The hook
Project planning is the scope, schedule, budget, resources tradeoff. Underestimating any of the four leads to lost money or angry clients (often both). Surveying projects fail at the planning stage far more often than at the field-work stage.
- 1Define scope preciselyWhat deliverables, in what format, by what date, to what accuracy. Vague scope = scope creep = unbilled hours.
- 2Estimate hours by phaseRecords research, field work, office processing, drafting, review. Each phase has its own rate of effort.
- 3Build the scheduleSequence dependencies (records before field, field before office). Add weather/site-access buffer. Account for review cycles.
- 4Resource the workCrew + equipment availability. A 2-person crew with a robotic total station is faster than a 3-person crew with a conventional. Plan around what's actually available.
- 5Build the budgetHours × labor rates + equipment + overhead + profit. Disclose assumptions and exclusions.
- 6Track + adjustCompare actual hours to estimate at each milestone. Re-baseline early when reality diverges; surprises late kill margins.
Memorize these
Concepts that show up on the exam
Scope statement
A written description of exactly what the project will deliver. Becomes part of the contract.
Work breakdown structure (WBS)
Hierarchical decomposition of the project into deliverables and tasks. Foundation for estimating and tracking.
Critical path
The longest sequence of dependent tasks. Delays on the critical path delay the project; delays elsewhere may not.
Contingency
Hours/dollars set aside for the inevitable surprises. 10-15% is typical for survey work; more for high-uncertainty projects.
Test yourself
How well did it stick?
A quick 5-question check on Project Planning. See where you stand and what to review.