Hatem Hegazi discusses avoiding unrealistic schedules and provides tips for developing realistic schedules that follow best practices. Some key points: - Unrealistic schedules can be caused by rush pressures, lack of planning, or underestimating the work. Realistic schedules require proper planning, team buy-in, and accounting for changes. - The AACE recommends following their practices for schedule planning, development, review, management and control to develop realistic schedules. This includes defining activities, logic, durations, and contingencies. - Realistic schedules also require defining responsibilities, developing the work breakdown structure, and outlining the schedule with appropriate level of detail and constraints.

1. Avoiding Unrealistic Schedules
Hatem Hegazi, PSP, EVP
July 2020

2. About the speaker
Hatem Hegazi is a civil engineer, and project management and controls professional,
specialized in schedule and budget control, contract management, variations and claims
management, and reporting systems.
– Cairo University, BSc Civil Engineering, 2002
– PMI, Project Management Professional, PMP, since 2009
– AACE, Planning & Scheduling Professional, PSP, since 2012
– AACE, Earned Value professional, EVP, since 2013
– Heriot-Watt University, Postgraduate certificate, Business Administration, 2017
– FIDIC, Young Professional Management Training Program, 2019
– FIDIC, Contracts Management and Administration Module 4 program, 2020
Something you do not know about me, I love traveling and meeting people from different
cultures. However, I've visited only 13 countries so far! :)
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3. What are Unrealistic Schedules
Scheduling without Planning
Bad input – bad output
No buy-in from the project team
No clear responsibility
Incomplete Scope
Games: lags, leads, floats
No interim milestones, only start and finish date
Variations not included on a timely basis
Incomprehensible, too complicated to be understood
Risks not planned against
Nonresponsive schedule updates
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Knowing what the problem is half the solution

4. Why are Unrealistic Schedules
Main categories:
– Rush due to management pressure
– Unforeseen circumstances
– Lack of Commitment
– Lack or Planning
– Underestimate
What else?
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5. What are Realistic Schedules
Follow contract requirement as the minimum, more details usually in specs. Div.
1310/1311.
Project Management team accountability – formal planning workshops
Planning for the 4Ms, Material, Manpower, Machine, and Money (fund-cash).
Benchmarking schedule data
Incorporate project changes
Follow a Controlled Process – PDCA
Follow AACE approach, Recommended Practices
What else?
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6. Realistic Schedules -AACE approach
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SCHEDULE PLANNING
14R‐90 RESPONSIBILITY AND REQUIRED SKILLS FOR A PROJECT PLANNING & SCHEDULING PROFESSIONAL
39R‐06 PROJECT PLANNING
61R‐10 SCHEDULE DESIGN
27R‐03 SCHEDULE CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM
37R‐06 SCHEDULE LEVELS OF DETAIL
SCHEDULE DEVELOPMENT
23R‐02 IDENTIFICATION OF ACTIVITIES
24R‐03 DEVELOPING ACTIVITY LOGIC
32R‐04 DETERMINING ACTIVITY DURATIONS
49R‐06 IDENTIFYING THE CRITICAL PATH
45R‐08 SCHEDULING CLAIMS PROTECTION METHODS - DIY
70R-12 SCHEDULE CONTINGENCY MANAGEMENT - DIY
45R-08 SCHEDULING CLAIMS PROTECTION METHODS - DIY
38R‐06 DOCUMENTING THE SCHEDULE BASIS - DIY
SCHEDULE REVIEW, will not be covered in this presentation
48R‐06 SCHEDULE CONSTRUCTABILITY REVIEW
SCHEDULE MANAGEMENT AND CONTROL will not be covered in this presentation
53R‐06 SCHEDULE UPDATE REVIEW
54R‐07 RECOVERY SCHEDULING , Concluded in is presentation

7. 14R‐90 RESPONSIBILITY AND REQUIRED SKILLS FOR A
PROJECT PLANNING & SCHEDULING PROFESSIONAL
Nothing can be done without people.
The planner/scheduler is responsible for development of the project schedule, while
the project management team is responsible for the overall project planning effort.
The planner/scheduler provides professional assistance and guidance to the project
team in developing and implementing the project plan, monitoring project progress,
and recording/reporting the impact of changes monitoring, statusing and forecasting an
integrated project schedule (a cost and resource-loaded schedule) so that a project may
be executed in an efficient manner.
The planner/scheduler must also incorporate changes as efficiently as possible while
maintaining and updating the schedule as the project progresses.
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8. 39R‐06 PROJECT PLANNING
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Planning and scheduling are distinctively different but related processes for capital construction projects.
Schedule planning and schedule development usually require a different set of skills and knowledge.
Planning: consists of planning the work, the resources, and the estimated cost over time to complete the scope
of work defined in the contract. Schedule planning includes the identification of many elements that are
associated with the scope of work which is developed into work packages, sequenced into phases and then
discrete activities. The means, methods and resources have iterative planning processes as the project plan is
developed prior to the project execution phase. Schedule planning continues evolving during the life of the
project and puts emphasis on the experience and knowledge from previous project successes and failures.
Scheduling: The purpose of scheduling is to develop a time phased management tool that will help implement
the approved plan and guide the project toward the desired results using the outputs of the planning process.
Planning should precede the scheduling effort and while it may become less formal in later stages of the
project, planning is a continuous process that never stops until the project is completed. The project schedule
is detailed during the schedule development phase of the project. There is a relatively seamless transition from
project planning to schedule development while the project plan document is finalized and reviewed.

9. Planning Process
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• Identifying project stakeholders and their roles,
responsibilities and their affect on the planning process.
• Identifying contract requirements including project
delivery methods under the terms of the contract.
• Identifying the constraints, and variables that will
allow the project team to begin the planning process.
• Determining the scope of work, client requirements,
schedule hierarchy, division of responsibility, project
plan review and approval requirements and distribution.
• Establishing the work breakdown structure (WBS) and
organization breakdown structure (OBS), and cost
breakdown structure (CBS)
• Identifying major work activities (phases) and
deliverables (Assets) and the preferred sequence in
which they are to be accomplished.
• Establishing an integrated time phased plan to achieve
project completion as required.
• Resources planning: People, Equipment, Materials,
Technology, Capital funding
• Identifying project management coordination
necessary to establish cost/schedule integration for the
further definition of the scope of work.
• Development of non-schedule related planning
methodologies such as logistics planning including site
access plan, heavy lift plans, placement of cranes, long
lead material/equipment procurement plans, owner
provided material/equipment planning, and other such
specific purpose plans.
• Respond to events during project execution to keep
the project on schedule.

10. The Baseline Plan
The baseline plan is the final output of the initial planning process for a project. The baseline provides the
framework for all progress and measurement evaluation as the plan is implemented.
Unless significant modifications to the scope of work occur, the baseline plan is a ‘fixed’ or unchanging
document. Significant changes to the scope of work can cause the previous baseline to be an inadequate
representation of the work and of little value for work progress reporting. When that occurs, a planning effort
to re-baseline is recommended. Budget, schedule, and percent complete status are all typically affected. This
revised baseline should be agreed to by the appropriate stakeholders (contracting parties).
The planning timeline evolves during the planning process. At this final stage in the planning process goals,
objectives and overall scope of work are defined in sufficient detail.
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11. Output and Deliverables
• Defined scope of work
• Defined project goals
• Defined project plan
• Definition of phases
• Phase sequencing & relationships
• Work breakdown structure
• Organization breakdown structure
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• Cost breakdown structure
• Develop the project cost estimate and budget
• Development of the baseline plan
• Risk & mitigation plans
• Project team implementation approval
• Stakeholders reviews and acceptance
• Periodic forecasts & planning

12. 61R‐10 SCHEDULE DESIGN
Schedule design is important to development of an effective baseline schedule. Often, schedulers tend to focus
on the mechanics of schedule development while ignoring the primary purpose of the schedule, which is to
communicate the scope and sequence of activities necessary to complete the project. Decisions such as level of
detail, reporting needs, end user needs, etc. need to be considered as part of the schedule development.
An effective schedule will integrate with project specifications, scope of work, contracts, and other project
deliverables that have an impact on the completion date. Well designed schedules support cost and schedule
forecasts with appropriate level of detail to enable effective project management.
The schedule design process should be developed as a formal procedure, with checklists for each of the sections;
maintaining a good record of all the data and decisions made.
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13. Identify Responsibility Assignments
A RACI chart correlates tasks with roles by assigning four key responsibilities: responsible, accountable, consulted, and informed
(RACI). Table 1 is an example of a RACI of project team members to schedule tasks:
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14. Schedule Outline
A schedule outline starts by defining the schedule requirements including, but not limited to, the following:
• Key schedule activities to monitor
• Project milestones and definitions
• Long lead procurement items
• Site or other constraints
• Work breakdown structure (WBS)
• Work packages
• Contracting/subcontracting issues
Recognizing site access and material storage constraints can be helpful and prevent out of sequence activities.
The WBS should identify the entire scope of work. Identifying all contracted work packages and understanding their
sequencing ensures that the schedule provides direction for all elements of procurement and installation.
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15. Activity Code Definition
Activity code dictionaries should be established after planning the organization layout of the schedule, and
before schedule development. This eliminates redundant activity codes for the same function. Avoiding
redundant codes supports effective roll-up and schedule reporting.
Activity codes should support a variety of reporting needs; including monitoring and control by scope of work,
as well as by contracts, disciplines, etc.
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For Tracking and Monitoring Work:
• Work phase
• Structure
• Area
• Floor or station
• Location
• Responsibility – (Subcontractor)
For Project Management:
• Discipline
• Work shifts
• Costs
• Resource
• Specification
• Change management
Prior to starting schedule development, it is crucial to determine filtering, organizing and reporting requirements.

16. Schedule Basis (Narrative)
The purpose is to provide a summary of the work; explain the plan for engineering, procurement and construction; show
how the schedule meets the specification and plan contractual requirements; identify potential problems; and identify and
summarize the critical path. The major components of the schedule basis are:
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• General description of the scope of work.
• General description of the sequencing including any necessary legend.
• Identify any deviations from the contractually mandated sequencing.
• Identify project phasing.
• Identify all milestones that are contractually mandated.
• Identify any other milestones.
• Risk management documents (including a current risk register),
identifying problem areas of the project, and steps taken to limit risk.
• Identify road closings, utility coordination shutdowns, or other
conflicts.
• Identification of schedule calendars.
• Explain adverse weather planning incorporated in the schedule.
• Identify any unusual logic relationships, such as start-to-start or
finish-to-finish.
• Identification of activity types and rationale.
• Explanation of purpose and use of all relationship lags.
• Explanation of any activity ID coding.
• Explanation of any activity coding that is not self-evident.
• Explanation of any resources in the resource dictionary that are
not self-evident.
• An abbreviated description of the critical path.
• An abbreviated description of the near-critical path.
• A description of methodology used to monitor non-critical work
(earned value, float dissipation, activity variance, etc.)
• Identification of owner activities or owner provided items.
• Identification of significant procurement or fabrication issues.
• Identification of date constraints used in the schedule.
• Identification of all software settings.
• Identification of potential conflicts with outside agencies,
projects, or contractors.

17. 27R-03 SCHEDULE CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM
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By establishing two separate and discrete functions, we can establish a basis for developing the project to the right
amount of detail with the right information for the right audience.

18. CLASSIFICATION METHODOLOGY
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The schedule class designations are labeled
Class 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. A Class 5 schedule is
based upon the lowest degree of project
definition, and a Class 1 schedule indicates
full project definition and maturity. This
arbitrary countdown approach considers
that scheduling is a process whereby
successive schedules are prepared until a
final schedule closes the process.

19. 37R‐06 SCHEDULE LEVELS OF DETAIL
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Project participants and stakeholders require different types of data and levels of detail relative to
their schedule usage.
The project owner or client is most likely to be interested in milestones and facility/feature start
and completion dates at a higher or summary level.
Contractors would monitor and control their subcontractors at an intermediate level and control
their direct hire project efforts at a much greater level of detail.
Subcontractors and vendors would typically monitor and control their own work at a task list level,
even though they will be required to interface with other subcontractors or vendors and report to
the construction manager or prime contractor at a higher level. Ultimately, the project contract
documents, terms and conditions will determine the format and content of the project or program
schedule levels.

20. SCHEDULE LEVELS REQUIREMENTS
There is no universal agreement as to the number of schedule levels and their format. The
following provide further clarification:
Schedule levels are determined by the detail required of the key project stakeholders. Since
schedules are developed for the purposes of performing that specific phase of the work, all
schedules therefore should roll-up from more detailed scope of the activities and tasks.
It is intended that all of the levels of detail are derived by the “roll up” (summarized) or roll down
(expanded detail) from a single “master” project schedule and are not developed as separate,
fragmented versions of the project time phased plan.
Ultimately, the purpose of the schedule is to support the successful time phased performance
of each phase of work on the project.
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21. ENGINEERING, PROCUREMENT, CONSTRUCTION (EPC) SCHEDULE
LEVELS
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• EPC Level 1 schedule summarizes the overall project for client
and management. EPC Level 1 schedules show start and finish
dates for the major project phases and key milestones (such as
design, procurement, construction, and commissioning and start-
up).
• EPC Level 2 schedules contain more detailed activities for each of
the summary phases previously identified in the Level 1 schedule.
This often includes a breakout of the various trades or disciplines
responsible for the activities in each phase, the critical
procurement activities, the major elements of construction, and
general commissioning and start-up requirements.
• EPC Level 3 is the first level where the full use of critical path
method (CPM) techniques could be shown effectively. In addition
to start and finish dates for each grouping of deliverables or
activities within each phase of the project, EPC Level 3 schedules
include major review and approval dates as well.
(Most EPC schedule models are not developed below Level 3 in
terms of CPM activity detail, with the intent to keep the schedule
broad enough to be described for any specific project. EPC
schedule levels are normally limited to Levels 1 through 3, however
sometimes an “external” schedule data would be prepared, and
these external schedules are called “Level 4.” (Contractor Schedule
– Technip-HH)
• EPC Level 4 are detailed work schedules and generally would be
prepared outside of the CPM software, with correlation to the
CPM schedule activities and scope of work. The theory is, that if
there is too much detail within the CPM network, the schedule
would not only lose its flexibility as a value-added tool to manage
the job, but schedule maintenance would become difficult, due to
the greater effort needed to maintain the CPM logic after each
progress update. A variety of software tools can be employed to
develop work schedules at Level 4 and below: spreadsheets,
databases, and word processing are all utilized.

22. DESCRIPTIVE LEVELS METHODOLOGY
Project Control Schedule
The project control schedule clearly shows work by responsibility.
Each of the responsible project participants is responsible to
maintain and status the performance of their work activities. The
project control schedule must include the entire project scope of
work, identify interfaces and potential impacts to other
contractors, operations and maintenance shutdowns, delays and
disruptions, and is to be used for progress and performance
measurement.
Look ahead Schedule
The project master CPM schedule can produce a detailed look-
ahead schedule that highlights the near term priorities for each of
the project team participants and is periodically reviewed at site
meetings so responsibilities can be confirmed, actual dates and
progress assigned, and potential conflicts and interferences
prevented.
Task Lists
To manage daily work activities and provide the craft or crews with
the proper tools and equipment when needed.
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Program/ Project Summary Schedule
Typically the summary schedule includes the major phases or
functions and milestone objectives. The program or project owner
provides the basic guidance of the project's scope to establish this
schedule.
Milestone Schedule
The milestone schedule can be either in a tabular or time scaled
graphic format.
Project Level Schedule
The project level schedule is an activity and deliverable (Assets)-
centered schedule. Typically consisting of the major project phases
and features of work, the project level schedule integrates the
project’s engineering, procurement and construction activities in
time scaled network logic or bar charts. The CPM scheduling
technique is used to develop the project level schedule and the
project critical path can be identified.

23. 23R-02 IDENTIFICATION OF ACTIVITIES
An activity is composed of the following essential attributes that are derived from the WBS and
supporting sources:
• A unique alpha/numeric identifier
• An initial duration work period.
• A calendar assignment.
• A descriptive title of the intended scope of work. It should be clear and succinct without
being vague and/or ambiguous. Activity name shall include (verb+ activity type+ place)
• Static terms such as ”begin”; “start”; “end”; “finish”; “complete” or other terms that indicate
”point-in-time” events should only be used with activities of zero duration
• The preliminary sequence of logic ties to a predecessor and successor activity in accordance
with the project execution plan. Starting with such an initial sequence will facilitate later
determination of alternate sequences that can shorten completion time and cost.
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24. 24R-03 DEVELOPING ACTIVITY LOGIC
Development of activity logic is a pure planning step where relationships are established regardless of the dates
on which activities fall. The next step in the planning and scheduling process is to consider other factors such as
time, resources, and milestones to achieve project objectives.
Activities can be linked with hard logic (i.e., sequence of each activity is predetermined, such as footing A before
footing B), or soft logic wherein related activities may be combined and accomplished in a different order as
determined at the time of execution. There are also physical hard logic relationships where soft logic does not
normally apply, such as footing formwork must be in place before concrete can be placed.
Logic development is an iterative planning process. Initial logic development is begun after identification of
activities, and before the scheduling process step occurs. This process is further refined during schedule
development and optimization.
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25. 32R-04 DETERMINING ACTIVITY DURATIONS
Determining realistic original durations for schedule activities is essential for proper schedule
development. There is always a chance that target project milestone dates are not achievable
given the scope of work to be performed and the resources made available. Realistic durations
should be utilized even if the dates derived from the time estimates do not meet target project
requirements.
If the target milestone dates are not in-line with realistic project requirements, the professional
scheduler should not reduce durations to fit the target dates unless explicit schedule adjustments
have been approved that will provide more resources, reduce scope, or allow for some realistic
alternative approach (e.g., parallel activities).
• Phase I – Determine unconstrained activity durations
• Phase II – Adjust activity duration based on constraint impact
• Phase III – Revise activity original durations to meet project requirements
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26. Phase I – Determine Unconstrained Activity Durations
Duration = Quantity of work / work units per time period.
Two performance areas are considered when estimating an activity’s duration: past performance and expected
future performance. From past performance the scheduler can review actual durations of similar activities
completed in the past and apply professional judgment for anticipated future performance. This establishes a
basis for determining an activity’s duration, but does not consider constraints that may keep the activity from
being completed within the planned time frame. Where no past performance measures are available to rely
upon, there may be industrial databases to consider.
An alternative is to use the PERT method:
i. Weighted average using a triangular distribution
Duration = (Optimistic Duration + Most Likely Duration + Pessimistic Duration)/3
ii. Weighted average using an example of a beta (PERT) distribution
Duration = (Optimistic Duration + 4*Most Likely Duration + Pessimistic Duration)/6
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27. Phase II – Adjust Activity Duration Based on Constraint Impact
• Resource availability
• Factors affecting productivity
• Contract requirements and restraints
• Nature of the work / scope of work
• Labor and equipment productivity
• Means and methods planned
• Permit and local ordinance requirements
and restrictions
• Management skill / constraints
• Material and equipment availability
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• Seasonal / location considerations
• Work restrictions (union vs. non-union,
work rules and constraints, length of workday,
# of work-shifts per day, etc.)
• Quality of work (contract specifications
requirements)
• Subcontractor and vendor considerations
• Engineering deliverables / client, third-party
influences and deliverables
• Fast-tracking / concurrency of work

28. Phase III – Revise Original Activity Durations to Meet Project Requirements
Once realistic original durations (whether constrained or
unconstrained) are determined for each activity, the scheduler
must examine whether project requirements or milestones can be
met as modeled.
If all project requirements and milestones are met, the schedule is
ready for final project team review and approval. However.
If certain activities prevent the project from achieving required
milestone dates, the scheduler should work with the project team
to identify realistic and achievable actions needed to allow
durations to be reduced so that these important dates may be
met.
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The scheduler is advised to analyze all activities on the critical path(s), on near-critical path(s) and on large float path(s).
If corrective actions to reduce schedule impact the estimated cost, the cost should be reflected in the basis of estimate.
Such actions may be to: 1- reduce scope (de-scoping), 2-add
resources (crashing), 3-schedule activities in parallel (fast-
tracking) or other changes to schedule logic. If schedule
adjustment is necessary to accomplish milestone dates, the
scheduler should create a corrective action list that contains all
feasible actions that may be used to decrease an activity’s
duration. Activity durations should not be reduced unless project
management approves the required actions. Specifically, activity
durations should not be reduced just to meet owner / contractual
constraints, but recommendations should be made as to identify
the required modifications to realistically shorten durations.

29. 49R-06 IDENTIFYING THE CRITICAL PATH
The most frequently used methods include the following:
1. Lowest Total Float – The activities with the lowest total float
2. Negative Total Float – Any activity that has negative float is considered critical
3. Longest Path – The concept and term, “longest path” has existed since the beginning of formal CPM theory
Near-Critical Activities/Paths
While critical path activities require elevated management attention to ensure timely project completion,
exclusively concentrating only on critical activities is unwise. Planned activity durations are only estimates. Over
time, the critical path changes as the status changes. Acceleration and completion of critical path activities will
eventually lead to other activities becoming critical to project completion that were not previously critical. Delay
to activities that are not on the critical path may also lead to them becoming critical.
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30. Interpretation of the Critical Path
The estimate of remaining duration of the activity should not reflect allotted time but should reflect an honest
estimate of the remaining work in accordance with the project execution plan and applied or available
resources.
Long-duration activities on the critical path should be given more scrutiny. Activities based upon commitments
(such as activities representing manufacture or delivery of major equipment items) should have their
completion dates verified instead of just assuming no change to delivery dates. Other long-duration critical
path activities should be re-estimated and perhaps broken-down into smaller components for better
understanding and increased duration accuracy.
There is no set definition for the recommend maximum allowable percentage of critical and near-critical
activities, especially once a project begins. This “allowable” percentage would vary based on the type of
project, especially when trying to compare relatively linear projects like transportation projects to more
internally complex projects like facilities.
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31. DIY!
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32. 70R-12 PRINCIPLES OF SCHEDULE CONTINGENCY MANAGEMENT
Schedule contingency is defined as an amount of time included in the project or program schedule to mitigate (dampen/buffer) the effects of risks
or uncertainties identified or associated with specific elements of the project schedule.
When applying this definition, the generally accepted attributes of schedule contingency are as follows:
• Schedule contingency must be visible in the schedule.
• Schedule contingency is time only and does not contain scope, resources or costs.
• Schedule contingency is only established based upon an analysis of schedule risk.
• Schedule contingency is not float (i.e. neither project float nor total float).
• Schedule contingency is not lag/lead (relationship durations).
• Schedule contingency is not hidden artificial lengthening of schedule activities.
• Schedule contingency is not the improper use of what some term as “preferential logic”.
• Schedule contingency is not a non-work period in the software calendar.
• Schedule contingency is not management reserve.
The schedule buffer originated in Critical Chain Theory (CCPM) and has been used interchangeably by practitioners to mean schedule contingency.
The schedule margin is related to production scheduling and is time for unforeseen conditions, such as imprecise production rates, material
shortage, etc. Schedule margin is used and increasingly required in aerospace and defense (A&D) schedules.
Schedule management reserve (SMR) is a designated amount of time to account for risks that cannot be quantified and/or managed with
contingency; or to allow time for management purposes and the use of management reserve generally requires a formal baseline change
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33. Contingency is included to address risks such as:
• Incomplete designs
• Errors & omissions
• Contract (prime and subcontracts) terms and conditions
• Project location and environmental factors
• Availability of skilled labor resources and equipment
• Capabilities and experience of available subcontractors and suppliers
• Construction disturbances (accidents or breakdowns)
• Changes in market conditions
• Regulatory risk
• Land acquisition issues
• Permitting issues
• Technological changes
• Abnormal construction and start-up problems
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34. SCHEDULE CONTINGENCY IMPLEMENTATION
More than one schedule contingency buffer element may be included in the project schedule.
There are several ways to establish (quantify) schedule contingency including; similar project history; expert judgment; guidelines
or statistical methods. When there is no similar prior project history the project planners might use expert judgment to determine
the amount of contingency time to include for risk events.
Project planners sometimes use rule-of-thumb guidelines, such as for example, adding a 10 days of cushion for every year of
project duration. Thus an 18 month project would have 15 days of buffer. The rule-of-thumb method should only be used with
agreement by the project stakeholders.
Schedule contingency should be proactively managed, and should be monitored and reassessed periodically. The practice for
assessing and managing the contingency activities is sometimes called the contingency drawdown method.
The TCM Framework specifies that if a risk event or circumstance (or the response to it) requires more time than allocated for an
affected activity(s), then some duration can be “drawn down” from the appropriate buffer, as approved and documented.
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35. 45R-08 SCHEDULING CLAIMS PROTECTION METHODS
Examples of owner caused delays include:
• Late notice to proceed
• Lack of site access
• Administrative delays
• Extended submittal reviews
• Funding changes
• Owner enhancements
• Change directives/orders
• Directed suspension of work
• Delayed owner furnished equipment
• Delayed performance by the owner’s contractors
• Defective contract documents
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Examples of designer caused delays include:
• Defective design/contract documents (drawings and
technical specifications)
• Delayed and/or incomplete design
• Design bulletins resulting in change orders
• Untimely responses to requests for information (RFIs)
• Late approvals/extended submittal reviews
• Excessive RFIs required due to incomplete design
• Unreasonable inspections
Schedulers need to know the probable causes of construction delays and extra work.

36. What Should the Scheduler Know About Schedule Delays?
Examples of contractor’s delays include:
• Poor workmanship requiring rework
• Insufficient labor and/or equipment
• Low productivity
• Insufficient planning, coordination, or management of the work
• Delayed administration of the work, such as late subcontract or purchase order awards
• Delay in processing required material/equipment submittals
• Failure to obtain contract approvals
• Failure to order materials or equipment in time to meet the schedule requirements
It is important for schedulers to understand the potential contract issues that are related to delay issues when developing,
managing, and controlling the project schedule. It is not enough to just create a “good working schedule”, the scheduler
should also consider potential claims when building and maintaining the project schedule. Schedulers must understand the
important terms and definitions in relation to the contract: excusable; compensable; concurrent or serial; non-excusable;
cure notice; and liquidated damages, as well as differentiate between such terms as “delay” and “disruption” which are not
synonymous.
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37. 54R-07- RECOVERY SCHEDULING
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Management Commitment / Team Cooperation:
1. Seek contractor’s senior management commitment.
2. Contractor project team/leadership.
What needs to be done
1. Agree priorities/milestones/ sequencing of remaining works
2. Plan monthly implementations of major work items to achieve the
agreed milestones/ finish dates. In terms of Engineering,
procurement (submittals and approvals) and construction
3. Weekly meetings and workshops for monitoring the plans and
brainstorming ideas for improvements
4. Planning for qualified staff and labor, workshops with contractor
leadership to review remaining quantities, productivity,
requirement of skilled/ non-skilled and supervision staff.
5. Planning for material, monitor material delivery tracking sheets,
procurement status, step in when action is needed including
finance, laisse with customs, or prefer alternatives from local
market due to pandemic situation.
6. Planning for equipment, workshops with contractor leadership to
plan for requirements
7. Propose monthly cash flow requirements. secure funds. secure
payments received by contractor are spent only on the project
through using LC or escrow account.
Involvement
1. Delay Analysis: monitor monthly delays, define the causes,
work with contractor to resolve them.
2. Review/avoid sources of disruption, inefficient workflows,
stacking of trades, dilution of supervision…etc.
3. Define potential problem areas, their causes, externally and
internally
4. Subcontractors: Arrange to directly pay subcontractors shall
be considered
5. Monitor Revised Schedule and Revised Cash flow, discuss in
weekly meetings for correction, escalate to management
when needed.

38. QUESTIONS/COMMENTS?
(PLEASE USE MICROPHONE)
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