1hr. 30min.
A4.KCI-5. Manage the duration
Once we have obtained the approval for the plans we have made, the real work begins, that is what we are going to deliver. A good schedule forms the basis for the day-to-day management. During the execution, we do everything possible to control the schedule, although that is not to say that something unexpected cannot happen. On the contrary, you have to prepare yourself for the reality turning out differently than your plan, which, incidentally, justifies your existence as a project or programme manager. Control means that you continuously bring the schedule and the budget into line with reality and report immediately to the project sponsor when the original basic premises become no longer valid.
A number of issues are important for controlling the schedule, and these are covered successively: The critical path.The actual situation.Uncertain paths and potential risks.Scope creep.“Monument building”.External dependencies.
THE CRITICAL PATH
This is the path in which every overrun of an activity on it, results in the whole project overrunning. This has a number of consequences in the way in which you manage these activities.
On a daily basis, you keep an eye on which activities on the critical path are soon to be completed, and which still have to be started. As each estimate contains a level of uncertainty, you have to ensure that the person delivering indicates this in time (especially when he is finishing earlier), so that the next person, who has to carry on the work, can take over immediately. Whatever time you can gain here is a bonus for future overruns.
THE ACTUAL SITUATION
During the planning, there are always more uncertainties than during the execution. You process all new information you receive into the schedule. If, for example, more or less experienced people are assigned to the project, then this has consequences. Experienced team members work faster and deliver better quality. You need to adjust your schedule with this new information. It can also be the case that you have overlooked certain dependencies. You process all of these facts in the network diagram, and in the resulting schedule. You then compare this with the original schedule and decide whether you have to make any adjustments.
UNCERTAIN PATHS AND POTENTIAL RISKS
As well as the critical path, you also have to monitor the non-critical paths that have an uncertain duration, because in the event of a significant time overrun (when they use up their slack), they may become critical. A part of the risk analysis should, therefore, also include an analysis of the different paths in the network diagram.
SCOPE CREEP
These are the many small changes which, unnoticed, can jeopardize the project. It is tempting to permit these types of changes, without sizing up the overall effects of them on the duration, money and/or quality. But remember, many small changes can add up to the equivalent of one large change.
“MONUMENT BUILDING”
This happens when you let professionals do their own thing; things are never good or elaborate enough. However, one of the principles of project based working is that you deliver what has been agreed in the scope; no more and no less.
EXTERNAL DEPENDENCIES
When you have to deal with external dependencies, which are outside your sphere of influence, then these are included in the schedule as assumptions or conditions, and you can include them in your schedule as milestones. Every assumption or condition is a risk that you have to monitor separately and provide with counter measures.
Application
You can convert the above into actions on the project/programme/portfolio for which you are currently responsible, by carrying out the following steps:
Set up a control system for the schedule.
Process actual events in this schedule.
Compare the actual progress with the baseline.
