Advanced Project Planning and Scheduling

This course covers the proven practices, processes and standards that make project planning and control more effective. These practices also help projects get a greater return on investment.

You'll learn how to apply integrated project planning and control practices to improve communication and efficiency.

The course also covers:

• what to consider when using project plans and schedules as communication tools

• how to include planning and scheduling requirements in contracts and procurement processes

• how to design planning and scheduling processes to help with lessons learned, assist with claims and reduce the risk of disputes.

During the course you'll look at future trends in project planning and scheduling and know how to prepare for these.

For a practical and hands-on learning experience, you'll use case studies and practical exercises from real engineering projects. You'll examine project planning and scheduling from both the owner and contractor points of view.

Planning and Scheduling Professional (PSP) Certification Preparation Course

This course gives you practical guidance on the knowledge and skills required to become a certified PSP with AACE International (the Association for the Advancement of Cost Engineering).

A PSP is a skilled planning and scheduling professional. They have advanced experience in project planning, as well as developing, monitoring, updating, forecasting and analysing integrated project schedules. Certification is a pathway to gaining Chartered status as a cost engineer.

Learning outcomes

• Improve your chances of delivering your project on time and on budget

• Improve your contracts to reduce the risk of unfair claims and disputes

• Satisfy your stakeholders' information and reporting needs

• Understand how to align your project schedule and project cost system and make them consistent

• Shape your career in project planning and scheduling

• Set a project baseline and manage change

• Set up contracts so that contractor and vendor performance is transparent

• Structure your schedule to use it as a communication tool for stakeholders

• Ensure quality for your and your contractors' schedules

• Prepare for certification as a Planning and Scheduling Professional

Is this course for you?

This course assumes you have some understanding of project management, planning and scheduling. It will prepare you to become a certified Planning and Scheduling Professional or to seek Chartered status as a cost engineer.

It's for engineers who would like to improve their knowledge of and skills in planning and scheduling. Roles include:

• project managers

• contract managers

• estimators

• planners

• schedulers

• cost engineers

• risk engineers

• project control professionals

• project accountants

• all engineers involved with project planning and control.

The course is also suitable for government professionals, owners, contractors and consultants.

Prerequisites

There are no prerequisites for this course. However, you should have some understanding of project management, planning and scheduling.

Topics we'll cover

Introduction to project planning and scheduling

• Defining planning and scheduling

• The benefits of planning and scheduling

• How planning and scheduling works

• Chartered Engineer competencies

• The future of planning and scheduling

Project planning processes

Initial stages

• Identifying stakeholders, their values and considerations

• Contract and reporting requirements

• Resource requirements and availability

Structuring a project

• Identifying project variables

• Defining the scope of work and project goals

• Analysing project risk

• Developing a project estimate, project plan and project phases

• Establishing work and organisation breakdown structures

• Establishing other data structures

• Defining sequencing and project phase relationships

Review and feedback

• Reviewing and getting feedback from stakeholders

• Updating and reporting

Other considerations

• Risk and contingency management

• Integration with contractors and vendors

• Baselining process

• Change management process

• Progress claims

• Other claims and disputes

Scheduling processes

Planning stages

• Schedule development and scope

• Breakdown structures

• Designing schedule levels

• Schedule specification

• Getting feedback from stakeholders

• Analysing the cost estimate model

Creating schedules

• Types of schedules and creating a schedule

• Understanding activities, durations, relationships, constraints and calendars

• Analysing the critical path and total float

• Cost and resource loading

• Applying milestones

• Schedule quality analysis and compliance review

• Schedule basis documentation

• Establishing a schedule baseline, and baseline schedule maintenance

Schedule management and review

• Tracking schedule progress

• Managing cost, resources, change and acceleration

• Schedule maintenance and feedback

• Variances, trends, analysis and forecasts

• Value engineering and constructability review

• Progress reports and reviews

• Contingency planning and recovery schedules

• Management summary schedules

Future trends

• How to prepare for future trends in project planning and scheduling