Project Execution: Running the Project
The plan meets reality
Execution is tracking progress against the baseline while managing people, quality, communication, risk, and change.
Quality assurance is process-focused and preventive: are we following the right process (audits, reviews, standards)? Quality control is output-focused and detective: are the deliverables correct (testing, inspection)? Questions love to pair words like "audit" and "process" with QA, "test" and "deliverable" with QC.
Change control: any change to scope, schedule, or budget follows a path - request → impact analysis across the triple constraint → approval or rejection by the authorized person (often the sponsor or change control board) → update documents → communicate. The PM does not unilaterally approve baseline changes, and approved changes ripple into the plan, schedule, budget, and risk register.
Team development follows Tuckman: forming, storming, norming, performing, adjourning. Conflict modes: collaborating (win-win, best for durable solutions), compromising, accommodating, competing, avoiding. Avoiding is legitimate for trivial issues or when emotions need to cool - but it is not a default.
Reporting: status reports and dashboards carry progress, RAG status, milestones met, blockers, and next steps. Escalate early with data and options, not just bad news. A RACI chart keeps accountability clean - exactly one accountable person per task.
Rule of thumb: when you discover a defect or slip, first assess its impact on scope, schedule, cost, and quality, document it, then escalate with options. Never silently absorb it into overtime.