Defending And Negotiating A Schedule

Engineers tend to be introverted and technical, while the sponsor of a project will likely be more business oriented and experienced in negotiation. This can put the engineer at a disadvantage when it comes to negotiating and defending a schedule they have devised. While the schedule should cater to the owner, it must be realistic. This paper will take into account two parties: the owner (sponsor) of the project and the scheduler. It is important for a scheduler to be capable of defending, negotiating and managing change to the schedule.

Anyone given the task of creating a schedule, no matter how complex, must be prepared to argue their reasoning and stand by their analysis. If a schedule is shortened just for the sake of making it shorter neither party benefits. "Develop your negotiating skills and push for realistic solutions so that you can deliver what you promise" (McConnell). If the scheduler believes in their logic and durations then they are in a position to defend the schedule.

By getting talked into shortening a schedule you run the risk of falling behind and possibly sacrificing quality or safety for a pace that is too ambitious. "...once you have made an estimate, you still have to convince your customer or boss to accept it. If the estimated schedule is too long, customers and bosses will pressure you to shorten it--not because of flaws in your analysis but simply because they want it to be shorter. All too often, they succeed, and, as a result, many of us find ourselves working on projects that have been planned from the outset to achieve an unattainable combination of cost, schedule, and functionality. Such projects are programmed to fail" (McConnell).

The scheduler, of course, should be open to a full range of alternatives during the negotiations. "Any method of negotiation may be fairly judged by three criteria: It should produce a wise agreement if agreement is possible. It should be efficient. And it should improve or at least not damage the relationship between the parties" (Fisher and Ury p.4). A negotiation can benefit both parties in many instances. There does not have to be a winner or a loser.

Steve McConnell, a software developer, cites five keys to schedule negotiation and defense.

How to Negotiate Schedules Effectively: Principled Negotiation

* Separate the people from the problem.

* Focus on interests, not positions.

* Invent options for mutual gain.

* Insist on using objective criteria (Don't yield to pressure, only principle).

* Weather the storm.

"Although accelerating a project can be rewarding, the consequences can be troublesome. Not surprisingly, when a project is accelerated, the productivity and quality are often sacrificed for the sake of remaining ahead of schedule, and the actual schedule benefits may not be worth the time saved" (Nepal, Park and Son). Doing work out of sequence or cutting corners for the sake of staying on schedule is unacceptable

Even after a baseline schedule is accepted, the scheduler is not out of the woods. A schedule is dynamic; it will need modification as the project progresses and changes are made. "As a project proceeds, there are always adjustments and tradeoffs from a project's original goals to better match changing realities in both the project and its sponsoring organization" (Hall). The tradeoffs can be separated into three categories. According to Payson Hall every project has an "Iron Triangle" consisting of three sides

1. Scope - What are the goals of the project, including products to be created, quality standards, and any process restraints? (What do you want?).

2. Schedule - When are the results desired? (When do you want it?).

3. Resources - What people, facilities, equipment, materials, and money are available to the project to accomplish its goals? (What will you invest to get it?).

The author recommends an easy way to discuss tradeoffs and priorities with a sponsor is to use an "RSS (Resource/Schedule/Scope) priority matrix." In the following case, more resources should be allocated to the project in order to keep the schedule, and scope.

Least Flexible Somewhat Flexible Most Flexible

1. Resources X

2. Schedule X

3.