Paddling Estimates
Paddling estimates are conducted to either add more time or cost in a project due to project lack of appropriate and exact estimate. It is implemented as a safety measure. Nevertheless, I do not agree with the assertion that it is conducted as a safety measure since it is inappropriate and unprofessional for project managers to have paddling estimate in their project. Therefore, in my opinion, paddling estimates should not be used since it may add unnecessary time and costs in project undertaking.
Project Buffer
As the critical chain scheduling purports, adding a project buffer to entire is the additional estimates including the effort and time used to generate project schedule. The project buffer is normally set at 50% of the project critical chain duration (Kerzner, 2017). I don’t think that project is important. The critical chain scheduling is responsible for the resource constraints and purports that limiting multitasking of the resources in making project schedules and accounts project and feeding buffers to ensure timely completion of the project.
Ethical Consideration of the Slack and Buffer
Slack is the difference between the project current completion date and latest date the project can be completed date. The latest date an activity can be completed without causing slip to critical path is known as Late Finish (Kerzner, 2017). The Slack helps in ensuring that project ethical responsibilities are met.
A buffer is an activity or the time which is strategically put in place on the critical path, before the agreed completion date. The buffer helps in maintaining an agreement by allocating time which no work is scheduled to take place but can be utilized if delays interfere with the critical path.
PMI perspective
The PMI perspective in relations to paddling is that it ensures the additional time and costs are based on the PMI’s code of ethics. Thus, it ensures paddling occurrences is accounted for.
References
Kerzner, H., & Kerzner, H. R. (2017). Project management: a systems approach to planning, scheduling, and controlling. John Wiley & Sons.
Schwalbe, K. (2015). Information technology project management. Cengage Learning.
