ABSTRACT
The conceptual framework offered by control systems theory is regarded as the most suitable for developing project management thinking. If a project is regarded as a system, then just as a system can be broken down into subsystems, so a project can be broken down into subprojects. The environment is defined as everything except the system. The environment affects the system by changes, and is affected by system changes. The environment might be reflected in terms of project constraints, and the environment-system interaction might be reflected in terms of initial and final conditions. The terms output and state become interchangeable when referring to projects, and there is no noise in the observation device. So-called project control involves monitoring/sensing the output through time, comparing this with some 'as-planned' or pre-established baseline, and modifying the input on the basis of the difference between 'as-planned' and 'as-executed' values.
