The DCMA 14-point assessment is a set of checks on the quality of a project schedule. It was developed by the US Defense Contract Management Agency to review contractors' schedules, and it is now used across many industries, including UK infrastructure, as a quick health check. It does not prove a schedule is right. It shows where a schedule is likely to give unreliable dates, so a planner knows where to look.
Most checks count incomplete activities only (tasks and milestones not yet finished), leaving out summary activities and level of effort. The thresholds below are the usual ones; many organisations adjust them.
The fourteen checks
| # | Check | What it looks for | Usual threshold |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Logic | Activities with no predecessor or no successor | 5% or fewer |
| 2 | Leads | Links with a negative lag | None |
| 3 | Lags | Links with a positive lag | 5% or fewer of links |
| 4 | Relationship types | Share of finish-to-start links | 90% or more |
| 5 | Hard constraints | Constraints that fix dates and stop logic driving them | 5% or fewer |
| 6 | High float | Total float over 44 working days | 5% or fewer |
| 7 | Negative float | Total float below zero | None |
| 8 | High duration | Remaining duration over 44 working days | 5% or fewer |
| 9 | Invalid dates | Forecasts before the data date, or actuals after it | None |
| 10 | Resources | Activities with duration but no resources or cost | Reported for review |
| 11 | Missed tasks | Activities that finished later than their baseline finish | 5% or fewer |
| 12 | Critical path test | Whether a delay to a critical activity moves the finish by the same amount | Pass |
| 13 | Critical path length index (CPLI) | How realistic the remaining critical path is | 0.95 or more |
| 14 | Baseline execution index (BEI) | Work finished against work that should have finished | 0.95 or more |
What each check tells you, and how to fix it
1. Logic
An activity with no predecessor can start whenever it likes; one with no successor can slip without moving anything. Either way, the critical path cannot be trusted. Fix it by linking every activity into the network, except the project start and finish.
2. Leads
A negative lag lets a successor start before its predecessor finishes, in a way that hides the real overlap. Model the overlap with a start-to-start link, or split the work.
3. Lags
Lags often hide work, such as curing or approvals, that should be an activity of its own. A few are fine; many make the logic hard to follow.
4. Relationship types
Finish-to-start links are the easiest to read and check. Too many start-to-start or finish-to-finish links, and especially start-to-finish links, make the path hard to follow.
5. Hard constraints
Hard constraints, such as "must finish on", override the logic. Soft constraints, such as "start no earlier than", are usually fine. Replace hard constraints with logic wherever you can.
6. High float
Very high float usually means missing successors, not real flexibility. Check the logic of each high-float activity.
7. Negative float
Negative float means the schedule cannot meet a constraint or deadline as it stands. It needs a recovery plan or an agreed change, not a hidden constraint.
8. High duration
Long activities are hard to progress and hide detail. Break them into shorter pieces of work with clear finishes.
9. Invalid dates
Forecast dates in the past and actual dates in the future break the schedule. They usually come from progress not being updated properly. Fix them every update.
10. Resources
If activities have no resources or cost, the schedule cannot support resource or cost analysis. This check is reported rather than pass or fail.
11. Missed tasks
A high share of activities finishing late against the baseline is an early sign of a schedule that is not being achieved.
12. Critical path test
Add a large delay to an activity on the critical path and reschedule. The project finish should move by the same amount. If it does not, something, often a constraint or broken logic, is cutting the path.
13. CPLI
The critical path length index is (critical path length + total float) ÷ critical path length, where the critical path length runs from the data date to the project finish. Below 1.0 means the remaining work is not achievable in the time left without recovery. Below 0.95 is a warning.
14. BEI
The baseline execution index is activities completed ÷ activities that should have been completed by the data date, using baseline finish dates. Below 0.95 means work is falling behind the baseline.
Using the checks well
- Run them every update. A trend is more useful than one score.
- Look at the activities, not just the percentages. One missing link on the critical path matters more than ten on minor tasks.
- Agree your thresholds. The usual numbers are a starting point. Write down the ones your organisation uses.
- Do not game them. Adding links just to pass the logic check, or splitting activities just to pass the duration check, makes the schedule worse.
Primer runs all fourteen checks on every schedule, with each check explained and the activities behind it listed. See Projects and schedules.
This guide is general information, not legal, contractual or financial advice. Always check the source documents for your own contract or company.