The Role of the Critical Path Method in Effective

Project Management

Submitted by:

Maureen Ngulube

24010100304

Submitted to:

The Department of Managerial Studies

In Partial Fulfillment of The Requirement For

Project Management

CCC 2113

Malawi Assemblies of God University

Lilongwe Campus

14th May, 2026

 The CPM (Critical Path Method) is one tool which is used in project
management by managers in planning and controlling projects. The CPM helps to
outline the series of operations which will directly influence the length of the total
project duration. Harold Kerzner (2007) describes the critical path as "the longest
series of time-dependent activities which if delayed, delay the whole project". This
method of managing projects is most applicable in the following projects in Malawi;
constructions, roads works, irrigation and community based projects where time is
crucial.

Consider managing the task of building a solar powered classroom in a rural

village in Malawi. Tasks could include clearing the land, purchase of supplies,
foundation laying, brick laying, roofing, solar installation, painting and final
inspection. However, there is a dependency on other tasks before other tasks can
commence. For example, roofing cannot begin until the walls have been completed.
The longest duration of the tasks will determine the critical path. A project manager
can use CPM in order to oversee essential tasks, minimizing the chance of delay on
project completion according to Burke (2013).

Activities that are located on the critical path have zero float or slack. Float
means the extent of which a activity can be late and still not impact on the final
project completion. This means that all activities on the critical path need to finish on
schedule as it can have an impact on the entire project. For example if the foundations
are late this means that wall can't be built on schedule and therefore the roof can't be
built until after the walls are up. Any activity that is not on the critical path can be
delayed without affecting the final completion date. The concept of float, according to
Meredith and Mantel (2017), allows management to understand the critical activities
in the project as well as sensitive activities.

First of all, in determining the critical path, all the project activities must be
identified. This is where the project manager draws out all the tasks that needs to be
done to complete the project, such as purchase of materials, digging foundations,
laying of roof tiles, painting walls etc. By correctly identifying all the activities,
Heizer, Render & Munson (2020) states that the manager will be in a position to
establish a realistic schedule for the project and prevent confusion.
 The second process involved organizing the activities in sequence based on
dependence. Identifying the activities that had to be completed before the subsequent
activities could begin. Walls cannot be constructed before foundations are built for
example. Lock (2019) confirms that sequencing projects increases coordination.

Step three of the process involves time estimation. The manager would
estimate the number of days or weeks a certain task might take, taking into
consideration factors like labor, availability of equipment and resources, and also
weather conditions. In Malawi for example, it can take longer for a project to finish
due to transport issues and adverse weather. According to Verzuh (2021) time
estimation is a critical component of project planning and failure to do it correctly can
lead to project failure.

The fourth step is to construct a network diagram. It displays the flow and link
of activities from start to finish in the project. The diagram helps managers to identify
critical tasks and relationship between the tasks. Nicholas and Steyn (2020) stated that
a network diagram allows better coordination and monitoring of the project.

This is the 5th step in determining the early and late finish and start times for
each of the activities in the schedule. By determining these, it will indicate which
activities have floats and which will have zero float. The zero float will make up the
critical path. According to Kerzner (2022), these computations allow managers to
allocate priorities and schedule correctly.

The last step is to determine the longest path on the network diagram. This
will become the critical path on the network diagram because it defines the project
completion date. An example of the longest path in the classroom project would be
digging foundation, building the walls, roofing, and then final inspection. According
to Pinto (2019), critical path is used because it controls the overall schedule of a
project.

The critical path is crucial to risk management because it enables the project
manager to anticipate the effect that project risks might have on the completion of the
project. Risks like lack of materials, faulty equipment, transport disruptions and poor
weather condition might cause delays in project completion in Malawi. By the aid of
the CPM, the project manager can give emphasis to activities which are critical and
also take precautionary measures. According to Burke (2013), CPM can make risks
more manageable by highlighting the project activities that are capable of putting
project completion into jeopardy.

CPM further optimizes resource allocation. Resources such as workers, cash,

vehicles, and equipment can be allocated to vital tasks initially. More builders may be
assigned to foundation and roofing due to the effect they have on the whole project.
Heizer, Render, and Munson (2020) suggest that optimal resource allocation enhances
effectiveness and lowers project costs.

Additionally CPM enhances better time management as managers will predict

real completion dates and communicate the real time deadlines to clients or partners.
For community projects in Malawi, time is important to retain donor trust and the
trust of the local communities. According to Lock (2019) schedule control enhances
reliability and accountability.

Additionally CPM enhances better time management as managers will predict

real completion dates and communicate the real time deadlines to clients or partners.
For community projects in Malawi, time is important to retain donor trust and the
trust of the local communities. According to Lock (2019) schedule control enhances
reliability and accountability.

To summarize, the critical path method is one tool in project management

which provides the managers the critical activities of a project that influence directly
the time at which a project is completed. It is used to identify activities, order them,
estimate their duration, create a network diagram and also to find out the longest path.
It helps to control projects by gaining an understanding of the critical path, it assists in
controlling time, risks, resources and in decision making. For real projects in Malawi,
CPM assists managers to finish a project in the shortest amount of time.
 References

Burke, R. (2013). Project Management: Planning and Control Techniques. New

Jersey: Wiley.

Heizer, J., Render, B., & Munson, C. (2020). Operations Management. Pearson
Education.

Kerzner, H. (2022). Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning,

Scheduling, and Controlling. Wiley.

Lock, D. (2019). Project Management. Routledge.

Meredith, J. R., & Mantel, S. J. (2017). Project Management: A Managerial

Approach. Wiley.

Nicholas, J. M., & Steyn, H. (2020). Project Management for Engineering, Business
and Technology. Routledge.

Pinto, J. K. (2019). Project Management: Achieving Competitive Advantage. Pearson.

Verzuh, E. (2021). The Fast Forward MBA in Project Management. Wiley.