Question 1. We have now moved from the planning stage to the doing part of project management. Following good project management practices, we have set a baseline. How is a project baseline used to guide the execution of the project's work, to evaluate progress and performance, and to control the project?

Also, as you continue to think about monitoring and controlling the project, specifically consider the question: How can the project baseline and the earned value approach for variance analysis be used to monitor and report project progress?

Quesstion 2: we will be addressing a very simple, but very important question that comes up as part of managing a project -- "How are we doing thus far?" This is a question that will surely be asked by a number of your stakeholders. Unfortunately, "we're doing o.k." is not an acceptable answer -- especially if millions of dollars are at stake.

Thus, we need some tools with in our arsenal that will allow us to intelligently answer this question. As we embark upon this week's topic, I am sure you will learn a whole new aspect of project management that you may have had no exposure to up to this point. Enjoy!

Question 3 New Question Hello class: The project baseline is established for allowing project managers and their team to be capable of measuring the performance and the success of the project against the planned baseline. This baseline is very important in being able to establish from a planning position what the project team intended to take place on the schedule, cost, quality, and duration of the project. We understand that the baseline is a powerful tool. However, when do you actually baseline the project? Under what conditions do you re-baseline the project? What type of variances from the baseline would be considered acceptable when measuring performance and what level would be considered extreme and need escalation to the project sponsor are to upper management?

Question 4. Discuss the importance of communication and information exchange to project success. What are the crucial features and elements of effective communication and information exchange in successful projects?

Question 5. Hello Class: This week, we will begin our discussion of communications in managing projects. In previous discussions, we talked extensively about the importance of accurately scoping out a project. During the course of a project, certain components, or even the scope itself, may change. This is certainly cause for communication with the customer and/or other stakeholders. Even if the change is not that significant, a good communications plan is very important. If nothing else, it facilitates the customer "being in the know" relative to how the project is progressing. Let's start the discussion!

Question 6. Project communication is considered to be very important in keeping stakeholders informed throughout the project. There are numerous surveys that indicate that lack of communication is the reason that many projects fail. One of the major components in the project planning process is the development of a communications plan. One of the questions that the plan would answer is who needs to be communicated to during the project. What other questions would it answer?