I have enviable task of redesigning the Company's project plan for the projects we are appointed for.
Now, it may be a case that I am trying to be too clever with this project and will need to be happy with what I have got, but I would be grateful for comments/confirmation prior to moving on. I am using Project 2003.
I work for a Trustee Company of pension schemes, that involve assisting Employers to wind-up pension schemes and secure members with their retirement benefits. The nature of this work means that we are ultimately responsible for each task within the project, but other third parties will be involved in completing the task. All tasks will involve a fixed cost for the Trustees work in each task, but the timescale will include the time taken for other parties to respond or simply the window of time within which the Trustees have to carry out the work. To provide an example:
Write out to Scheme Membership: Duration – 30 days, Work - 3 hours
The Trustees role of drafting, amending and sending the letter is equivalent to 3 hours work. The duration accounts for time it will take for 3rd parties to comment, amend and approve the letter before sending. The task is not effort driven, regardless of whether the task only takes 25 days, the work would remain at 3 hours. Likewise, if the work on the task only takes 2 hours, the duration would remain at 30 days.
The complexity of a Pension Scheme wind-up project means there are approximately 100 tasks similar to the above, all of which account for 3rd party timescales.
My current approach (following failed attempts to merge the above requirements) has been to divide each task, so each task has both a task in respect of the work/cost, as well as a corresponding task in respect of the duration of the task. An example:
Write Out to Scheme Membership – Duration – 1 day, Work – 3 hours
CL – Write Out to Scheme Membership – Duration – 29 day, Work - 0 hours
Whilst the “splitting” approach, has allowed the project plan to flow correctly, I would prefer to eliminate this “splitting” and make the project plan more user friendly.
Any suggestions/confirmation that my desired action is not possible would be greatly appreciated.
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