Having spent many years working for main contractors, both as a Project Planner and a Project Manager, I have seen first-hand how messy and expensive a project can get if the programme does not do what it needs to do. Add to this the experience I have since gained from working as both a Delay Analyst and a Programme Advisor for Diales, I can probably say that I have seen the full scale of programme challenges and failures on some very complex projects, both within the UK and overseas.
Author: Adam Pinney, Senior Consultant, Bristol, UK
As much as I enjoy picking the brains of the project team and searching through the copious records on projects that have gone wrong, I can confidently say that clients would much rather I have a low level of input at the outset of a project, than a high level of input when a project is later in formal dispute.
The baseline programme is a fundamental tool in the management and the delivery of a project. Often, contracting organisations will have an experienced planner put this together, who will gather input from the delivery team as well as using their own experiences and expertise. However, in practice, how thoroughly is this programme ever validated and stress-tested?
Does the programme adequately comply with the requirements of the contract? Does it allow for risk at all stages? Does it include all elements of the work scope? Does the programme contain adequate activity durations? Is it practical, realistic, and agreed by the delivery team, and does it take into account the conditions of the site and its surroundings, and the expectations of the client?
If the programme is lacking in any one of these things, it creates an unnecessary risk to the timely delivery of the project to budget.
It also places unnecessary pressure on the delivery team to re-sequence / re-programme the works to try and mitigate or rectify any deficiencies. Unsurprisingly, baseline programmes are sometimes flawed, resulting in inadequate programmes being adopted by delivery teams. I have encountered many projects where key elements of scope have been missed, often resulting in the planned sequence being incorrect and the forecast completion dates being unachievable.
In one such project, the contractor had failed to include the screeding of the floor plates, resulting in a significant delay to the follow-on trades. Furthermore, I have encountered many baseline programmes that have failed to include any relevant external interfaces (i.e., access dates, statutory provisions, approval periods), as usually set out in the contract documents, causing significant delay to the works and an unachievable completion date.
I have spent a lot of time in recent years working with contractors and key subcontractors when they are putting baseline programmes together. Together we stress-test the programme for the specific project using industry guidance as a starting point. This can take as little as a couple of hours but typically provides a strong grounding for the future planning of the project.
It may seem like a small task, but the benefits to a contractor of engaging an experienced third party to review or assist with the preparation of a baseline programme can be:
- Getting to a validated programme for issue to an employer, which is robust and can be used for project monitoring purposes;
- Confirmation that it complies with the contract and is more likely to be accepted by an employer and/or its representatives;
- Comfort that the programme sets out a practical working sequence taking all known circumstances into account, creating a sensible critical path that allows for effective use of resources;
- A route map for the project team through the project, highlighting the risks and where efforts should be concentrated at specific times; and
- A guide to where mitigation of delays can be implemented should that be required.
In addition to these benefits, the contractor has had the benefit of an experienced delay analyst involved with the project at the outset, albeit for a short time. Should the worst-case scenario then play out, and unforeseen delays happen, the analyst can provide support to the project team quickly and efficiently without the learning curve that comes with being instructed to assist on a project that is unfamiliar.
In my experience, in most cases, spending a few hours with a contractor at the outset of a project to assist with the preparation of a baseline programme can help avoid significant issues with the programme subsequently. This can save the contractor costs and save the project team from the inconvenience of having me sat with them for long periods of time asking difficult questions.
This article was originally written for issue 28 of the Diales Digest. You can view the publication here: www.diales.com/diales-digest-issue-28
To discuss any of the points raised in this article, or to enquire about our planning services, please email: adam.pinney@diales.com