In 2005, US Defense Contract Management Agency implemented a 14-point schedule assessment to help the Department of Defense evaluate the enormous volume of contracts and schedules they were tasked with managing.
Years later, the DCMA’s 14-point Schedule Assessment has become a guideline that is widely used and has been incorporated into many software tools such as Deltek Acumen Fuse and Primavera P6 EPPM.
What is the DCMA 14-point schedule assessment checking?
Well, it’s evaluating whether a schedule is well-built – whether it adheres to a set of best practices considered important to the success and manageability of a project. These best practices are broken down into a list of 14 points:
1) Checking the Logic
This point assesses whether all tasks are logically connected with appropriate predecessors and successors. Proper logic ensures that the schedule flows correctly and that tasks are sequenced in a way that reflects the project’s actual workflow. We all know that a schedule is a network, and if that network is not complete because of missing logic, an accurate Critical Path is not possible.
2) Looking for Leads
Also known as negative lag, this point checks for tasks that start before their predecessors finish. Excessive use of leads can indicate unrealistic scheduling and should be minimized to maintain schedule accuracy.
3) Looking for Lags
Lag represents a delay between tasks. This point evaluates whether lags are used appropriately and ensures that they do not artificially extend the schedule or mask issues with task sequencing. Here’s how you might find those lags.
4) The Right Relationship Types
This point examines the types of dependencies used in the schedule, such as Finish-to-Start (FS), Start-to-Start (SS), Finish-to-Finish (FF), and Start-to-Finish (SF). P6 and other software supports 4 relationships types, but that doesn’t mean you should build a schedule using only Start-Start relationships. Finish-Start is best. DCMA says your schedule should use Finish-Start 90% of the time (or more).
5) How ’bout those Hard Constraints
Hard constraints restrict scheduling flexibility. This point checks for constraints like “Must Start On” or “Must Finish On” which can prevent the schedule from accurately reflecting changes in task timing. I say you can do without hard constraints. DCMA says don’t have hard constraints on more than 5% of all constrained activities.
6) Rein-in your Total Float
High float indicates a lack of critical path activities or overly optimistic task durations. This point assesses whether tasks have unrealistically high float values, which could signify potential scheduling issues. 44 days is all you get. Again, the goal is less than 5% of activities can have Float values of 44 days or more.
7) Negative Float is Never Good
Negative float occurs when a task is scheduled to finish after its deadline. This point highlights schedule delays and identifies tasks that need corrective action to meet project timelines. If you followup these points up to here, you may not have a problem with Negative Float. Ideally DCMA says avoid having Negative Float in your schedule. If you do, make sure you’ve documented a plan to mitigate being late.
8) Break Down Those Long Durations
Tasks with excessively long durations can mask potential risks and issues. This point evaluates whether task durations are realistic and not so lengthy that they obscure detailed planning. When is an Activity too long? When it’s longer than 2 months, says the folks at DCMA. You’ll want to limit long duration activities to no more than 5% of all Activities. Or just break those long activities down into a series of shorter ones for more detail.
9) Check for Invalid Dates
This point checks for tasks with invalid or out-of-sequence dates, which can occur due to incorrect data entry or schedule mismanagement. No Actual dates in the future, beyond your Data Date; and no Forecast dates in the past before your Data Date. Primavera P6 may not allow some of these conditions, but remember these points can be applied to a schedule built in any software package.
10) Load it up with Resources and Costs
Evaluating resource allocation, this point ensures that resources are properly assigned to tasks without over-allocation, which could lead to delays or resource conflicts. DCMA likes their schedules to be resource and cost-loaded. And if you are following this path as well, make sure not to leave out workable Activities; milestones excluded.
11) Subvert Activity Slippage
This point looks at how many activities have finished late as compared to the baseline. It highlights areas where the schedule is not being followed and corrective measures are needed. We all want to deliver on time. It’s a good generic check to see if your project will deliver on time or not.
12) Critical Path Integrity
The critical path is the longest sequence of tasks that determine the project’s finish date. The 12th check is one that tests the integrity of your schedule’s Critical Path, looking for fluidity driven by good logic linking. Here DMCA checks that introducing a delay in the schedule results in the project’s finish date being equally delayed.
13) Critical Path Length Index (CPLI)
This check is a bit difficult to explain. I’ve deferred to Ron Winter’s explanation who sums it up this way:
“The Critical Path Length Index (CPLI) is one of the ‘Trip Wire checks’ that is supposed to gauge the realism of completing the project on time. Most construction schedulers will find this test a little bizarre. We are to measure the ratio of the project critical path length plus the project total float to the project critical path length. The critical path length is the time in work days from the current status date to the “end of the program.” The target number is 1.0 with a value of less than 95% as a failure.”
Thank you, Ron.
14) Baseline Execution Index (BEI)
The Baseline Execution Index is meant to help you understand how well you are performing against your project’s baseline. The BEI sums up how many activities are ahead or behind schedule against the baseline. A BEI of 1.0 means you are right on track. DCMA says a BEI of less than 0.95 puts you on notice.
So should you use these guidelines as outlined by the DCMA?
Well, there are different views on that question. Most of these guidelines are accepted as best practices for practitioners in many industries. And most of them are easy to check manually within Primavera P6, with the exception of the last 3 that are a bit more involved.
Whether you think the DCMA’s 14 checks result in a good schedule or not, I’m fairly certain we will be seeing more of them in the future as more and more tools start to implement them in the software.
Originally published May 15, 2014. This articles has been reviewed and updated for consistency.
