Programming and Planning

Question 1

What is the Critical Path?

Answer 1

The longest route of linked activities within a programme.

Question 2

What is a programme?

Answer 2

A tool used to identify activities, their phasing and sequencing towards an end date.

Question 3

What can a programme be used for?

Answer 3

• Schedule of activities;
• Sequence of works;
• Key dates / milestones;
• Resource planner;
• Risk management aid;
• Cost management too
• Interdependencies

Question 4

What is critical path analysis?

Answer 4

Critical path analysis is a technique that defines the sequence of activities that determine the programme duration. In doing so it reveals the total float and free float.

Question 5

What is Float?

Answer 5

Float is the time that a task can be delayed without causing a delay to the subsequent tasks.

Question 6

Explain to me what a drop line is?

Answer 6

Jagged or straight line moment in time to track progress on the programme.

Question 7

Can you explain what acceleration is in a programme?

Answer 7

Bringing forward the completion date, encouraging an earlier completion, mechanisms under the contract to allow for acceleration can include out of hours works, additional labour, resequencing of works

Question 8

Who does float belong to in a programme?

Answer 8

• JCT – No one owns it, it is taken by the first party who uses it
• NEC – Terminal float is owned by the contractor
• Free float is owned by the project, the first party to it gets it.

Question 9

What should be considered when developing a programme?

Answer 9

• Determine project objectives
• Understand project constraints
• Identify tasks and estimate their durations
• Decide sequence of activities
• Identify and external constraints
• Identify resources required

Question 10

What is a Gantt Chart?

Answer 10

This is a type of bar chart adapted to illustrate a project schedule. It should show the dependencies within the flow chart and highlights the critical path of activities in the project.
Gantt charts have two main components:
A horizontal axis – it is constructed to represent the total amount of time span in a period. This line is broken into increments to depict days, weeks or months.
A vertical axis – this represents all the tasks related to the project. For example foundations, superstructure etc.

Question 11

What is float?

Answer 11

Float is the time that a task can be delayed without causing a delay to the subsequent tasks.

Question 12

How do you determine if there are delays?

Answer 12

• Review the programme – use droplines (both jagged and straight)
• Physically review the works on site
• Speaking to sub-contractors on site to gain a deeper understanding of progress
• Close communication with contractor / clerk of works
• Issuing early warning notices by the contractor
• Review s-curve of the cashflow
• Risk management – identifies areas which could delay the project

Question 13

Explain terminal float and who owns it?

Answer 13

Terminal float refers to a situation where a contractors planned date for completion is showing as earlier than the date to which they are obliged to deliver the works. Terminal float is specifically identified in the NEC (as opposed to other contract forms) as being “owned” by the Contractor.

Question 14

What is the programmes role under NEC?

Answer 14

The Accepted Programme is a key project management tool in the NEC form and is crucial for achieving the NEC’s objectives. Broadly, it has two roles:
To ensure that all parties know what they have to do, and when; and
To provide a tool to enable the prompt and (hopefully) prospective assessment of compensation events and, specifically, the extensions of time claimed pursuant to them.

Question 15

What is Time Risk Allowance?

Answer 15

TRA is a specific identified risk added into the programme. It needs to be identified and explained and can be shown as separate activities in the programme or integrated within the planned activity duration.

Question 16

What are the reasons for rejecting a contractors programme under NEC?

Answer 16

1. The Contractor’s plans are not practicable;
2. It does not show the information required by the Contract;
3. It does not represent the Contractor’s plans realistically; or
4. It does not comply with the Scope.

Question 17

What should be shown in the contractors programme updates?

Answer 17

Pursuant to clause 32.1, each revised programme must show:

• The actual progress it achieved on each operation and its effect upon the time of the remaining work;
• How the Contractor plans to deal with any delays to correct and notify Defects; and
• Any other changes which the Contractor proposes to make to the Accepted Programme.

Question 18

Total float

Answer 18

The time by which an activity can be delayed or prolonged without affecting the project completion date.

Question 19

Free float

Answer 19

The time by which an activity can be delayed or prolonged without affecting the timing of any of the succeeding activities.

Question 20

Who does float belong to in a programme?

Answer 20

Who does float belong to in a programme?
* JCT – No one owns it, it is taken by the first party who uses it
* NEC – Terminal float is owned by the contractor
* Free float is owned by the project, the first party to it gets it.

Question 21

Why would you allow for float in a programme?

Answer 21

It acts as a risk contingency for delay

Question 22

Explain concurrent delay?

Answer 22

Concurrent delay is when two independent tasks are delayed at the same time with the potential to impact the critical path.

Under the NEC contract you should assess the effects of the two events in the order they occur. However, if your programme is managed well, the chances of concurrent delay occurring is very slim as the delays have to occur at the same time.

Question 23

How would you go about putting together a programme?

Answer 23

In the first instance you consider things such as: project objectives, constraints, tasks and estimate their durations, sequencing of activities, resources required.
Once identified you establish your summaries, such as breaking the programme down into RIBA stages and or the methodology being followed for a RIBA stage and then input the tasks into a programming software and create your logic links.

Question 24

What is a work breakdown structure?

Answer 24

A deliverable-oriented hierarchical breakdown of the work to be executed by the project team to accomplish the project objectives and create the required deliverables. It organises and defines the total scope of the project. Each descending level represents an increasingly detailed definition of the project work. The WBS is decomposed into work packages.

Question 25

Can you list some programming software and their benefits to using them?

Answer 25

Microsoft project, Asta, Prima Vera 6
The software’s are all very similar, however MSP is very user friendly and in a format which is easily understood and user friendly, Prima Vera allows you to have an unlimited baseline.

Question 26

Can you list some activity relationships in a programme?

Answer 26

Finish to finish (FF),
Finish to start (FS),
Start to start (SS), and
Start to finish (SF).

The first part of these terms indicates the status the predecessor activity must obtain before the successor activity can have the status referred to in the second part. In a finish to start dependency, for instance, the predecessor must have finished for the successor to start.

Question 27

What is crashing in terms of a programme?

Answer 27

Also known as project time compression and crashing the project schedule—is a project management technique that involves adding more resources to accelerate the project timeline.

Question 28

Explain the difference between programming and planning?

Answer 28

Programming is the display on a programme of activities to be undertaken and when.

Planning is understanding how, when and what will be done. An analytical activity carried out to achieve objectives and then to examine courses of action that could be taken.

Question 29

How would you develop the tender programme?

Answer 29

• Consider client requirements and key dates
• Benchmark from similar projects and or experience
• Pressure test the market

Question 30

Straight dropline

Answer 30

Comparing how far the activities have moved against the original plan, known as the baseline
The straight-line method allows the project to make data-driven decisions to get back on track as it can determine how behind / ahead the project is.

can determine that the project is 3 weeks behind. Or, specifically, that the project is likely to finish 3 weeks late if the project runs without any further delays. You can see this by comparing how far the activities have moved against the original plan, known as the baseline

Question 31

Jagged drop line

Answer 31

shows if tasks are behind, on time or ahead of the baseline programme.

It is easy to see which activities are on programme or behind.

Doesn’t quantify the delay.

Does not forecast when future activities will start based on where the project is now.
It does not forecast when the project will finish.
Cannot determine the critical path, making prioritising difficult or impossible.

Question 32

23. What is Earned value management?

Answer 32

Earned value management is a project management technique for measuring project performance and progress. It has the ability to combine measurements of the project management triangle: scope, time, and costs.
earned value helps us manage a project by:
* providing data to enable objective measurement of project status;
* providing a basis for estimating final cost;
* predicting when the project will be complete;
* supporting the effective management of resources;
* providing a means of managing and controlling change.
Earned value provides information which enables effective decision making by knowing:
* what has been achieved of the plan;
* what it has cost to achieve the planned work;
* if the work achieved is costing more or less than was planned;
* if the project is ahead of or behind the planned schedule.

Question 33

25. Programme lead & lag

Answer 33

Lead - successor activity is started before the predecessor activity has finished.
Lag – To schedule a delayed start on a logic link successor activity

Question 34

Explain how you would establish the critical path on a programme?

Answer 34

I would identify the tasks and durations, inputting them into a programming software most likely MSP and link the activities successors and predecessors. Through linking the tasks, float and the critical path will be identified and highlighted in a different colour on the Gant chart provided by the programming software.

Question 35

Describe how you established a list of activities on a project programme on one of your projects?

Answer 35

On the Wellington project I identified tasks through benchmarking against similar projects on the commission, as well as harnessing my knowledge from previous projects of the tasks required for the delivery of the certain RIBA stages, as well as my own knowledge of client specific task’s and durations, for example governance procedures. Finally if further input is required I would utilise my colleague’s knowledge.

Question 36

If an activity is delayed, but not on the critical path would this impact the completion date?

Answer 36

No the item would have a level of free float to use before becoming a critical path item, at which point it would delay the completion date.

Question 37

If an activity is delayed, but if delayed doesn’t impact the end date of the programme what type of float would this be?

Answer 37

Free float.