Project Monitoring Made Easy: Practical Steps

by Adam Sandman on Friday, June 7, 2024

Introduction

Project activities encompass the tasks that must be completed to achieve the project goals. These activities should align with the project plan and contribute to delivering the project deliverables. Project activities are crucial for successful execution as they define the steps necessary to reach the desired outcomes.

In predictive approaches, project activities are typically defined, estimated, and sequenced in detail upfront for every deliverable. The Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) documents these combinations of deliverables and activities. Once the project is approved, the activities are executed according to the initial plan. When changes arise, they are reviewed according to the change control processes, and any approved changes are reflected in the work breakdown structure.

In adaptive approaches, project activities are more flexible and can be adjusted based on changing circumstances. Once the deliverables in user stories are committed in the iteration or sprint, the team defines the activities for every deliverable. There is a possibility that some iteration-level activities apply to all the user stories from a deployment perspective. Both the user stories and the associated activities are represented in the iteration.

In hybrid approaches, project activities combine elements of both predictive and adaptive strategies. Understanding and managing project activities effectively is essential for project success and helps ensure that projects are completed on time, within budget, and meet the desired quality standards.

Project managers in plan-driven approaches often resort to earned value management techniques evaluating the schedule and cost variance or performance index. In the adaptive approaches, the product owners and team evaluate velocity, burn rate, cycle, and lead time to monitor efficiency. While these approaches are good, this article explores other metrics and techniques for monitoring project activities, including analyzing overdue tasks, utilizing the Pareto approach, and analyzing tasks by type and priority. It also discusses the relevance of these techniques in both predictive and adaptive project delivery approaches.

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Section I: Why Do Activities Matter?

As the old saying goes, "Talking doesn’t cook rice!" The fruits of planning are only measured in terms of results achieved. Good project managers know deliverables are written as nouns, and activities that complete the deliverables are written as verbs because "actions speak louder than words." One key aspect of project management is monitoring the efficiency of project activities to ensure the completion of the agreed-upon scope of work. It is understandable, therefore, that management focuses on tasks for the "Definition of Done" and evaluates its progress. After all, we all need food, right?!

However, in the world of key performance indicators (KPI), people frequently rush to pick up a metric without evaluating what behavioral patterns such metrics promote within the team. For instance, if a software project measures how many defects the tester identifies, then the tester is only motivated to log multiple defects instead of aggregating the ideas. If there are grammatical, spelling, and punctuation errors, the tester logs three separate defects for each error. When defects are triaged, some are picked, and others are dropped due to lack of time, preferential bias, or subjective priority. Does this promote quality or team cohesion?

This is one of the reasons it is important to "measure what matters,” says Dr. Sriram Rajagopalan, Global Head of Agile Strategy and Transformation at Inflectra. Therefore, only those with a transactional mindset review tasks towards the successful completion and delivery of projects. As every project activity, regardless of the project delivery framework chosen, sows the seeds for continuous improvement, one can also identify areas for process improvement to define and deliver future work for subsequent phases of the same project or future initiatives. So, looking at the task management life cycle is pivotal.

Overview of Task Management Lifecycle

The project activity or task management lifecycle refers to the sequence of stages that a project activity or task goes through from its initiation to its completion. It typically involves several phases: initiation, planning, execution, monitoring, and closure.

The initiation phase identifies the tasks, and the approach differs in plan-driven and change-driven initiatives. The plan-driven initiative involves the project manager consulting with the team to write down the tasks in detail to seek approval and create a baseline for measurement. The change-driven initiative involves the team identifying the tasks for committed deliverables.

The planning phase involves defining the scope of the task, identifying dependencies, allocating resources, and estimating the effort required. The owner who is responsible for defining the scope may change based on the project delivery approach, but the process frequently unfolds in consultation with the team.

The execution phase is when the actual work is performed. A specific owner is identified as the responsible person. Depending on the nature of the task and the inherent risks associated with executing the work, different members of the delivery team or other stakeholders are consulted. The product owner or the project manager is accountable for removing any impediments and ensuring the delivery team is supported in reaching the finish line.

Contrary to the belief that monitoring is a stand-alone or sequential phase, this phase somewhat overlaps with the execution phase. In this phase, the team collaborates on tracking the task. This tracking involves recording progress and taking necessary corrective steps to adjust. This is where the notions of earned value management and cycle time evaluation play a critical role.

Finally, the closure phase encompasses completing the task, evaluating its outcomes, and meticulously documenting any lessons learned. Even in transactions where lessons may seem absent, reflecting on the process ensures that potential improvements are captured in the “lessons learned register” for future reference and implementing preventive measures. In risk management, this integration of corrective and preventive actions is known as “CAPA” (Corrective and Preventive Action).

Figure 1: TaskManagement Lifecycle

As a result, efficient task management involves expeditiously managing these phases to ensure that tasks are completed on scope, on time, and on budget (commonly called OBOSOT) and per the required quality standards.

KPIs to Evaluate Project Activities

Besides the common approaches to monitoring earned value and cycle time metrics, this white paper proposes six different trends for managing projects in three of the five stages. Each trend can unearth behavioral patterns that may require deeper root cause analysis (RCA), such as the popular 4M analysis (Man, Method, Material, Machine). Depending on the project size, complexity, and organizational structure (functional, matrix, projectized, composite), this RCA may be simple or complex.

For instance, one can analyze the tasks by their various known status and priorities in the planning stage. This approach evaluates whether tasks are assigned incorrect priorities, where there is vague definition or insufficient resource allocation, making it challenging to complete them.

As tasks may be assigned to requirements at the release level or identified in the backlog without connection to a requirement or release, analyzing the overdue tasks by their association to known or unknown requirements and releases may give deeper insights into why value is not realized. Similarly, evaluating tasks in known statuses such as "To Do" or "In Progress" offers behavioral insights. For instance, a large "To Do" queue may indicate issues with prioritization or resource allocation. If team members frequently move tasks to "In Progress" without completing existing ones, it may point to a lack of cross-functional expertise or team collaboration. These behaviors can lead to bottlenecks and inefficiencies, as a growing "In Progress" queue slows overall workflow. Lean principles advocate for reducing queue sizes to increase flow and efficiency.

In the monitoring stage, analyzing tasks with late starts is crucial, as a late start often leads to a late finish and delayed product increments, which ultimately delay value realization. Unstarted tasks may reveal issues such as overcommitment, poor estimation, or a lack of cross-functional skills within the team. For example, a team member might have the bandwidth to work on a task but may lack the necessary skills or understanding of company processes to begin. In an agile framework, comparing planned commitments to actual performance, akin to the earned value approach, goes beyond measuring productivity. It also helps promote and maintain healthy team morale by ensuring realistic workloads and recognizing achievements.

Below are the critical task KPIs that can be measured:

Table 1: Generic KPIs for Risk Lifecycle Stage

Task Lifecycle Stage	Recommended KPIs
Planning	Analyzing Task Status by the Types of Tasks identified Analyzing Task Status by the Task Priorities agreed
Execution	Analyzing Overdue of Tasks assigned to Known/Unknown Requirements/Releases Analyzing Tasks in the Done, Not Started, and Work In Progress Queues
Monitoring	Analyzing Tasks by Late Start, Late Finish, and Not Started states Analyzing commitments on planned/actual velocity for future iteration planning

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Section II: Setting up Project Activity Tracking in Spira

Step 1: Decide on the Task Types

Spira provides a means to identify the various types of tasks. The task type is set up at the template level so that people working on related projects can utilize the template and benefit from the consistency of task types. The example of setting up the task type is given below.

Figure 2: Essential Tak Types Setup

Step 2: Set up Task Properties

Spira provides the priority categories that all related projects can agree upon. Frequently, this discussion is agreed upon as part of the team’s working agreement and captured in the team charter. Below is an example of setting up the task priority at the template level.

Figure 3: Essential Task Properties Setup

SpiraPlan also supports up to 99 custom properties for risks. If you need additional properties to ensure a consistent definition of risks, please take advantage of this feature and evaluate how these custom properties can meet your specific requirements.

Step 3: Set up Task Workflow

Spira provides a mechanism for setting up a workflow pertinent to the project. The workflow given above is a standard recommended workflow.

Step 4: Enable Workflows

Spira supports multiple workflows for various task types. If you find it beneficial to have distinct workflows for different types of tasks, you can enable and customize these workflows to meet your project's specific needs. This flexibility allows for more precise management and tracking of diverse tasks within your project.

Step 5: Set up Custom Properties

Despite the multiple workflows and task types, projects may also require additional properties to track progress. Spira allows up to 99 custom properties of various types, such as text, date, list, etc. So, set up the custom properties.

Step 6: Enable Fields, Operations, and Owners

An essential aspect of any workflow is defining which fields are required at each state, encompassing both standard and custom properties. Some fields are mandatory, while others are optional. Depending on the workflow state, certain fields may be disabled or hidden to prevent inconsistencies from premature or incorrect data entry.

In addition, approval-based, regulatory, or compliance workflows may require electronic signatures governed by 21 CFR Part 11, necessitating strict operational enforcement. In compliance-driven organizations, specific operations are restricted to certain roles rather than individual users, allowing for the delegation of responsibilities based on roles.

Spira supports these functionalities, ensuring these considerations are seamlessly incorporated into workflow design.

Step 7: Optionally Enable the SpiraApps

Spira also offers SpiraApps, which enable individual projects to tailor Spira to their unique needs. These SpiraApps extend functionality for specific use cases:

Default Descriptions: This SpiraApp provides default descriptions for the task that can help the team define tasks.

Task and Test Presets: This SpiraApp provides predefined task and test case types that can be easily created to validate requirements.

Requirement Multi Approvers: This SpiraApp provides a mechanism for seeking approvals on specific business needs using tasks assigned to multiple owners for tracking purposes.

The below instructions are for setting up SpiraApps at the product level. Please consult Spira Documentation for instructions on setting up these SpiraApps.

Step 8: Establishing Reports and Graphs

The final step is to establish the reports and graphs to guide you in evaluating the effectiveness of the risk management process. While SpiraPlan provides many task-level summaries, detailed reports, and task-related widgets in the product dashboard, some new custom reports and graphs may have to be established. Let us review them in Section III.

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Section III: Implementing Task KPIs

Part 1: Task Type Analysis

Practitioners of Kanban or lean methodologies focus on the number of tasks that have not started or are still in progress to evaluate workflow efficiency. For example, a code review task may depend on the availability of other developers, while a management review task may hinge on stakeholder input and budgetary considerations. By analyzing tasks that are not started and those in progress, teams can gain deeper insights into overhead processes, resource bottlenecks, and other inefficiencies.

From a Total Quality Management (TQM) perspective, these issues can lead to Muda (wastefulness), Mura (unevenness), and Muri (overburden).

Good Practices:

Evaluate Added Activities: Determine which activities are necessary (e.g., inspections) versus those that may not add value (e.g., moving code between environments for verification).

Review Work Distribution: Assess the distribution of work within a release or iteration, and across multiple releases, to ensure even workload.

Automate Task Creation: Utilize appropriate SpiraApps to automate simple task creation processes.

Refine Task Estimation: Review task estimation guidelines to ensure estimates are accurate and consistent.

Periodic Evaluation: Regularly evaluate if certain task types are still needed or if any should be retired.

By implementing these practices, teams can enhance their workflow efficiency, reduce waste, and maintain a balanced workload.

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

Follow the steps in the task type analysis article for more details.

Part 2: Task Priority Analysis

Nothing could be farther from reality when tasks are given an artificial sense of urgency. "When all tasks are top priority, then there is no real priority because the priority is missing out on the impact of non-delivery or non-conformance," says Dr. Sriram Rajagopalan, based on his experience managing the Program Management Office. Therefore, conducting a thorough task priority analysis allows for the reevaluation of tasks to ensure they are not assigned arbitrarily but instead based on thoughtful risk assessment. Similar to drafting risk breakdown structures, this analysis aids in the maturation of an organization's ability to define true priorities.

Good Practices:

Review the risk-based task prioritization and draft the task priority schemes.

Incorporate the concepts of non-delivery and non-conformance as part of the task priority schemes.

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS:

Follow the steps in the task priority analysis article for more details.

Part 3: Task Overdue Analysis - Pareto Approach

Applying Pareto (commonly known as the 80-20 rule) thinking to task overdue analysis is a valuable approach for identifying and addressing the most impactful overdue tasks. Delivery teams can focus on work assigned in the current iteration or phase and evaluate their collaboration to limit work in progress. By concentrating on the "vital few" tasks that contribute to most overdue work, teams can prioritize their efforts and significantly reduce overdue tasks.

Additionally, while monitoring how teams collaborate to complete tasks, it is essential to consider their contribution to refining epics and features in the backlog or future phases. This ensures short-term efficiency, long-term effectiveness, and sustained value realization. Using the Pareto principle for tasks not started, tasks in progress, and completed tasks can enhance immediate and future project outcomes.

Good Practices:

Here's why Pareto thinking is beneficial for task overdue analysis:

Prioritization: Pareto analysis helps teams identify the tasks that have the most significant impact on project timelines and deliverables. Agile teams can further apply the MoSCoW approach promoted by the Dynamic Systems Development Methodology (DSDM). This approach stands for Must Do, Should Do, Could Do, and Won’t Do and is analogous to applying risk-based thinking to tasks. By focusing on tasks with high priority and high impact, the teams can make the most efficient use of their time and resources.

Root Cause Analysis: By analyzing the overdue tasks, teams can identify patterns and common factors that contribute to must-do and should-do tasks becoming overdue. Such a root-cause analysis is represented as the fishbone diagram (also known as the Ishikawa diagram). More advanced analysis can apply force-field analysis to the factors contributing to the problem. This information can help teams develop strategies to prevent future overdue tasks.

Process Improvement: Pareto analysis can help teams identify inefficiencies and bottlenecks in their workflow. By addressing these issues, teams can improve their overall processes and reduce the number of overdue tasks.

By analyzing the overdue tasks in each of these statuses, teams can gain a comprehensive understanding of the factors that contribute to overdue tasks and develop targeted strategies for improvement.

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS:

For more details, follow the steps in the Task Overdue Analysis Pareto Thinking.

Part 4: Task Overdue Analysis

Extending the task overdue analysis, the next evolution is to also look at tasks assigned to requirements and releases. Since requirements can be assigned to a release (release backlog), iteration, or sprint (sprint backlog) or unassigned to any release (product backlog), the task associated or not associated with a requirement that is either associated with a release or not can be evaluated. Such an analysis also reviews why tasks associated with a known requirement and release are not getting done because of bottlenecks and bandwidth considerations of time spent on other types of tasks. This approach is another spin to evaluate value-based prioritization of tasks.

Good Practices:

All the earlier good practices mentioned in the Task Overdue Analysis - Pareto approach also apply here.

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS:

Follow the steps in the Task Overdue Analysis article for more details.

Part 5: Task Overdue Analysis by Task Start Date

Evaluating tasks based on late start, late finish, and not started provides crucial insights into the overall project timeline and resource allocation. By analyzing these tasks, project managers can identify potential bottlenecks, resource constraints, and dependencies that may impact the project schedule. This enables proactive measures, such as adjusting task priorities, reallocating resources, or implementing mitigation strategies. Additionally, tracking not-started tasks ensures that all essential activities are accounted for and that the project remains on track toward completion

Good Practices:

Prioritize Analysis of Late Start Tasks: Focus on tasks that have started but are delayed, as these are in the Work In Progress (WIP) queue. Lean project management emphasizes eliminating queues to promote flow, making this a critical area for review. Even if the required effort remains unchanged, a late start inevitably leads to a late finish. Management often considers schedule compression techniques like fast-tracking and crashing to avoid extending timelines. However, these methods can increase costs and reduce quality, underscoring the need to understand why tasks started late initially.

Review "Not Started" Tasks: Assess whether tasks lingering in the "Not Started" queue pose any concerns. In the effort to eliminate the WIP queue, teams might inadvertently delay these tasks when they eventually begin. It is essential to review such tasks to determine if they should be removed or if their scope needs alteration through change control procedures. This helps maintain healthy team morale and ensures efficient workflow.

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS:

Follow the steps in the Task Analysis Overdue Analysis article for more details.

Part 6: Velocity Analysis

Velocity is a key metric in adaptive, change-driven, and agile projects. It measures how much work a team can complete within a specific sprint, iteration, or release, typically quantified in story points. Story points represent the effort required to complete a task. Velocity is crucial for sprint planning as it helps teams estimate how much work they can commit to in a sprint and track their progress over time.

To monitor planned versus actual velocity, teams can use burn-down charts. These charts display the amount of work planned for a sprint, the work completed, and the remaining work. By using burn-down charts, teams can identify variances between planned and actual velocity and adjust their plans accordingly to stay on track.

Good Practices:

Focus on Team Velocity, Not Individual Performance: The goal of velocity-driven planning is not to measure individual team members' performance but to foster healthy dialogue among the entire team. This approach enhances estimation accuracy and promotes a collective commitment to sprint goals.

Encourage Collaborative Estimation: Engage the entire team in the estimation process to ensure that story points accurately reflect the effort required. This collaboration helps build a shared understanding of the work and increases the accuracy of estimates.

Promote Open Communication: Maintain transparent communication within the team to discuss progress, challenges, and any adjustments needed. Open dialogue ensures that everyone is aligned and working towards the same goals.

Review and Adjust Regularly: Regularly review velocity metrics and burn-down charts to identify any discrepancies between planned and actual velocity. Use these insights to make necessary adjustments to improve future planning and execution.

Focus on Continuous Improvement: Use velocity metrics as a tool for continuous improvement rather than a strict performance measure. Encourage the team to reflect on past sprints, identify areas for improvement, and implement changes to enhance future performance.

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS:

Follow the steps in the Velocity Analysis for more details.

Conclusion

It's time to elevate your approach to project activity management!

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