1. PKB’s IMS “Cheat Sheet” for DoD Program Managers
EVM
IMP
The Culture
SRA and CRA
Risk/Opp Handling
Don’t Allow the IMS to be the “Rodney Dangerfield” of your software models! Help it become a useful, value-added dynamic model of your program lifecycle. Help it generate information that supports proactive leadership decisions!
HORSEPOWER
Cost
RAM
The Trade Space
“To-Do” List
PowerPoint
TEAM COORDINATION
The System
IRONSCHEDULER 3
Return of the PMO
PG13
The Scheduler
The Discriminators
The moment you put two schedules together (a.k.a. “integrate”) you have a SYSTEM. In a SYSTEM “little” things WILL have “big” effects. So:
What makes the difference in IMS’s? What really counts? See below:
Value Your Scheduler. If you don’t have one, GET ONE! If you are too busy, MAKE TIME for it! To be a great scheduler you gotta have:
Focus on practice and use before you talk tools.
Know what is feeding your IMS and adjust accordingly. Different schedulers, different skills, different horsepower.
As a minimum: The contractor IMS needs to reflect all the scope. Your Gov’t IMS needs to reflect all your decisions.
Pay attention to level of detail. Too much gets too cumbersome real fast.
Put your best scheduler in the “middle” and expand outwards from there.
Build it right. Best practices are well-known and readily available in print from GAO, NDIA and PMI.
THE IMS CAPTURES ALL SCOPE IN A WBS. What the work is and who is doing it. If you omit work, it will bite you
YOUR PROGRAM EXECUTES A SCHEDULE RISK ANALYSIS. An SRA pulls together the risk conversation with the time and event conversation. The simplest of SRAs are worth the effort.
YOUR INTEGRATED MASTER PLAN ANCHORS THE IMS. The IMP is all about what “done” looks like and is designed to support decisions. Build your schedule around it.
YOUR IMS IS ACTUALLY USED TO SUPPORT LEADERSHIP DECISION-MAKING. If the PM doesn’t use it, what good is it?
Attitude
Communication
Maturity
Team Building
Leadership
Program Knowledge
Program Mgt. Knowledge
Scheduling Art Mastery
Software Tool Skills
Find someone with some of these traits and help that person develop the rest! And move the scheduler’s desk next to the PM’s desk!
This is continually evolving. Got comments or suggestions? Contact me:

2. GAO’s 10 Best Practices for Scheduling and What They Mean for the PM
PKB’s IMS “Cheat Sheet” for DoD Program Managers
GAO’s 10 Best Practices for Scheduling and What They Mean for the PM
GAO Best Practice
Significance
Critical Enabler
Demand on Scheduler
1. Capturing All Activities
All required work must be reflected in the schedule. Every work requirement is traceable
The work breakdown structure (WBS) and Integrated Master Plan (IMP)
The scheduler must advocate for the WBS and IMP to be established before the schedule is developed
2. Sequencing All Activities
Activities need to be logically sequenced (clear predecessors and successors)
Integrated Master Plan (IMP) and active participation and contributions from technical team leads in order to verify logic.
The scheduler must advocate for the IMP to be developed and encourage IPT lead to review schedule activities in detail
3. Assigning Resources to Activities
Labor, materials and overhead must be aligned to the schedule
Organizational Breakdown Structure (OBS)
The schedule must “pull” resource information from IPT leads and other project elements
4. Establishing Duration of all Activities
Realism in durations are critical; ensure reasonable ability to measure progress
Active participation and contributions from technical team leads in order to verify logic.
The scheduler must encourage IPT leads to review the schedule activities in detail
5. Verification of Horizontal and Vertical Traceability
HORIZONTAL: linkage of products, outcomes (hand-offs); VERTICAL (traced to knowledge/decision points)
Integrated Master Plan (IMP) and inputs from technical leads
The scheduler must advocate for the WBS and IMP to be established before the schedule is developed. IPT leads must confirm “hand-offs” (givers and receivers) across the program
6. Confirming valid critical path
Path of longest duration that determines completion date
Best Practices #1, #2, #3, #4 and #5 above. Note that schedule software assumes infinite resources when calculating critical path.
The scheduler must lead by example to encourage discipline in best practices #1 through #5
7. Ensuring reasonable total float
The schedule should have available slack/margin to allow for adjustments and trade-offs
8. Conducting a schedule risk analysis (SRA)
Statistical analysis of schedule duration based on detailed risk assessment
Best practices #1 thru #7 above and Active participation and contributions from technical team leads in order clarify details of risks and opportunities
The scheduler must encourage IPT leads to review the schedule activities in detail. Also requires close communication with risk management function since SRA information will feed risk register and planning.
9. Updating using actual progress and logic
Periodic progress updates and adjustments to logic as conditions change
Active participation and contributions from technical team leads in order to verify status and completion forecast realism
The scheduler must create a clear and simple system for IPT leads to report progress in a clear and reasonable manner
10. Maintaining a Baseline Schedule
Enables continual awareness of original plan so deviations can be identified and resultant outcomes predicted
Clearly established processes and discipline in practice
The scheduler must lead by example to encourage discipline in best practices #1 through #9
This is continually evolving. Got comments or suggestions? Contact me: