GAO Schedule Assessment Guide

GAO-16-89G December 2015 with Table of Contents on back. This schedule guide is a companion to the Cost Estimating and Assessment Guide (GAO-09-3SP). A cost estimate cannot be considered credible if it does not account for the cost effects of schedule slippage. An effective methodology for developing, managing, and evaluating capital program cost estimates includes the concept of scheduling the necessary work to a timeline, as discussed in the Cost Guide. Typically, schedule variances are followed by cost variances and management tends to respond to schedule delays by adding more resources or authorizing overtime. Therefore, a reliable schedule can contribute to an understanding of the cost impact if the program does not finish on time. Further, a schedule risk analysis allows for program management to account for the cost effects of schedule slippage when developing the life-cycle cost estimate. Having managed many construction projects over the years in the U. S., Europe and the Middle East, I can tell you that without a good (reasonable) schedule, a project cannot stay within budget. Budget is more important than schedule as far as I am concerned but without a well thought out schedule, the budget will be busted. Schedule slippage is bound to happen on any project due to unforeseen circumstances such as weather and politics, but I have a problem with circumstances that should have been foreseen. As a manager of project managers, I always took the approach that if something goes wrong, it is the Project Manager's fault. Many PMs working for me over the years felt this was unfair, but that's how it is. If there is a delay, the PM should have anticipated that and figured out a work-around. I don't give bonuses to projects that are behind schedule. I recommend you do the same. They will get over it. Why buy a book you can download for free? We print this book so you don't have to. First you gotta find a good clean (legible) copy and make sure it's the latest version (not always easy). Some documents found on the web are missing some pages or the image quality is so poor, they are difficult to read. We look over each document carefully and replace poor quality images by going back to the original source document. We proof each document to make sure it's all there - including all changes. If you find a good copy, you could print it using a network printer you share with 100 other people (typically its either out of paper or toner). If it's just a 10-page document, no problem, but if it's 250-pages, you will need to punch 3 holes in all those pages and put it in a 3-ring binder. Takes at least an hour. It's much more cost-effective to just order the latest version from Amazon.com This book includes original commentary which is copyright material. Note that government documents are in the public domain. We print these large documents as a service so you don't have to. The books are compact, tightly-bound, full-size (8 1/2 by 11 inches), with large text and glossy covers. 4th Watch Publishing Co. is a SDVOSB. usgovpub.com