If project managers experience resistance, an effective technique is to break down the work into smaller chunks and translate end dates into project effort. To overcome the pushback, the project manger should encourage a work environment where missing estimates is not punished although meeting estimates is encouraged. Other team members simply donРІР‚в„ўt want to escape the comfort zone of reporting РІР‚СљIts about 90 percent complete with a little more work to do.РІР‚Сњ A common fear is the team member may face negative consequences for failing to complete the work in the estimated amount of time. If the project team is new to this approach, the project manager may experience some push back or reluctance to provides estimates. Tracking Percent Complete Challenges and Road Blocks Improves future project estimation accuracy by comparing project baseline work and actual work.Р”Р„voids РІР‚СљguesstimateРІР‚Сњ approach and uses project data to forecast project completion dates. Improves project status reporting by communicating an objective percent complete instead of a subjective percent complete. Improves project status reporting using accurate and objective task end dates. Tracking project actuals provides the following benefits: If the project manager did not ask these questions and accepted a subjective 90 percent complete, the project manager would haveР’В assumed 54 hours have been spent with 6 hours to complete the task. The task also startedР’В two days later and the additional 20 hours added another 2.5 days to the task schedule. In this example, the original effort was 80 hours and actual work required was 100 hours. Task Percent Complete = 60 hours / (60 hours + 40 hours) = 60% complete Task Percent Complete = Actual Hours Spent / Baseline Work (+/-) Remaining Work The project manager uses the data to calculate an objective measure of work complete and, more importantly, forecast a task end date based on the remaining effort. Once project managers understand the original task effort, baseline start and finish dates the project manager can inquire about the actual work spent on the task. The project baseline is the official record of cost, scope and timing for each deliverable in the work plan. The first two questions can be answered by examining the project baseline. How many hours have been spent on the task?.When was the task scheduled to start and complete?.In order to objectively measure project schedule and cost performance, the project manager needs to know the following: The Tracking Percent Complete SolutionР”Р„ recommended approach is to avoid the subjective view of task status and implement an objective one. The problem is further propagated when project stakeholders communicate the same status to their colleagues. This approach doesnРІР‚в„ўt provide the project manager with any information about actual task effort or forecasted end dates. The percent complete approach represents a quick estimate of deliverable status based on a team memberРІР‚в„ўs feeling or intuition. The РІР‚Сљ90 percent completeРІР‚Сњ approach to deliverable tracking is entirely subjective. This cycle can continue week after week as the deliverable continues to fall further behind in the project schedule. In the interest of a short status meeting, the project manager leaves the deliverable at 90 percent complete until next week. When the project manager asks why the deliverable wasnРІР‚в„ўt completed, the team member responds with a list of other tasks or dependencies that are needed to complete the task. Another week goes by, and at the next status meeting, the task is still 90 percent complete with РІР‚Сљjust a little more work to go.РІР‚Сњ Everyone feels comfortable about the number and they move on to the next status item. Using a status of 90 percent, the project manager updates the project plan and communicates to the stakeholders that the particular deliverable is 90 percent complete.

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