What the DCMA 14-point assessment actually checks
The DCMA 14-point assessment is the standard framework for evaluating whether a project schedule is reliable. Here is what each check looks for and why it matters.
The DCMA 14-point assessment was developed by the Defense Contract Management Agency to evaluate whether a project schedule is logically sound and reliable enough to manage to. Federal agencies use it to vet contractor schedules before committing funds. Large construction programs run it before submitting schedules for approval.
The assessment is not a grading curve. It is a set of measurable, binary criteria. Either your schedule passes each check or it does not. A schedule that passes all 14 checks is not guaranteed to finish on time, but it is structurally capable of being managed and updated as reality changes.
The 14 checks, in order
Logic (missing predecessor/successor)
Threshold: Below 5%
Tasks with no logic tie float free of the network. Delays in them do not propagate.
Leads (negative lag)
Threshold: Zero tolerance
Negative lag means a task starts before its predecessor finishes, which is physically impossible in most cases and hides real work.
Lags (positive lag)
Threshold: Below 5%
Excessive lags mask missing activities and create unrealistic float.
Relationship types
Threshold: At least 90% Finish-to-Start
Finish-to-Start is the only relationship type that maps cleanly to how work happens. Non-FS relationships are hard to manage and often incorrect.
Hard constraints
Threshold: Below 5%
Hard constraints override logic. A schedule full of hard constraints does not respond to progress updates.
High float
Threshold: Below 5% above 44 days
Very high float usually means a missing logic tie, not genuine schedule margin.
Negative float
Threshold: Zero tolerance
Negative float means the schedule mathematically predicts a late finish. It is almost always caused by a constraint conflicting with the logic.
High duration
Threshold: Below 5% above 44 working days
Tasks longer than two months cannot be tracked accurately. Delays are detected too late to recover.
Invalid dates
Threshold: Zero tolerance
Dates that contradict the data date or each other break every downstream calculation.
Resources / cost
Threshold: All work tasks assigned
Unresourced tasks cannot be cost-loaded or used for earned-value analysis.
Missed tasks
Threshold: Below 5%
Tasks whose baseline finish has passed but are not complete are causing live slippage right now.
Critical path test
Threshold: A valid continuous critical path must exist
Without a valid critical path, total float across the entire schedule is unreliable.
Critical Path Length Index (CPLI)
Threshold: 0.95 or above
CPLI is a reliable predictor of late finish. Below 0.95 means the project is unlikely to finish on time without intervention.
Baseline Execution Index (BEI)
Threshold: 0.95 or above
BEI measures how many tasks that should be done per the baseline actually are. Below 0.95 means systemic slippage.
What the DCMA assessment does not cover
The 14-point assessment is strong on network integrity and logic. It catches the structural problems that cause most schedule failures. But it does not catch everything. Two additional checks that go beyond the standard:
- Logic density: The standard checks whether individual tasks are missing predecessors or successors. Logic density checks whether the overall network is well-connected: average link endpoints per task, target 2.0 or above. A schedule can pass the logic check but still have widespread open ends if the missing tasks are spread out and the overall count stays below 5%.
- Merge hotspots: A task with eight or more predecessors is a high-risk convergence point. If any one of its predecessors is late, that task is late. The standard does not flag these individually.
- Insufficient detail: A task that spans more than 10% of the total project duration is too coarse to manage. This goes beyond the 44-day duration limit by measuring relative to the project span.
Frequently asked questions
Is the DCMA 14-point assessment required for federal contracts?
Not universally. DCMA uses it to review contractor schedules for Department of Defense contracts and has published guidance on it. Many other federal agencies have adopted it as a standard or use it as a basis for their own schedule reviews. For commercial projects, there is no mandate, but the checks remain valid diagnostics regardless of who the customer is.
Does passing all 14 checks mean my project will finish on time?
No. The checks evaluate whether your schedule is structurally capable of being managed. They do not predict execution. A structurally sound schedule can still be delayed by scope changes, resource problems, or external events. But a structurally broken schedule will almost always produce a late project, because you cannot manage to a schedule you cannot trust.
Which check is the most important?
Negative float, because it means the schedule already predicts failure. Then hard constraints, because they are usually the cause of negative float. Then missing logic, because it makes the float calculations unreliable across the board.