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Quest Training

Project Planning, Scheduling & Cost Control Training Course

Builds integrated project control skills, from work breakdown structures and logical schedules to progress monitoring, budgeting and control of project costs.

PPSC · Project Planning, Scheduling & Cost ManagementAll Levels#2689ClassroomEnglish , Arabic
Duration
5 Days
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Free substitution at any time · 30+ days' notice: full refund minus 10%. Cancellation policy

Sectors:Project Management & PMOCategories:Project Planning, Scheduling & Cost Management

Course Overview

The Project Planning, Scheduling & Cost Control Training Course provides project managers, planning engineers, project controls professionals, and cost engineers with the technical knowledge and practical skills required to develop reliable project plans, prepare integrated schedules, monitor progress, and control project expenditure. The programme focuses on integrating scope, time, resources, and cost into a coordinated project control framework that supports informed decision-making and successful project delivery. Effective project planning establishes the foundation for managing activities, allocating resources, coordinating stakeholders, and achieving project objectives within approved time and budget limits. This course explores the principles of project scope definition, work breakdown structures, activity sequencing, duration estimation, resource planning, and schedule development. Participants learn how to establish realistic project baselines and maintain alignment between planned activities, available resources, contractual commitments, and delivery milestones. The programme examines scheduling techniques, including the Critical Path Method (CPM), network diagrams, dependency analysis, float assessment, and schedule updating. Participants develop an understanding of how delays, resource constraints, scope changes, and productivity variations can influence project completion. Particular attention is given to progress measurement, schedule variance analysis, forecasting, and the identification of early-warning indicators that enable project teams to respond to emerging problems before they significantly affect delivery. Cost control is addressed as an integral part of project management rather than a separate financial activity. Participants explore cost estimation, budgeting, cost baselines, expenditure monitoring, variance analysis, cash flow forecasting, and cost-to-complete assessment. The course also introduces Earned Value Management (EVM) as a structured approach to evaluating project performance by comparing planned work, completed work, and actual expenditure. Through practical exercises, schedule development activities, cost analysis, and integrated project case studies, participants develop the capability to assess project performance, identify deviations, evaluate corrective actions, and communicate reliable forecasts to management. The programme is suitable for organizations seeking to improve project predictability, strengthen cost discipline, enhance coordination between planning and commercial functions, and establish consistent project controls practices across construction, engineering, infrastructure, energy, industrial, and other project-based environments.

Learning Objectives

  • Explain the principles and processes of integrated project planning, scheduling, and cost control.
  • Translate project scope and contractual requirements into structured work breakdown structures and planning deliverables.
  • Develop logical project schedules using activity definition, sequencing, duration estimation, and dependency analysis.
  • Apply Critical Path Method techniques to identify critical activities and evaluate schedule flexibility.
  • Establish realistic project baselines for scope, schedule, resources, and cost.
  • Allocate resources effectively and evaluate the effects of resource constraints on project schedules.
  • Monitor project progress using appropriate physical progress measurement and reporting techniques.
  • Analyse schedule deviations, identify delay drivers, and develop practical recovery strategies.
  • Prepare cost estimates, project budgets, and cost baselines aligned with project scope and delivery requirements.
  • Apply cost variance analysis and Earned Value Management techniques to evaluate project performance.
  • Forecast project completion dates, final costs, and remaining resource requirements using reliable project data.
  • Develop integrated project control reports and recommend corrective actions that support timely and cost-effective delivery.

Who Should Attend

This course is designed for professionals responsible for project planning, scheduling, cost management, performance monitoring, and project delivery across technical and commercial environments. Project managers and senior project managers responsible for achieving scope, schedule, and budget objectives. Planning engineers and project schedulers involved in developing and updating project programmes. Project controls managers and specialists responsible for integrated schedule and cost performance monitoring. Cost engineers and cost controllers involved in estimating, budgeting, expenditure analysis, and forecasting. Project engineers and construction engineers coordinating activities, resources, and delivery milestones. Programme managers and portfolio professionals overseeing multiple projects and resource priorities. Quantity surveyors and commercial professionals involved in project cost reporting and financial control. Construction and engineering managers responsible for productivity, progress monitoring, and resource utilization. Risk managers and project risk specialists assessing schedule uncertainty, cost exposure, and mitigation measures. Project management office (PMO) professionals responsible for planning standards, reporting, and performance governance. Contract managers and project administrators involved in tracking commitments, variations, and project performance. Professionals working in infrastructure, construction, oil and gas, energy, manufacturing, and industrial projects. Government and public-sector project professionals responsible for programme implementation, budget utilization, and project accountability.

Learning Outcomes

  • Explain the relationship between project scope, schedule, resources, and cost performance.
  • Develop a structured work breakdown structure and translate project requirements into manageable activities.
  • Prepare project schedules using logical relationships, duration estimates, and milestone definitions.
  • Identify critical path activities, calculate float, and assess the implications of schedule changes.
  • Establish and maintain project baselines for measuring performance and controlling changes.
  • Evaluate resource requirements and identify potential resource conflicts and scheduling constraints.
  • Measure physical progress and compare actual performance against approved plans.
  • Investigate schedule variances and recommend appropriate corrective or recovery actions.
  • Prepare project cost estimates, budgets, and expenditure monitoring frameworks.
  • Apply Earned Value Management indicators to assess schedule and cost performance.
  • Forecast project completion dates, final costs, and remaining expenditure using available performance information.
  • Prepare integrated project control reports that communicate risks, deviations, forecasts, and management recommendations.

Course Outline

Day 1

Project Planning Fundamentals and Work Breakdown Structure Development

  • The role of project planning and controls in achieving delivery objectives.
  • Understanding the relationship between project scope, contractual requirements, deliverables, schedule, and budget.
  • Defining project objectives, assumptions, constraints, milestones, and acceptance criteria.
  • Developing a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) to organize project scope into manageable components.
  • Establishing work packages, deliverables, responsibilities, and planning interfaces.
  • Defining project activities and identifying logical relationships between tasks.
  • Estimating activity durations based on scope, productivity, resources, and working conditions.
  • Identifying planning constraints, external dependencies, and stakeholder requirements.
  • Establishing planning assumptions, documentation standards, and schedule development procedures.
  • Coordinating planning inputs across engineering, procurement, construction, commissioning, and other project functions.
  • Establishing the basis for an integrated project schedule and cost estimate.
  • Practical Exercise: Develop a WBS and preliminary activity register for a sample engineering or construction project, identify key milestones and dependencies, and establish the principal planning assumptions.
Day 2

Project Scheduling, Critical Path Analysis, and Resource Planning

  • Understanding scheduling principles and the structure of a logic-linked project programme.
  • Developing network diagrams and defining activity relationships.
  • Applying the Critical Path Method (CPM) to calculate early and late activity dates.
  • Identifying critical activities and assessing total float and free float.
  • Understanding the effects of activity constraints, calendars, and working-time assumptions.
  • Evaluating schedule quality, logic completeness, and unrealistic activity durations.
  • Developing resource-loaded schedules and assessing workforce, equipment, and material requirements.
  • Identifying resource conflicts, workload peaks, and potential resource bottlenecks.
  • Exploring resource levelling and schedule optimization within practical constraints.
  • Establishing a schedule baseline and defining procedures for controlled updates.
  • Assessing the schedule implications of changes, delays, and revised delivery requirements.
  • Practical Exercise: Develop a logic-linked schedule for a sample project, calculate the critical path and float, identify resource constraints, and assess the effects of a selected delay on planned completion.
Day 3

Project Cost Estimation, Budgeting, and Cost Baseline Development

  • Understanding the principles of project cost management and cost breakdown structures.
  • Identifying direct costs, indirect costs, labour, materials, equipment, subcontractors, and project overheads.
  • Applying suitable cost estimation approaches based on project definition and available information.
  • Developing quantity-based and resource-based cost estimates.
  • Understanding estimate assumptions, exclusions, contingencies, and uncertainty allowances.
  • Establishing the project budget and allocating approved costs across work packages and activities.
  • Integrating schedule information with resource planning and time-phased budgeting.
  • Developing cost baselines for monitoring expenditure and measuring performance.
  • Understanding commitments, actual costs, accruals, and forecast expenditure.
  • Establishing cost coding structures, reporting periods, and cost control responsibilities.
  • Evaluating the effects of scope changes, price variations, and resource productivity on project budgets.
  • Preparing a structured cost report with budget, commitments, actual expenditure, and forecast information.
  • Practical Exercise: Prepare a cost estimate and time-phased budget for a sample project, allocate costs to work packages, establish a cost baseline, and identify the principal cost risks and assumptions.
Day 4

Progress Measurement, Cost Control, and Earned Value Management

  • Establishing consistent methods for measuring physical progress across project activities.
  • Collecting and validating progress information from site records, contractors, suppliers, and project teams.
  • Comparing planned progress with actual progress and identifying schedule deviations.
  • Calculating schedule variance and cost variance using Earned Value Management principles.
  • Understanding Planned Value (PV), Earned Value (EV), and Actual Cost (AC).
  • Calculating and interpreting the Schedule Performance Index (SPI) and Cost Performance Index (CPI).
  • Evaluating productivity trends, cost overruns, and schedule performance deterioration.
  • Analysing the causes of budget and schedule deviations.
  • Forecasting Estimate at Completion (EAC), Estimate to Complete (ETC), and Variance at Completion (VAC), where appropriate.
  • Monitoring purchase commitments, subcontractor expenditure, and outstanding financial obligations.
  • Developing corrective action plans and evaluating their potential impact on project performance.
  • Preparing concise progress and cost control reports for project managers and senior management.
  • Practical Exercise: Analyse a simulated project performance report, calculate key Earned Value Management indicators, identify the causes of schedule and cost variances, and recommend corrective actions supported by the data.
Day 5

Forecasting, Schedule Recovery, Integrated Project Controls, and Final Workshop

  • Integrating schedule, cost, resource, and risk information into a unified project control process.
  • Developing realistic forecasts for completion dates, remaining work, and final project expenditure.
  • Evaluating the effects of productivity changes, resource availability, and scope modifications on forecasts.
  • Identifying emerging schedule and cost risks through performance trends and early-warning indicators.
  • Developing schedule recovery strategies, including resequencing, resource adjustments, and targeted acceleration.
  • Assessing the cost, feasibility, and contractual implications of recovery options.
  • Applying change control procedures to evaluate the time and cost effects of proposed changes.
  • Integrating risk assessments and contingency planning into schedule and cost forecasts.
  • Establishing reporting dashboards and management review procedures for project performance.
  • Improving coordination between planning, engineering, procurement, construction, finance, and commercial teams.
  • Developing practical recommendations for strengthening project controls maturity and reporting reliability.
  • Presenting project performance findings, forecasts, and corrective actions to management.
  • Final Workshop: Participants work with an integrated project case containing a scope statement, WBS, baseline schedule, resource plan, approved budget, actual progress data, cost records, and identified project risks. Working individually or in teams, they develop or review the schedule, determine the critical path, evaluate progress against the baseline, calculate key cost and schedule performance indicators, and forecast the likely completion date and final cost. Each team prepares an integrated project controls report that highlights material variances, explains their causes, evaluates recovery options, and recommends prioritized corrective actions. The workshop concludes with management presentations and a review of how integrated planning, scheduling, and cost control can improve project predictability and delivery performance.

Upcoming Dates

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Riyadh · 23 – 27 Nov 2026 · Classroom

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