Control

The ongoing practice of checking actual results against the plan, examining variances, monitoring trends to drive process improvements, considering alternatives, and recommending corrective actions when necessary.

Key Points

  • Performed continuously to keep work aligned with the approved plan and baselines.
  • Relies on accurate, timely data for scope, schedule, cost, and quality performance.
  • Uses variance and trend analysis to detect issues early and identify improvement opportunities.
  • Results may include corrective or preventive actions and formal change requests.

Example

The project manager reviews earned value data and finds SPI = 0.85. After analyzing schedule drivers, the team evaluates options such as adding a second crew or crashing critical activities. The PM recommends the most cost-effective corrective action and submits a change request for approval.

PMP Example Question

During execution, the CPI is 0.78 while the schedule is on track. What should the project manager do as part of control?

  1. Update the WBS to reflect actuals without approval.
  2. Analyze the cost variance and trends, evaluate alternatives, and recommend corrective action via change control.
  3. Take no action because schedule performance meets the plan.
  4. Rebaseline the cost plan immediately to match current performance.

Correct Answer: B — Analyze variances and trends, evaluate options, and recommend corrective action.

Explanation: Control involves comparing actuals to the plan, analyzing variances, assessing trends, and proposing corrective actions through the change control process.

ICS/OT Cybersecurity Fundamentals — Security Built for Industrial Systems

Industrial control systems cannot be secured like ordinary IT. A forced reboot, aggressive scan, or incompatible patch can interrupt production and create real safety consequences. Effective OT security begins with understanding the systems, constraints, and risks unique to industrial environments.

This course gives IT professionals, engineers, operators, and security practitioners a practical foundation in ICS threats, zone and conduit design, risk assessment, passive asset visibility, and vendor evaluation. You will learn how IEC 62443, NIST CSF, and MITRE ATT&CK for ICS apply where availability and safety come first.

Eight reconstructed incidents—including Stuxnet, Triton, Ukraine 2015, Colonial Pipeline, and PIPEDREAM—show how attackers move through OT environments, what they target, and which defenses could have changed the outcome.

Watch the course preview, then build the vocabulary, frameworks, and judgment needed to take credible first steps in ICS/OT cybersecurity.

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ICS/OT Cybersecurity Fundamentals course preview

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