Page 154 - DCAP601_SIMULATION_AND_MODELING

Simulation and Modelling

Notes Activities 1-3 and 2-4 have total float of 1 week each, represented by the solid timeline which
begins at the latest start and ends at the latest finish. The difference is the float, which gives us the
flexibility to schedule the activity.
For example, we might send the staff on leave during that one week or give them some other
work to do. Or we may choose to start the activity slightly later than planned, knowing that we
have a week’s float in hand. We might even break the activity in the middle (if this is permitted)
for a week and divert the staff for some other work, or declare a National or Festival holiday as
required under the National and Festival Holidays Act.
These are some of the examples of the use of float to schedule an activity. Once all the activities
that can be scheduled are scheduled to the convenience of the project, normally reflecting resource
optimisation measures, we can say that the project has been scheduled.

Lab Exercise

A Social Project manager is faced with a project with the following activities:
Activity-id Activity - Description Duration

1-2 Social Work Team to live in Village 5 Weeks
1-3 Social Research Team to do survey 12 Weeks
3-4 Analyse results of survey 5 Weeks

2-4 Establish Mother & Child Health Program 14 Weeks
3-5 Establish Rural Credit Programme 15 Weeks

4-5 Carry out Immunisation of Under Fives 4 Weeks
1. Draw the arrow diagram, using the helpful numbering of the activities, which suggests
the following logic:
2. Unless the Social Work team lives in the village, the Mother and Child Health Programme
cannot be started due to ignorance and superstition of the villagers
3. The Analysis of the survey can obviously be done only after the survey is complete.
4. Until rural survey is done, the Rural Credit Programme cannot be started

5. Unless Mother and Child Programme is established, the Immunisation of Under Fives
cannot be started
Calculate the Earliest and Latest Event Times

Tabulate and Analyse the Activities
Schedule the Project using a Gantt Chart

The PERT (Probabilistic) Approach

So far we have talked about projects, where there is high assurance about the outcomes of
activities. In other words, the cause-effect logic is well known. This is particularly the case in
Engineering projects.
However, in Research & Development projects, or in Social Projects which are defined as “Process
Projects”, where learning is an significant outcome, the cause-effect relationship is not so well
established.

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