Best Practices on schedule development

What is the best practices on hows to create the Contract Schedule in the EPCI contract (lumpsum type), is it requires only in the high level (2 WBS level) ? or it is requires more detailed schedule? High Level Schedule noted in the conntract is usually noted as 2 WBS level ( Project - Level 0, E,P,C,I -- Level 1, Contact Object -- Level 2) and sometimes also describes with Major Project milestones.

Some Guidelines on Scheduling Practices in EPC Contracts: 1. Have a Master Programme at Level 2 or 3 with rolled up summaries while refering to EPC Contracts wherein you dont have detailed set of Drawings to Detail your Contruction Scope to Level 5. 2. Have the Design portion developed as mostly in such projects you see a knock on effect of delays on the Design Development on Costruction, that often leads to resource idling/iineffective resource utilization due to lack of AFC drawings. Include detailed activities for Concept-Preliminary-Design Development-Detailed Design/AFC Drawings and assign resources and weightages for these works and monitor them closely. 3. Have the critical long lead procurement items depcited in procurement phase. 4. Depict rolled up summary for construction works based on known production rates for similar works involved. Once the detailed AFC Drawings are available for sections of works you can develop a level 5 Contruction Schedule fully resource and cost loaded for such portions. Till then a generic estimate should be acceptable. Have a proper integration between the Summary Level Programme and Detailed Work Schedules inclusive of Detailed Design and Majot Procurement Long Lead Items. Contractually reserve your rights on the ownership and usage of floats, so that as and when there are delay events, you have your entitlements in place. Better reserve some buffer say a month or two from the project completion and mention your right on usage of such time along with rights on floats on individual activities. You could come up with some resistance on float ownership from the consultant and client, as protocols provide the first right for usage of float to Client. See if your contract has specific writeup on floats, otherwise include your intent as writeup alongwith the programme submission. This would help you later when project progresses and you have to deal with new instructions/interferences/delayed responses/revised scope alongwith your own issues as contractor. Cheers