MANAGING RISK OF DELAY – Recognition and Notice (Part 9)

This post is the ninth in a series of discussions regarding various aspects of time management as it relates to the risk of delay.  More specifically, we have titled the series MANAGING RISK OF DELAY, since we focus heavily on the managerial aspects of program / project management.  This post addresses planning for and implementing recognition and notice as a managerial tool.

The challenge associated with managing time is common to virtually all projects.  This challenge is true for most project management situations.  It is intensified in the case of larger and more complex projects as well as fast-track (an ambiguous term) and high technology (similarly, an ambiguous characterization) projects.

In order to professionally manage time (and, therefore, risk of delay) the manager must have a time baseline [typically a Critical Path Method schedule and a Performance Measurement Baseline – please see earlier posts on these topics] and a method to recognize variations from the baseline.

Further, the managerial team must have an effective process to provide timely and compliant notice of the variance to the time baseline. [Read more…]

TIME MANAGEMENT – Schedule Specification Implementation (Part 3)

This Subject Series addresses the sources and implementation of a contract schedule specification.  The Subject Series structure is and will be multiple parts and be a logical extension of the series titled MANAGING RISK OF DELAY.

The overview of this series is:

The balance of this post and subsequent ones in this series are/will be from the  paper.  In general, this informative work compares two approaches to schedule specification implementation.

This extract from the paper covers:

  • WHO OWNS THE FLOAT?
  • THE RIGHT TO FINISH EARLY
  • WARNING (understanding of value and commitment)
  • PRELIMINARY SCHEDULE SUBMITTAL [Read more…]

TIME MANAGEMENT – Schedule Specification Implementation (Part 2)

This Subject Series addresses the sources and implementation of a contract schedule specification.  The Subject Series structure will be multiple parts and be a logical extension of the series titled MANAGING RISK OF DELAY.

The overview of this series is:

The balance of this post and subsequent ones in this series are/will be from the paper.  In general, this informative work compares two approaches to schedule specification implementation.

INTRODUCTION

The past decade has witnessed an explosion in affordable microcomputer-based scheduling software, a greater appreciation of the importance of CPM schedul­ing techniques in controlling time and cost, and a broader understanding of how to use these techniques within the construction industry.  The past ten years have also seen an increase in CPM schedule related disputes ranging from entitlement to delay damages to termination for default for failing to perform according to the approved progress schedule.  There are almost as many different scheduling specifications as there are construc­tion contracts.  Yet, as just one example, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps ofEngineers), the largest constructor in the world and a pioneer in requiring the use of CPM scheduling techniques on their projects, has not significantly changed its scheduling specification in the last ten years.

The Corps of Engineers scheduling specification has served as a model for many scheduling specifications in both the public and private sectors.  Recently, Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) adopted a major revision to the Corps specification.  This paper examines some of the changes and the arguments that they’re designed to resolve.  [Snip]. [Read more…]

TIME MANAGEMENT – Schedule Specification Implementation (Part 1)

This Subject Series will address the sources and implementation of a contract schedule specification.  The Subject Series structure will be multiple parts and be a logical extension of the series titled MANAGING RISK OF DELAY.

The overview of this series is:

The challenge associated with managing time is common to virtually all projects.  This challenge is true for most project management situations.  It is intensified in the case of larger and more complex projects.  Examples include Lump Sum Turn Key (LSTK), Engineer Procure Construct (EPC), and other similarly executed projects.  In addition to the normal issues associated with bulk progress, actions or inactions by the owner [employer], notice requirements, owner-furnished (free issue) equipment and others can add considerable complexity to this challenge. [Read more…]

MANAGING RISK OF DELAY – Schedule Specification Sources and Implementation (Part 8)

This post is the eighth in a series of discussions regarding various aspects of time management as it relates to the risk of delay.  More specifically, we have titled the series MANAGING RISK OF DELAY, since we focus heavily on the managerial aspects of program / project management.  This post addresses implementing and using a schedule specification as a managerial tool.

The challenge associated with managing time is common to virtually all projects.  This challenge is true for most project management situations.  It is intensified in the case of larger and more complex projects.  Examples include Lump Sum Turn Key (LSTK), Engineer Procure Construct (EPC) and other similarly executed projects.  In addition to the normal issues associated with bulk progress, actions or inactions by the owner can add considerable complexity to this challenge.  Over the past seven years, M&M has program/project managed five projects exceeding $100 million (USD) in investment value (total installed cost).  Thus, practical/practioner experience is engendered in this discussion/post. [Read more…]

MANAGING RISK OF DELAY – Subject Series Summary

 

The Context and Challenge (Part 1)

This post addresses the general topic of time management and the relationship to managing the risk of delay.

Keith Pickavance is a prominent leader, speaker, expert and author in the construction industry.  His authoritative reference book, Delay and Disruption in Construction Contracts, is noted in our Resource Center.

Mr. Pickavance is President of CIOB.  Speaking in this capacity, he delivered an excellent talk entitled: ” Managing the risk of delayed completion in the 21st Century.

The link to this streaming video is http://www.multichanneltv.com/ciob/cio004/ and is excellent.  The discussion by Mr. Pickavance provides an excellent basis for development of this topic. [Read more…]

MANAGING RISK OF DELAY – Earned Value and Schedule Performance Indicators (Part 7)

This post is the seventh in a series of discussions regarding various aspects of time management as it relates to the risk of delay.  More specifically, we have titled the series MANAGING RISK OF DELAY [Subject Series], since we focus heavily on the managerial aspects of program / project management.  This post addresses some managerial tools relative to the integrated nature of time management using critical path and earned value management.

The challenge associated with managing all (critical and non-critical path) work is common to virtually all projects.  This challenge is true for most project management situations.  It is intensified in the case of larger and more complex projects.  Examples include Lump Sum Turn Key (LSTK), Engineer Procure Construct (EPC) and other similarly executed projects.  In addition to the normal issues associated with bulk progress, actions or inactions by the owner can add considerable complexity to this challenge.  Over the past seven years, M&M has program/project managed five projects exceeding $100 million (USD) in investment value (total installed cost).  Thus, practical/practioner experience is engendered in this discussion/post. [Read more…]

MANAGING RISK OF DELAY – Critical Path and Earned Value Management (Part 6)

This post is the sixth in a series of discussions regarding various aspects of time management as it relates to the risk of delay.  More specifically, we have titled the series MANAGING RISK OF DELAY, since we focus heavily on the managerial aspects of program / project management.  This post addresses some ideas regarding the integrated nature of time management using critical path and earned value management.

The challenge associated with managing all (critical and non-critical path) work is common to virtually all Lump Sum Turn Key (LSTK), Engineer Procure Construct (EPC) and other similarly executed projects.  In addition to the normal issues associated with bulk progress, actions or inactions by the owner can add considerable complexity to this challenge.  Over the past seven years, M&M has program/project managed five projects exceeding $100 million (USD) in investment value (total installed cost).  Thus, practical/practioner experience is engendered in this discussion/post. [Read more…]

PROGRESS REPORT – TAKING STOCK

This post is a progress or status report as McLaughlin and McLaughlin (M&M) assesses the status and progress of this Project Professionals blog.

Project Professionals commenced operations in late January 2011.  The initial posts were on January 24, 2011.  The blog and blogging were new to M&M and there was an expected learning curve.  The rate of learning was substantially improved by advice and assistance from several key advisors.  We wish to express our sincere thanks to all for the help.

The first full month of blogging was February 2011.  As April comes to a close, we find the visitor rate (sometimes referred to as the analytics) to be very encouraging.  The analytics for April reveal that visitors and page views have more than doubled since February.  Visits have come from over 40 countries.  As April draws to a close, we see the visitor activity continuing to increase. [Read more…]

Managing Risk Of Delay – Earned Value Management (Part 5)

This post is the fifth in a series of discussions regarding various aspects of time management.  More specifically, we have titled the series MANAGING RISK OF DELAY, since we focus heavily on the managerial aspects of program / project management.  This post addresses some ideas regarding preparation and maintenance of time management related to overall bulk progress.  Some might refer to this as Earned Value Management.

The challenge associated with managing all (critical and non-critical path) work is common to virtually all Lump Sum Turn Key (LSTK), Engineer Procure Construct (EPC) and other similarly executed projects.  In addition to the normal issues associated with bulk progress, actions or inactions by the owner can add considerable complexity to this challenge.  Owner/Employer delays can be masked among the myriad of activities that are the responsibility of other (than the Owner/Employer) stakeholders.  Even when detected or disclosed, these variances to plan are often dismissed as simply consuming available float.  Hence, the Owner/Employer (or other stakeholder) may rationalize these variations as having no impact.  Of course, the reality is that these sorts of departures may (or may not) add risk or disruption to the project execution.  Further, they may delay forecasted completion.  The managerial challenge becomes detection, assessment and quantification (should it be appropriate to compensate the contractor for the impacts). [Read more…]