Introduction
In complex projects, an accurate and reliable schedule is critical for on-time and on-budget delivery. However, not all schedules are built with best practices in mind. This is where the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) 14-Point Schedule Assessment comes into play.
The DCMA 14-Point Check is a widely recognized standard used to assess the quality and integrity of project schedules, particularly for government and defense contracts. If you’re using Oracle Primavera P6, applying DCMA standards can help ensure that your schedule meets best practices, avoids risks, and improves performance tracking.
In this article, we’ll break down what the DCMA 14-Point Schedule Assessment is, why it matters, and how you can implement it in Primavera P6.
What is the DCMA 14-Point Schedule Assessment?
The DCMA 14-Point Check is a set of guidelines developed by the U.S. Department of Defense to evaluate the health of project schedules. It helps identify scheduling flaws that could lead to project delays or cost overruns.
The assessment checks for common scheduling mistakes, such as:
✔ Missing dependencies (open-ended tasks)
✔ Excessive constraints
✔ High float (indicating unrealistic scheduling)
✔ Negative float (indicating missed deadlines)
✔ Invalid critical paths
The goal of the DCMA assessment is to create a well-structured, logical, and executable schedule that can be used for accurate forecasting and project tracking.
The 14 DCMA Schedule Metrics Explained
The 14 metrics in the DCMA assessment serve as quality control checks for Primavera P6 schedules. Let’s go through each metric and how to apply them.
✅ 1. Logic Test (No Open-Ended Activities)
🔹 Ensures that every activity has a predecessor and a successor (except for the start and finish milestones).
🔹 Threshold: Minimum of 90% of activities must have predecessors and successors.
🔹 Best Practices in Primavera P6:
✔ Use proper relationships (FS, SS, FF, SF) between activities.
✔ Avoid missing dependencies.
✅ 2. Leads Test (No Negative Lags)
🔹 Negative lag (lead time) should not be used to artificially advance activities. 🔹 Threshold: 0% of activities should have negative lag.
🔹 Best Practices in Primavera P6:
✔ Replace negative lags with properly sequenced activities.
✔ Use milestones to control early start conditions.
✅ 3. Lags Test (Limited Lag Use)
🔹 Excessive lag time can reduce schedule accuracy.
🔹 Threshold: No more than 5% of relationships should use lag.
🔹 Best Practices in Primavera P6:
✔ Avoid large, arbitrary lag values—use explicit activities instead.
✅ 4. Hard Constraints Test (Limited Constraints)
🔹 Hard constraints (e.g., Must Finish On, Mandatory Start) can override logic and cause scheduling issues.
🔹 Threshold: No more than 5% of activities should use hard constraints.
🔹 Best Practices in Primavera P6:
✔ Use constraints only when contractually required.
✔ Prefer soft constraints like As Late As Possible (ALAP) or Start On or After.
✅ 5. High Float Test (No Excessive Float)
🔹 High total float suggests that the schedule may be unrealistic or not driven by logic.
🔹 Threshold: No more than 5% of activities should have more than 44 working days of total float.
🔹 Best Practices in Primavera P6:
✔ Review activity dependencies to ensure correct sequencing.
✔ Reduce high float by linking tasks properly.
✅ 6. Negative Float Test (Avoiding Overdue Activities)
🔹 Negative float means the project is already behind schedule.
🔹 Threshold: 0% of activities should have negative float.
🔹 Best Practices in Primavera P6:
✔ Identify and resolve critical path delays early.
✔ Adjust logic instead of using hard constraints to eliminate negative float.
✅ 7. Critical Path Test (Validating Critical Path Integrity)
🔹 Ensures that at least one continuous sequence of tasks drives the project completion date.
🔹 Best Practices in Primavera P6:
✔ Run Critical Path Analysis (CPA) regularly.
✔ Ensure the critical path is realistic and not artificially driven by constraints.
✅ 8. Critical Path Length Index (CPLI) Test (Schedule Efficiency Check)
🔹 Measures the efficiency of the remaining schedule time.
🔹 Formula: CPLI=(TotalFloat+RemainingDuration)/RemainingDurationCPLI = (Total Float + Remaining Duration) / Remaining Duration
🔹 Threshold: Must be ≥ 0.95 for an efficient schedule.
🔹 Best Practices in Primavera P6:
✔ If CPLI < 0.95, review logic and remove unnecessary float.
✅ 9. Baseline Execution Index (BEI) Test (Tracking Performance vs. Baseline)
🔹 Measures schedule execution efficiency.
🔹 Formula: BEI= NumberofActivitiesCompleted)/(NumberofActivitiesPlannedtobeCompleted)BEI = (Number of Activities Completed) / (Number of Activities Planned to be Completed)
🔹 Threshold: Must be ≥ 0.95 to indicate good execution.
🔹 Best Practices in Primavera P6:
✔ Regularly compare the schedule against the approved baseline.
✔ If BEI is low, investigate delays and missed milestones.
🔹 How to Run a DCMA 14-Point Check in Primavera P6
1️⃣ Export Schedule Data – Use Primavera P6 reports or XER Toolkit to extract schedule metrics.
2️⃣ Use Schedule Analysis Tools – Tools like Acumen Fuse, ScheduleReader, or XER Toolkit can automate DCMA checks.
3️⃣ Manually Review Key Metrics – Run reports in Primavera P6 to check for open-ended activities, excessive float, and constraint issues.
4️⃣ Address Schedule Risks – Modify activity relationships, adjust resource leveling, and resolve constraints where necessary.
5️⃣ Revalidate the Schedule – After adjustments, rerun the DCMA check to ensure compliance.
Final Thoughts: Why DCMA Compliance Matters
By applying the DCMA 14-Point Schedule Assessment, project teams can:
✔ Improve schedule quality and reliability
✔ Enhance risk management and forecasting
✔ Comply with government and contractual standards
✔ Increase stakeholder confidence in project execution
A high-quality Primavera P6 schedule is not just about dates—it’s about logic, performance, and risk mitigation. Following the DCMA 14-Point Check ensures that your schedule is credible, realistic, and executable.
Let’s Discuss!
How do you ensure your Primavera P6 schedule meets DCMA standards? Have you faced challenges in schedule compliance? Share your insights in the comments!