What is project controls and how does it link to project success?

Project controllers are not only the ‘truth tellers’ of projects, but also technical and strategy whizzes. But, to succeed in the role, what really matters, argue Paul Kidston and Carolyn Browning – two co-authors of the new APM book Project Controls in the 21st Century – is the ability to be adept at the people side of things. These skills include communicating well, problem-solving and being a leader who creates the best kind of project culture.

Kidston is a former director of project controls who worked on projects such as the remodelled Smithfield Market in London through to major infrastructure projects; and Browning is a transformation programme manager at iGaming and betting business Flutter Entertainment. Below, they give their valuable lessons on project controls

Q. Why does project controls matter more now than ever before?

Paul Kidston (PK): It has always mattered. It’s about the future. We always need to get better at what we do. It matters now to continuously improve. We might start from a position where we’re actually pretty good at this stuff – but it doesn't matter. We’ve got to be better tomorrow.

The world situation that we find ourselves in means that there are limited resources. Money has got to be spent wisely. We’ve got to behave professionally, and these are all things that project controls helps you to do.

We live in changing times, and the pace of change means that projects have to be more flexible and more genuinely agile. We have to be able to react; to change things. In traditional project management, that change can be a really big factor in project failure, so we must be better at it – we must be professional, rigorous and disciplined about how we deal with it. The world situation being in such flux at the moment makes projects more important and makes how projects control themselves much more important.

Q. What role does project controls play in the success of a project?

Carolyn Browning: There is a direct correlation between good and effective project controls and project success. Certainly, from my broad experience, it’s not necessarily project controls techniques – for example, if you do or don’t have really detailed and intricate plans. What’s ultimately important is that the data is connected and well communicated, and that you have the right behaviours, leadership and culture within the project.

You could have the best techniques, toolsets and methodologies from a technical perspective. But, ultimately, if you can’t communicate it effectively to all of your various stakeholders – if it’s not all connected, so it’s not telling a common, joined-up story and you don’t have the right cultures and behaviours in place – then even the best project controls can fail.

Q. How can project controls be improved?

PK: Sometimes, the technical skills are done pretty well and they’re absolutely essential. You can’t be in project controls if you can’t do the fundamentals, but I think in order to build on continuous improvement, it is those other things, such as communication, that matter.

Leadership is another fundamental, because we need to consider ourselves to be the leaders of the project. I know in most situations it’s likely to be a project manager, but we need to take responsibility in project controls for making sure that the project is led well, has the right information and is done well.

So communication, leadership, and problem-solving are the vital skills that we need to think about to elevate project controls and to make it the friend of the project manager, rather than somebody just pointing at a trend.

Browning and Kidston are two co-authors of the new APM book Project Controls in the 21st Century. They were speaking to APM Podcast.