Project Management & Scheduling Flashcards

Which scheduling technique is most appropriate during early project phases when full design details are not yet available but a milestone-level timeline is required?

Answer: Rolling wave planning with milestone schedule

Rolling wave planning allows early phases to be planned in detail while future phases are represented at a summary or milestone level, progressively elaborated as information becomes available.

A Schedule Variance (SV) of −$50,000 on a construction project means:

Answer: The project is $50,000 worth of work behind the planned schedule

Schedule Variance (SV = EV − PV) of −$50,000 means $50,000 less work has been earned than was planned, indicating schedule slippage measured in cost terms.

In project scheduling, the 'hammock activity' is best described as:

Answer: A summary activity that spans between two specific points in the schedule and derives its duration from those points

A hammock activity is a summary task whose duration is determined by the start of its first dependent activity and the finish of its last dependent activity.

When reviewing a contractor's schedule for a large construction project, an owner's estimator should verify that the schedule includes adequate time for which activity that is often underestimated?

Answer: Equipment delivery and owner-furnished material procurement lead times

Long-lead procurement for equipment and owner-furnished materials is frequently underestimated and can delay construction if not incorporated with accurate lead times in the schedule.

Which document formally authorizes the project and provides the project manager with authority to apply organizational resources to project activities?

Answer: Project Charter

The Project Charter formally authorizes the project's existence and grants the project manager the authority needed to commit resources to project work.

In a construction project estimate, 'schedule-related costs' such as general conditions and overhead are directly tied to project duration because:

Answer: They accrue on a time-based rate and increase proportionally as the project duration extends

General conditions costs (supervision, temporary facilities, site utilities) accrue daily and directly increase with project duration, making schedule compression a key cost reduction strategy.

A project team is developing a schedule for a design-build contract. Which scheduling approach best accommodates the overlapping of design and construction activities?

Answer: Phased fast-track scheduling with design packages released to construction as they are completed

Phased fast-tracking on design-build projects releases completed design packages to construction in sequence, allowing work to overlap and compress the overall delivery schedule.