Forensic Delay Analysis for Beginners | Pragmatic Project Consilium |

#Forensic_Schedule_Analysis:

Forensic schedule analysis is a retrospective investigation that aims to identify project delays and determine responsibility. It seeks to establish cause-and-effect relationships.

#Why_Schedules_Become_Distorted:

Schedules should accurately reflect a project's historic position and future forecasts, but several factors can lead to distortions.

1. Human Error: Managing schedules with thousands of activities and logical relationships can lead to errors.
2. Practicalities of Planning: Sometimes, practical considerations like revisiting completed work or not updating schedules adequately can cause distortions.
3. Quality and Compatibility of Records: The method of measuring progress must align with the schedule's measurement criteria to prevent distortions.
4. Planner's Skill: Skilled planners insert new activities when needed, but oversight can lead to distortions.
5. Settings in Transmitting Schedules: Differences in software settings can result in discrepancies between parties looking at the same schedule.
6. Willful Manipulation: Some parties may manipulate schedules for their commercial advantage.

#Sources for Forensic Schedule Analysis:

The forensic schedule analyst relies on various sources to investigate projects retrospectively:
1. Baseline Schedule: The initial schedule serves as a benchmark for measuring delays. Ensuring its accuracy is crucial.
2. As-Built Schedule: This schedule represents factual data and is vital for determining what actually happened.
3. Schedule Updates: Monitoring variables that affect the schedule between updates helps identify deceptive features.
4. Documentation: Analyzing project documents provides an objective reflection of the facts, enhancing the case's credibility.

#Scenario_Analysis:

1. To illustrate potential distortions, let's consider a simple baseline schedule involving two buildings and six scenarios of manipulation.
2. Provide details and explanations for each scenario in the analysis.
3. Understanding the Schedule:
4. Analyze the general sequence of works in the schedule.
5. Differentiate between historical as-built data and forecasted work.
6. Make observations and note critical changes.
7. Continue with the scenario analysis, providing details and explanations for each scenario.

#Validation_Process:

· Variables in Schedules
· Baseline Validation
· Progress Update Validation
· As-Built Schedule Validation
· Delay Event Validation
· Validation Tools