Schedule Variance & Delay Analysis Flashcards

A project's actual progress curve falls below its planned S-curve. When analyzing this with EVM, which metric directly quantifies this gap in cost units?

Answer: Schedule Variance (SV)

Schedule Variance (SV = EV − PV) quantifies in cost units how much planned work has not yet been completed, representing the gap between the planned and actual S-curves.

Which of the following best describes the 'Window Analysis' method of delay analysis?

Answer: Dividing the project timeline into discrete periods and analyzing the critical path and delays within each window

Window Analysis segments the project into time windows and updates the schedule within each window, allowing cause-and-effect delay analysis across discrete periods.

A contractor claims 30 days of excusable delay due to unusually severe weather. The owner counters that the contractor had 45 days of available float at the time. What is the most defensible position?

Answer: The contractor may be entitled to a time extension only to the extent the delay exceeded available float

If float exceeds the delay duration, no time extension may be warranted; if the delay exceeded available float, a time extension for the excess days is generally appropriate.

For an Earned Schedule calculation, the Actual Time (AT) = 10 months and Earned Schedule (ES) = 8 months. What is the Schedule Variance in time (SVt)?

Answer: −2 months (behind schedule)

SVt = ES − AT = 8 − 10 = −2 months, meaning the project is 2 months behind where it should be at this point in time.

A project manager updates the schedule and discovers that fast-tracking two phases has introduced a new critical path. The original critical path now has 5 days of float. What should the PM do first?

Answer: Monitor the new critical path closely and manage risks on it

When fast-tracking creates a new critical path, the immediate priority is to actively monitor and manage risks on that new critical path to protect the finish date.

The 'But For' analysis in schedule delay disputes attempts to answer:

Answer: What would the schedule look like but for the alleged delay event?

The 'But For' analysis reconstructs what the schedule and completion date would have been had the alleged delaying event not occurred.

If an activity has Negative Float of −3 days, this means:

Answer: The activity must start 3 days earlier than its Early Start to meet the project deadline

Negative float indicates that the activity's current schedule violates a constraint or deadline by 3 days, requiring it to start earlier than calculated to stay on track.