PLANNING AND PROGRAMMING

Beyond the project concept is the plan.
The appropriate use of planning and programming techniques are
pre-requisites for meeting project
objectives.

Programs that have adequate allowance for potential delays provide the buffer to achieve contractual deadlines.

The Challenge

Completion by the planned target date can be threatened by a number of potential problems. Unless the project team has made some allowance for these problems in the baseline program and is vigilant in the monitoring of progress, irrecoverable delays can occur. Problems are often compounded when the project must be constructed within an operating environment.

Expertise

Planning and programming are core skills at Evans & Peck. We have assisted industry and government in the planning and programming of brown field and green field projects since the 1980s.

In particular, Evans & Peck has provided:

• high-level project planning and programming;
• detailed construction programming and resourcing;
• independent program reviews;
• monthly program reports;
• project forecast-to-complete assessments;
• program risk assessments;
• extension of time analyses;
• program analyses for the purpose of supporting and defending claims;
• expert programming reports in arbitration, mediation and court
  proceedings; and
• training in planning and programming.

We tailor our solutions to meet clients' specific needs.

The establishment of realistic baseline programs at project inception
allows the team to start on the right foot.

It is important that all key players have input into the development of the baseline program.

Our ability to produce effective and practical programs is supported by a large databank of planning information which includes design times, delivery lead times, construction methods, labour productivity
and resource levels.

Close monitoring against the baseline program will allow delays to be identified early so that remedial action can be taken.

Our monthly reporting approach provides:

• a status of key activities (both off-site and on-site);
• a list of activities that have slipped;
• analysis of the reasons for slippages and their effect;
• recommendations on ways in which the slippage can be recovered;
• listing of 'critical path' activities;
• trend graphs; and
• forecasts on likely completion dates.

Our people use a wide range of programming tools including Primavera, Suretrack, Microsoft Project, Pertmaster, Openplan and Fast Track. We utilise both Pertmaster and @Risk in the provision of
our program risk management services. In some cases (ie repetitive construction processes such as tunnelling and dam construction) we have used system dynamic software (such as iThink and AnyLogic) to predict likely construction durations.

These risk management tools are useful in complex situations where deterministic critical path method (CPM) may not provide a reliable estimate of the overall project duration. In such situations, it is useful to account explicitly for the effects of uncertainty so that overall project completion times can be expressed relative to their probability of achievement.

Experience

Evans & Peck provides planning and programming services on a wide range of projects including:

• major road infrastructure;
• rail projects;
• airport, master planning and upgrades;
• health and aged care facilities;
• defence projects;
• building and fit-out projects;
• education facilities; and
• mining projects.

Evans & Peck's extensive experience ensures that we provide realistic planning and programming services for our clients. This significantly increases the certainty of delivering project outcomes with respect to time.

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