Monitoring And Controlling Projects

Make your budget process smoother! Use my checklist based on my 15 years of experience. 🔗 Download it here: https://lnkd.in/edvf5exs Here is what is inside: 1️⃣ Preparation & Planning 🔲 Understand management's expectations concerning growth, strategy & profitability 🔲 Set clear financial goals and differentiate between short and long-term objectives 🔲 Establish a structured approach for managing the budget process (deadlines, owners) 🔲 Ensure that budgeting activities align with the organization’s overarching goals and priorities Tip: you can use ChatGPT to draft your budget instructions or budget memo. If you want to learn how to use ChatGPT for Finance, you can learn it here: https://lnkd.in/e8RGdYsK 2️⃣ Sales Planning 🔲 Choose an appropriate method for sales planning 🔲 Detail your budget sufficiently for effective analysis 🔲 Consider external factors like market trends, economic conditions impacting the business 🔲 Ensure accurate phasing of the sales plan 🔲 Conduct 'what-if' analysis to understand impacts on resources and profitability 3️⃣ Operational & Resource Planning 🔲 Plan for production, delivery, and workload 🔲 Account for direct headcounts & determine capacity 🔲 Determine material needs and plan for necessary investments 🔲 Collaborate with cross-functional teams to develop a comprehensive operational plan 4️⃣ Costing & Overhead Planning 🔲 Compute standard costs: direct labor, material costs, and manufacturing overhead allocation 🔲 Budget for individual departments and allocate overhead costs accordingly 5️⃣ Financial Statements & Reporting 🔲 Translate the budget into key financial statements: Income Statement, Balance Sheet, & Cash Flow 🔲 Establish a structured reporting process to communicate budget-related information to stakeholders 🔲 Create a visual budget performance dashboard to quickly assess the financial performance 6️⃣ Monitoring & Analysis 🔲 Regularly monitor and analyze budget variances to identify deviations 🔲 Perform sensitivity analysis to understand potential impacts on the budget 🔲 Leverage financial data analysis tools to identify trends, patterns, and opportunities for improvement 7️⃣ Communication & Collaboration 🔲 Foster open communication and shared financial goals in relationships, both internally and externally 🔲 Engage with stakeholders from different departments to gather valuable insights 🔲 Develop and communicate clear budgeting policies and procedures 8️⃣ Final Review & Implementation 🔲 Review the budget for any inconsistencies or errors 🔲 Communicate the finalized budget to all relevant departments and ensure its implementation 👉 Did I miss anything? Get this checklist to organize your budget process. Link below in comments.

If gender equality is part of your mandate, it needs to show up in your processes, not just your language. This Gender Mainstreaming toolkit offers practical questions and checklists that help teams examine how gender is considered across the full programme cycle, from analysis and planning to monitoring and impact assessment. It is less about theory and more about the everyday decisions that shape outcomes. It provides concrete criteria to assess whether programmes are gender-unaware, gender-aware, or genuinely gender-responsive, and it links this directly to accountability, participation, and power. For programme teams, managers, and institutions looking to strengthen how gender equality is integrated into their work, this is a solid, practical resource. #GenderEquality #GenderMainstreaming #Accountability #InclusiveDevelopment

I See a Huge Gap in Project Management Today It's not the tools. It's not the certifications. It's not the frameworks. It is leadership. Real, human-centered leadership. We have too many PMs: → Who can build the perfect plan, but freezes when the room gets tense. → Who can report a risk, but cannot navigate stakeholder politics. → Who can run the meeting, but cannot steer the decision. Projects do not fail because the spreadsheet was wrong. They fail because: → No one spoke up. → No one questioned the assumption. → No one led when it counted. The gap is not knowledge... It's confidence. It's emotional intelligence. It's knowing how to guide people when the pressure is high. Project management is not just about execution. It's about people. It's about presence. It's about trust. The next generation of project managers will NOT be measured by how well they track work. They will be measured by how well they move people forward, with clarity, empathy, and purpose. Project management is eighty percent people. And most of the industry still treats it like a process. That is the gap. That is the opportunity. That is where the best PMs rise. We do not just manage tasks. We lead humans through uncertainty. We hold the tension. We protect the momentum. We create clarity where none exists. And the future belongs to those who can do both. Where do you see the most significant gap in project management today?

Gender Mainstreaming in Practice: It provides a detailed algorithm for implementing a gender perspective in all phases of a programme/project cycle: from planning to evaluation. Special attention is paid to baseline gender indicators that help monitor whether a project improves access to development resources for women and men equally, principles of civic participation, including women NGOs, in project implementation and to active promotion of gender equality in information support of the project and communication with national counterparts. #SM #Gender #NGOs

💎 How To Track Your Impact (+ free Notion templates). How to document your small and big wins, visualize your work and the incredible impact you've made ↓ We often assume that good work speaks for itself. If we just work hard enough, our work will get noticed and we will be elevated across our career ladder. Yet more often than not, your achievements will get lost somewhere between reorg efforts, new priorities, abandoned initiatives and urgent deadlines. Managers change all the time. You might have a strong relationship with your manager already, but never get a chance to move up the ladder because they have already moved to another team. A new manager, despite all your efforts, often won’t be able to promote you as an internal policy might block any new promotions in their first 6 or 12 months. So you’ll have to start over again. A good way to push back is to have a “brag document” — a running document that lists your small and big achievements, feedback from your managers and colleagues, screenshots of your appraisals and recommendations, along with lessons you’ve learned. It also builds confidence in your abilities and helps you better see your career trajectory. Useful things to include: 🧠 New skills you’ve learned 🏅 New certificates you’ve acquired ⏱️ Impactful projects you’ve leaunched 🧪 Experiments or A/B tests you’ve initiated 🧭 Product metrics you’ve moved 👋 Onboarding sessions you helped with 🚀 Changes you’ve initiated 🗣️ Workshops you’ve conducted 🧑🏫 Mentoring sessions you’ve coached 🌟 Endorsements you’ve received 🤝 Collaboration wins across departments 🧹 How you’ve dealt with design debt 📦 Successful scoping and getting buy-in 🛠️ Tools or systems you’ve introduced 🔧 Bugs or issues you proactively resolved 📣 Coordinating communication in teams 🔮 Lessons you’ve learned 🧯 Conflicts you’ve resolved There are plenty of things that can go in such a document. Typically it’s a simple Notion page or a Google Doc that you set up once and keep updating regularly. One useful habit that can help there is to always update the document after a retrospective session with your team and around a month later. The reason for that is that you’ll need to accumulate and add concrete evidence and results of the impact of your work. Typically business metrics are lagging metrics, so it will take a while until you get some results. One word of caution: it doesn’t work well if you update in huge and bulky batches as memories become a bit blurry and details get lost. Also, don’t think just about the design work — work also happens outside of the design work as we saw in the list above. Also, as Stephen Kernan noted once, whenever possible, try linking your accomplishments to the career ladder one level above your current role. If you can prove that you’ve been performing at the next level for past 3-6 months, you will make the case for your promotion strong and more obvious. (Useful templates in the comments below ↓)

MEAL/MERL/ MEL/ M&E/ MERLA The evolution of project management frameworks, particularly in the international development and non-profit sectors, shows a steady shift from simple data collection to complex, people-centered systems. The Evolution of Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL)** 1. M&E: Monitoring and Evaluation** Focus: Tracking Results Definition: The foundation of the framework. Monitoring is the continuous collection of data to see if a project is on track; Evaluation is the periodic assessment of the project’s overall impact and relevance. 2. MEL: Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Focus: Learning from Results Definition: Adds a "Learning" component to ensure that the data collected in M&E isn't just filed away. It emphasizes using data to improve current and future project decision-making. MEAL: Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning** Focus: Accountability to Communities Definition: This introduces "Accountability," shifting the focus to the stakeholders. It ensures there are mechanisms for beneficiaries to provide feedback and that the organization is answerable to the people it serves. 4. PMEL: Planning, Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Focus: Planning with Measurement in Mind Definition: Explicitly integrates "Planning" into the cycle. It highlights that effective monitoring and evaluation cannot happen unless the project is designed from day one with measurable indicators. 5. MERL: Monitoring, Evaluation, Research, and Learning Focus: Research-Informed Programming *Definition: Introduces "Research" as a formal pillar. This approach uses rigorous scientific methods or deep-dive studies to understand the "why" behind trends, rather than just tracking the "what." 6. MERLA: Monitoring, Evaluation, Research, Learning, and Adapting Focus: Adapting Based on Evidence Definition: Adds "Adapting" to create a circular feedback loop. It’s not enough to learn; the organization must have the agility to change its strategy mid-course based on what the evidence suggests. 7. MEALK: Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, Learning, and Knowledge Management Focus: Knowledge Management & Learning Definition: Adds "Knowledge Management" to ensure that the insights gained are documented, stored, and shared across the entire organization or sector, preventing "reinventing the ....

I've interviewed 50+ senior designers in the last quarter. Two alarming trends emerged: 𝟭. Portfolio paralysis: They can't showcase their best work. 𝟮. Memory fog: They struggle to recall project details from mere months ago. The result? Panic-induced all-nighters piecing together fragmented case studies. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝟭𝟬% 𝗦𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 👇 Implement this habit now: • Dedicate 10% of your week to documenting your design journey. • That's just 4 hours for a standard work week. • The payoff? Weeks of future stress eliminated. 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗗𝗼𝗰𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗧𝗼𝗼𝗹𝗸𝗶𝘁: 𝟭. Daily Micro-Journaling (5 minutes) • Capture key decisions • Note stakeholder feedback • Record "aha" moments 𝟮. Weekly Summaries (30 minutes) • Outline sprint accomplishments • Highlight major pivots • Archive key artifacts 𝟯. Project Milestones (1 hour) • Synthesize learnings • Curate a "greatest hits" collection • Record quantitative & qualitative impact 𝗣𝗿𝗼 𝗧𝗶𝗽: Set up a Notion template or FigJam board. Make documentation frictionless. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗘𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁 👇 Imagine this: 6 months from now, you have: • 26 concise weekly summaries • 130+ daily entries • A curated showcase of your best work You're not just prepared for job hunting. You're primed for: • Promotions • Speaking engagements • Mentorship opportunities Remember: Your future self will thank you. Your future hiring manager will be impressed. Don't let your best work fade into memory. Document, curate, and shine. ----- I've posted about this issue recently & had some great feedback & conversations. 💬 ----- #design #tech #ux #productdesign #careers

Why is the role of a Project Manager so often misunderstood? Too often, it’s seen as just managing budgets, schedules, and contracts. While technical execution is critical, it’s only part of the job. The real challenge, and where projects often succeed or fail, is in managing people, expectations, and relationships. As PMs, we’re aligning teams, navigating conflict, and communicating across stakeholders with competing priorities. That’s where the real leadership happens. One of the most important lessons I’ve learned is this: Every mistake anyone on my team has made is interesting, because it’s my fault. I hired them. I set the expectations. I built the structure. That shift in mindset changed the way I lead, for the better. It’s easy to look good when everything is running smoothly. But show me how you lead when things go sideways, that’s what defines you. Most people are peacetime generals. I’m looking for wartime generals. That’s why I’ve leaned into what I call the PR Principles—Project Relationship Principles—inspired by Dale Carnegie’s timeless ideas and sharpened by field experience: 1. Make people feel seen, heard, and valued 2. Lead with clarity and consistency 3. Stay solution-focused under pressure 4. Recognize contributions at every level 5. Build the team, not just the timeline Strong teams and healthy project cultures aren’t accidental, they’re the result of intentional leadership. When you combine technical execution with emotional intelligence, you don’t just deliver projects. You build momentum, loyalty, and trust that lasts beyond the job.

Career advice I’d give my younger self: Keep a record of your wins Document your accomplishments as you go - not just what you did, but the real impact. (Keep this in a personal repository, not at work.) Most of us move from project to project, thinking we’ll remember the details when we need them. Then, when it’s time for a job search or a performance review, we struggle to articulate our impact. Instead, whenever you start a new project, ask yourself: “How will my future self talk about this?” Think in terms of a story - a problem worth solving, a difficult and challenging solution, and a meaningful transformation. You don’t have to wait until the project is finished to start writing it. Step 1: The problem What problem are you solving? A (business) problem worth solving has the problem itself, which lead to symptoms that, if they aren't addressed, can lead to disaster. For example, you might be replacing a legacy workflow. The old workflow is slow and includes manual steps. This results in errors and customer dissatisfaction, which leads to financial risk (due to errors) and churn, resulting in stagnant revenue and declining market share. You'll get more insight over time, but just start at the start. Write down what you know. Step 2: Document the outcomes you (or your leadership) are expecting or hoping for You may not know the final impact yet, but you have a hypothesis. What will change if your project succeeds? More revenue? Higher efficiency? Customer satisfaction improvements? Write that down. The transformation is often the opposite of the problem: if revenue is stagnant, the goal is growth. If churn is rising, the goal is retention. Define the ideal outcome early. Step 3: Capture the key components of the solution As technologists, we naturally document what we built. That’s fine, but remember—hiring managers and execs care less about features and more about impact. And how you collaborated and persuaded stakeholders to create and keep alignment. Step 4: Update your story as you go As your project progresses, go back and update: ✔ What you learned about the real problem ✔ Changes in your approach ✔ The actual results once customers started using your solution Often, the results blossom in unexpected ways - leading to social proof like customer stories, awards, or internal recognition. Capture those. These stories become the basis of a resume that gets interviews and they're great for performance reviews.

🚨 𝗜 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄𝗲𝗱 𝟱𝟬+ 𝗙𝗗𝗔 𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗿. One pattern jumped out immediately and it wasn’t about complex tech failures or multi-million-dollar systems It was about something far simpler - 𝗗𝗼𝗰𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 Startups weren’t getting flagged because their devices didn’t work. They were getting flagged because they couldn’t prove they worked. If it is not recorded it did not happen! • Missing design history files • Incomplete complaint investigations • Vague CAPA records    All the “boring” stuff that feels like a distraction when you’re sprinting to market. Every shortcut you take with documentation becomes a detour later. 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗜 𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗠𝗲𝗱𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗽 𝗜 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 👇 → Document in real time — not in hindsight → Teach your team: “If it’s not documented, it didn’t happen” → Build quality into your process from day one The winners in MedTech right now aren’t the ones with the biggest compliance budgets, they’re the ones who treat documentation as a competitive advantage Because your regulatory foundation is either your launch pad or your bottleneck. Founders in MedTech: What’s been your toughest challenge keeping documentation consistent while moving fast?