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Hi Muluken,

Thank you for this important topic. From your perspective and from AACE Recommended Practices,  What are the best ways to anticipate such Schedule Delays and being ready to any similar disputes?

Many thanks in advance.

Kind regards,

Hisham Osman

Interesting topic! I believe it's crucial to streamline communication through regular updates and thorough documentation. Implement a robust change management process, use real-time tools and Earned Value Management (EVM) to track progress, and foster a collaborative environment among stakeholders.

As Hisham mentioned, it will be good  to  understand and share AACE Recommended Practices around facilitate fair entitlements.

Thanks

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Cristina Luces
Senior Project Manager
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Hi Muluken,

Thanks for raising the discussion. My reply is based on AACE Recommended Practice "45R-08:Scheduling Claims Protection Methods", which I find a very useful resource and reference in the subject matter.  I also refer to Jim O'Brien and Fred Plotnick in the introduction of their 5th edition book CPM in Construction Management, where they state that "There are No Winners in delay". My viewpoint is that schedule delays are almost inevitable in every project; The key challenge is minimizing the impact of those delays and avoiding counter-productive claims between project parties. Below are the key aspects needed to help schedulers and project managers better understand the project delays and agree on an effective mitigation strategy for the best interest of the project's timeline.

• Read and fully understand the project contract and its provisions for the programme of works and Extension of Time
• The baseline schedule should define and set the time for the integration of different trades and disciplines and interface milestones between different parties.
• Schedule Management and Control procedures should be kept and maintained. Schedule updates and records should be accurate and reflective of the contemporaneous project's progress and the critical path of activities impacting the project's completion.
• Schedule Reviews: The baseline schedule and the monthly schedule updates should be reviewed, discussed, and agreed between parties. The baseline schedule and its updates then serve as the reference point for any delay and can be used effectively to allocate delay responsibilities.
• Schedule Change Management: Scope Changes, Variations, and Design changes should be regularly assessed for time impact and integrated into the project schedule through a controlled schedule change process that is defined and agreed between parties.
• As-built schedule: An as-built project schedule should be provided to validate project records and officialize the completion of important project milestones and, subsequently, its substantial completion.

The key aspects are well articulated Khaled. 

It must all start with a plan - without a master schedule using the common WBS for all of the project outputs (that any contract schedule feeds into) there's no way of measuring progress objectively, so delays are only seen in the rear-view mirror. 

When we have a comprehensive baseline schedule that is being proactively managed with tools like early warnings and managing schedule contingency effectively, we can plan our way out of or even around the issues. Cristina's point of communication is well made - when done well there is an underlying culture of co-operation and alignment of critical success factors. 

I'd also take a further step back and highlight the need for a set of integrated management plans to provide the why and how each of the controls are implemented - Change (Baseline), Budget & Cost, Schedule and Risk & Issues build the foundation for success - this provides that platform for communication in providing a common understanding.