Chapter I Construction Planning & Scheduling Student Ver

Construction Planning & Scheduling (CoTM4211) Lecture note
Construction Technology and Management Program

Module Name Construction Planning and Scheduling
Module Number -----
Rationale and Objective Project planning and scheduling are considered as key and challenging
of the Module tools in controlling and monitoring project performance. Execution of a
project, operated in resource-constrained built environment, requires the
management of scarce resources; manpower, materials, money, and
machines throughout the life of the project-from conception to completion.
Hence, construction planning and schedule has a crucial role to play in
delivering construction projects on time, to budget, and at the quality
required by the client. Thus this module will discuss about the theoretical
and practical aspects of the construction planning and scheduling aspects in
the construction industry. Furthermore, the module is designed to enable
students to be proactive in managing construction projects which is one
element of improving professionalism of the construction industry.
Total ECTS of the 6
module
Mode of Delivery Semester based
Courses of the Module
Course Number Course Name ECTS
CoTM4211 Construction Planning and Scheduling 6
Total 6
Chapter 01: Basics of construction planning & scheduling By Muluken Tsehayneh, EiABC
Construction Technology and Management Program

Course Number CoTM 4211
Course Title Construction Planning and Scheduling
Degree Program B.Sc. in Construction Technology & Management
Module (No. & Name)
Module Coordinator Chair of Construction Management
Course Status Core
Pre-requisites CoTM 2152 (Principles of Construction Management)
Semester 4th Year – 1st Semester
ECTS Credits 6
Cr. Hrs. 4
Contact Hours Lecture Tutorial & Lab. & Workshop Home Total Contact
(Per Week) Seminars Practice Study Hours
2 1 2 1 6
Course Objectives The general objective of this module is to equip students with the
necessary knowledge, skill and practices of project planning and
scheduling in practices of construction industry. Supported with a
planning software, it helps the students to acquire knowledge of the
fundamentals of project management in order to develop successful
project plans and schedules with the monitoring and controlling
techniques.
At the end of this module, students will
 know the significance of applications of project planning and
scheduling theory in practices of construction projects
 Understand fundamentals of project planning and management
 Understand project scheduling techniques and practices
 Identify the need of construction planning in construction projects
 Able to prepare, read and interpret construction activities
scheduling techniques and practices (PNA, CPM, BC and LOB)
 Measure and control performance against plan of construction
projects (in terms of time, quantity, resource and cash flow)
 Able to prepare work breakdown structures,
 Able to estimate activity durations
 Command suitable software for construction projects based on
their nature and complexity

 Able to prepare cash flow forecast, material, machinery and
manpower schedules.
 Generate resource requirement for activities at any given time
periods
Course Description This module discusses the underlying theories and practices of
construction planning and scheduling. On one hand basics of planning
aspects in construction time, resources and cash-flow will be discussed
and on the other hand, scheduling techniques will be covered in detail.
The module is organized to equip students not only on the underlying
principles of construction planning and scheduling but also using
specialized computer aided scheduling program, in a way that is
compatible with sound Project management practice to successfully and
efficiently plan and control their projects. At the end of the module it
would be expected that the students will acquire a sound knowledge and
skill in planning, programming and control using different scheduling
techniques.
Course Contents The content of the course has majorly two classifications
a) Underlying principles of planning and scheduling: Introduction to
construction planning and scheduling; Time planning and scheduling;
Resource levelling; progress tracking and controlling; Project Master
Plan; Scope and Work Breakdown Structure (WBS); Responsibility
Matrix; Creating the schedule; Network Scheduling & PDM (PNA),
PERT, CPM, and Scheduling with Resource Constraints.
b) Computer based construction planning and scheduling using
specialized computer aided scheduling program
Methods of Course Lectures, Seminar Assignment, Semester Project, Oral Presentation and
Delivery Poster/Visual Presentation
Assessment - Assignment 10%
- Tests 10%
- Quiz 15%
- Project 25%
- Final Exam 40%
Grading System According to the Addis Ababa University grading scale

Attendance Requirement Minimum of 90% during lectures
Reference
1. K.K Chitkara, Construction Project Management, Planning,
Scheduling and Control; Tata Mc Graw-Hill Publisher
2. PMBOK construction extension, 2016, and PMBOK, 2017
3. F. E. Gould, N. E. Joyce (2002) Construction Project Management
4. Andriw Baldwin, David Bordoli (2014) Handbook for Construction

Planning and Scheduling
5. Jonkpil Nam (2016), Construction Scheduling With Primavera P6
6. Prentice Hall (2009), Construction scheduling _ principles and

practices
7. Muluken Tsehayneh (2020), Lecture note on Computer Based

Construction Planning and Scheduling
Course Outline
Chapter I: Basics of construction project planning & scheduling
• Overview on project planning and scheduling

• The need of construction planning in construction projects
• Significance of applications of project planning and scheduling theory in
practices of construction projects
• Project scheduling techniques and practices
Chapter II: Developing project plans and schedules
• Construction activities scheduling techniques and practices (PNA, CPM, BC,

LOB Linear scheduling method)
• Construction time plan and schedule
• Work breakdown structures (WBS),
• Activity definition
• Activity durations
• Activity relationship
• Construction resource plan and schedule
• Resource breakdown structure (RBS)
• Estimate resource requirements
• Creating a resource schedule
• Resource levelling and smoothening to project schedules
Chapter III: Measuring & Controlling Project Performance
• Measure and control performance against plan of construction projects

• Schedule crushing vs fast-tracking
Chapter IV: Computer based planning & scheduling
• Command Primavera Project Planner for construction projects based on their

nature and complexity
Chapter 01
1. Basics of Construction Planning & Scheduling

1.1. The need for construction planning & scheduling
Project planning and scheduling are considered as key and challenging tools in
controlling and monitoring project performance. Execution of a project, operated in
resource-constrained built environment, requires the management of scarce resources;
manpower, materials, money, and machines throughout the life of the project-from
conception to completion. Hence, construction planning and schedule has a crucial role
to play in delivering construction projects on time, to budget, and at the quality
required by the client and other objectives of the project.
1.2. Planning as a management function
Project management entails applying knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques for
management activities as well as leadership activities. Management activities focus on
the means of meeting project objectives, such as having effective processes, planning,
coordinating, measuring, and monitoring work, among others.
1.3. The Planning performance domain
Planning organizes, elaborates, and coordinates project work throughout the project.
The Planning Performance Domain addresses activities and functions associated with
the initial, ongoing, and evolving organization and coordination necessary for
delivering project deliverables and outcomes.
- Estimating
- Scheduling
- Budgeting
1.3.1. Planning for project team composition and structure: Planning for project
team composition begins with identifying the skill sets required to
accomplish the project work. This entails evaluating not only the skills, but
also the level of proficiency and years of experience in similar projects
1.3.2. Planning for communication: Communication is the most important factor in
engaging with stakeholders effectively. Planning communication for the
project entails considering the following:
▶ Who needs information?
▶ What information does each stakeholder need?
▶ Why should information be shared with stakeholders?
▶ What is the best way to provide information?
▶ When and how often is information needed?
▶ Who has the information needed?
1.3.3. Planning for physical resources: Physical resources apply to any resource
that is not a person. It can include materials, equipment, software, testing
environments, licenses, and so forth. Planning for physical resources entails
estimating, as well as supply chain, logistics, and management.
 Projects with significant physical resources, such as engineering and
construction projects, will need to plan for procurement activities to
acquire the resources.
 Planning for physical resources includes taking into account lead time
for delivery, movement, storage, and disposition of materials, as well as
a means to track material inventory from arrival on site to delivery of
an integrated product. Planning begins with understanding the
business case, stakeholder requirements, and the project and product
scope. Product scope is the features and functions that characterize a
product, service, or result. Project scope is the work performed to
deliver a product, service, or result with the specified features and

functions.
1.3.4. Planning for Procurement: Procurements can happen at any time during a
project. However, up-front planning helps to set expectations that ensure the
procurement process is performed smoothly. Once the high level scope is
known, project teams conduct a make-or-buy analysis. This includes
identifying those deliverables and services that will be developed in-house,
and those that will be purchased from external sources. This information
impacts the project team and the schedule.
1.3.5. Planning for Changes: There will be changes throughout the project. Some
changes are a result of a risk event occurring or a project environment
change, some are based on developing a deeper understanding of
requirements, and others are due to customer requests or other reasons.
Therefore, project teams should prepare a process for adapting plans
throughout the project. Projects that have a contractual element may need to
follow a defined process for contract changes.
1.3.6. Planning for Performance Metrics: There is a natural linkage between
planning, delivering, and measuring work. That linkage is metrics.
Establishing metrics includes setting the thresholds that indicate whether
work performance is as expected, trending positively or negatively away
from expected performance, or unacceptable. Deciding what to measure and
how often is best informed by the phrase ―only measure what matters.‖
1.3.7. Interaction with other performance domain: Planning occurs throughout the
project and integrates with each performance domain. At the start of the
project, the expected outcomes are identified and high-level plans to achieve
them are developed. Depending on the selected development approach and
life cycle, intensive planning may be conducted up front, and then plans may
be adjusted to reflect the actual environment. Other life cycles encourage just
enough planning at various points throughout the project with the

expectation that plans will evolve.
1.3.8. Checking for results: The table below identifies the outcomes on the left and
ways of checking them on the right.
1.4. Planning in Predictive Environment
A predictive approach is useful when the project and product requirements can be
defined, collected, and analyzed at the start of the project. This may also be referred to
as a waterfall approach.
The scope, schedule, cost, resource needs, and risks can be well defined in the early
phases of the project life cycle, and they are relatively stable. This development
approach allows the project team to reduce the level of uncertainty early in the project
and do much of the planning up front.
Predictive approaches may use proof-of-concept developments to explore options, but

the majority of the project work follows the plans that were developed near the start of
the project. Many times, projects that use this approach have templates from previous,
similar projects.
Predictive planning approaches start with the high-level project deliverables up front
and decompose them into more detail. This approach can employ a scope statement
and/or a work breakdown structure (WBS) to decompose the scope into lower levels of
detail.
1.5. Planning in adaptive environment
Adaptive approaches are useful when requirements are subject to a high level of
uncertainty and volatility and are likely to change throughout the project. A clear vision
is established at the start of the project, and the initial known requirements are refined,
detailed, changed, or replaced in accordance with user feedback, the environment, or
unexpected events.
Adaptive approaches use iterative and incremental approaches. While agility is a wide
mindset that is broader than a development framework, agile approaches can be
considered adaptive. Some agile approaches entail iterations that are 1 to 2 weeks in
duration with a demonstration of the accomplishments at the end of each iteration. The
project team is very engaged with the planning for each iteration. The project team will
determine the scope they can achieve based on a prioritized backlog, estimate the work
involved, and work collaboratively throughout the iteration to develop the scope.
1.6. Planning in hybrid environment
A hybrid development approach is a combination of adaptive and predictive

approaches. This means that some elements from a predictive approach are used and
some from an adaptive approach are used
The life cycle selected impacts the way in which planning is undertaken. Predictive life
cycles undertake the bulk of the planning up front and then continue to replan by using
rolling wave planning and progressive elaboration. Plans are also updated as threats
and opportunities materialize.
Planning begins with understanding the business case, stakeholder requirements, and
the project and product scope. Product scope is the features and functions that
characterize a product, service, or result. Project scope is the work performed to deliver
a product, service, or result with the specified features and functions.
1.7. Benefits of planning
Effective execution of the planning performance domain results in the following desired
outcome:
 The project progresses in an organized, coordinated, and deliberate manner.

 There is a holistic approach to delivering the project outcomes.
 Evolving information is elaborated to produce the deliverables and outcomes for
which the project was undertaken.
 Planning information is sufficient to manage stakeholder expectations.
 There is a process for the adaptation of plans throughout the project based on
emerging and changing needs of conditions.
Other benefits
 Project plan clearly defines project scope of work. It breaks down project
objectives into clear, identifiable, quantifiable, attainable and verifiable goals
which are assigned to individuals and responsibility centers for accomplishment.
 Project plan aids the management in performing its functions efficiently and
effectively.
 Project plan forms the basis of a project operations and directions and shows
how the project is to be run. It also specifies the committed future course of
actions on the basis of current decision made with available knowledge of future.
 Project plan identifies critical activities, thus enabling the managing of project by
exception.
 Project plan provides the yard-stick for measuring progress and evaluating
resources performances
 project plan has build in flexibility in the form of floats, to navigate changes in
the planned path for meeting fast changing environment.
 Project plan creates healthy environment. It promotes unity of purpose among

functional diversities to make people time and cost conscious. It commits
individuals to asks and motivates them to achieve challenging targets.
1.8. Scheduling
A schedule is a model for executing the project’s activities, including durations,

dependencies, and other planning information. Schedule planning can use predictive or
adaptive approaches. Predictive approaches follow a stepwise process as follows:
▶ Step 1. Decompose the project scope into specific activities.
▶ Step 2. Sequence related activities.
▶ Step 3. Estimate the effort, duration, people, and physical resources required to
complete the activities.
▶ Step 4. Allocate people and resources to the activities based on availability.
▶ Step 5. Adjust the sequence, estimates, and resources until an agreed-upon

schedule is achieved
1.9. Scheduling benefits
 Schedule simplifying a project plan.
 Schedule validates time objective  work schedule shows the planned sequence
of activities, data-wise.
 Schedule aid in optimization of resource employed.
 Schedule enables forecasting of input resources and earned value to indicate the
pattern of requirement and the financial state of the project in terms of
investment, expenditure, output and income.
 Schedule brings out implication of time and resource constraints.
1.10. Why planning & scheduling becomes a challenging task in construction?
Project Schedule Management in construction involves complex challenges mainly due

to the magnitude of stakeholders involved such as the owner, prime contractor,
subcontractors, vendors, material suppliers, end users, regulatory agencies, etc. Some of
the factors that give rise to this complexity are:
1. The vast number of activities and their durations that need to be scheduled such
as procurement and installation of equipment and materials, contract submittals,
approvals, and performance inspections, procurement bidding process, and
contract execution;
2. Types of relationship between activities with leads and lags and complex
interrelationships between work sequences and material interfaces;
3. Integration of schedules from a multitude of stakeholders that are both directly

and indirectly involved in the construction performance;
4. Activity durations for periods of time for contingency due to potential lost time
as a result of inclement weather conditions and material installation restrictions;
5. Level of detail in different types of schedules such as master project schedule,
weekly contractor work activity schedules, two-week look-ahead schedules; and
6. Monitoring and controlling construction and administration activities for all of
the involved stakeholders
Scheduling in construction is a complicated and serious effort with a major contract

clause being ―time is of the essence.‖ Should the project fail to be completed within the
contract completion, consequential damages and project cost impacts may be incurred
by the stakeholders.
Reflective Exercise 01: Case study
Describe the lesson learned!
The budget for the new international arrivals facility being built at Seattle-Tacoma
International Airport in Seattle, Washington, USA was originally estimated at US$300
million in 2013. But as the project unfolded, the estimated budget needed to complete
the work swelled to US$608 million in 2015—and then to US$968 million by September
2018.
That final estimate came after port commissioners appointed an independent panel to
assess the project's progress and generate a final budget and schedule estimate. Scope
creep and construction costs contributed to the soaring project budget and schedule, the
panel found, but estimation errors were also to blame. The findings put the final budget
at more than three times the initial estimate and added three months to the project
schedule—one the panel dubbed ―achievable but aggressive.‖
Seattle is hardly the only recent high-profile estimation error. The budget for the
Mountain Valley Pipeline project spanning the U.S. states of West Virginia and Virginia
now is estimated at US$4.6 billion. This is nearly US$1 billion over the original estimate,
the joint venture of energy companies managing the project announced in September.
“There can be real business pressure on the project manager to make cheaper, faster estimates,”
says Alfred Chiu, project manager, S&B Engineers and Constructors, Houston, Texas, USA.
“And the power of positive thinking can sometimes have a very strong hold.”
—Alfred Chiu, S&B Engineers and Constructors, Houston, Texas, USA

But project managers must approach estimation with the full rigor and objectivity it
deserves. This means gathering and validating the required information, testing every
assumption and calculation, and fostering an environment in which honesty—not
optimism—is the ideal, Mr. Chiu says.
“An estimate built on garbage inputs will be garbage,” he says. “And you might not know that
until you're further into the project.”
Reflective exercise 02: Home Take Assignment (group)
One of the major concerns with construction managers is the total control that projects
seem to take over the manager’s life. It is not uncommon for project managers to find
themselves consumed by a project. Many work 60 to 80 hours per week, with 65 to 70
hours the standard. These long hours, in addition to the associated pressures of meeting
the project objectives, tend to take their toll on managers. This type of lifestyle, if it
continues over several years, threatens not only the personal health of the manager but
also the manager’s relationship with his or her family.
As a construction manager, what could you do to balance not only your construction
projects but also your personal life, outside of the job site?
Reflective exercise 03: (Home take assignment individual)
1. What is the primary purpose for a project plan?
2. When should a project plan be started?
3. What events should occur before a comprehensive project plan can be created?
4. What is the difference between a top-down plan and a bottom-up plan?
5. Who should approve the project plan?
6. When should a project plan be replanned?

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Construction Planning & Scheduling (CoTM4211) Lecture note

Construction Technology and Management Program

Construction Technology and Management Program

their nature and complexity

Grading System According to the Addis Ababa University grading scale

2. PMBOK construction extension, 2016, and PMBOK, 2017

3. F. E. Gould, N. E. Joyce (2002) Construction Project Management

4. Andriw Baldwin, David Bordoli (2014) Handbook for Construction

5. Jonkpil Nam (2016), Construction Scheduling With Primavera P6

6. Prentice Hall (2009), Construction scheduling _ principles and

7. Muluken Tsehayneh (2020), Lecture note on Computer Based

Chapter I: Basics of construction project planning & scheduling

• Overview on project planning and scheduling

Chapter II: Developing project plans and schedules

• Construction activities scheduling techniques and practices (PNA, CPM, BC,

Chapter III: Measuring & Controlling Project Performance

• Measure and control performance against plan of construction projects

Chapter IV: Computer based planning & scheduling

• Command Primavera Project Planner for construction projects based on their

1. Basics of Construction Planning & Scheduling

1.2. Planning as a management function

1.3. The Planning performance domain

deliver a product, service, or result with the specified features and

enough planning at various points throughout the project with the

1.4. Planning in Predictive Environment

Predictive approaches may use proof-of-concept developments to explore options, but

1.5. Planning in adaptive environment

1.6. Planning in hybrid environment

A hybrid development approach is a combination of adaptive and predictive

1.7. Benefits of planning

 The project progresses in an organized, coordinated, and deliberate manner.

 Project plan creates healthy environment. It promotes unity of purpose among

A schedule is a model for executing the project’s activities, including durations,

▶ Step 1. Decompose the project scope into specific activities.

▶ Step 2. Sequence related activities.

▶ Step 4. Allocate people and resources to the activities based on availability.

▶ Step 5. Adjust the sequence, estimates, and resources until an agreed-upon

1.9. Scheduling benefits

 Schedule simplifying a project plan.

 Schedule aid in optimization of resource employed.

 Schedule brings out implication of time and resource constraints.

1.10. Why planning & scheduling becomes a challenging task in construction?

Project Schedule Management in construction involves complex challenges mainly due

3. Integration of schedules from a multitude of stakeholders that are both directly

Scheduling in construction is a complicated and serious effort with a major contract

Reflective Exercise 01: Case study

Describe the lesson learned!

—Alfred Chiu, S&B Engineers and Constructors, Houston, Texas, USA

Reflective exercise 02: Home Take Assignment (group)

Reflective exercise 03: (Home take assignment individual)

1. What is the primary purpose for a project plan?

2. When should a project plan be started?

4. What is the difference between a top-down plan and a bottom-up plan?

5. Who should approve the project plan?

6. When should a project plan be replanned?

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Chapter I Construction Planning & Scheduling Student Ver

Chapter I Construction Planning & Scheduling Student Ver