SCHEDULE MANAGER – BRIEF JOB DESCRIPTION

Reports To

• Program Directors

 

Job Purpose

• Maintain the program plan and page-on-a-page in accordance with published standards and frameworks
• Support the program directors to track and manage multiple projects and work streams
• Understand detailed plans for each project and translate these into high level plans for the program
• Ensure the program plan and detailed project plans meet the published quality standards
• Provide project managers scheduling advice and support with standard scheduling packages
• Actively manage the Dependencies throughout the program of work in accordance with published standards and frameworks
• Actively highlight, communicate and manage the program Critical path to the program management team
• Develop and maintain the Program Work Breakdown Structure

 

Key Working Relationships

• Supplier project managers
• Risks and Issues Manager
• Corporate PMO Schedule Manager

 

Required Skills and Knowledge

• Excellent project scheduling skills utilizing major scheduling packages
• Ability to work with supplier project managers to interpret project plans
• Ability to analyze project plans to identify inter-project dependencies and risks
• Ability to work collaboratively in a team environment
• Proactive, string attention to detail and tenacity

 

Enterprise Environmental Factors

Enterprise environmental factors will influence the Schedule Managers job description with respect to Organizational culture, structure and governance, Government or Industry standards, Personal administration and Project management information systems.

 

PLANNING – SCHEDULE CHECKS FOR SCHEDULING TOOL

The purpose of the following quality control checks is to ensure the plan is of sufficient quality to be used by the program management team to manage the project.  Plans that don’t meet the quality criteria should not be used by the program management team.

 

Item	Condition	Description	Filter Description
1	Constrained	This filter selects those tasks and milestones that have a predecessor and are constrained. Ideally a critical path network should be free of constraints. The exceptions to this are specific delivery milestones.	Pred <> “” AND Constraint Type = “Start No Earlier Than” OR “Must Finish On” OR “Finish No Earlier Than” AND Not 100%
2	Future Actual	Check to see if tasks in the future have actual work allocated to them.	Actual Work > ‘0’ AND Start > ‘Schedule Date’
3	Summary with a Predecessor	Summaries with dependencies. This is permitted but not preferred as it can lead to confusing critical path networks	Summary = Yes AND  Pred <> “”
4	Summary with Successor	Summaries with dependencies. This is permitted but not preferred as it can lead to confusing critical path networks	Summary = Yes AND  Succ <> “”
5	No Predecessor	Select those tasks that are yet to start that have no predecessor. Float will not be indicated in the absence of  predecessor or successor	% Complete = 0% AND Pred = “”
6	No Successor	Select those tasks that are yet to start that have no successor. Float will not be indicated in the absence of  predecessor or successor	% Complete = 0% AND Succ = “”
7	Before Time Now	Select those task and milestones that are incomplete and were due to complete prior to the current date.	Finish < “Current Date” AND % Complete <100%
8	No Resource	Selects those tasks which do not have a resource	Resource Name = “” AND % Complete <> 100%
9	No Baseline	Selects non-Baselined tasks and milestones	Baseline Finish = NA AND % Complete < 100%
10	Resourced Non Task	Selects summaries with resources assigned to them.	Summary = Yes AND Resource Name <> “”

 

Develop Schedule – Timeline

The below process indicates a generic method for the development of a set of program and project plans.  The timeline to complete this process would be approximately 6-8 weeks.

 

#	Title	Planning level	Description
1	Project Brief	Level 1 – Program Plan	The Sponsor briefs the Program Manager on the Business Case, Scope and Program Timelines
2	Draft Program Plan	Level 1 – Program Plan	Program Manager develops a draft plan for discussion with Sponsor and other key Stakeholders.  Critical path activity timelines should be indicated and sub-work stream project managers may be required to provide input (Expert Advice) for critical activities.
3	Program Planning Workshop #1	Level 1 – Program Plan	Program management team workshop the draft project plan stepping through plan activities. Items which should be reviewed during the meeting are; Activity Duration, Start/Finish times, Dependencies, Resource constraints, Risks or Issues
4	Project (Work stream) Planning	Level 2 – Project plans	Workstream leads develop team plans in alignment with Program plan Work Breakdown Structure and Activity Start/Finish
5	Plan Quality Control	Level 2 – Project plans	Schedule Manager provides Quality Control reports on Program plans and Project (Work stream) plans
6	Revised Program Plan	Level 1 – Program Plan	Program Manager updates Program plan with Workshop feedback, Quality Control feedback and additional feedback from Project leads.
7	Program Planning Workshop #2	Level 1 – Program Plan	Program Management team workshop project plan confirming alignment of  Project lead plans, Dependencies and updating Risk log
8	Baseline	Level 1 – Program Plan	Steering Committee approves the Baseline Program plan.

PLANNING – DEVELOP SCHEDULE

The Develop Schedule process is a key function for the Program Scheduler with the key output of the Baseline program plan.  Development of a program plan with a set of underlying project plans is a complex and iterative process that will require inputs from all stakeholders of the program.

The Level 1 Program plan can be developed by the Program management team using the standard PMBOK process for Develop Schedule.

The development of Level 2 project plans will require the Schedule Manager to workshop extensively with Suppliers who will be initiated into the program via the Conduct Procurements process.  It is advisable for the Schedule Manager to use this guidance material to induct Suppliers in the Develop Schedule process.

Develop Schedule Process guide

Baseline Project plan

The management of Schedule Baselines is a requirement for the Schedule Manager.  Approved Baselines must be carefully documented and registered in the relevant project repository.  Remember that almost all projects will have a client / supplier relationship and agreed Baselines are contract documents that may be reviewed in the event that liquated damages or other commercial penalties are applied.

STRUCTURE OF PLANS

Plans will be developed at different activity levels to satisfy the project control needs for different stakeholders in the program management team and different phases of the project.

All plans developed across the program must meet Quality Control guidelines.

Level 1 – Program Plan

The program plan is the key document deliverable for the Schedule Manager who maintains the plan for the Steering Committee and Program Manager.  The program plan must incorporate the complete program scope of works and the key program milestones and dependencies.  The program plan will include Work Breakdown Activities to level 3 and include resource profile at this level.  The program plan defines the structure of the project plans which sit beneath it.  An important quality control element for the Schedule manager is to ensure the alignment of the WBS between the Program plan and the individual project plans.

Level 2 – Project Plan

A project (or workstream) plan is utilized by a Project manager to deliver the scope of work they are responsible for.  The work breakdown structure of a project plan is defined by the Program plan which in the plan hierarchy sits above it.  The schedule progress of activities in the individual project plans must roll up to the higher level WBS activities in the Program plan.  The quality standards for a project plan are the same as the quality standards for the program plan.

Level 3 – Team Plans

For some larger activities in the program, individual team plans will be required to track in detail the progress of those activities.  For example the development of 150 design documents will be better suited to track as an individual team plan which can be rolled into one activity in the program plan.  For team plans the tool used will generally not be standard Schedule Management tools but tools that are suited to the needs of the team producing the deliverables.  Report outputs from team tracking tools will be used by the Schedule Manager to update the status of the program plan.

INTRODUCTION TO PROGRAM SCHEDULE MANAGEMENT

The purpose of this guidance material is to provide the Schedule Manager with work instructions for the management of schedules in a large Program of works.  The Schedule Manager on a large program will assist the Program Director with the development of the Program plan and then work extensively with Suppliers to develop component project plans.

The techniques provided in this document are generally applicable to Programs with total effort of 20,000 – 60,000 person days over 12 to 18 months.  At peak program activity the effort could be between 2000 – 8000 hours per week with a project team size of between 50 – 200 people.

In most organisations programs of this size would be considered once-in-a-decade, implementing core business changes which provide significant opportunity but also significant risks.

In the context of a large Program, the Schedule Manager has a key role in providing the Program Management Team a suite of governance deliverables to assist the project team and the organization meet their objectives.

Where applicable the guidance material has been aligned to PMBOK Guide Fifth Edition.  This guidance material can be used by a Schedule Manager as input for PMBOK 6.1 Plan Schedule Management.

This document also aligns to the PMBOK organisational project framework that states “Program Managers develop the overall plan and create high-level plans to guide detailed planning at the component level”.