ABSTRACT
Planning and programming are the most important of all management functions. Projects whose construction programmes depict all the services activities in three or four bar chart lines are certain losers as their simplistic approach provides no basis against which progress can be measured. Projects where programming has been given its rightful place as the key management function should have a foundation for proper progress measurement. Unfortunately, the shortfall in programming may only be discovered by a site manager in seeking confirmation of his fear that the BS contractor is slipping. Some site managers ‘freeze’ and do nothing, or accept the BS contractor’s ‘stories’ that they are ‘on programme’; ‘These activities are always a bit slow, but we’ll catch up later’, ‘I’ll put another pair on next week.’ Other site managers may sensibly seek support from higher up the BS contractor’s line management, or their own, but lose time hesitating in making the case for a planning resource that has not been costed. If they get the resource, which in the circumstances needs to be the best, they may have to make do with what is available. Meanwhile the project spirals downwards.
