- Monitor progress and manage changes.
- Manage a team, including remotely.
- Close the project and capture learning.
1Monitoring progress
Monitoring continuously compares what was planned with what is actual: activities, deliverables, expenditure, risks. Simple tools: a short weekly meeting, a one-page dashboard, monthly budget monitoring with finance, updating the Gantt chart and the risk register.
An issue log lists what is already a problem (unlike a risk, which is uncertain), with an owner and a resolution date. Issues that cannot be resolved at your level are escalated quickly.
2Managing changes
Humanitarian projects change often: population displacement, access cut off, a new epidemic. A change in scope, schedule or budget goes through change control:
- describe the request and the reason for it;
- analyse the impact on scope, schedule, cost, quality and risks;
- have the decision taken by the right person (and by the donor if the contract requires it, through an amendment);
- update the plans and inform stakeholders.
Small additions accepted without analysis or agreement end up overwhelming the project: this is “scope creep”.
3Team and remote management
- Clarify everyone's roles (RACI) and objectives.
- Delegate with clear expected results, not just tasks.
- In remote management (area with limited access), strengthen local teams and partners, plan third-party monitoring, geotagged photos, regular calls and complaints mechanisms.
- Look after the team's well-being and security: these are conditions for the project's success.
4Closing the project
Closure is prepared several months in advance:
- Exit strategy: handover to the authorities, committees or partners, or transition to other funding; decided from the design stage.
- Operational closure: deliverables accepted, assets transferred according to the donor's rules, supplier and staff contracts closed.
- Administrative and financial closure: final reports, archiving, audit where applicable.
- Lessons learned: a workshop with the team, partners and community representatives; what worked, what did not, what we would do again.
Access cut off at mid-term
Conflict area
In month 7 of 12, fighting makes your main area inaccessible for an unknown period.
Two thirds of the activities are in this area. The local staff live there and can still work discreetly.
Decision 1 of 3What do you do first?
Decision 2 of 3Which option do you propose?
Decision 3 of 3In remote management, how do you verify activities?
Key takeaways
In the face of change: safety, impact analysis, a formal change request and remote verification.
Exercise: a change request
Your area of operation becomes inaccessible for two months. Write a change request: description, impact on schedule, budget and deliverables, options (postpone, relocate, manage remotely), recommendation and people to consult, including the donor.
Key points
- Monitoring: continuously compare planned and actual.
- Risk = uncertain; issue = already here, to be resolved or escalated.
- Every significant change is analysed, decided, documented and communicated.
- The exit strategy is planned from the design stage; the project closes with lessons learned.
Further reading: course references
- PM4NGOs (2020). A Guide to the PMD Pro: Project Management for Development Professionals. www.pm4ngos.org
- European Commission (2004). Project Cycle Management Guidelines. international-partnerships.ec.europa.eu
- CHS Alliance, Groupe URD, Sphere (2024). Core Humanitarian Standard on Quality and Accountability (CHS). www.corehumanitarianstandard.org
- ALNAP (2022). The State of the Humanitarian System (report). www.alnap.org
Daily quiz
3 questions to check what you have learned. Answer them all to complete the day.