, the project manager judges the status of the project and communicates this to workers, upper management, and the client. Chapters 11 and 12 examined the kinds of information and measures used for assessing and controlling project performance. The first part of this chapter discusses how that information is reviewed and reported for evaluation and decision making purposes.
As the project draws to a conclusion, the project manager must ensure that all work is formally closed out, commitments are met or compensated for, and all remaining loose ends are tied up. The second portion of this chapter reviews the project manager s responsibilities in terminating the project and in performing postproject follow-up work and summary evaluation.
Projects are open systems They are goal-oriented and utilize feedback to determine how well they are doing and when they should alter their courses of action. The primary purpose of evaluation in project management is to assess performance, reveal areas where the project deviates from goals, and uncover extant or potential problems so they can be corrected. Although it is certain that problems and deviations will occur, it is not known a priori where or when.
Evaluation...
