Schedule reviews and programme risk
An independent view of whether the programme can be believed, what is driving the completion date, and how confident anyone should be in it.
Who this is for
- Owners, engineers and programme management consultants receiving baseline or update submissions
- Boards and lenders who want to know how confident the completion date is
- Contractors who want their programme checked before submission
- Parties preparing for a negotiation or a claim who need the programme tested first
The problem it solves
Accepting a weak baseline sets up every later dispute. Updates drift from what is happening on site. A single completion date on a slide hides the range around it. A review with written findings, and a risk analysis with a confidence range, give decision makers something they can act on.
Scope and deliverables
Reviews are one-off assignments or a periodic service on a retainer; risk analysis is usually run at baseline and at key decision points.
- Baseline and update review against the specification and good practice: logic, calendars, float, resources, constraints and the critical path, with the DCMA metrics reported where expected
- Review of the narrative and the progress claimed against the evidence
- Written findings graded by effect, each with a recommendation
- Quantitative schedule risk analysis with a confidence range on completion
- Risk workshops, a structured register and mitigation tracking
- Risk-adjusted forecast and contingency advice for the programme
- Follow-up review of the resubmission
- Periodic schedule assurance on a retainer
What we need from you
- Native schedule files (.xer, .xml or .mpp) for the baseline and each update
- The programme specification and contract clauses
- Previous reviews and the responses to them
- Progress evidence: reports, photographs, payment applications
- The risk register, if one exists, and access to the planners for questions
How the work runs
- Receipt and checks. Files opened in their native form; structural and logic checks run.
- Findings. Each finding recorded with its effect on the programme and a recommendation.
- Discussion. Where agreed, findings walked through with the submitting party before the report is final.
- Report. A written report the engineer can use in the acceptance decision.
- Resubmission. The revised programme checked against the findings.
- The review is advisory. The acceptance decision rests with the engineer or the employer under the contract.
- We do not review a programme we prepared, and we do not act for both parties on the same contract.
- Risk analysis results are a range built on stated assumptions, not a guarantee of any date.
Experience and demonstrations
Reviewing contractor programmes for owners and consultants, and challenging the progress they claim, is a regular part of our lead consultant's work on Saudi projects.
The experience behind this service is the professional record of our lead consultant from more than 20 years on Saudi and Gulf projects, gained before Expert Systems was formed, not work contracted by Expert Systems. References for assignments contracted by the firm will be published with each client's consent as they become available.
Demonstrations, all built with sample data: schedule review findings, executive dashboard.
Common questions
How long does a baseline review take?
Typically five to ten working days from receipt of the native files, depending on the size of the programme; the proposal gives a date.
Do you give a pass or fail?
We give findings graded by their effect and a recommendation on acceptance. The decision is the engineer's or the employer's.
Can the review be shared with the contractor?
Yes. It is written so that it can be, with each finding specific enough to act on.
Which risk analysis tool do you use?
The tool depends on your environment and the client's expectations. The method, the quality of the inputs and the honesty of the ranges matter more than the software.
Can you review our own programme before we submit it?
Yes, and the same independence rule applies: we will not then review it for the other side.
Need a programme reviewed?
Send the stage, the size of the programme and when the decision is due. Files follow after confidentiality terms are agreed. We aim to reply within one working day. We confirm the scope and fee once we have the information needed to assess the work.