Practical Cost Control Handbook for Project Managers: A Practical Guide to Enable Consistent and Predictable Forecasting for Large, Complex Projects, Second Edition

When the Forecast Has to Hold

Large, complex projects rarely fail because no one made a budget. They fail when cost control becomes a reporting exercise instead of an early warning system. This second edition of Practical Cost Control Handbook for Project Managers is built around that distinction: the cost controller’s job is to produce a forecast that people can act on, even when the news is uncomfortable.

Jeremie Averous writes for project control professionals who need a practical method rather than a theoretical overview. The handbook stays close to the daily realities of large projects—multiple stakeholders, long time horizons, changing scope, and the constant tension between finance, accounting, and project delivery.

Inside the Second Edition

The book opens with the purpose of cost control in projects and places it within the wider project control discipline. It then moves through the principles that shape reliable cost control, including:

• What project cost control is actually for, and where it fits within the wider project control discipline
• Why accounting and cost control answer different questions and should not be blurred
• The profile and development path of an effective project cost controller
• Golden rules that support consistent, predictable forecasting
• Estimating basics, maturity expectations, and how to judge the quality of a project budget estimate
• Benchmarking as a practical check on estimates and performance

Built for Large, Complex Projects

The second edition keeps its focus on environments where simple cost tracking is not enough. Large, complex projects demand forecasts that remain coherent across workstreams, disciplines, and organisational boundaries. The material is designed to help readers separate signal from noise, challenge weak assumptions, and report cost reality in a way that supports decisions rather than just recording history.

Forewords by Pierre Pénicaut, Head of Project Control at Total, and Bruno Chabas, CEO of SBM Offshore, frame the handbook for a professional audience. The content is sponsored by Project Value Delivery, a consulting company focused on project management for large, complex projects.

Who Will Use This Handbook

This is a working reference for cost controllers, project control managers, project managers, estimators, and finance or delivery professionals who need a shared language for project cost performance. It will be especially relevant to organisations running major projects, engineering and construction programmes, and other long-cycle initiatives where forecasting credibility matters.

A Practical Shelf Reference

Rather than offering a single method to apply mechanically, the handbook encourages disciplined judgement: understand the estimate, test the assumptions, keep the forecast honest, and communicate clearly. For project professionals who need to stand behind their numbers, it is a useful companion for both daily practice and longer-term capability building.