Project Tracking
Measuring progress
Tracking compares actuals to the plan. Percent complete is easy but misleading (90% done for weeks). Milestone completion is binary and robust. Earned value is the most rigorous: PV (planned value), EV (earned value = budget × % complete), AC (actual cost). Derived: SV = EV − PV, CV = EV − AC, SPI = EV / PV, CPI = EV / AC. Schedule variance in currency, not time. EAC forecasts final cost; a common formula is EAC = BAC / CPI.
Data collection
Use status meetings, progress reports, time sheets and deliverable reviews. Track issues and risks alongside schedule. Variance analysis and trend analysis detect drift early. Forecasting (EAC, ETC) is part of tracking, not just reporting.
Traps in questions
- Mixing PV and EV, or dividing by AC when the formula uses PV.
- Reporting a positive SV as "ahead of schedule" when SPI is the ratio; SV is in cost units.
- Using percent complete on long tasks without objective criteria.
- Confusing ETC (remaining work) with EAC (total forecast).
Rule of thumb
Index above 1 is good; below 1 is bad. CPI and SPI are ratios, so a value of 0.9 means 10% off plan. Always state the data date.
Worked example: BAC = 100k, PV = 40k, EV = 36k, AC = 45k. SV = −4k (behind), CV = −9k (over), SPI = 0.90, CPI = 0.80. EAC = 100k / 0.80 = 125k. The project is behind schedule and over budget.
Baselines and Progress Reporting
Baselines
A baseline is the approved, frozen version of scope, schedule and cost against which performance is measured. It changes only through formal change control: request, impact assessment, approval by the change authority, then re-baseline and communicate. Scope baseline = scope statement + WBS + WBS dictionary. Schedule baseline and cost baseline are separate. The performance measurement baseline integrates them. Configuration management controls versions and ensures everyone works from the current approved documents.
Reporting
Reports serve different audiences: status reports (where we are now), progress reports (what has been achieved in a period), forecast reports (where we will end up), and variance reports. Dashboards summarise SPI/CPI, milestones, top risks and issues. Exception reports flag thresholds breached. Good reporting is timely, audience-appropriate, and tied to the baseline so variance is meaningful. Lessons learned feed future planning.
Traps in questions
- Re-baselining to hide variance without approval; that destroys measurement.
- Reporting against the current plan instead of the approved baseline, masking drift.
- Confusing a status report with a forecast report.
- Assuming the baseline is immutable; it is changeable only by control.
Rule of thumb
Measure against the baseline, forecast against reality. If the baseline no longer reflects an approved reality, raise a change request; never edit it quietly.
Worked example: A team slips 2 weeks and the manager updates the schedule baseline without approval. Subsequent SPI looks healthy although the project is late. Correct action: record the variance, raise a change request, and re-baseline only after approval with the impact documented.