Member Project: Understanding Schedule Reserves and Response Planning

PMBOK v8 Definition

A Member Project refers to the practice of analyzing the project schedule under different conditions to prepare schedule reserves and response plans that address the impact of unexpected situations. This concept is part of the Schedule Management Knowledge Area and is applied during the Develop Schedule process within the Planning Process Group. The PMBOK v8 explicitly states that this involves evaluating "the project schedule under different conditions, and in preparing schedule reserves and response plans to address the impact of unexpected situations."

Why It Matters for the Exam

This concept appears frequently in situational questions where the exam tests your ability to determine how a project manager should prepare for schedule uncertainties. You will encounter it in questions about risk response planning, schedule contingency, and what-if scenario analysis. The PMI exam specifically tests whether you understand that schedule reserves are not guesses but are derived from systematic analysis of potential schedule impacts.

Key Points to Remember (for the exam)

• Main Purpose: Analyze schedule under different conditions to prepare for unexpected situations
• Key Tool: What-if scenario analysis – testing how different conditions affect the schedule
• Main Output: Schedule reserves (contingency time) based on analysis results
• Critical Link: Directly connected to risk management – reserves address identified risks
• Common Confusion: Schedule reserves are NOT the same as management reserves (schedule reserves address known risks; management reserves address unknown risks)
• Exam Focus: The process produces both schedule reserves AND response plans – both are required outputs
• Key Input: The project schedule itself is analyzed under various conditions

Typical PMI Exam Example

A project manager is developing the schedule for a construction project. The team identifies that weather delays could impact the foundation work by 5-10 days. The project manager runs a what-if analysis on the schedule with different weather scenarios. Based on this analysis, the manager adds 8 days of schedule reserve and creates a response plan to use overtime if delays exceed 10 days.

PMI Exam Traps

• Trap: Confusing schedule reserves with float (slack)

  • Reality: Float is built into the network logic; schedule reserves are deliberately added buffers based on risk analysis

• Trap: Thinking schedule reserves are calculated after the schedule is finalized

  • Reality: Schedule reserves are prepared DURING the Develop Schedule process, as part of analyzing conditions

• Trap: Believing response plans are only created during risk management

  • Reality: Response plans for schedule impacts are specifically prepared during schedule development

• Trap: Assuming one schedule reserve applies to the entire project

  • Reality: Reserves can be allocated to specific activities or phases based on analysis results

Important PMI Connections

Quick Review Questions

1. During which process are schedule reserves and response plans prepared to address unexpected situations?

2. What is the primary technique used to analyze a project schedule under different conditions?

3. How do schedule reserves differ from management reserves in terms of what they address?

4. A project manager analyzes the schedule with a 20% delay in material delivery. What type of analysis is being performed?

5. What two specific outputs are produced when analyzing the schedule under different conditions?

PMBOK v8 Reference

Section 5 – Tools and Techniques (Page 215) This section describes the process of analyzing "the project schedule under different conditions, and in preparing schedule reserves and response plans to address the impact of unexpected situations."