CST CST Contract & Procurement Scheduling 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is a 'Time Impact Analysis' (TIA) and when is it typically used?
- A schedule analysis method used to evaluate the impact of a change or delay event on the project completion date (Correct answer)
- A technique for measuring earned value on time-based contracts
- A process for accelerating the schedule using overtime
- A method for comparing actual vs. planned resource utilization
Correct answer: A schedule analysis method used to evaluate the impact of a change or delay event on the project completion date
A Time Impact Analysis models the effect of a specific change event or delay by inserting its activities into the schedule at the time of impact and measuring the resulting change in project completion date.
Question 2: Under a lump sum contract, how does a contractor typically demonstrate entitlement to a time extension for owner-caused delay?
- By performing a delay analysis showing the owner's delay impacted the critical path and extended the project completion date (Correct answer)
- By submitting daily work reports showing reduced labor productivity
- By providing a list of activities delayed more than two weeks
- By calculating the additional cost incurred due to the delay
Correct answer: By performing a delay analysis showing the owner's delay impacted the critical path and extended the project completion date
Entitlement to a time extension under a lump sum contract requires demonstrating through schedule delay analysis that the owner-caused delay affected critical path activities and extended the project's planned completion date.
Question 3: What is the 'concurrent delay' doctrine in construction scheduling disputes?
- When both the owner and contractor contribute to project delay during the same time period, which can affect each party's entitlement to time extension or delay damages (Correct answer)
- When multiple activities are delayed simultaneously on different schedule paths
- The practice of scheduling multiple subcontractors to work in the same area at the same time
- When two projects share the same critical path
Correct answer: When both the owner and contractor contribute to project delay during the same time period, which can affect each party's entitlement to time extension or delay damages
Concurrent delay occurs when owner-caused and contractor-caused delays overlap in time, and the doctrine governs how courts and arbitrators apportion time extension entitlement and delay damages between the parties.
Question 4: What scheduling document is commonly required by public agency contracts to substantiate a contractor's request for a time extension?
- A contemporaneous schedule delay analysis using the accepted project schedule (Correct answer)
- A narrative cost impact report
- The contractor's internal cash flow projection
- A revised project organizational chart
Correct answer: A contemporaneous schedule delay analysis using the accepted project schedule
Public agency contracts typically require a schedule delay analysis prepared from contemporaneous schedule data to demonstrate that the claimed delay affected the critical path and justifies a time extension.
Question 5: What is the 'contract completion date' versus the 'forecast completion date' in project scheduling?
- The contract completion date is the agreed contractual deadline; the forecast completion date is the scheduler's current projection of when the project will actually finish (Correct answer)
- The contract completion date is set by the owner; the forecast completion date is set by the subcontractors
- The contract completion date applies to milestones; the forecast completion date applies to the whole project
- The contract completion date is fixed; the forecast completion date is fixed after the schedule baseline
Correct answer: The contract completion date is the agreed contractual deadline; the forecast completion date is the scheduler's current projection of when the project will actually finish
The contract completion date is the deadline established in the contract documents, while the forecast completion date reflects the current schedule analysis of when the project is expected to be completed based on actual progress.
Question 6: What does 'schedule acceleration' typically refer to in a construction contract context?
- Owner-directed or voluntary compression of the schedule to recover lost time or meet an earlier completion date, often involving additional cost (Correct answer)
- The automatic speeding up of activities when float is consumed
- Applying a cost factor to account for faster-than-planned production
- The contractor's right to finish ahead of the contract completion date
Correct answer: Owner-directed or voluntary compression of the schedule to recover lost time or meet an earlier completion date, often involving additional cost
Schedule acceleration involves adding resources, working overtime, or re-sequencing work to compress the schedule in response to owner direction or the need to recover delays, and it typically results in additional costs.
CST CST Contract & Procurement Scheduling 2
What is a 'Time Impact Analysis' (TIA) and when is it typically used?