When a construction matter turns on the schedule — and they almost always do — the forensic analysis has to hold. Not just in the report. In deposition. In rebuttal. On the stand. Under direct. Under cross. In front of an arbitrator who's seen a hundred delay claims and knows the difference between rigorous methodology and consultant theater. That's the work Critical Path Partners does.
Every piece of the deliverable is built to be cross-examined — published methodology, dual-method validation, single-analyst chain of custody, and a reproducibility manifest opposing counsel's expert can re-run and verify.
Every CPP analysis is built on published AACE Recommended Practices — Windows Analysis (RP 29R-03 §3.3), Collapsed As-Built (§3.8), Time Impact Analysis (RP 52R-06) — and the SCL Delay & Disruption Protocol, 2nd Edition. No house-brand methods. No proprietary black boxes. The standard is named in every conclusion, traceable in every exhibit, defensible under cross-examination because it was built that way from the first window.
Where the contract or the matter warrants it, CPP runs both Windows Analysis (MIP 3.3) and Collapsed As-Built (MIP 3.8) independently, then reconciles the results. Opposing counsel cannot dismiss the finding as single-method bias when two methods converge on the same number.
One analyst reads the XER, runs the engine, writes the narrative, and prepares the exhibits. No handoffs between junior analysts, no hours lost in internal review loops, no conclusion that drifts from the data because three people touched the file before the senior analyst saw it. The deliverable traces back to one person — and that person can explain every number in it.
Every CPP deliverable embeds a reproducibility manifest — XER hashes, parser version, engine version, methodology parameters. If opposing counsel's expert re-runs the same inputs, they get the same outputs. That's not a feature. That's the minimum standard for forensic work, and most shops don't meet it.
A coordinated set — the analytical workpaper, the narrative for the trier of fact, the validation, the exhibit package, the claim submission, and the formal expert report. Each one references the others. Each one names its standard.
Self-contained HTML dashboard — the analytical workpaper. Per-window concurrent analysis, attribution by party, critical-path tracking, slip register, and embedded reproducibility manifest. The single document that lets a reviewer audit every conclusion in the case.
Plain-language Word document explaining what happened on the project, in what order, who caused which delay, and why the math says what it says. Written for the trier of fact — judge, arbitrator, mediator — not for another scheduler.
Independent MIP 3.8 collapsed as-built analysis run as a check on the windows analysis. Two methods, two numbers, one reconciled conclusion. The dual-method gap is reported explicitly so opposing counsel cannot accuse single-method bias.
The underlying numbers in spreadsheet form — per-activity slip, per-window attribution, concurrency matrix, calendar tables, raw activity dumps. The exhibit your expert hands to opposing counsel during discovery so the math can be independently re-derived.
If the matter is contractor-side: a complete extension-of-time submission ready for the owner — cover letter, per-event exhibits, mitigation log, supporting-documents index, and owner-submission QC. Built to the SCL Protocol notice and substantiation requirements.
Formal expert report compliant with the relevant rules of court — qualifications, scope of opinion, methodology, findings, opinions, and exhibits incorporated by reference. Written to be filed, served, and defended in deposition and at trial.
CPP is a one-analyst boutique. The analyst you retain for the preliminary assessment is the same analyst who runs the engine, writes the report, and sits for cross-examination.
Twenty-five years in construction project controls and planning. Twenty inside nuclear and energy programs — refurbishment, new build, and ongoing maintenance outage planning at facilities where the schedule is a regulator-facing document, not just a project-management tool.
Four ways to engage, scoped to the stage of the matter. Most engagements start with the preliminary assessment so counsel and the analyst can both decide whether full forensic work is warranted before either side commits the budget.
Fixed-fee, two-week. Go/no-go recommendation with analysis attached. Counsel learns whether the schedule supports the theory of the case before retaining for full forensic work.
Scoped, 4–10 weeks. Comprehensive delay attribution — windows analysis, collapsed as-built validation, concurrent-delay matrix, exhibit package. The analytical foundation of the claim or defense.
Ongoing, hourly. Mediation, arbitration, expert reports, testimony. Includes deposition prep, cross-examination support for counsel, and on-stand expert testimony where retained as the testifying expert.
If counsel needs rebuttal of opposing party's analysis without commissioning a full independent analysis. Tests opposing expert's methodology against ten standard defense theories — concurrent delay, pacing, no notice, failure to mitigate, float ownership, and others.
A 15-minute call to determine whether CPP is the right fit. No obligation, no hourly charge for the conversation. If the matter is better served by a larger firm or a different methodology, we'll say so.