Authorizing & Maintaining the Schedule

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This subject looks at authorizing and baselining the project schedule and then the routine of statusing and updating the schedule to maintain its relevance.

Topics included in authorizing and maintaining the schedule:

- Authorizing and baselining the project schedule
- Statusing and updating the project schedule
- Useful External Web-links & Resources.


Other related sections of the PMKI:

- Schedule Development & Time Analysis 
- Reporting & Communicating Controls Information


Authorizing and baselining the project schedule

AuthorizedArt: Assurance for high risk projects. High-risk, high reward projects that have the potential to transform an organization require a robust, independent assurance function!

Managing delays and disruptions to a schedule are discussed in:
Assessing Delay and Disruption - Tribunals Beware, and
Delay, Disruption and Acceleration Costs

The specific issue of assessing parallel delays in WP1064 - Concurrent Delays.

For more on delay and disruption claims see: Forensic time analysis and reporting

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Statusing and updating the project schedule

StatusingCritical path scheduling techniques, supported by efficient scheduling software have long been recognized as a standard component in the overall project management process. So why does project scheduling so often fail to deliver on its promise? One answer to this question is the opportunities missed by many project teams to make their schedules work for them. Simple changes in the way schedules are developed, implemented and managed can deliver major increases in the returns from the investment made in the planning / scheduling processes. The first area of consideration is the various options available to develop and "update" a schedule and how the different information produced can influence the thinking of both project management and project team members. The second area of consideration is the power of the update process in itself to change project team behaviour and attitudes towards the overall success of a project. 

PP: Managing for Success - The power of regular updates. This paper looks at the interaction between the analytical and psychological processes involved in schedule development and control systems to identify ways to deliver major enhancements in the planning / scheduling process (Including how to ask for progress information to obtain the maximum psychological benefit). A number of examples from successful (and less successful) projects are used to highlight the opportunities and techniques that can be used by any project team to significantly enhance their prospects for success. Download the paper

WP: Proactive Project Surveillance. Effective surveillance systems are needed to identify which of an organization's projects are currently candidates for failure, in sufficient time to take action that will change the probability in a favorable way.

WP: Decision Making. The purpose of statusing the project is to develop the information needed to inform project management decision making, this paper looks at the different types of decision and the options for making a 'good decision'. For more on managing issues and making effective decisions see: Making Decisions.

WP: Schedule Compression. This WP focuses on the techniques and risks associated with schedule compression, including 'fast-tracking' and 'crashing'.

For papers on predicting project completion allowing for uncertainty, see Schedule Risk & Uncertainty.

 

Advice and guidance on baselining the schedule and the use of statusing and updating to control the schedule is contained in Sections 5.2 and 5.3 of  Easy CPM.

Easy CPM Easy CPM is an easy-to-read, course-in-a-book that provides practical training and guidance to individuals and organizations involved in developing or using CPM schedules based on the Critical Path Method (CPM). It is designed to act as both a reference, and practice guide, for people implementing CPM scheduling after they have learned to use the CPM scheduling software of their choice.

See more, free preview and buy ($35, immediate download).

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Useful External Web-links & Resource

Access the Guild of Project Controls Body of Knowledge. A suite of process-based documents which define Project Controls (membership required): http://www.planningplanet.com/guild/GPCCAR-modules

 

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