Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
ority or in order of finish dates or even by the person or group doing the work (box 2-1). The charts
are usually used to provide a quick visual reference of the overall project status by showing the start
and end dates for each activity. (The step-by-step process of making a Gantt chart is explained in
appendix 1.) The power of a Gantt chart is that it is easy to create, easy to update, and very useful
for both planning and control functions through the project life cycle. They are particularly use-
ful when explaining the status of a project to a sponsor or other stakeholders. For most projects,
a Gantt chart can adequately serve the purposes, but it may not be suitable for more complex
projects or ones that involve multiple factors simultaneously. One weakness of Gantt charts is that
they don't necessarily show the projectwide consequences of changing the schedule of a specific
taskā€”that is, Gantt charts typically only look at tasks as if they were independent activities and do
not take into account their interconnected nature (Frame 1995).
Box 2-1. Gantt Chart Elements
1. List the activities required (work breakdown structure).
2. Estimate the time required for each activity.
3. Establish time units.
4. Identify the resources required.
5. Draw lines between the start and end dates.
Creating the Project Budget
The material expenses associated with constructing a restoration project can be daunting, espe-
cially if the site is in need of major improvements to sustain the planned restoration effort. Accu-
rately estimating the overall project cost is important for project managers so that they can request
sufficient resources to complete the project as scoped, and according to the project schedule. We
have observed more than a few projects where resources apparently ran out prior to completion of
all project activities, resulting in incomplete projects, stymied teams, disappointed project spon-
sors, and frustrated permitting agencies. The primary goal of project management is to deliver the
project in accordance with the established scope, schedule, and cost for the project. Establishing
an appropriate cost target at the beginning of the project is crucial for future project success. To
develop an accurate project budget, it is important to examine two key elements: the project sup-
port budget and the project improvement budget. Taken together, these two elements form the
overall project budget.
PROJECT SUPPORT BUDGET
The project support budget tells the project sponsor how much the project development compo-
nent will cost and whether the project can be completed within the budget defined by the project
sponsor. It is an estimate of the costs for all labor and materials required by the project team to
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