Project schedules

Project Manager starts with the organization receiving the work, the project owner and the intended delivery dates. Budget and delivery method provide commercial context. Work packages divide that commitment into manageable pieces, each with its own owner, planned interval and estimated hours. Tasks then connect the plan to the people doing the work.

Delivery Lead needs to see how the package dates support the project commitment before authorizing the work. Keep the project and package records connected when dates change. A package slipping past the project end deserves an explicit discussion about scope, staffing or the commitment, with the resulting decision retained for the next review.

• Project commitment. Project Manager records the start, end, organization and delivery method. Planned, Active, On Hold and At Risk describe different management situations that need a clear owner and an understandable next action.
• Package ownership. Each work package belongs to a project and carries a responsible team member. Its dates and estimated hours give the owner a practical starting point for task planning and baseline preparation.
• Delivery review. Delivery Lead examines progress and supporting evidence alongside the original plan. Project Manager keeps blocked work visible and checks package outcomes before closing the wider project.

Agree how the team divides a project into work packages and what each owner is responsible for keeping current. Decide which dates represent external commitments and which are working planning dates. Use consistent project and package codes so imported work remains attached to the intended engagement when names are similar.

Choose how actual task hours, approved time entries and progress will be read together. They answer related questions but may come from different updates. Have Project Manager inspect the source records before using a summary to explain whether the package is complete or whether the project needs a revised commitment.

Use a project with design work followed by implementation and verification. Project Manager creates the work packages and their dates, then assigns their owners. The implementation package starts before the planned design handoff. The manager asks the owners to clarify which tasks truly depend on the design outcome before preparing the baseline graph.

After the dates and dependencies are checked, Delivery Lead reviews the feasible package and records whether the team should use it. During delivery, a blocked task pushes the package beyond the project end. Keep the original decision and current exception visible while the manager prepares the next plan. Rehearse closing the package with an unresolved verification issue and confirm that the team inspects the evidence before declaring the project complete.

• Work Package Schedule — Open work packages with their owner, planned start and end, and estimated hours.
• Active Projects — Active, at-risk and on-hold project commitments with their dates and progress.
• Recorded Decisions — The subject, reviewer and notes behind recorded delivery decisions.

Use Plan and authorize a schedule, then Track work and time to connect the plan with actual delivery.