Delay and Disruption - The Monitor Role of the Programme
© Daniel Atkinson 2001 22 November 2001
SUMMARY
There are
two main roles for programmes in the
management of projects, the Monitor Role and the Dynamic Role.
Five functions of programmes can be identified, three fulfilling the Monitor
Role and two the Dynamic Role. The role assigned by the contract
and the particular terms will define which of the five function
programmes is required.
The Monitor Role is described in this Article
together with the functions of the three programmes Milestone Programme, Progress Programme and Prediction Programme. The Monitor Role of the programme allows the extent of each party's compliance with their
time obligations to be assessed.
1. The Milestone Programme is the simplest programme and allows compliance with the
obligation to complete by specified dates to be ascertained at the specified time for
compliance by comparing
actual completion with the specified date. The most usual type of
programme is a simple schedule of dates.
2. The Progress Programme allows the parties' planned progress to
complete to be monitored. The programme also allows the obligation to
progress the work to be monitored. The most usual type of programme is
the Bar Chart.
3. The Prediction Programme allows the likelihood of complance
with the obligation to complete by a specified date to be predicted based on
a comparison of progress with the planned programme using logic links. The Linked Bar
Chart is the most usual type of programme.
A programme will allow the performance of time related obligations to be
monitored. The function of the programme will depend upon the terms of
the contract, although frequently the parties adopt a programme for
practical common sense reasons despite the absence of a contractual
requirement. The three functions of a programme used for monitoring
are given below:
- Monitor Role
- Milestone Programme
- Progress Programme
- Prediction Programme
The dynamic role of the programme is described in the Article Dynamic Role and includes an additional two functions as follows:
- Dynamic Role
- Management Programme
- Compensation Programme
The first function of the programme is to identify the dates when actions, information and other interfaces are required to be carried out. This may include supply of information by the Employer, the carrying out of work by the Employer or Statutory Authorities or Undertakers. The programme may also identify important milestones which are required to be achieved by the contractor to allow the Employer to carry out other parts of the project.
In order to be effective there must be contract mechanisms to revise the dates for specified risk
events. These are usually extension of time clauses. How the
compensation is determined using programmes, if this is necessary, is
examined in Function 5 - the Compensation
Programme.
If this first
function is the only function of the programme, then it can be fulfilled in many cases by
a simple schedule. It may be referred to as an Information Release Schedule or Interface Coordination
Schedule
and need only list the information or activity, the date for performance and the
responsibility for performance.
The second possible function of the programme is to allow both parties to monitor the
contractor's progress towards compliance with the obligation to complete the works by the specified date, or to
complete sections of the work by the specified dates. To be of any value the
progress must be monitored before completion occurs, which requires the
progress of each of the activities to be compared to a plan. That plan is
the programme of works. The actual progress of activities can be compared with the planned progress.
There are significant limits to this method of monitoring. Some activities may take longer than planned, others less. Some risk events predicted in the model represented by the
planned programme may not materialise or may not have the effect anticipated. The comparison of actual to planned progress
will be a reasonable indication of progress, but only if the construction logic of the programme is
actually adopted. Caution is required because a programme is only one model of how the work can be carried out. Actual progress may be different for a number of reasons, not least that risk events may or may not occur, performance may improve at a later stage
in the duration of an activity or the method of working may be changed requiring greater initial preparation followed by rapid progress.
 The Bar
Chart is the type of programme which allows this type of
monitoring. An example is shown to the left for the "Equipment Project".
The planned programme for each activity is shown as bars with estimated
durations and start and finish dates. If the actual progress is
plotted on the Bar Chart, then an indication of progress is shown. In
the example given the activity "Procure Supplier" is shown as
starting late, of taking the duration planned and finishing late. The
impact of a start later than planned on other activities cannot be
analysed since there are no logic links between activities. The effect
on completion also cannot be analysed logically and reliably.
Information not shown on the programme needs to be used.
It is usual when monitoring
progress by this method to do so against a "TimeLine". This
is shown in the example above for the "Date 2.5". This shows
that the activity "Install Piles" started on time, but a
prediction of completion based on the planned duration will be incorrect as
in this example piling progressed faster than planned. The
"TimeLine" method may not therefore provide accurate predictions
of future progress.
 One solution using the
Bar
Chart is to use a "Rate of Progress TimeLine". An
example is shown to the left for the "Equipment Project". In this type of monitoring the TimeLine is adjusted at each
activity on the planned programme to show the percentage
completion of each activity. The Line then shows whether or
not the activity is on time to the planned programme and the
approximate time remaining for each activity. The method has little analytical value for predictions of
completion but is useful for identifying trends in progress if a
series of TimeLines are compared. The method has little
analytical value if actual progress differs substantially from the
plan.
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The third
possible function of the programme is to provide a means of up-dating the prediction of future progress.
In order to fulfill this function the programme must model the time
characteristics of the project. Inevitably the programme must
model the inter-relationship of activities through Logic
Links.  The
Linked
Bar Chart is the type of programme that will fulfill this
role. An example is shown to the left for the "Equipment
Project" and is described in the article Linked
Bar Chart. If the linked programme is updated to include
the actual and predicted effect of events and changes in duration and
logic, then modern software will allow accurate predictions of
future progress. In practice in many situations and projects,
particularly repetitive trade subcontracts or in logically linear
works such as tunnels or roads, the logic may be simple and will not
require computer software except for presentation.
If actual progress differs from planned, then the planned programme loses its effectiveness as a means of predicting future progress. If
however the programme is revised to show actual progress of activities, revised to show changes in the construction logic and the incidence of actual events, then
the revised programme will provide a more accurate means of monitoring progress.
The management of information to provide accurate revisions to the
programme requires considerable effort. The information is
required on an interim basis during the execution of the activity.
The personnel managing day-to-day activities may not have an
overall view of the project and may not recognise or report changes
in the planned rate of progress or changes in the method of
working. A systematic approach to recording and reporting is
required which may involve some or all of the following:
Measurement of Work: - a comparison of actual to
estimated measure of work may provide an indication of the rate
of progress as well as identifying changes. This method of
monitoring is the minimum required to accurately record
progress. In some contracts the method of payment will
require an estimate of percentage completion of activities or
stages, or a measure of bill items. This information can
then usefully be used to measure progress. Valuation of Resource Cost: - a comparison of the
actual rate of expenditure of resource to the estimate may
indicate that a change to the planned programme is required; Productivity Measurement: - a comparison of actual
productivity to estimated will identify the validity or
otherwise of the assumptions made for the planned duration of
activities. This information is usually readily available
to those involved on a day by day basis, but very difficult to
analyse later due usually to lack of records. A systematic
approach to records such as labour allocation sheets and/or
on-going histrograms is needed. Work sampling may be sufficient in
many cases, particularly when warned by those involved on a
day-to-day basis. Management Briefings: - Regular team briefings in
which progress in terms of start and finish dates, durations,
productivities, method of working and inter-relationship of
activities is examined will allow a "project-wide"
view to be developed. This type of review brings together
the team knowledge of recent events, increases awareness and
increases the accuracy of reporting. It is vital that the
result of such analytical briefings are recorded and if
necessary incorporated in revised programmes.
The initial planned programme is only one model of the way in
which the works could proceed. It is important when recording
changes to recognise that the initial plan may be incorrect, either
under- or over-estimating productivity or durations or the effects
of risk events. Some changes to the planned progress are
therefore not the result of external factors but of the inaccuracies
inherent in the planned programme. Whenever one assumption in
the planned programme is shown to be inaccurate by actual events,
other similar assumptions may need to be revised.
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PRACTICE NOTE
A
distinction needs to be made between programmes required by the contract and
the related obligations, and programmes required to manage the project and
establish entitlement. Frequently the two types of programme required
are not the same. In order to identify the programme and information
necessary to satisfy both requirements the following steps should be taken
at the commencement of the project and periodically reviewed:
1. Examine all the terms of the contract to establish
whether a programme is required, the function of the programme and the type
of programme to fulfill the function.
2. Examine the extension of time clauses to establish how
compensation is to be assessed and the party responsible for providing
evidence and the party (or A/E) responsible for assessment. Identify
the type of programme and information required.
3. Choose and prepare/obtain the type of programme to fulfill
both functions.
4. Prepare pro-forma to keep records required,
identify likely key evidence and the management system to integrate the
evidence in progress reports.
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