Construction programme

The programme turns the scope into a sequence. The planner breaks the work into activities, gives each a duration based on quantities, crew sizes and productivity, and links them in the order they must happen. The scheduling software then calculates the dates and the critical path.

Most commercial programmes are produced in scheduling software and presented as a Gantt chart, with bars for each activity on a timeline. The programme calendar removes weekends, public holidays, industry RDOs and any planned shutdowns, so dates reflect real working days.

Different people use it at different levels. The client sees a summary programme with key milestones. The project team works from the detailed master programme. Site teams use short-term look-ahead programmes, often two to six weeks, to plan crews, deliveries and inspections.

For a deeper look, read Why Australian Construction Schedules Fail (And How to Stop It). Try the free Working Days Calculator.

The baseline programme is the version agreed or accepted at the start, often the one submitted with the tender or shortly after award. It is saved and not changed, so it can be used as the reference point for measuring progress and delay.

The updated programme shows the current position: actual start and finish dates for completed work, progress on work under way, and the forecast for the rest. It is usually updated monthly, often with the progress claim, and more often on fast-moving jobs.

Comparing the two shows which activities have slipped and by how much. When the contractor claims an extension of time, the updated programme, with the delay inserted, is normally the main evidence. An as-built programme, recording what actually happened, is produced at the end and often used in disputes.

Most Australian contracts include a programming clause. Under AS 4000-1997, clause 32 deals with programming and lets the superintendent direct the contractor to provide a construction programme. Many principals add special conditions that set what the programme must contain, the software and format, and how often it must be updated.

A common point that catches people out: under most standard contracts, the superintendent receiving or accepting a programme does not change the contract dates or relieve the contractor of its obligations. A programme showing a later finish is not an extension of time. Only a granted EOT moves the date for practical completion.

• Building it once and never updating it. A stale programme is no use for managing the job or proving a delay.

• Too little logic. Activities without proper links, or with fixed dates, give a false critical path.

• Unrealistic durations. Tender programmes built to win the job, not to build it, cause problems from week one.

• Ignoring the calendar. Leaving out RDOs, holidays and wet weather allowances overstates the time available.

• No record of changes. Keep every monthly update so you can show how and when the programme moved.