(Online Course) Public Administration for IAS Mains Exams
Topic: Techniques of Administrative Improvement: The Programme Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT)
PERT is a sophisticated version of the network technique comprising a larger number of events and activities.
It was first developed for use in U.S. defence projects in connection with the execution of Pollaris missile programme in 1958.
PERT has refined the CPM technique in two respects: First, it has adopted statistical methods for estimating the time required for each activity. Instead of using one single time as in CPM, PERT calls for computing the expected time for each activity on the basis of weighted arithmetic mean of three different estimated times.
Secondly, the PERT system can even be applied to new projects for which no past experience is available.
PERT was original introduced for putting emphasis on time and performance of the work, and it did not concern itself with the cost of the work, subsequent years, PERT /TIME has been refined further by the introduction of PERT/COST. But the translation of time factor PERT into the cost element has made the PERT system complicated and imperfect in character, thereby restricting its wide use in complex projects.