SCHEDULE AND NARRATIVE
PART 1 GENERAL
1.1SECTION INCLUDES
A.Provisions for scheduling the work and monitoring work progress.
1.2RELATED SECTIONS
A.Section 00777: Change Management
1.3REFERENCES Not Used
1.4DEFINITIONS
A.Activity – A discrete, identifiable task or event that has a definable start
and stop date, and can be used to schedule and monitor the work.
B.Activity ID – A unique, alphanumeric identification code assigned to an
activity.
C.Bar Chart – A graphical representation of a schedule without relationships.
A timescale appears along the horizontal axis.
D.Baseline Schedule – The original construction schedule showing the
proposed timeline of the work.
E.Critical Path - The longest continuous chain of activities for the project that
has the least of total float of all chains. In general, a delay to an Activity on the critical path will delay the substantial completion date. The critical path is defined by the scheduling software as the longest path.
F.Data Date – The date from which a schedule is calculated.
G.Early Completion Schedule - A schedule showing an earlier substantial
completion date than required by the contract and accurately reflecting a plan for completing the work.
H.Free Float - The amount of time an activity can be delayed and not delay
its successors.
Schedule and Narrative
I.Milestone – An activity, with no duration, that is typically used to represent
the beginning or end of the project or its interim stages.
J.Original Duration – The estimated time, expressed in workdays, needed to
complete an activity.
K.Predecessor – An activity that precedes another activity.
L.Preliminary Baseline Schedule – A partial baseline schedule showing all
planned activities for the first 60 days of a project.
M.Qualified Scheduler – An individual who creates or reviews schedules
using applicable software. This individual’s sole duties do not need to be creating or reviewing schedules. The individual must have sufficient expertise to intelligently discuss the schedule at a level acceptable by the Engineer. Either party to the contract can choose to employ a qualified scheduler independent of the project team.
N.Revised Baseline Schedule – A construction schedule prepared and
submitted by the contractor that includes a major modification to the schedule activities, logic or durations from a previous baseline schedule or updated schedule, not necessarily submitted at the regularly scheduled due date.
O.Schedule Update – An update to the baseline schedule or to a prior
schedule update that reflects actual dates, durations, relationships, and sequencing of completed or progressed Activities. Activities that have not been progressed or are incomplete, planned dates, durations, relationships, and sequencing have been updated to reflect planned remaining Work.
P.Streamlined Baseline Schedule – A baseline schedule for use on projects
bid with 30 calendar days or less of contract time.
Q.Successor – An Activity that succeeds another Activity. The start or finish
date may be controlled by its predecessor.
R.Total Float – The cumulative length of time activities can be delayed
before they affect the project substantial completion date or a contractual milestone. Float is a shared commodity between both parties to the contract and not for the exclusive use or financial benefit of either party. Either party has use of the total float until it is depleted.
Schedule and Narrative
S.Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) – A method of organizing the work into
hierarchical activities under separate headings. The WBS can be divided into geographic areas, similar types of activities, or sub-projects.
1.5SUBMITTALS
A.Preliminary Schedule and Narrative for review.
1.Show all planned activities from Notice to Proceed through the first
60 days of the project.
2.Show the anticipated substantial completion date and projected
major project milestones.
3.Do not show work progress.
4.Allow the Engineer ten calendar days for review.
5.Include all requirements listed for the baseline schedule and
narrative.
B.Baseline Schedule and Narrative for review.
1.Provide a color copy layout (.pdf format) and the electronic
Primavera file (.xer format).
a.Format the .pdf copy to 11x17 landscape and include the
table and Gantt chart views showing the full duration of the project.
b.Include the following columns in the table view in the order
indicated: 1) Activity ID 2) Activity name 3) Start Date 4) Finish Date 5) Original duration 6) Total Float 7) Longest path
c.Show the critical path in red color on the Gantt chart.
2.Allow the Engineer ten calendar days for review.
a.Allow seven calendar days for the Engineer to review each
resubmittal.
C.Streamlined Baseline Schedule and Narrative for review.
1.The Engineer reviews the schedule within seven calendar days
then meets with the Contractor to discuss any concerns.
2.Provide an electronic copy in a format acceptable to the Engineer.
D.Schedule and Narrative Update for review each month during the Contract
until physical completion.
1.Submit within seven calendar days after the closing date for the
monthly partial pay estimate. Schedule and Narrative
2.Provide a color copy layout (.pdf format) of the complete schedule,
a color copy of the critical path schedule (.pdf format) and the electronic Primavera file (.xer format) of the current schedule update.
a.Use 11 x 17 inch sheets in landscape mode.
b.Include columns in the layouts as listed in the baseline
schedule requirements.
c.Verify the schedule has been progressed using retained
logic using the schedule function in Primavera P6 prior to submission to the Engineer with no further modifications made to the schedule following progression.
3.Allow the Department seven calendar days for review.
a.Allow five calendar days for the Engineer to review each
resubmittal.
E.Revised Baseline Schedule and Narrative for review.
1.Include all requirements listed for the baseline schedule and
narrative.
1.6BASELINE SCHEDULE PRE-SUBMITTAL MEETING
A.The Engineer may require a baseline schedule pre-submittal meeting
within 14 calendar days of receiving Notice of Award and before the submittal of the preliminary schedule and narrative or baseline schedule and narrative.
1.The Resident Engineer, Contractor’s Project Manager,
Superintendent, qualified schedulers, and relevant field personnel attend the meeting.
1.7GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
A.Schedules and narratives (baselines and updates) allow the Contractor
and the Department to jointly manage the work, evaluate work progress and evaluate the effect of changes and delays to the scheduled project completion.
1.Schedule and narrative types
a.Preliminary schedule and narrative
1) Use for projects bid with more than 30 calendar days of contract time at the Contractors discretion
b.Baseline schedule and narrative
1) Use for projects bid with more than 30 calendar days of contract time
c.Schedule update and narrative
1) Use for projects bid with more than 30 calendar days of contract time Schedule and Narrative
d.Streamlined baseline schedule and narrative
1) Use for projects bid with 30 calendar days or less of contract time
2.One of the following must be submitted ten calendar days before
the start of construction
a.Preliminary schedule and narrative
b.Baseline schedule and narrative
c.Streamlined baseline schedule and narrative
3.The baseline schedule and narrative must be submitted within 30
days after the start of construction if a preliminary schedule and narrative was submitted.
B.A disincentive of $1,000 per week may be assessed for any of the
following until submitted.
1.Construction has started without one of the following:
a.Submitted preliminary baseline schedule and narrative
b.Submitted baseline schedule and narrative
c.Submitted streamlined baseline schedule and narrative
2.Sixty days after the start of construction a baseline schedule and
narrative is not submitted, if a preliminary baseline schedule and narrative was submitted.
C.Create the schedule using the current version of Oracle’s Primavera P6
Software and the critical path method unless otherwise allowed in this Section.
D.The Engineer’s authorization of a baseline schedule and narrative or
schedule and narrative update does not:
1.Imply approval of construction methods or relieve the Contractor’s
responsibility to plan and execute the work and provide sufficient materials, equipment, and labor to guarantee the completion of the project according to the contract.
2.Attest to the validity of assumptions, activities, relationships,
sequences, durations, resource allocations, or any other aspect of the baseline schedule.
3.Imply agreement that the project can be performed or completed as
scheduled.
E.Notify the Department when the Department’s use of total float has a
negative financial impact on the sequencing, use of resources, or any activity on the critical path.
Schedule and Narrative
1.8PRELIMINARY SCHEDULE AND NARRATIVE
A.Preliminary Schedule and Narrative must show all planned activities from
the Notice to Proceed through the first 60 days of the project.
1.Include all requirements listed for the baseline schedule and
narrative for the appropriate timeframe scheduled.
1.9BASELINE SCHEDULE AND NARRATIVE
A.Include in the schedule subcontracted work, delivery dates for critical
materials, submittal and review periods, permits and governmental approvals, milestone requirements, utility work by others, third party coordination and no work periods.
B.Baseline schedule requirements:
1.Use the preliminary schedule as the basis for the baseline schedule
if a preliminary schedule and narrative is used.
2.Define a complete and logical plan, consistent with how the project
was bid, that can realistically accomplish the work defined in the contract.
3.Provide a sufficient number of activities to assure adequate project
planning and allow for monitoring and evaluation of work progress.
a.Define activities to a level of detail satisfactory to the
Engineer.
b.Include separate activities for cure time, major inspection
points requiring preparation, submittal periods, and other time-consuming activities.
4.Show the critical path in the schedule beginning with Notice to
Proceed and continuing through substantial completion.
5.Establish project calendars within the Primavera P6 software, do
not use global calendars.
a.Name the calendars with the PIN followed by the calendar
name such as 5-day with holidays, or 7-day. 1) Include Holidays as non-working days as applicable. 2) Assign calendars consistently among similar activity types with similar limitations assumed at the time of bidding.
6.Define significant interaction points with the Department and other
entities such as subcontractors, vendors and suppliers, utilities, local governments, and special service districts.
7.Designate the “Data Date” as the same day as the Notice to
Proceed.
Schedule and Narrative
8.Clearly and uniquely define each activity name so that work is
readily identifiable and progress can be measured.
a.For example, use the type of work, stationing, or structure
numbers in the name.
9.Define the duration of each activity.
a.Limit the maximum duration of any activity to 21 calendar
days unless otherwise approved by the Engineer.
10.Determine the duration for each activity by the time required to
complete the work based on the anticipated production rate.
11.Identify the relationships between activities.
a.Demonstrate the overall approach to planning, scheduling,
and executing the work.
12.All activities must have at least one predecessor, except for the
start milestone, and one successor, except for the finish milestone.
13.Do not constrain activities unless required by contract or
determined necessary by the Engineer.
a.Eliminate constraints by using additional activities,
relationships, or calendars where possible.
14.Do not use negative lags.
15.Do not sequester project total float or free float through
manipulating calendars, extending activities durations, or other methods.
16.Use resource loading if resource limitations may affect the
prosecution of the work.
a.No request or claim for contract time extension based on
resource shortages will be considered unless the baseline schedule and subsequent schedule updates are resource loaded. 1) Do not use any leveling resource schedule options when progressing the schedule.
17.Include milestones to define significant contractual events
including, but not limited to, Notice to Proceed, substantial completion, physical completion, and coordination points with outside entities such as utilities and special service districts.
18.Define a WBS that conveys the organization of the schedule and
project approach.
a.Assign activities consistently within the appropriate WBS.
19.Use calendars that reflect actual contractual constraints and
restrictions as specified, including specified dates, specified temperatures and practical limitations.
20.Set construction related Activities to task dependent.
a.Do not use resource dependent activities.
21.Create separate activities for work that will be conducted by
different subcontractors.
Schedule and Narrative
22.Document and explain the Primavera settings used if different from
the software default settings.
23.Represent the full scope of the contract work in the schedule.
C.Baseline narrative requirements:
1.Describe the construction philosophy supporting the approach to
the work outlined in the baseline schedule.
a.Address the reasons for work sequences.
2.Provide the justification for activities with durations exceeding 21
calendar days, usage of constraints, and non-typical activity settings.
3.Include a description of all unusual calendars used in the schedule.
4.Describe the approach used to apply relationships between
activities such as physical or chronological relationships between work activities, sequencing due to crew or equipment resources, and timing of work based on limitations such as ROW, environmental, and third-party utilities.
5.Describe how typical weather days are accounted for in the
schedule, such as being built into calendars or included in activity durations.
a.Refer to the Daily Values at the Prism Climate Group
website to estimate the number of weather days. Refer to http://www.udot.utah.gov/go/standardsreferences
6.Describe the critical path and identify challenges that may arise
associated with the critical path.
7.Describe how coordination with other entities will be handled.
8.Include the production rates for all activities.
9.Describe the work to be performed by all subcontractors.
10.Certify that the baseline schedule represents how the work was bid
or explain how it is different.
1.10SCHEDULE AND NARRATIVE UPDATE
A.Update the schedule and narrative each month during the life of the
Contract until physical completion to document work progress.
1.Comply with all applicable requirements of the baseline schedule
and narrative.
2.A disincentive of up to $1,000 per week may be assessed
beginning seven calendar days after the closing date for the monthly partial pay estimate and until the schedule and narrative update is submitted.
Schedule and Narrative
B.Show the following:
1.Actual start and finish dates for completed activities.
2.Actual start dates, percent complete, and remaining duration for
activities in progress.
3.Projected sequences of activities for future work.
4.Revised relationships and durations for unfinished activities, if
warranted.
5.A well-defined critical path.
6.The Data Date as one day after the closing date for the monthly
partial pay estimate.
C.Implement logic changes consistent with the retained logic method of
scheduling to allow the out-of-sequence work to proceed if work is performed out of sequence.
D.The most recent authorized schedule update will become the schedule
against which the next month’s schedule update will be compared.
E.Use retained logic when scheduling progressed activities.
F.Schedule update narrative requirements:
1.The work performed during the current estimate period.
2.All current and anticipated deviations from the previous schedule
update or baseline schedule for work performed to date.
3.Description of the following:
a.The cause of each deviation that is on the critical path or has
less than 20 days of float.
b.The impact or potential impact of each deviation to the work,
planned durations, milestones, or project completion dates.
c.Mitigation performed to date.
d.Plans to mitigate or resolve the deviation.
4.Discussion of deviations in the narrative does not relieve
compliance with contractual requirements regarding notification and documentation of claims.
5.Actions the Department needs to take and the timeline for actions
to be taken to assist in avoiding or mitigating the problem.
6.Reasons for and impacts resulting from all of the following that
apply:
a.Added or deleted activities.
b.Changes in original durations.
c.Changes in relationships between activities.
d.Addition or deletion of constraints.
e.Changes to project calendars.
Schedule and Narrative
f.Changes to the Critical Path
g.Revisions to actual start and finish dates as accepted in
previous updates.
7.Provide status on pending items applicable to the schedule such as
permits, easements, agreements, material procurements, change orders, and third party utilities if not in schedule
8.State that progress shown on the schedule update accurately
represents work completed through the date indicated.
9.Describe the work planned to be accomplished during the next
update period.
G.Show all activities as 100 percent complete in the final schedule submittal.
1.11STREAMLINED BASELINE SCHEDULE AND NARRATIVE
A.The schedule format is at the Contractor’s discretion. Possible options
include:
1.A schedule created using spreadsheet software
2.A schedule using Oracle’s Primavera P6 or any scheduling
software
B.Schedule and Narrative
1.Address the Engineer’s comments and revise the schedule as
necessary to obtain authorization.
a.No progress payments will be made before authorization of
the baseline schedule.
b.Attest to the validity of assumptions, activities, relationships,
sequences, resource allocations, or any other aspect of the baseline schedule.
2.Failure to include an element of work required by the contract in the
authorized streamlined baseline schedule does not relieve the Contractor of the responsibility to perform such work.
3.Authorization of the streamlined baseline schedule does not modify
the contract requirements.
C.Schedule Requirements
Address the following:
1.Define a complete and logical plan, consistent with how the project
was bid, that can realistically accomplish the work defined in the contract.
2.Include sufficient activities for adequate planning.
3.Define the continuous critical path. Begin at Notice to Proceed and
end at Substantial Completion.
Schedule and Narrative
4.Clearly and uniquely define each activity.
5.Define the duration of each activity.
6.Clearly identify the relationships or order of activities.
D.Schedule Narrative Requirements
1.Include the following:
a.The construction philosophy supporting the approach to the
work outlined in the schedule.
b.Potential problems that may impact the scheduled
completion date along with proposed solutions.
c.Coordination requirements with other entities.
d.Production rates and crew requirements, as bid by the
contractor, for all activities.
e.The work calendar used (like calendar days or work days)
and holidays taken.
2.Certify that the streamlined baseline schedule represents how the
work was bid or explain how it is different.
E.All costs to maintain the project schedule are solely the Contractor’s
obligation with no additional cost to the Department.
1.12REVISED BASELINE SCHEDULE AND NARRATIVE
A.Revise the baseline schedule and narrative in the event of any major
change to the work.
1.Examples of major changes are:
a.Significant changes in logic, activity durations, or methods of
construction or changes to the critical path;
b.Addition, deletion, or revision of activities required by change
order;
c.Approval of a submitted Value Engineering Change
Proposal;
d.Delays in milestones or project completion;
e.Phasing revisions
f.If the Engineer determines that the schedule does not reflect
the actual work.
1.13PROGRESS MEETING
A.Hold progress meetings at least monthly with the Engineer to review and
discuss the status of the project.
1.Discuss the critical path, changes in sequencing, or approach to
work, change orders, and potential delays.
2.Current and potential issues should be addressed with the intent of
finding the most effective solutions to problems. Schedule and Narrative
3.Include the contractor’s Project Manager, qualified scheduler, and
appropriate field personnel.
4.Create an action item list that describes who is responsible for
resolving existing or pending issues and the date by which the issue needs to be resolved to avoid contract delays.
B.Provide an updated four week look-ahead schedule each week.
1.This schedule must:
a.Be consistent with the most current schedule update.
b.Show the activities and finish dates of the previous week’s
work, work in progress, and the next 4 weeks of anticipated work with a column for status/percent complete for each activity.
2.Generate an electronic bar chart for the look-ahead schedule.
3.The look-ahead schedule is intended to be a more detailed
breakout of the schedule update.
4.Use consistent activity names with the project schedule; provide
related activity IDs as available.
EARLY COMPLETION SCHEDULE
A.Additional compensation for delays due to actions attributed to the
Department may be due if the baseline schedule and narrative show that the work was planned to be completed early. Refer to Section 00777.
1.Days between an early completion date and the required
substantial completion date are not float days.
PART 2 PRODUCTS Not Used
PART 3 EXECUTION Not Used
END OF SECTION
Schedule and Narrative
Utah revises spec sections through supplementals and new editions. We check this one every week and email you the day it changes. Free, no account.
Source: Utah Standard Specifications for Road and Bridge Construction, 2026 Edition. Pages 67–78 of 1,331.
View official source ↗