Directing and Managing Project Execution

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Directing and Managing Project Execution

There are times it is about the planning, and then there is always the execution. Ideas are fundamentally wonderful. Implementing them is another matter. Directing and Managing project execution has the same characteristics as most of the PMI processes. There are inputs to the process, tools and techniques to use within the process, and outputs of the process.

Before one starts directing and managing project execution, it is good to have the following approved and validated inputs. Since the inputs are the basis for your course of action, and they are the path followed. It is a good idea to have them validated by the team and stakeholders. The six inputs to directing and managing project execution are:

• Project Management Plan – The project management plan is the plan on how a project will be executed, monitored, and controlled.
• Approved corrective actions – Approved corrective actions are authorized and documented actions that are taken to ensure that the project's performance conforms to the project plan. Approved corrective actions help keep projects on track.
• Approved preventive actions – Approved preventive actions are authorized and documented actions that are taken to reduce the likelihood that risks will damage or adversely affect a project's progress.
• Approved defect repairs – Approved defect repairs are requested to make fixes that have been authorized and recorded but not implemented. For example, if a defect is found during a quality inspection, a defect repair may be required. This defect repair needs to be approved before any action can be taken. Issues identified during testing that need to be resolved are normally approved defect repairs.
• Validated defect repairs – Validated defect repairs provide notification that repaired items have either been accepted or rejected following reinspection. After a repair has occurred, the item must be reinspected to determine whether it meets quality requirements.
• Approved change requests – Approved change requests are project changes that have been agreed on and documented. Examples include changes that affect project scope, the Project Management Plan, procedures, costs, budgets, or schedules. The project team implements changes as part of project execution.
• Administrative closure procedure - The administrative closure procedure details all the tasks, interactions, roles, and duties required to formalize project completion.

Once you have gathered all the inputs to directing and managing project execution, you should have firm footing to lead you down the path to project nirvana. However along the way there are some tools and techniques, that can aid you in your endeavors.

There are tools and techniques that you can use to direct and manage the execution of your project. They are:

• Project management methodology - A project management methodology is a documented process that contains roles and responsibilities, procedures, and definitions. A project management methodology can be your organization's own guidelines, or it can be an external standard. The methodology should contain some procedures that provides roles and responsibilities for the project manager, stakeholders, and team members.
• Project management information system – The project management information system is used to report on project activities, and track the progress on a project.
  To successfully direct and manage project execution, you have to know your team is doing, how they are planning to complete the task, and that everyone is on the same page about project activities. A project management methodology, combined with a project management information system, will helps coordinate activities and assure good communications with the team.

As you are going through the process of executing and directing your project let’s take a moment to discuss the outputs of that process. The outputs are:

• Deliverables - Deliverables are the outcomes that have been achieved as specified in the Project Management Plan. They might be products, results, services, or a combination.
• Work performance information - This is data on the status of the project activities being performed to accomplish the project work and is collected as part of the Direct and Manage Project Execution process.
• Requested changes - A requested change is a change that has been requested by a project stakeholder or team member but has not yet been approved or implemented. Requested changes can be direct or indirect, externally or internally initiated, and either optional, or legally or contractually mandated. These are often identified while project work is being performed. These requests can be to expand or reduce project scope, modify policies or procedures, modify project cost or budget, or revise the project schedule.
• Implemented change requests, implemented corrective actions, implemented preventive actions, and implemented defect repairs - These all relate directly to the completion of approved work. When creating outputs, you will have to implement the actions that have been approved as inputs.

Remember, for every input, there's an output. Also the old saying is true garbage in, garbage out.