BSBPMG410

Apply project time

management techniques
Learner Guide
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Table of Contents

Unit of Competency...............................................................................................................................3
Application..........................................................................................................................................3
Performance Criteria...........................................................................................................................4
Foundation Skills.................................................................................................................................5
Assessment Requirements..................................................................................................................6
1. Assist in developing project schedule................................................................................................7
1.1 – Contribute to developing work breakdown structure with sufficient detail to enable effective
planning and control...............................................................................................................................8
What is a work breakdown structure?................................................................................................8
Developing a WBS...............................................................................................................................8
Activity 1A.........................................................................................................................................10
1.2 – Contribute to estimating duration and effort, sequence and dependencies of tasks to achieve
project deliverables...............................................................................................................................11
What are project deliverables?.........................................................................................................11
Estimating the duration and effort of your project...........................................................................11
Sequence and dependencies of tasks...............................................................................................13
What is a Gantt chart?......................................................................................................................14
Activity 1B.........................................................................................................................................15
1.3 – Assist in using project scheduling tools and techniques to identify schedule impact on project
time management, resource requirements, costs and risks.................................................................16
What is a project schedule?..............................................................................................................16
Project scheduling tools and techniques...........................................................................................17
Activity 1C.........................................................................................................................................19
1.4 – Contribute to achieving an agreed schedule baseline and communicating the schedule to
stakeholders..........................................................................................................................................20
What is a schedule baseline?............................................................................................................20
Communication plans.......................................................................................................................20
Activity 1D.........................................................................................................................................22
2. Maintain project schedule...............................................................................................................23
2.1 – Use techniques to measure, record and report progress of activities in relation to agreed
schedule................................................................................................................................................24
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Measuring, recording and reporting progress of activities...............................................................24

Activity 2A.........................................................................................................................................26
2.2 – Record baseline variance between actual and planned progress.................................................27
Recording baseline variance..............................................................................................................27
Variance table...................................................................................................................................27
Activity 2B.........................................................................................................................................28
2.3 – Contribute to forecasting impact of change on the schedule and analysing options...................29
Change control system......................................................................................................................29
Forecasting the impact of change.....................................................................................................29
Analysing your options......................................................................................................................30
Activity 2C.........................................................................................................................................31
2.4 - Update task status and agreed changes to maintain currency and accuracy of schedule............32
What is task status?..........................................................................................................................32
Creating task status...........................................................................................................................33
Updating task status..........................................................................................................................33
Activity 2D.........................................................................................................................................34
3. Participate in assessing time-management outcomes......................................................................35
3.1 – Assist in review of project performance to determine effectiveness of time management.........36
The effectiveness of time management............................................................................................36
Reviewing project performance........................................................................................................36
Activity 3A.........................................................................................................................................38
3.2 – Document scheduling and time-management issues and responses to assist in project
evaluation.............................................................................................................................................39
Scheduling issues..............................................................................................................................39
Time management issues..................................................................................................................41
Activity 3B.........................................................................................................................................42
Summative Assessments.......................................................................................................................43
References............................................................................................................................................44
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Unit of Competency
Application

This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to assist with project scheduling activities, apply
and monitor the agreed project schedule, and evaluate the effectiveness of time management for the
project.

It applies to individuals who are project practitioners working in a project support role.

No licensing, legislative, regulatory or certification requirements apply to this unit at the time of
publication.

Unit Mapping Information

BSBPMG410A Apply project time-management techniques – Equivalent unit

Unit Sector

Management and Leadership – Project Management

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Performance Criteria
Element Performance Criteria
Elements describe the Performance criteria describe the performance needed to
essential outcomes. demonstrate achievement of the element.

1. Assist in developing 1.1 Contribute to developing work breakdown structure with

project schedule sufficient detail to enable effective planning and control
1.2 Contribute to estimating duration and effort, sequence and
dependencies of tasks to achieve project deliverables
1.3 Assist in using project scheduling tools and techniques to
identify schedule impact on project time management,
resource requirements, costs and risks
1.4 Contribute to achieving an agreed schedule baseline and
communicating the schedule to stakeholders

2. Maintain project 2.1 Use techniques to measure, record and report progress of
schedule activities in relation to agreed schedule
2.2 Record baseline variance between actual and planned
progress
2.3 Contribute to forecasting impact of change on the schedule
and analysing options
2.4 Update task status and agreed changes to maintain currency
and accuracy of schedule

3. Participate in 3.1 Assist in review of project performance to determine

assessing time effectiveness of time management
management 3.2 Document scheduling and time-management issues and
outcomes responses to assist in project evaluation
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Foundation Skills
This section describes language, literacy, numeracy and employment skills incorporated in the
performance criteria that are required for competent performance.

Reading

 Interprets project documentation to determine scheduling requirements and review

performance.

Writing

 Documents project activities using structure, layout, vocabulary, and conventions appropriate
to context.

Oral communication

 Interacts effectively in verbal exchanges, using clear language and appropriate features to
convey information

 Uses active listening and questioning to elicit and assess relevant information.

Numeracy

 Selects and applies a range of mathematical strategies to determine resources and measure
work output against a predetermined timeline.

Interact with others

 Selects and uses appropriate conventions and protocols when communicating with internal and
external stakeholders in a range of work contexts.

Get the work done

 Plans and implements tasks required to monitor implementation of plans

 Reviews and reflects on outcomes to identify whether objectives were met

 Uses digital tools to enter, analyse and present data and information.
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Assessment Requirements

Performance Evidence

Evidence of the ability to:

 Create a project schedule showing tasks, deliverable milestones, sequence, dependencies and
time estimates

 Apply time-management techniques in a project

 Use tools and techniques to maintain, monitor and update a project schedule.

Note: If a specific volume or frequency is not stated, then evidence must be provided at least once.

Knowledge Evidence

To complete the unit requirements safely and effectively, the individual must:

 Explain implications of time management for project resources, costs and risks

 Describe methods for estimating task duration and resource requirements

 Identify tools and techniques for managing project time and their particular applications

 Explain techniques used to measure, record and report progress of activities.

Assessment Conditions

Assessment must be conducted in a safe environment where evidence gathered demonstrates

consistent performance of typical activities experienced in the management and leadership – project
management field of work and include access to:

 Workplace documentation relevant to project management

 Planning tools

 Case studies and, where possible, real situations.

Assessors must satisfy NVR/AQTF assessor requirements.

Links

Companion Volume implementation guides are found in VETNet -

https://vetnet.education.gov.au/Pages/TrainingDocs.aspx?q=11ef6853-ceed-4ba7-9d87-4da407e23c10
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1. Assist in developing project schedule

1.1. Contribute to developing work breakdown structure with sufficient detail to enable effective
planning and control

1.2. Contribute to estimating duration and effort, sequence and dependencies of tasks to achieve
project deliverables

1.3. Assist in using project scheduling tools and techniques to identify schedule impact on project
time management, resource requirements, costs and risks

1.4. Contribute to achieving an agreed schedule baseline and communicating the schedule to
stakeholders
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1.1 – Contribute to developing work breakdown structure with sufficient detail

to enable effective planning and control
By the end of this chapter, the learner should be able to:
 Develop a work breakdown structure which will enable effective planning and control
of a project.

What is a work breakdown structure?

A Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) is a tool used within project management that aims to capture the
project tasks in a visual, organised manner. It is a decomposition of your project into smaller
components, and it organises your project into smaller, more manageable sections. It provides the
project manager with an opportunity to predict outcomes based on a particular scenario. This ensures
that the decision-making process is effective. A WBS can also be used to help identify potential risks
within your project. The development of the WBS normally occurs at the start of a project, and a
completed WBS will resemble a flowchart. If a project ever falls behind, the WBS is usually referred to as
it thought of as the map of the whole project. After your project is completed, your WBS can provide
you with data for performance measurement.

Work breakdown structure may

include:
 Activity and task descriptors

 High-level deliverables framework

 Multi-level task granulation

 Work breakdown task dictionary.

Developing a WBS
Before you start developing your WBS, ask yourself:
 How will you use it later on in your project?

 Does your WBS need to be process or product orientated?

 What are the goals and objectives of your project?

The most basic level of your WBS will be the decomposition of your project scope. The scope of your
project should be defined into chunks that the project team can understand and each level of the WBS
should provide further definition and detail. By doing this, you can ensure that things outside of your
project scope are not added.

Every element within the WBS should be logically connected to the other elements. The elements
within the WBS are the tasks related to a project and may be a service, product, data or a combination
of these.
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To develop a WBS, the project manager needs to define the key objectives, followed by the tasks that
are required in order to meet these objectives. Think of your WBS as a tree; it has a trunk and branches.
The objectives form the basis of your WBS.

These are then divided into deliverables, followed by sub-deliverables. You should keep subdividing
until the components are detailed enough for the planning and management processes; these are
usually the work packages.

The development of a WBS should be a team effort and be a culmination of multiple inputs and
perspectives for your project. Brainstorming sessions are helpful to develop a WBS as they get everyone
involved and do not rely on technology. Although it is easy to do using note cards, sticky notes or a
whiteboard, it is not translated into an electronic format very easily. There is mind-mapping software
available to assist with the development of a WBS. By using this method, a project manager can assign
budget and duration estimates easily.

The software that is available includes:

 MindView

 WBS Schedule Pro

 XMind

 FreeMind

 MindMeister.

There is no one way to create a WBS; you should do what is right for your own project.

You can use:

 Lines to connect the elements and show interactions

 Arrowheads to indicate time progression

 A colour code to represent the status of each element.

A detailed, well-organised WBS can help with

effective:
 Budgeting

 Scheduling

 Quality assurance

 Allocation of resources

 Quality control

 Product delivery

 Risk management.
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You should ensure that your WBS is developed with sufficient detail to enable effective planning and
control.
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Activity 1A
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1.2 – Contribute to estimating duration and effort, sequence and dependencies

of tasks to achieve project deliverables
By the end of this chapter, the learner should be able to:
 Estimate the duration and effort, sequence and dependencies of a project.

What are project deliverables?

Project deliverables are the building blocks of your overall project and are the tangible, measurable and
specific results of the process of your project. Deliverables are the reason projects are created, and they
may contain a number of smaller deliverables. They are the products and/or services you give to
customers, clients and employees and they normally have a date for when they are due. A project
deliverable can be either an outcome that is to be achieved or an outcome that is to be provided.
Although they are closely related to objectives, deliverables and objectives are not the same thing. In
order to achieve your project objectives, you will need to identify your project deliverables in order to
help you.

Examples of project deliverables:

 Reports

 Documents

 Server upgrade

 Consumer goods

 Hardware

 Software

 Design documents

 User manuals

 Training program

 Systems

 Milestones.

In order to achieve these project deliverables, you should estimate the duration and effort, sequence
and dependencies of the project tasks.

Estimating the duration and effort of your project

You should estimate the duration and effort of your project in order to assign resources, determine how
long your project will take and estimate costs.
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Effort is concerned with the work that needs to be done within the project. Duration is how long the
project is estimated to take. You can work out the duration estimate by taking the estimated effort and
dividing this by the estimated resources.

For example:
 If you had to produce a 300-page report and you know you can roughly write around
10 pages a day, you can estimate that the duration of your project will be 30 days
 300 ÷ 10 = 30.
Estimating the duration and effort may include:
 Allowance for contingency and risk

 Availability of resources and supplies

 Degree of variation

 Expert opinion

 Level of accuracy

 Prior project history

 Regulations and standards governing resource

performance

 Top-down or bottom-up estimating.

To be good at estimating your project effort and duration, consider:

 How accurate your estimates should be

 Making sure the whole team are in agreement about what needs to be
estimated and delivered

 Spending time analysing and understanding the requirements of the project

 Involving experienced people in your estimation process

 Having different groups estimating the same thing and comparing the outcomes

 Experimenting with different estimation tools and techniques

 Recording your estimates and how you arrived at them.

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Remember:
 Estimation is an ongoing activity

 Estimation should take place regularly throughout the project

 After analysing the key requirements, break the effort into manageable pieces

 All estimations carry a degree of uncertainty

 Be realistic

 To factor in all phases of your project

 The estimation tools will help you to consider all different aspects of your
project

 Estimate effort in labour hours (not calendar time)

 To account for unexpected problems.

Sequence and dependencies of tasks

Sequence is concerned with the order of the tasks and activities within your project. Dependencies are
the relationships among the tasks within your project which determine the order in which the activities
need to be performed. They are the relationships of preceding tasks to succeeding tasks. Once the tasks
are created within your project, they need to be linked to show the relationships between them. Linking
your tasks will create the task dependencies. The relationships between the project tasks drive the
schedule for the project.

Sequence and dependencies may include:

 Deliverable milestones

 Preferred, logical or required order of task completion

 Relationship between tasks impacting on start and finish times and dates.

There are four types of dependency relationships:

 Finish to start (most common relationship)

 Start to start

 Finish to finish

 Start to finish (least common relationship).

You can link tasks within the same project by using a

range of software, including:
 Network Diagram view

 Calendar view
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 Gantt chart view.

What is a Gantt chart?

A Gantt chart is a visual representation of a project schedule that shows you what has to be done within
your project and when it needs to be done by. By laying out the project tasks and events in the order
they should be completed in, the Gantt chart helps to sequence those events and tasks. It will show the
project activities displayed against time and the time is broken down into increments; days, weeks or
months. To the left of the chart is the list of activities and along the top, there is a suitable time scale.
The activities are represented by bars, and the position and length of that bar reflects the start date,
duration and end date of each activity. This chart uses the horizontal lines to show the amount of work
that is done in certain periods of time in relation to the amount of time that was originally planned for
those periods.

  W/C 1st W/C 8th W/C 15th W/C 22nd W/C 29th W/C 6th

Briefing            

Research            

Writing            

Editing            

Distribution            

This example shows the different stages of a writing and publication process. It shows when each step
should occur and how long it should take. This allows you to manage your time and to know when to
expect different stages of the process to be complete.

A Gantt chart allows you to easily see:

 The start and end date of the whole project

 What the various activities are

 When each activity begins and ends

 How long each activity is scheduled to last

 Where activities overlap with other activities, and by how much.

The Gantt chart is the most common and easiest way to create dependencies and to show predecessor
and successor relationships.
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Activity 1B
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1.3 – Assist in using project scheduling tools and techniques to identify schedule
impact on project time management, resource requirements, costs and risks
By the end of this chapter, the learner should be able to:
 Schedule an aspect of a project using one scheduling tool.

What is a project schedule?

Regardless of the size of your project, a project schedule is a key part of project management. It is used
in the planning stage of your project and uses estimation, educated guessing, and prediction to reflect
all the work that is associated with delivering your project on time. Due to this uncertainty, your project
schedule should be updated constantly. Your project schedule is a tool that can be used to
communicate what work needs to be done within your project, which resources the work requires and
the time frames in which it needs to be performed. It will also show you the sequence in which the
project work should be done as well as the work has already been done. The elements that you include
within your project schedule may be closely related to your WBS (discussed in Chapter 1.1).

Your project schedule can help you to:

 Track the progress of your project

 Assess how time delays will impact your project

 Determine the best way to allocate your resources

 Figure out where excess resources are available

 Monitor and control your project activities.

In order to create your project schedule, you will need:

 A description of the project scope

 Your WBS

 List of activities

 An effort estimate for each activity

 List of resource requirements and

availability

 Project risks

 Personal and project calendars.

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Project scheduling tools and techniques

In order to identify schedule impact on project time management, resource requirements, costs and
risks, you may need to assist in using project scheduling tools and techniques. You should use these
tools and techniques to fragment your project work into smaller tasks.

Project scheduling tools and techniques may include:

 Bar charts

 Critical chain management

 Critical path diagrams

 Gantt charts

 Project schedule network diagrams

 Standalone, organisation-integrated or cloud-based software tools.

Bar charts
Within project scheduling, a bar chart can be used to
manage the dates of the individual processes within your
project. Each individual process of your project will be
represented by a single bar; processes that have agreed
dates are represented by dark, bold bars, and the processes
with dates that have not been agreed are represented by a
thin, lightly coloured bar. Gantt Charts (see Chapter 1.2) are
a type of bar chart that are commonly used within project
scheduling.

Critical chain management

This method builds on the analysis that is done using critical path and resource levelling techniques, and
it is used when these levelling techniques have delayed the end date of your project. Chain
management reprioritises the project work and provides simple tracking principles that can accelerate
your project. Within this method, the tracking approach is shifted to concentrate on the critical
resource.

Critical path diagrams

Critical path diagrams are a method that is used to determine what the shortest time to complete
project phases or the whole project is. This method analyses every possible sequence of tasks based
upon the network diagram to determine which sequence is the longest. Using the relationships and
durations from your network diagram, you will need to calculate the earliest possible start date and
finish date for each task. Determine the latest possible start and finish date for each task. The sequence
of tasks with identical date for earliest and latest start is the critical path. Remember; this method
assumes that you have all the resources exactly when you need them.
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Gantt charts
A Gantt chart is a visual representation of a project schedule that shows you what has to be done within
your project and when it needs to be done by. By laying out the project tasks and events in the order
they should be completed in, the Gantt chart helps to sequence those events and tasks. This method is
easy to use and maintain. Refer to Chapter 1.2 for more information.

Project schedule network diagrams

A network diagram is basically a flowchart of all the project tasks, and as we can see above, most
advanced analytical scheduling tools start with this. It is thought of as a better technique to use when
the task durations are uncertain, and it can provide guidance as to who the internal customer is for each
task. A network diagram is created by determining the predecessor and successor relationships and
then connecting the tasks based upon those relationships.

Standalone, organisation-integrated or cloud-based software tools

There are many software tools available to assist you with your project schedule. You should make sure
that you choose software that is within your budget and can be used easily.

These may include:

 Microsoft Project

 ZOHO Projects

 FastTrack Schedule 9

 @task

 Primavera P6

 Tenrox.

You may have software tools that are already integrated into your organisation. Make sure you are
aware of any tools that you should be using. By using these project scheduling tools and techniques, you
will be able to identify schedule impact on project time management, resource requirements, costs and
risks.

Schedule impact may include:

 Accuracy of estimates

 Advances or delays in task completion

 Changes to project risk

 Changes to resources and costs

 Degree of change to baseline

 Relevance of task dependencies.

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Activity 1C
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1.4 – Contribute to achieving an agreed schedule baseline and communicating

the schedule to stakeholders
By the end of this chapter, the learner should be able to:
 Agree on an achieved schedule with a partner

 Outline the agreed schedule.

What is a schedule baseline?

A schedule baseline is an approved version of your project schedule and by establishing the baseline;
you are marking the end of the planning phase of your project and the beginning of the execution and
control phase. Your schedule baseline will act as a point of reference, and all future measurements will
be compared to it. It is used to determine any variation between the plan and actual progress of your
project. From this, you will be able to identify if any preventative or corrective action is needed. If any
changes to the scope of your project are made, you will need to establish a new baseline schedule. The
process of controlling your schedule baseline is critical for the success of your project. You should
contribute to achieving an agreed schedule baseline with your project team.

Communication plans
Throughout your project, it will be necessary to communicate with the stakeholders regularly. You
should ensure that you have a communication plan in place that assists in keeping the stakeholders up-
to-date with the project. By having a communication plan in place, you and your project team will know
when to communicate with the stakeholders and how to do it effectively. You should aim to keep the
stakeholders well informed and to understand exactly what they desire. In most cases, you should try
and keep the communication process as a two-way exchange; don’t just talk, listen too. Your project
schedule is something that needs communicating with the stakeholders, and you should choose the
most advantageous communication channel to ensure it is effective.

Ask yourself:
 Who are the stakeholders?

 What are the objectives for communication?

 What is the strategy for communicating?

Along with informal methods of communicating with your

stakeholders, i.e. lunch meetings and hallway conversations,
there are also formal ways to communicate with them.
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For example:
 Newsletters

 Reports

 Social media

 Email

 Meetings

 Conference calls.

Consider the potential risks involved with communication; what if you can’t reach them, and how can
you keep it within your budget?
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Activity 1D
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2. Maintain project schedule

2.1. Use techniques to measure, record and report progress of activities in relation to agreed
schedule

2.2. Record baseline variance between actual and planned progress

2.3. Contribute to forecasting impact of change on the schedule and analysing options

2.4. Update task status and agreed changes to maintain currency and accuracy of schedule
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2.1 – Use techniques to measure, record and report progress of activities in

relation to agreed schedule
By the end of this chapter, the learner should be able to:
 Outline how to measure, record and report the progress of a project, considering the
specific techniques to use.

Measuring, recording and reporting progress of activities

You should know how the work within your project is progressing compared to your schedule.
Measuring the progress of your project activities will contribute to the overall success of it. It involves
looking back at the agreed schedule and seeing what progress has been made in relation to it. It also
involves looking forward and assessing what still needs to be done with the time and resources that are
left. Measuring progress involves measuring the work performed against the work that is expected to be
performed with the given resources. By measuring the progress of your project activities, you can see
areas within your project that need to be improved and plan for these future improvements. Any
problems that occur can be identified early on if you are continually monitoring the progress of your
project activities. This allows you to take the appropriate action quickly and avoid interrupting the
project.

There are many techniques that you can use to measure the progress of your project. The technique
that you use may depend on the type of project you are involved with or the requirements of the
project manager or team. Your method for measuring the progress of your report should have been
identified and planned within the early stages of your project.

The methods that can be used to measure the progress of your project activities may
include:
 Reporting periods

 Project status

 Project phases

 Highlight report

 Milestone chart

 Checkpoint report

 Percentage complete

 S-Curve

 Exception report

 Earned value management.

The reporting of a project’s progress is a key activity of project management. When recording and
reporting the progress of your project in relation to the planned schedule, the way that you should do
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this may depend on the project itself. You should be aware of the recording and reporting process in
relation to your own project.

Throughout your project, you will need to conduct regular reports on the progress against your budget,
your scope and your schedule. Aim to keep your report brief and sum up all of the key points.

There are many things you can include in your progress report, including:
 The overall status of your project

 Your project summary

 The key issues

 Any identified risks

 The tasks that are involved in your project

 The suggested next steps

 Any decisions that are needed

 Your budgeted cost

 The money that has been spent so far.

By reporting the progress of your project regularly, a valuable written record of a

project’s life can be created. You can use this to look back on your project and identify any areas that

As discussed in Chapter 1.3, a project schedule should be constantly monitored and updated. You
should know what steps are required if your project doesn’t seem to be progressing in a way you
expected it to. If you find that this is the case, you may need to update the project schedule. Your
schedule should be altered in order to reflect the actual progress of your project. This will ensure that
the forecast of the remaining work stays realistic.
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Activity 2A
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2.2 – Record baseline variance between actual and planned progress

By the end of this chapter, the learner should be able to:
 Identify primary reference points of a baseline

 List a way to assess the progress of a project

 Suggest how to record baseline variances between actual and planned progress.

Recording baseline variance

A baseline contains a group of primary reference points, including:
 Start dates

 Finish dates

 Duration estimates

 Work estimates

 Cost estimates.

Your baseline should include your best estimates as it will be used throughout your project to assess its
progress. The process of assessing your project’s progress involves constantly tracking your project and
monitoring your schedule. You may need to compare a position or status within your project with an
earlier version of it. It is possible to view your baseline data alongside the current planned data, the
actual data and the variance between them.

Variance table
A variance table shows the start and finish dates for both the
scheduled information and the baseline information. From this,
you can identify any difference between the two types of
information. In order to evaluate your progress prediction, you
can compare this prediction with how your project is actually
progressing.

If there is a difference between your actual and planned progress,

it may indicate that your original plan is no longer accurate. This
may mean that you need to review the scope of your project.
However, it could also be down to a change in the nature of your
project. If you find your project is not on schedule, you will need
to start corrective actions in order to bring it back on track.
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Activity 2B
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2.3 – Contribute to forecasting impact of change on the schedule and analysing

options
By the end of this chapter, the learner should be able to:
 Explain what a change control system is

 Identify the steps involved with a change control system

 Identify questions to ask when forecasting the impact of change

 Outline what IA stands for and the steps included.

Change control system

When stakeholders submit a change request during the process of your project, they should do so using
the change control system that you decided on at the start of your project. You should have already
have planned for possible changes and should have change control systems in place. Control systems
are formal processes that are developed at the start of a project and used to ensure any changes are
introduced in a controlled manner.

Your change control system may include a sequence of six

steps:
 Record

 Assess

 Plan

 Build and test

 Implement

 Gain acceptance.

Having change control systems in place can help keep your project on track when these changes do
occur. These change control systems will not prevent changes from occurring; they will ensure that any
change that does occur is agreed by the relevant authority before it is implemented. A change control
approach covers the identification, assessment and control of any possible changes that may arise
within your project. These control systems reduce the possibility of any unnecessary changes being
introduced to your project whilst ensuring the project work is not disrupted.

Forecasting the impact of change

Once a change has been requested, you must assess and predict the impact that it will have on all
aspects of your project, including your schedule. In order to achieve this, you may wish to discuss the
potential change with everyone that will be involved. This will allow you to gain an insight into the
impact of this change from all perspectives.
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Consider the following questions:

 What will happen to the project if the change is not implemented?

 If this change is implemented, what other areas of the project will be affected?

 Does the positive impact of this change outweigh the negative impact?

 Is there another change that can be implemented rather than this one?

The forecasting process may involve an Impact Analysis (IA), which can ensure that any requests for
change are considered with the overall impact on the project in mind. You need to know what the
potential risks and consequences of implementing the change, as well as the potential risks and
consequences of not implementing it. Using a structured approach, an IA can also give you the ability to
identify any problems before they occur. This means that you can have a contingency plan in place so
that the problem can be handled appropriately.

Impact Analysis includes the following steps:

 Preparing for the IA

 Brainstorming the areas that may be affected

 For each of these areas, brainstorm the different elements that

could be affected

 Evaluate the impacts

 Manage these consequences.

Traceability
This IA technique captures the links between requirements, specifications, design elements and tests.
These relationships can then be analysed to determine the scope of the potential change.

Dependency
This IA technique assesses the links between parts, variables, logic and modules in order to determine
the consequences of the potential change. This technique is more detailed than traceability.

Analysing your options

Once you have analysed the possible impact the potential change may have on your schedule, you will
need to decide whether to implement the change. What are your options? Use the answers to the
questions above to consider the positive and negative impacts that implementing the change may have
on the schedule of your project. Also, consider the positive and negative impacts of not implementing
the change. From this, you should be able to arrive at an informed decision.
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Activity 2C
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2.4 - Update task status and agreed changes to maintain currency and accuracy
of schedule
By the end of this chapter, the learner should be able to:
 Explain what a task update is

 Give examples of task statuses

 Give examples of instances when task status will need to be updated.

What is task status?

Task status indicates what stage an individual task is at, and it reflects the current point that the task is
at within their life cycle. By using task statuses, not only can you track the progress of your project as a
whole, you can also track the progress of the individual activities that are involved. You can use
numerical or narrative task statuses. For example, a numerical task status will include information such
as hours or percentage complete. On the other hand, narrative task statuses will include a description of
the state of the task.

There are many types of task status,

including:
 Created

 Ready

 Assigned

 Running

 Cancelled

 Terminated

 Expired

 Forwarded

 Finished

 Failed.

You may have your own task statuses within your project. Everyone should be aware of which ones are
being used and what they mean.
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Creating task status

Your list of project tasks will be created in a way that suits your organisation and project.

Your list of project tasks may include the following information:

 Title

 Start date

 Due date

 Task status

 Priority level.

You may need to provide more details about each task.

For example:
 Who will be working on the task?

 Should the tasks be completed in a specific order?

 Does one task need finishing before the next one begins?

 How do the tasks relate to each other?

Updating task status

You should update your task statuses regularly as your project progresses. As soon as a task moves to a
different status, you should update your list. To update a task status, simply revise your project task list
and choose the appropriate option.

Once a change has been agreed within your project, you will need to return to original project task list
and update the status of the affected tasks. If this is done digitally, making amendments should be fairly
simple. If your project task list is in written form, a new list will need to be created inclusive of the
updates. By doing this, you can ensure that everybody knows what is going on within the project and
that the accuracy and currency of the schedule is maintained.
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Activity 2D
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3. Participate in assessing time-management outcomes

3.1. Assist in review of project performance to determine effectiveness of time management

3.2. Document scheduling and time-management issues and responses to assist in project
evaluation
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3.1 – Assist in review of project performance to determine effectiveness of time

management
By the end of this chapter, the learner should be able to:
 Review project performance and determine effectiveness of time management.

The effectiveness of time management

Time is a precious resource, and it should be managed carefully. By
successfully planning your time and identifying your priorities, you can
ensure that your project is productive.

Effective time management can help you to:

 Avoid taking on more than you can handle

 Work steadily towards project goals

 Add contingency time for the unexpected

 Make sure you have enough time for the essential tasks

 Understand what you can realistically achieve with your

time.

You can determine the effectiveness of your time management by reviewing project performance.

A review of project performance may occur at:

 Agreed major milestones, e.g. Phases, subcontracts

 Change of key personnel

 Completion of major deliverables

 Finalisation of project and other agreed milestones.

Reviewing project performance

The method that you will need to use to review the performance of your project may depend on the
stage at which you are conducting it. Are you looking at the whole, completed project? Or are you at the
stage within your project where you have just achieved an agreed milestone? Although you may think it
simply involves looking at the time, cost and scope of your project, it sometimes isn’t that
straightforward. When reviewing the performance of your project, you will need to establish whether
you delivered what was expected, within the budget and time frame given. Also, you should look into
whether the client/customer was satisfied.

Once you have decided what you really want to review in terms of project performance, you will need
to identify your Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). These KPIs will tell you whether your project is being
successful and, if so, to what degree. They will enable you to assess the performance of your project in
terms of the achievement of the desired objectives.
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Typical KPIs may include:

 Schedule compliance

 Budget compliance

 Number of scope changes

 Number of issues

 Stakeholder satisfaction.

Try to focus on the objectives and performance of your project against the schedule and budget
estimates.

When reviewing project performance, consider the following questions:

 Was your scheduling successful?

 Did you reach your intended goals?

 Did you deliver what you wanted to deliver?

 Did you deliver it on time?

 Did you complete it within budget?

 Was the customer satisfied with it?

There are many ways to review the performance of your project.

Examples of ways to review the performance of your project may include:

 Return on investment

 Customer satisfaction

 Requirements performance

 Productivity

 Employee satisfaction

 Cost of quality

 Cycle time

 Alignment to goals

 Schedule and cost

By reviewing the performance of your project, you can determine how effective your time management
was. You can also identify the strengths and weaknesses of your project, allowing you to suggest
improvements for the future.
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Activity 3A
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3.2 – Document scheduling and time-management issues and responses to

assist in project evaluation
By the end of this chapter, the learner should be able to:
 Document the conclusions of a review, considering successful and unsuccessful aspects
of performance.

Scheduling issues
Scheduling begins with identifying and estimating the duration of the different tasks within your project.
The process of creating a project schedule was discussed in Chapters 1.1-1.4. It is essential to avoid any
issues occurring within your schedule as a small delay within one aspect of your schedule can delay
everything else within your project.

There are many issues you may come across within your
project schedule, including:
 Ineffective communication

 Resource constraints

 Team experience

 Incorrect estimation of task duration

 Unexpected problems

 The occurrence of changes.

Ineffective communication
Ineffective communication between everyone involved with a project can often lead to issues within
your original schedule. Your schedule needs to be communicated with everyone working within the
project to ensure that everyone needs to be on the same page. This will minimise the chance of any
delays occurring.

Resource constraints
If any unexpected time lags occur within your project, it may lead to constraints in the allocation and
utilisation of resources. For example, if a task is taking longer to complete than first anticipated, in order
to push to get it finished, you will require more time, more money and possibly more team members. In
order to minimise the risk of not having the resources that you need, you should carefully consider this
at the beginning of your project.

Team experience
The experience of your project team can influence the effectiveness of the implementation of the
project schedule. If you have too many inexperienced team members working within your project, this
can result in delays of task completion. The time and effort that is required to train these people will
also use valuable schedule time.
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In order to keep this at a minimum, you should ensure that each team member that will be involved
with your project has the skills, knowledge and experience that are necessary for task and project
completion.

Incorrect estimation of task duration

A common issue found within a project schedule is the underestimation of how long a task will take to
complete. If you plan for a task to take a certain amount of time and it is actually an underestimation,
this can have a ripple effect on the other tasks involved with your project. In order to prevent this, you
could add a contingency time as a separate item into your schedule. This will make your project plan
more accurate and account for inaccurate estimations of task duration. Be careful not to miss any
important project tasks out completely.

Unexpected problems
Unknown events can have an effect on your project schedule.

These events may include:

 Changes to the project environment

 Problems with a new technology

 Customers changing their mind

 Team members coming up with new ideas.

If any of these events occur, this may result in your project taking longer than originally expected. In
order to try and avoid these having a major impact on your schedule, identify any possible risks at the
beginning of project and have resources at the ready. This will allow you to manage these events better,
reducing the impact on your schedule.

The occurrence of changes

There are many changes that can occur within a project; they can all disrupt the project schedule.

These changes may occur within the:

 Project scope

 Project requirements

 Technology used.

In order to avoid any surprises, ensure that you have change control systems in place. Refer to Chapter
2.3 for more detail.
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Time management issues

Effective time management has a positive effect on the productivity of
a project team. Issues with time management can leave your project
taking much longer than expected.

Time management issues may include:

 Overcomplicated time management systems

 Taking on too much

 Failure to manage distractions

 Not prioritising correctly.

Overcomplicated time management systems

Initially, you may see an overcomplicated time management system as a good thing. However, chances
are; it will not work. The more complicated your time management system is, the longer it will take you
to keep it in order. To avoid this, aim for a basic system that is simple to follow.

Taking on too much

A common problem within time management is that people often take on too much. Trying to do too
much may seem like a good idea, but it can lead to stress, low morale and poor performance. You may
feel the need to control the whole project; this is unrealistic. Try sharing the tasks between the whole
team and start saying no to extra work.

Failure to manage distractions

Distractions can have an effect on a project’s time management attempts. Things like emails and phone
calls can distract team members from the essential tasks that they should be doing. You should try and
have a plan in place to control and limit the amount of distractions in order to stay on track. You could
also look into how to improve your concentration.

Not prioritising correctly

It is hard to know the best way to prioritise your project tasks. Which task is the most important? Even
though it is difficult, you should aim to prioritise your tasks. This can help you to manage your time
better and gain better results.

By highlighting these issues and suggesting appropriate responses, you will assist in project evaluation.
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Activity 3B
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Summative Assessments
At the end of your Learner Workbook, you will find the Summative Assessments.

This includes:

 Skills Activity

 Knowledge Activity

 Performance Activity.

This holistically assesses your understanding and application of the skills, knowledge and performance
requirements for this unit. Once this is completed, you will have finished this unit and be ready to move
onto the next one – well done!
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References

These suggested references are for further reading and do not necessarily represent the contents of
this unit.

Websites
What is a Gannt chart? http://www.gantt.com/

Project schedule planning http://www.projectmanagementguru.com/scheduleplan.html

All references accessed on and correct as of 31.05.2019, unless other otherwise stated.