Digital Dryshack #87: 10 Reasons D.O.D. Schedules get Rejected

Working with a G.C. firm providing scheduling training in Honolulu last week reminded me of the struggles most midsize contractors face when submitting an Initial Project Schedule (IPS) to NAVFAC or the Army Corps of Engineers. Most contractors produce a simple bar chart in MS Project for their typical jobs and aren’t familiar with P6. Rarely are the rigorous and demanding scheduling complexities included in D.O.D. project manuals required by private industry or commercial work.

So when awarded a NAVFAC or USACE project, Contractors aren’t getting paid for anything but the bond because their IPS is rejected multiple times for a myriad of reasons. For this reason, I’ve listed the 10 most common reasons the Government rejects Initial Project Schedule submissions:

1. Incomplete Logical Network is the #1 reason most schedules are re­jected. These 2 rules are absolutely non-negotiable:
   1. Every Activity but the first (Contract Award) must have a Predecessor
   2. Every Activity but the last (CCD) must have a Successor
2. Schedule Log report not reviewed for compliance with Project Spec is the #2 reason for rejected schedules. This invaluable report lists all Constraints, Critical Path Activities, mandatory program settings, open-ended and out-of-sequence Activities, and much more. If you don’t review this report each and every time before all schedule submissions, you are making a huge mistake!
3. Mandatory Activities such as Contract Award and Contract Completion Date (CCD) must start and end the project, are not properly entered with their proper Constraints as outlined in the Project Specs.
4. Other Contractual Dates mandated by the Contract missing or incorrectly entered, including not using the entire Contract term.
5. Activities too broad, not broken down by Areas, often with Durations too long, (max. 20 days for Construction Activities).
6. Submittal Review / Approval Durations, Close Out requirements, etc. incorrect or incomplete.
7. Global Calendars or Activity Codes. (must be Project level)
8. Cost Loading incomplete, or not using Resource based on Labor Units.
9. Reports incomplete, Narrative, S-Curves, & Earnings Reports not submitted
10. Activity Code assignments All Activities must have assignments for ALL Activity Codes mandated in the Project Spec. (Responsibility, Area, Phase, CSI, etc.)

Avoid these ten pitfalls, and you’re much more likely to get your Initial Schedule and Pay Apps approved. If not the first time, shortly after negotiating a few minor adjustments – Barry Cassell