The DCMA is a Division of the US Department of Defense (DoD), and their assessment is a checklist of 14 components of a project schedule with some additional parameters to indicate where that schedule may be weak or strong.

The DCMA 14-point schedule assessment has now become a guideline that is extensively used and has been implemented into many software tools including Primavera P6.

Let us know what precisely the DCMA 14-point schedule assessment checking is? Let’s check it out.

Well, DCMA 14-point schedule is an evaluating tool that checks whether a schedule is well-built, whether it complies with a set of best practices which are essential to the success and manageability of a project. But undoubtedly a well-functioned assessment of your schedule using DCMA 14-point schedule is of great value to any construction project.

You can review your project schedule against these 14 items:

1.Logic check

Check the dependency relationships in the project schedule. Check whether the logic is complete or not, are there any missing links found? Well, we all know that a project schedule is a network and if that network is not complete because of any missing logic, then the exact critical path is not possible.

2.Leads Check

The negative lags are referred as “Lead time.” These negative lags can cause any issues as well as they are bit confusing. The aim is to have zero negative lags in your schedule.

3.Lags Check

Too many positive lags (5%) flags a risk, and the goal is to minimize the use of positive lags in your schedule.

4.Right Relationship types

Primavera P6 and other software support four relationships types. You should always build a schedule from finish-start. DCMA says your schedule should use Finish-start 90% of the time.

5.Hard Constraints Check

The hard constraints can affect the logic and can disable a schedule from being logic-driven. Too many fixed dates in your project schedule create risk, DCMA suggests to not having hard constraints on more than 5% of all constrained activities.

6.Checking High Float

44 days is all you get to check the high float activities. They may not be linked correctly and also may cause havoc on your critical path. This check looks for activities with Total Float values over 44 days. Too many tasks with high floats suggest poor logic or control.

7.Checking Negative Float

If you are following these checkups up to here, then you may not face a problem with negative float. Usually, DCMA suggests avoiding having a negative float in your project schedule. But yes, if you do, make sure you have well-documented plan to minimize being late.

8.Long Duration Checks

When an activity takes long duration for checks, the risks increases. DCMA suggests to break those extended activities down into some shorter series.

9.Invalid Dates Check

Are your actual dates being beyond your data dates? Or no forecast dates in the past before your data date? The Primavera P6 may not allow some of these circumstances but remember these checks can apply to a schedule built in any software package.

10.Resources Check

Check whether all the tasks are appropriately resourced. DCMA likes their schedules to be resourced correctly and also if you follow this path, make sure you might not have missed out functional activities.

11.Missed task check

Everyone wants their project to complete in time. This check looks at how many activities have finished late according to the schedule. It’s a good generic check to see if your project completes in time of delivery in time.

12.Critical Path Test Check

The Critical Path check is one that tests the integrity of your schedules critical path activities driven by excellent logic thinking. Also checks whether the software correctly handles extensions to critical activities of a path.

13.Check Critical Path Length Index (CPLI)

It is another check the realism of completing the project on time.

14.Baseline Execution Index (BEI) Check

This is a check on progress to date against the baseline. The BEI is meant to help you understand how well you are performing against your project schedule. The BEI also sums up how many activities are ahead of behind schedule against the baseline.

Summary

Using DCMA 14-Point schedule quality checks, it is easy to calculate and review project schedules. It can also help you to evaluate how thoroughly a supplier can build and execute an exact schedule. The DCMA 14- point schedule serves as a useful schedule quality indicator that evacuates subjective evaluations.