Project alignment: The key to successful cost engineering

Alignment is necessary for project success because as alignment slips, the project may become late, over-budgeted, or have quality problems. Alignment needs to be planned and managed from the very beginning of a project, and must be monitored and controlled throughout the project just like other cost engineering processes. Two tools are presented to facilitate project alignment. The Priority Triangle helps to prioritize which constraints are most important for project success. The Three Questions further contribute to alignment by defining what a successful project looks like and when it is finished for the project's key stakeholders.