Planning and Programmes

This chapter examines the management function of construction planning. It also looks at the relationships between planning and the management functions of progress monitoring and control, which are addressed in a subsequent chapter. There are essential requirements on all construction projects to plan, monitor and control activities against the project’s scheduled duration. Planning is a functional process carried out at specific phases of the project: pre-tender, pre-contract and contract. Central to this process is the development and implementation of construction programmes, which show, in diagramatic form, the proposed methods and sequence for undertaking the siteworks. This chapter introduces the concepts and principles of planning and its application to programmes, essential to the effective time management of all construction projects.