HOW TO PREPARE A RECOVERY PLAN THAT WORKS

Step 1 – Determine a Cut-off Date

Step 2 – Identify Delayed Activities

Step 3 – Investigate and Identify Root Causes

Step 4 – Establish Recovery Measures

The Special Case of Productivity

Step 5 – Develop Recovery Plan

In the last essay I advanced reasons why many recovery programs do not recover projects. Then I
promised to walk you through the process of preparing a recovery plan that works – that recovers
the project. In this essay I intend to show you how to prepare a recovery plan that works using a
step-by-step approach.
Step 1 – Determine a Cut-off Date
This is very important because it is the point from which you are going to look forward and
backwards. It is the reference point from which you determine project performance – the reference
from which we say, for example, “as at this date (31 July 2019, for example) the project is 35%
behind schedule.
Step 2 – Identify Delayed Activities
This is very straightforward: identify all project tasks that are behind schedule. This includes all
tasks, not just critical path activities. This is where project professionals make mistakes – they focus
only on critical path activities. They forget that all project tasks, once their floats are consumed
become critical and delay the project. The only tasks to leave out are those that will not affect project
completion date.
Yes, include the proverbial ‘little foxes’ that spoil the vine. This is a comprehensive schedule review.
I agree that some activities may be victims of knock-on effect from other activities. Take note of
those as well.
Step 3 – Investigate and Identify Root Causes
This is one of the most important steps of the process of preparing a recovery plan. I would
recommend that you have senior people who have authority and ultimate responsibility to take
decision in the room for this step and the next.
I also recommend making this a joint exercise between the client and contractor teams, preferably in
the contractor’s facilities. You will soon see why.
You may use any of the root cause analysis methods that you are comfortable with. But simply
asking ‘Why’ until no further clarification can be provided shows we have identified the root. As
Leonardo Da Vinci says, “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication”. Keep it simple. The purpose
is the result not just the fancy process.
For example, if a major equipment manufacture is delayed, it is not enough to report vendor delay.
Ask why the vendor is delayed. You may discover that it is caused by engineering deliverable. That
may in turn reveal that engineering is delayed because of dispute over applicable code or standard.
Then we have arrived at the root cause of equipment delay.
Step 4 – Establish Recovery Measures
HOW TO PREPARE A RECOVERY PLAN THAT WORKS

As mentioned in the case above, the person with ultimate authority to decide the applicable standard
should be in the room to give the direction to follow. That should be documented against the delayed
item as recovery measure.
If a project activity is delayed because the specialist has not been mobilized by Human Resources,
then the person who must make the decision should be in the room to give his word.
The same applies to procurement of equipment and every other issue that has caused the delay in
execution of project activities.
But, in most cases this is not done. The project team just sits around a table and postulates
imaginary dates and solutions. Worse still, the planning engineer is instructed to come up with a
recovery plan and he cannot get the required information since he has no authority to compel
anyone to act. I have seen even more ridiculous cases where the client planning engineer is
required to make a recovery plan for the project executed by a contractor. Ridiculous!
The Special Case of Productivity
Productivity is often the cause of many project delays. This requires special attention. The review
process must compare actual resource deployment against the plan. Has the number and quality of
resources assumed in the plan been deployed?
For example, if a concreting work has fallen behind schedule, you need to ask not just about the
number of concrete mixers deployed against plan. You also need to ask if the capacity of the mixers
deployed is same as planned. For instance, if the plan was based on 5 mixers of 10 cubic meters
per hour, it must be established that this is what was deployed.
The same applies to human resources. Don’t just ask about the number and craftsmen; investigate
the competency level and actual output also.
After answering all the questions mentioned above and similar, then you are ready to prepare the
recovery plan.
Step 5 – Develop Recovery Plan
Armed with the results of the investigation: dates of resolution of issues, delivery of equipment,
decisions, etc. you are now ready to put together a recovery plan.
But you need to resolve the following additional issues before you proceed:

1. How much work remains to complete the project within the time left?
2. Will resolution of above issues alone bring the project back on track? If not, what additional
steps must be taken?
3. Will deploying resources as originally planned, if this was the cause of delay, bring about
recovery? If not, how much additional resources must be deployed? Therefore, those
responsible for those decisions need to be in the room.

These are the inputs that you use to build a recovery program. This is now the work of the planning
engineer – to revise the project program using these inputs.
As you can see, the software aspect of the exercise comes at the end.
Let us assume, as above, that this is a concreting work for a concrete car parking lot. Assume also
that at the end of the steps above we discover that outstanding work is 5,000 cubic meters of
concrete to be completed in 10 days.
But the total capacity of the five concrete mixers deployed was 25 cubic meters per hour instead of
50 as planned. This shows that at the end of the 10 days we will have 2,500 cubic meters of
HOW TO PREPARE A RECOVERY PLAN THAT WORKS

concrete remaining. We can then deploy another 3 of 10 cubic meter per day for 9 days. That
ensures that any shortfall is taken care of and the project is completed latest by the completion date.
This is how to prepare a recovery plan that recovers the project. Otherwise, it would be a futile
exercise as, is often the case.
Is this how you approach your recovery plan? If not, does yours work?

4 Comments

1.  ENIEDI EBONG on August 22, 2019 at 1:46 pm

**This comment could not be dropped on the related Topic, but here.
Lack of Due consideration for effect of Changes – Most projects fail to complete as planned
or fail in the RP due to many changes (either to upgrade or apply new techs, etc), yet both
parties fail to consider the effects of the duration these changes have on the project and on
the overall schedule. Most clients have rigorous MOC processes and while this is done per
the required CONTRACT terms, they forget that some changes considering the additional
engineering, Procurement (PO timing, Material delivery, etc), fabrication/construction and
delivery will never allow the schedule to be the same no matter how convincing the
presentations and plans may be. Yet, sometimes despite how hard the contractors try to
make the client see reasons, they continue to see changes as something that can be done in
between without any effect on the project schedule.

o  Emmanuel Udo on October 31, 2019 at 7:28 pm

Changes cannot be ruled out sometimes because the owner discovers late
that certain enhancements might improve the performance or the ROI of the
project. However, insisting that the additional scope be completed without
change in project duration could be very unreasonable sometimes. While it is
true that additional scope items might be completed by mobilizing additional
resources, many times that is not practical because of limitations imposed by
offshore projects environment or brownfield, where additional resources might
lead to overcrowding and reduced productivity.
It is left to the contractor to be transparent with the client and demonstrate the
HOW TO PREPARE A RECOVERY PLAN THAT WORKS

likely outcome of each scenario, and allow the owner to take the decision, and
live with the consequence.

2.  ENIEDI EBONG on August 25, 2019 at 10:36 am

A STEP-BY-STEP APPROACH – This is a very detailed, simplified, direct pointing facts and
best approach for recovery plan/schedule ‘assembly’.
Sadly, many professionals would not go this route especially most senior management level
decision makers because they will consider it time ‘wasting’ and involvement of too many
personnel who should be busy working (I guess – working the project to further slippages)
instead of allowing them avail themselves of the required meetings and direction for
gathering these needed information.
Always and as the case has mostly been, the Planning Engineer or Consultant is expected to
do some adroitness and “manufacture” blind dates that is already late from ‘manufacture’.
Thank you sir for sharing this.

o  Emmanuel Udo on September 25, 2019 at 7:22 pm

That is often the problem. We do not have the time to take the car for service.
But we find all the time to fix the problem when it breaks down and we get
stock on the road.