Project Management

The history of project management can be dated back in 1950s when organizations started to use a systematic approach towards complex engineering projects (Winter et al., 2006). Nowadays, the use of project management is largely appraised and adopted both in private and public sector. However, with the improvement in techniques, projects still often fail due to various reasons. As Perminova et al., (2008, p.73) argue, project management is evolving into “an ongoing process rather than a planning tool, stressing on real performance, accumulative learning, continuous improvement and customer-centric service, instead of conformance to timing, scope, quality and budget.” This implies a more and more complex and comprehensive approach towards project management. Thus, the importance of monitoring and evaluation is highlighted ensuring a more effective and efficient project throughout stages, a more consistent delivery of the plan and an acute sensing of risk identification and knowledge learning. Nevertheless, many approaches have been given trying to explain the actual purpose of monitoring and evaluating urban projects and discourse on the question whether improvements in techniques will lead to more successful projects is prevalent. This essay, by reviewing literature first and followed by two case studies in real practice, gives some thoughts to these issues discussed above.
To understand the purpose of monitor and evaluation, it is first important to understand the meaning of and the difference between them. According to IFRC (2011 p.11), monitoring is “the routine collection and analysis of information to track progress against set plans and check compliance to established standards.” Project monitoring involves activities of col...

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...nd Wikstrom, K. (2008). Defining uncertainty in projects--a new perspective. International Journal of Project Management, 26(1), pp.73--79.
Seasons, M. (2003). Monitoring and evaluation in municipal planning: considering the realities. Journal of the American Planning Association, 69(4), pp.430--440.
Thornton, G., Ecorys, Loughborough University, and Oxford Economics, (2012). Meta-Evaluation of the Impacts and Legacy of the London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games. London: Department for Culture, Media, and Sport, pp.1-40.
Transport for London, (2008). Central London Congestion Charging. London: Transport for London, pp.1-227.
Winter, M., Smith, C., Morris, P. and Cicmil, S. (2006). Directions for future research in project management: the main findings of a UK government-funded research network. International journal of project management, 24(8), pp.638--649.