Training course

Overview

Construction Planning is a comprehensive professional training course designed to develop the practical and strategic capabilities required to plan construction projects effectively from concept through execution and completion. The course provides a structured understanding of construction planning principles, project scope, work breakdown structures, construction methodologies, resource planning, site logistics, procurement, scheduling, cost integration, risk management, quality, safety, environmental requirements, and project controls. Participants will learn how effective construction planning creates realistic execution strategies, improves coordination, supports reliable project delivery, and provides a strong foundation for controlling time, cost, quality, resources, and project risk.

This construction planning training focuses on practical application using recognized project management and construction planning frameworks, including Work Breakdown Structures (WBS), Critical Path Method (CPM), Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT), resource loading, resource leveling, look-ahead planning, milestone planning, baseline management, risk registers, and performance monitoring. Participants will work with practical planning tools such as construction schedules, Gantt charts, network diagrams, activity registers, responsibility matrices, procurement schedules, manpower histograms, equipment plans, material schedules, site logistics plans, constraint logs, and progress dashboards. The course emphasizes the integration of planning information across engineering, procurement, construction, commercial, quality, safety, and project management functions.

The program addresses the real-world complexities that affect construction planning, including incomplete information, design changes, resource shortages, long-lead materials, subcontractor interfaces, productivity variations, access restrictions, adverse site conditions, procurement delays, weather impacts, safety constraints, quality requirements, and stakeholder coordination. Through practical exercises, case studies, planning workshops, and project simulations, participants will learn how to develop workable construction sequences, establish realistic activity durations, identify critical activities, manage constraints, optimize resources, develop recovery plans, and maintain reliable short-, medium-, and long-term execution plans. The course also introduces Lean Construction concepts, Last Planner System principles, pull planning, constraint management, and continuous improvement.

Designed for construction planners, project managers, engineers, quantity surveyors, site managers, supervisors, contractors, consultants, and project controls professionals, this 10-day course progresses from foundational planning concepts to advanced integrated construction planning and project recovery. Participants will develop the ability to transform project requirements and technical information into coordinated execution plans that can be communicated and controlled across project teams. The course culminates in an integrated construction planning capstone where participants develop a comprehensive project execution plan, baseline schedule, resource strategy, procurement plan, risk and constraint register, site logistics strategy, short-term look-ahead plan, and project recovery response for a realistic construction scenario.

Course Duration

10 Days (80 Hours)

Target Participants

·         Construction planners and planning engineers

·         Construction project managers and project coordinators

·         Civil, structural, architectural, and project engineers

·         Site managers, construction managers, and supervisors

·         Project controls and scheduling professionals

·         Quantity surveyors and cost management professionals

·         Contractors, subcontractors, consultants, and developers

·         Procurement and construction logistics professionals

·         Professionals responsible for project execution planning and coordination

·         Construction professionals seeking practical and advanced planning skills

Course Objectives

By the end of the training, participants will be able to:

·         Explain the principles, purpose, and role of construction planning throughout the project lifecycle

·         Convert project requirements, drawings, specifications, and contractual obligations into practical construction plans

·         Develop Work Breakdown Structures, activity registers, work packages, and planning hierarchies

·         Develop construction methodologies, execution strategies, and logical work sequences

·         Prepare construction schedules using Gantt charts, network logic, CPM, PERT, and milestone planning

·         Calculate activity durations, dependencies, float, critical paths, and schedule constraints

·         Develop manpower, equipment, material, and subcontractor resource plans

·         Integrate procurement schedules and long-lead items into construction programs

·         Develop site logistics, temporary works, access, storage, traffic, and mobilization plans

·         Apply risk management, constraint management, and schedule contingency techniques

·         Develop baseline schedules and establish effective schedule control procedures

·         Apply resource loading, resource leveling, and productivity analysis

·         Develop short-term, look-ahead, weekly, and daily construction plans

·         Apply Lean Construction and Last Planner System principles to improve workflow reliability

·         Monitor progress using planned-versus-actual analysis, milestones, KPIs, and schedule performance indicators

·         Identify delays, critical path impacts, and emerging schedule risks

·         Develop practical recovery, acceleration, resequencing, and mitigation plans

·         Integrate quality, health and safety, environmental, commercial, and technical requirements into construction planning

·         Use digital planning tools, dashboards, BIM, and construction data to improve planning decisions

·         Develop and present a complete integrated construction plan through a practical capstone project

Course Content

Day 1: Construction Planning Foundations, Project Lifecycle, and Planning Frameworks

Module 1: Construction Planning Foundations, Project Lifecycle, and Planning Frameworks

1.      Fundamentals, Purpose, and Principles of Construction Planning

2.      Construction Planning Across the Project Lifecycle

3.      Project Requirements, Scope, Deliverables, and Planning Inputs

4.      Contract Documents, Drawings, Specifications, and Information Requirements

5.      Construction Planning Roles, Responsibilities, and Interfaces

6.      Work Breakdown Structures and Planning Hierarchies

7.      Work Packages, Control Accounts, Activities, and Deliverables

8.      Construction Planning Standards, Procedures, and Best Practices

9.      Planning Assumptions, Constraints, Risks, and Planning Quality

10.  Practical Exercise: Developing the Initial Planning Framework for a Construction Project

Day 2: Construction Methodology, Work Sequencing, and Execution Strategy

Module 2: Construction Methodology, Work Sequencing, and Execution Strategy

1.      Construction Method Statements and Execution Planning

2.      Construction Methods and Selection Criteria

3.      Work Sequencing and Construction Logic

4.      Constructability Analysis and Buildability Reviews

5.      Site Conditions and Their Influence on Construction Planning

6.      Temporary Works and Temporary Facilities Planning

7.      Interface Management Between Engineering, Procurement, and Construction

8.      Construction Productivity, Production Rates, and Activity Duration Planning

9.      Alternative Construction Methods and Sequence Optimization

10.  Case Study: Developing a Detailed Construction Execution Strategy for a Complex Project

Day 3: Construction Scheduling, CPM, PERT, and Baseline Development

Module 3: Construction Scheduling, CPM, PERT, and Baseline Development

1.      Principles of Construction Scheduling

2.      Activity Definition, Duration Estimation, and Calendar Development

3.      Activity Relationships and Network Logic

4.      Finish-to-Start, Start-to-Start, Finish-to-Finish, and Lag Relationships

5.      Critical Path Method and Critical Path Identification

6.      Float, Near-Critical Activities, Milestones, and Schedule Sensitivity

7.      PERT and Probabilistic Duration Estimation

8.      Gantt Charts, Network Diagrams, and Schedule Presentation

9.      Baseline Schedule Development, Review, and Approval

10.  Practical Workshop: Developing a Construction Baseline Schedule from a Work Breakdown Structure

Day 4: Resource Planning, Productivity, and Construction Capacity

Module 4: Resource Planning, Productivity, and Construction Capacity

1.      Principles of Construction Resource Planning

2.      Manpower Planning and Labour Histograms

3.      Labour Productivity, Production Rates, and Crew Balancing

4.      Construction Equipment Planning and Utilization

5.      Equipment Productivity, Downtime, and Availability

6.      Material Resource Planning and Consumption Requirements

7.      Subcontractor Capacity and Specialist Resource Planning

8.      Resource Loading and Resource-Constrained Scheduling

9.      Resource Leveling, Smoothing, and Capacity Optimization

10.  Practical Exercise: Developing an Integrated Manpower, Equipment, and Material Resource Plan

Day 5: Procurement Planning, Site Logistics, and Construction Readiness

Module 5: Procurement Planning, Site Logistics, and Construction Readiness

1.      Construction Procurement Planning Principles

2.      Procurement Schedules and Long-Lead Item Identification

3.      Engineering Deliverables and Procurement Interface Planning

4.      Supplier and Subcontractor Mobilization Requirements

5.      Material Delivery, Storage, Handling, and Inventory Planning

6.      Site Establishment and Mobilization Planning

7.      Site Access, Traffic Management, Laydown Areas, and Logistics

8.      Temporary Facilities, Utilities, Security, and Site Services

9.      Construction Readiness Reviews and Pre-Construction Planning

10.  Case Study: Developing a Procurement and Site Logistics Plan for a Major Construction Project

Day 6: Risk, Constraints, Quality, Safety, Environment, and Integrated Planning

Module 6: Risk, Constraints, Quality, Safety, Environment, and Integrated Planning

1.      Construction Planning Risk Management Principles

2.      Risk Registers, Risk Ownership, and Mitigation Planning

3.      Constraint Identification and Constraint Removal

4.      Design, Approval, Access, Procurement, and Resource Constraints

5.      Quality Planning and Inspection Requirements

6.      Health and Safety Planning and Construction Risk Controls

7.      Environmental Management Requirements and Construction Planning

8.      Permit-to-Work, Hold Points, Witness Points, and Regulatory Constraints

9.      Integrated Risk and Constraint Management for Schedule Protection

10.  Practical Workshop: Developing a Construction Risk and Constraint Register Linked to the Project Schedule

Day 7: Short-Term Planning, Look-Ahead Planning, Lean Construction, and Workflow

Module 7: Short-Term Planning, Look-Ahead Planning, Lean Construction, and Workflow

1.      Principles of Short-Term and Operational Construction Planning

2.      Look-Ahead Planning and Weekly Work Planning

3.      Daily Planning and Crew-Level Work Coordination

4.      Last Planner System Principles and Reliable Workflow

5.      Pull Planning and Collaborative Schedule Development

6.      Constraint Analysis and Make-Ready Planning

7.      Percent Plan Complete and Workflow Reliability Measurement

8.      Lean Construction, Waste Identification, and Continuous Improvement

9.      Daily Coordination Meetings, Planning Boards, and Field Communication

10.  Simulation Exercise: Conducting a Collaborative Look-Ahead and Weekly Construction Planning Workshop

Day 8: Schedule Control, Progress Measurement, Forecasting, and Performance

Module 8: Schedule Control, Progress Measurement, Forecasting, and Performance

1.      Construction Schedule Control Principles

2.      Progress Measurement Systems and Rules of Credit

3.      Planned Versus Actual Progress Analysis

4.      Schedule Updates and Data Date Management

5.      Milestone Tracking and Critical Path Monitoring

6.      Schedule Variance, Trend Analysis, and Early Warning Indicators

7.      Schedule Performance Metrics and Construction KPIs

8.      Forecasting Completion Dates and Remaining Duration

9.      Schedule Reporting, Dashboards, and Management Communication

10.  Practical Exercise: Updating a Construction Schedule and Preparing a Project Performance Report

Day 9: Delay Analysis, Recovery Planning, Acceleration, and Advanced Optimization

Module 9: Delay Analysis, Recovery Planning, Acceleration, and Advanced Optimization

1.      Construction Delay Identification and Classification

2.      Critical Path Impact and Delay Analysis

3.      Excusable, Non-Excusable, Compensable, and Concurrent Delay Concepts

4.      Schedule Impact Analysis and Time-Impact Assessment

5.      Recovery Planning and Schedule Mitigation Strategies

6.      Resequencing, Fast-Tracking, and Crashing

7.      Resource Reallocation and Productivity Improvement

8.      Acceleration Planning, Cost Implications, and Risk Assessment

9.      Recovery Schedule Development and Performance Monitoring

10.  Advanced Case Study: Developing and Defending a Recovery Plan for a Delayed Construction Project

Day 10: Integrated Construction Planning, Project Governance, and Capstone

Module 10: Integrated Construction Planning, Project Governance, and Capstone

1.      Integrated Construction Planning and Project Execution Strategy

2.      Integration of Scope, Schedule, Cost, Resources, Procurement, and Risk

3.      Construction Planning Governance and Change Control

4.      Schedule Baseline Protection and Management of Approved Changes

5.      Construction Forecasting, Scenario Planning, and Contingency Strategies

6.      Digital Construction Planning, BIM, 4D Scheduling, and Project Dashboards

7.      Construction Planning Documentation, Reporting, and Knowledge Management

8.      Lessons Learned, Planning Performance, and Continuous Improvement

9.      Integrated Construction Planning Simulation and Professional Review

10.  Capstone Project: Developing, Presenting, and Defending a Complete Integrated Construction Plan