What to do

How to do it

1

Request regular progress reports from project team members about their progress on assigned tasks

Progress reports should include efforts spent on tasks to date and estimates of future effort required to complete them.

Emphasize accurate and timely reporting and be diligent in collecting the information at a detailed level.

Pay particular attention to critical path tasks.

2

Be alert to and identify any project changes that might affect the schedule

Use the project’s change management process to handle currently approved changes that require re-planning of tasks.

3

Identify any significant schedule slippages and take action

Discuss impacts and alternative actions with the sponsor and key stakeholders.

Decide on the appropriate actions to be taken. 

4

Update the project schedule by adjusting tasks and assignments

Adjustments should be based on:

• project team status reports
• changes resulting from the project’s change management  process

5

Prepare yourself to answer a variety of schedule related questions

Some common schedule questions include:

• Is the project on track?
• Are there any issues that need to be addressed now?
• Which tasks are taking more time than estimated? Less time?
• If tasks are late, what is the impact on subsequent tasks?
• What is the next deliverable to be produced and when is it scheduled to be complete?
• What is the amount of effort expended and what is remaining?
• Are any team members over- or under-allocated?
• How much time has been expended to date and what is the time required to complete the project?

6

Communicate progress against the project schedule

Use your communication plan to communicate progress to relevant stakeholders.