Schedule Recovery Programs
When a project falls behind, the recovery program needs to show whether the required completion date is still achievable, what it will take to reach it, and the earliest achievable date if it is not. Project Scheduling builds recovery programs in Primavera P6 from actual progress, with recovery options tested and agreed with the people who will deliver them, for construction, mining and infrastructure projects across Australia.
Built From the Current Position
A recovery program starts from actual progress, not from where the baseline says the project should be. We update the program to the data date and establish the forecast completion before recovery. We then test changes to the remaining sequence with the people who will deliver the work.
What a Recovery Program Includes
The program updated to actual progress, with the current critical path and forecast completion identified
Recovery options tested in the program logic: resequencing, added crews or shifts, staged handover and method changes
Resource histograms showing the labour and plant required, checked against availability confirmed with the delivery team and subcontractors
Estimated additional cost for each option, using agreed rates and resource assumptions
A recovery program agreed with the delivery team, with weekly progress targets and milestones to track whether the recovery is being achieved
A record of delay events to date, maintained alongside the recovery program to support separate assessment of delay, acceleration and extension of time claims
Where the recovered completion date depends on uncertain productivity or access, schedule risk analysis shows the confidence level of each option.
Recovery and Entitlement
A recovery program accepts the current position. Submitting one does not, by itself, concede responsibility for the delay. We keep the record of what caused the delay separate from the recovery plan, so acceleration and extension of time can be assessed on their own merits. Contractual notice and claim requirements still need to be met. Where delay was caused by others, see extension of time claims and forensic delay analysis.
Common Questions on Schedule Recovery
What is a recovery program?
A recovery program is a revised program that shows how a project behind schedule will meet its completion date, or the earliest achievable date, from its current position. It is built from actual progress and tests the options for recovering time.
How quickly can a recovery program be prepared?
We review the current program, progress records and required submission date before confirming the turnaround. A maintained program allows recovery options to be tested sooner. An out-of-date program first needs to be brought to the current position.
What information is needed to prepare a recovery program?
The current native program file, the latest progress records, the baseline program, and the resources available on site and from subcontractors. Site diaries, correspondence and notices are also needed if the delay record is to be kept alongside the recovery.
Is a recovery program the same as acceleration?
No. A recovery program sets out how lost time may be recovered. Its measures can include resequencing, different construction methods, added crews or additional shifts. Whether those measures constitute acceleration, and whether their cost is recoverable, depends on the contract and circumstances.
Does submitting a recovery program give up an extension of time claim?
Submitting a recovery program does not, by itself, determine responsibility for delay or entitlement to an extension of time. We maintain the delay record alongside the recovery plan so both can be assessed on their own merits. Contractual notice and claim requirements still need to be met.
Can recovery options be tested before they are committed?
Yes. Each option is modelled in Primavera P6 with its logic, durations and resources, so the effect on completion, the resource demand and the cost can be compared before the delivery team commits to one.
Behind program and asked for a recovery plan? Establish what completion date is achievable, what recovery will require, and which option the delivery team can commit to.