Follow an area through the project
Choose one representative area and trace it from access release through construction, testing and handover. Check whether design and procurement information reach that area in time. This is a focused way to examine whether the schedule represents a delivery sequence rather than a collection of package dates. Repeat the review where an interface or construction method is materially different.
Ask why a relationship exists
A predecessor may represent a physical requirement, a chosen workface strategy or the movement of a shared crew. Those reasons are not interchangeable. Record the important distinctions in the planning basis. If the team later changes its crew strategy, it can revisit the relevant relationships without accidentally removing a physical prerequisite that still applies.
Test a change before trusting the result
Use a review copy to move a significant release or delivery. Inspect which downstream activities and milestones respond. If the result surprises the people delivering the work, examine calendars, constraints, relationships and missing interfaces. One test does not validate an entire programme, but it can identify the part of the model that needs a better explanation.
Bring it to the next conversation.
- Trace one area end to end.
- Explain the basis of critical handoffs.
- Challenge a dependency in a review copy.
Further reading: GAO Schedule Assessment Guide.
From the Hexifyer team. Examples are illustrative and do not identify client projects. Project requirements and professional responsibilities are agreed for each engagement.