Training course

Overview

Construction Planning for Professionals is a comprehensive professional training course designed to strengthen the planning, coordination, scheduling, resource management, and project control capabilities of construction professionals involved in project delivery. The course provides a structured approach to converting project requirements, drawings, specifications, contracts, construction methodologies, and resource constraints into practical and controllable construction plans. Participants will develop professional competence in Work Breakdown Structures, construction sequencing, scheduling, resource planning, procurement coordination, site logistics, risk management, progress monitoring, and schedule control across building, civil engineering, infrastructure, and other construction projects.

This construction planning training combines practical construction planning methods with recognized project management and project controls frameworks, including Work Breakdown Structures (WBS), Critical Path Method (CPM), Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT), milestone planning, resource loading, resource leveling, look-ahead planning, risk registers, constraint management, and baseline control. Participants will use professional planning tools such as Gantt charts, network schedules, activity registers, responsibility matrices, resource histograms, procurement schedules, constraint logs, risk registers, progress measurement systems, schedule update templates, and performance dashboards. The program emphasizes coordination between engineering, procurement, construction, commercial, quality, health and safety, environmental, and project management functions.

The course focuses on the practical challenges construction professionals encounter when developing and maintaining reliable project plans. Participants will address incomplete information, design changes, procurement delays, long-lead materials, subcontractor interfaces, resource shortages, productivity variations, site access restrictions, temporary works, adverse conditions, quality requirements, safety constraints, and stakeholder coordination. Through professional case studies, exercises, planning workshops, and realistic project scenarios, participants will learn how to establish realistic activity durations, develop logical sequences, identify critical activities, manage constraints, coordinate workfronts, measure progress, identify schedule threats, and develop practical mitigation and recovery actions.

Designed for planning engineers, project engineers, quantity surveyors, construction managers, site managers, project managers, supervisors, contractors, consultants, and project controls professionals, this 10-day course progresses from professional planning foundations to advanced planning, monitoring, and project recovery techniques. Participants will learn how to develop coordinated baseline schedules, resource plans, procurement programs, look-ahead plans, risk and constraint registers, progress reports, and recovery schedules. The course concludes with an integrated professional planning capstone that requires participants to develop, analyze, update, optimize, and present a comprehensive construction plan for a realistic project scenario.

Course Duration

10 Days (80 Hours)

Target Participants

·         Construction planning engineers and planners

·         Civil, structural, architectural, and project engineers

·         Construction project managers and project coordinators

·         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, coordination, and monitoring

·         Construction professionals seeking structured and practical planning capabilities

Course Objectives

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

·         Apply professional construction planning principles throughout the project lifecycle

·         Interpret project requirements, drawings, specifications, contracts, and technical information for planning purposes

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

·         Develop practical construction methodologies and logical work sequences

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

·         Estimate activity durations and identify critical paths, float, dependencies, and schedule constraints

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

·         Apply resource loading, resource leveling, productivity analysis, and capacity planning

·         Integrate engineering, procurement, construction, commissioning, and handover activities

·         Develop procurement schedules and manage long-lead materials and equipment

·         Prepare site mobilization, logistics, access, storage, temporary facilities, and workfront plans

·         Develop construction risk registers and practical constraint management systems

·         Integrate quality, health and safety, environmental, and permit requirements into construction plans

·         Apply look-ahead planning, weekly work planning, and Lean Construction principles

·         Measure construction progress and prepare schedule updates and performance reports

·         Analyze schedule variance, critical path movement, delays, and emerging project risks

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

·         Use Excel, digital planning tools, BIM, 4D scheduling, and construction dashboards

·         Improve professional planning communication, coordination, documentation, and reporting

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

Course Content

Day 1: Construction Planning Foundations, Professional Practice, and Project Information

Module 1: Construction Planning Foundations, Professional Practice, and Project Information

1.      Fundamentals and Purpose of Professional Construction Planning

2.      Construction Planning Across the Project Lifecycle

3.      Role and Responsibilities of the Construction Planning Professional

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

5.      Construction Drawings, Specifications, Contracts, and Technical Information

6.      Planning Assumptions, Constraints, Interfaces, and Information Gaps

7.      Work Breakdown Structures and Construction Planning Hierarchies

8.      Work Packages, Activities, Deliverables, and Responsibility Assignment

9.      Professional Planning Procedures, Standards, Documentation, and Quality Assurance

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

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

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

1.      Construction Method Statements and Execution Planning

2.      Construction Methods and Selection Criteria

3.      Activity Definition and Work Breakdown into Executable Tasks

4.      Construction Work Sequencing and Logical Relationships

5.      Constructability and Buildability Review

6.      Site Conditions and Their Influence on Construction Methodology

7.      Temporary Works and Temporary Facility Planning

8.      Interface Coordination Between Engineering, Procurement, and Construction

9.      Production Rates, Productivity Factors, and Activity Duration Development

10.  Case Study: Developing a Professional Construction Execution Strategy and Work Sequence

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

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

1.      Principles and Structure of Professional Construction Scheduling

2.      Activity Durations, Calendars, Milestones, and Schedule Coding

3.      Activity Dependencies 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, and Schedule Sensitivity

7.      PERT and Uncertainty in Activity Duration Estimation

8.      Gantt Charts, Network Diagrams, and Schedule Presentation

9.      Baseline Schedule Development, Review, Approval, and Control

10.  Practical Workshop: Developing a Professional Baseline Construction Schedule

Day 4: Resource Planning, Productivity, and Capacity Management

Module 4: Resource Planning, Productivity, and Capacity Management

1.      Principles of Professional Construction Resource Planning

2.      Manpower Requirements and Labour Histograms

3.      Crew Composition, Labour Productivity, and Production Rates

4.      Equipment Selection, Availability, and Utilization Planning

5.      Equipment Productivity, Downtime, and Maintenance Considerations

6.      Material Requirements, Consumption, and Delivery Planning

7.      Subcontractor Resource and Capacity Planning

8.      Resource Loading and Resource-Constrained Scheduling

9.      Resource Leveling, Smoothing, and Productivity Optimization

10.  Practical Exercise: Developing an Integrated Construction Resource Plan

Day 5: Procurement Planning, Logistics, and Construction Readiness

Module 5: Procurement Planning, Logistics, and Construction Readiness

1.      Principles of Construction Procurement Planning

2.      Procurement Schedules and Package Development

3.      Engineering Deliverables and Procurement Interface Management

4.      Long-Lead Materials, Equipment, and Critical Procurement Items

5.      Supplier and Subcontractor Mobilization Planning

6.      Material Delivery, Storage, Handling, and Inventory Requirements

7.      Site Mobilization, Access, Traffic, and Laydown Planning

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

9.      Construction Readiness Reviews and Workfront Release

10.  Case Study: Developing an Integrated Procurement, Logistics, and Readiness Plan

Day 6: Construction Risk, Constraints, Quality, Safety, and Environmental Planning

Module 6: Construction Risk, Constraints, Quality, Safety, and Environmental Planning

1.      Construction Planning Risk Management Principles

2.      Risk Identification, Assessment, Ownership, and Response Planning

3.      Construction Risk Registers and Schedule Risk Integration

4.      Constraint Identification, Tracking, and Removal

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

6.      Quality Planning, Inspection and Test Plans, and Hold Points

7.      Health and Safety Planning, Permits, and Critical Risk Controls

8.      Environmental Requirements and Construction Planning

9.      Interface Risks, Early Warnings, and Schedule Protection Measures

10.  Practical Workshop: Developing an Integrated Construction Risk and Constraint Register

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

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

1.      Principles of Short-Term and Operational Construction Planning

2.      Look-Ahead Planning and Rolling Work Programs

3.      Weekly Work Planning and Commitment Management

4.      Daily Construction Planning and Field Coordination

5.      Last Planner System Principles and Reliable Workflow

6.      Pull Planning and Collaborative Phase Scheduling

7.      Constraint Analysis and Make-Ready Planning

8.      Percent Plan Complete and Workflow Reliability Measurement

9.      Lean Construction, Waste Reduction, PDCA, and Continuous Improvement

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

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

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

1.      Construction Schedule Control Principles

2.      Progress Measurement Methodologies and Rules of Credit

3.      Planned Versus Actual Progress Analysis

4.      Schedule Updates, Data Dates, and Baseline Comparisons

5.      Milestone Tracking and Critical Path Monitoring

6.      Float Consumption, Schedule Variance, and Trend Analysis

7.      Construction Planning KPIs and Performance Indicators

8.      Forecasting Completion Dates and Remaining Work

9.      Professional Schedule Reports, Dashboards, and Management Communication

10.  Practical Exercise: Updating a Construction Schedule and Preparing a Professional Progress Report

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

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

1.      Construction Delay Identification and Classification

2.      Delay Causes, Responsibility, and Schedule Impact

3.      Critical Path and Near-Critical Path Delay Analysis

4.      Time-Impact Analysis and Schedule Impact Assessment

5.      Disruption, Productivity Loss, and Workfront Interference

6.      Recovery Planning and Schedule Mitigation Strategies

7.      Resequencing, Fast-Tracking, and Schedule Optimization

8.      Resource Reallocation and Productivity Improvement

9.      Acceleration Planning, Cost Implications, and Risk Assessment

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

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

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

1.      Integrated Construction Planning and Project Execution Strategy

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

3.      Integration of Quality, Safety, Environmental, and Technical Requirements

4.      Planning Governance, Change Control, and Baseline Protection

5.      Scenario Planning, Contingency, and Construction Readiness

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

7.      Construction Planning Documentation, Reporting, and Knowledge Management

8.      Lessons Learned, Planning Performance, and Continuous Improvement

9.      Integrated Professional Construction Planning Simulation and Review

10.  Capstone Project: Developing, Updating, Optimizing, and Presenting a Complete Professional Construction Plan