As-Planned Schedule

The as-planned schedule is the version of the programme that represents the intended execution at a specific reference point — most commonly the baseline Accepted Programme at contract signature. It is the starting point against which actual execution is compared in delay analysis, either directly (as-planned versus as-built) or through more sophisticated methods like window analysis and time impact analysis.

The as-planned schedule needs to be a proper network, not just a Gantt chart. Logic must be complete, activities must be traceable to scope items, and the critical path must be defensible. Delay analysis that uses an as-planned schedule with weak logic or undefended constraints will produce conclusions that do not survive challenge — because the as-planned does not actually represent what the project intended to do in a meaningful network sense.

The SCL Delay and Disruption Protocol distinguishes between as-planned (the starting reference) and as-built (what actually happened) and describes how both are used in different delay analysis methods. The two are fixed reference points; the analytical methods operate on the space between them. Disciplined programme management during delivery — maintaining clean baselines, proper version control, and defensible logic — is what makes as-planned and as-built schedules useful for analysis later.