Confronting Unexpected Project Delays

All projects, regardless of size, scope or complexity, are burdened by deadlin

es and uncertainty. This phenomenon is best expressed in two well known, time t
ested adages --- the laws of Parkinson and Murphy.
Parkinson's Law, speaking to project deadlines, tells us that "work expands to f
ill the space allotted".
Murphy's Law, speaking to uncertainty, tells us that "whatever can go wrong will
, and most
likely at the worst possible time".
This is the reality faced by all project managers. No matter how much time you
have for a project, it will likely be consumed, and no matter how well you plan,
you must always find a way to handle the unexpected. Such is the nature of pro
jects and the purpose of project management.

Scheduling and project planning is an activity that continues throughout the lif
etime of a project. As changes or discrepancies between the plan and the realiza
tion occur, the project schedule and cost estimates should be modified and new s
chedules devised. Too often, the schedule is devised once by a planner in the ce
ntral office, and then revisions or modifications are done incompletely or only
sporadically. The result is the lack of effective project monitoring and the pos
sibility of eventual chaos on the project site.
On "fast track" projects, initial construction activities are begun even before
the facility design is finalized. In this case, special attention must be placed
on the coordinated scheduling of design and construction activities. Even in pr
ojects for which the design is finalized before construction begins, change orde
rs representing changes in the "final" design are often issued to incorporate ch
anges desired by the owner.
Periodic updating of future activity durations and budgets is especially importa
nt to avoid excessive optimism in projects experiencing problems. If one type of
activity experiences delays on a project, then related activities are also like
ly to be delayed unless managerial changes are made. Construction projects norma
lly involve numerous activities which are closely related due to the use of simi
lar materials, equipment, workers or site characteristics. Expected cost changes
should also be propagated thoughout a project plan. In essence, duration and co
st estimates for future activities should be revised in light of the actual expe
rience on the job. Without this updating, project schedules slip more and more a
s time progresses. To perform this type of updating, project managers need acces
s to original estimates and estimating assumptions.
Unfortunately, most project cost control and scheduling systems do not provide m
any aids for such updating. What is required is a means of identifying discrepan
cies, diagnosing the cause, forecasting the effect, and propagating this effect
to all related activities. While these steps can be undertaken manually, compute
rs aids to support interactive updating or even automatic updating would be help
ful.
Beyond the direct updating of activity durations and cost estimates, project man
agers should have mechanisms available for evaluating any type of schedule chang
e. Updating activity duration estimations, changing scheduled start times, modif
ying the estimates of resources required for each activity, and even changing th
e project network logic (by inserting new activities or other changes) should al
l be easily accomplished. In effect, scheduling aids should be directly availabl
e to project managers. Fortunately, local computers are commonly available on si
te for this purpose.

Whether mandated or self imposed, deadlines bring clarity to a project. For the
customer, deadlines set expectations for product delivery. For the project tea
m member, deadlines set expectations for work effort and performance. For the p
roject manager, deadlines create a time bound framework for management, providin
g working goals, benchmarks and milestones. But, deadlines are not goals in and
of themselves. The value of a project is determined by the business need, and
it is the project value that should drive the project.
So, is it the worst of all situations if a deadline is missed and the project is
delayed? Not necessarily. The impact of a missed deadline and delayed project
will vary based on many factors. In some cases, delays can be fatal to a proje
ct. But, in most cases, missed deadlines and delays can be managed and mitigate
d, allowing the project to continue, even if in an altered state. The key, as u
sual, is advance preparation.
Advance preparation for unexpected events sounds like a contradiction of terms.
After all, how can you prepare for the unexpected? Well, it all depends on how
you define 'unexpected'. In project management terms, delays are not unexpecte
d in and of themselves. In fact, delays are quite common in projects. The 'une
xpected' nature of any project delay relates not to possibility, but to source,
probability and timing. Certain types of delays are highly predictable (i.e. la
te delivery from outside sources), and can be factored into the schedule before
project work begins. Other delays can be foreseen, but cannot reasonably be fac
tored into the schedule in advance. If every possible delay was factored in to
a planned schedule, planning would take too long, projects would be deemed too l
engthy and costly, and would never be approved.
Predictable delays (those deemed likely by circumstance and experience) can be f
actored into the project via a documented risk management plan. When the risk m
anagement plan is prepared, risks are identified and evaluated to determine the
source of likely project delays, and contingent responses are developed. If the
predicted delays do come to fruition, the risk management plan provides a ready
-to-use course of action.
An unexpected delay is one that was not predicted as a likely event, and is ther
efore not included in the schedule or risk management plan. To better handle un
expected delays, four essential factors must be in place:
Be Aware. Every project has it's own rhythm and flow. Using your knowledge of
project goals, priorities, and project team dynamics, you can pick up on the wa
rning signs of pending delays, and you will be in a better position to make the
tough decisions.
Schedule Wisely. Unexpected delays can be minimized through ealistic scheduling
. Every project should begin with a reasoned, workable project schedule with id
entified dependencies, benchmarks,and a manageable critical path.
Follow a Process. Every project should be managed with established, tested proc
edures for timely, meaningful status reporting. status reports , whether formal
or informal, provide key information to identify missed deadlines and potential
project delays.
Communicate. Communication is a key element of project success, essential for m
anaging customer expectations and related conflicts. When facing project delays
, every project manager must be able to communicate effectively with customers,
relying on strong relationships to work through related issues and problems to s
alvage the project.
Once you suspect that a project deadline will be missed, and the project may be
delayed, it is time to take action. The following five step plan takes you thr
ough a complete process for managing unexpected project delays:
Five Step Management Plan.....
Acknowledge the missed deadline and resulting delay as soon as possible. When p
roject problems first appear, you must act quickly to avoid project delays whene
ver possible. But, once a deadline can't be met, and the delay seems inevitable
, you must also act quickly to manage the consequences. Accept the facts, acce
pt the responsibility, avoid blame, and get ready to respond.
Gather the right resources. In order to properly manage a project delay, you mu
st to bring all the necessary resources together in order to analyze the problem
and make appropriate decisions. Depending on the project and the nature of the
delay, these resources can include project team members, specialists, vendors,
customers and other key decision makers.
Consider the consequences. Delays and missed deadlines can be accepted as long a
s the value of the project exceeds the consequences of the delay. When evaluati
ng consequences, the current project must be considered, as well as any other pr
ojects sharing the same resources. Depending upon the nature of the project and
the timing of the delay, varied consequences will result. In all likelihood, d
elays will impact project costs, resource availability, organizational prestige,
customer relationships, legal requirements, and business requirements. On the
other hand, delays also present opportunities for project refinement, to re-thin
k decisions that may have led to problems, take advantage of changing business c
ircumstances, and possibly improve project deliverables. These positive consequ
ences must be identified along with the negatives, to create a full picture of t
he delay, and to minimize negative impact, while maximizing opportunity.
Identify and evaluate the alternatives. Once consequences are fully analyzed, al
ternative remedies must be examined and vetted. Depending upon needs and circum
stances, multiple solutions are possible, including extending project deadlines,
modifying deliverables, retaining additional resources, or changing project sco
pe.
Communicate, negotiate and decide. Once alternative remedies have been identif
ied, acceptance and approval must be obtained from all key project stakeholders.
In order to ensure informed consent, a complete and revised project plan must
be developed, incorporating the delayed timeline and all related contingencies.
In addition, the delay must be explained and justified as needed, specifying c
auses, repercussions, and benefits. Whenever a delay is requested, it is impor
tant that the approving stakeholders maintain (or regain) confidence in the proj
ect and the project team. Problems should not be sugar coated. It is best to a
dmit to any errors in judgment or planning to show that lessons have been learne
d, corrective action has been taken, and the project is still viable.
Concluded Note:
Every project manager strives for control over uncertainty. Control is achieved
in degrees - through effective planning, realistic scheduling, and meaningful r
isk management. And, while it may seem that unexpected delays are indicative o
f a project that is 'out of control', that is not always the case. Yes, missed
deadlines and project delays are often caused by poor performance, poor planning
, or a lack of proper management. But, as projects play out, changing circumsta
nces can also easily lead to project delays. In the end, project completion is
the goal, and control can be regained with a balanced, flexible approach, design
ed to resolve problems, and get the project back on track.
Gautam Koppala,
POME Author