Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT)

What is Program Evaluation Review Technique (PERT)?

The Program Evaluation Review Technique, or PERT, is a visual tool used in project planning. Using the technique helps project planners identify the start and end dates and interim required tasks and timelines. The information is displayed as a network in chart form. PERT helps project planners identify:

• Start and end dates
• Anticipated total required completion time
• All activities, referred to as events on the chart, that impact the completion time
• The required sequence of events
• The probability of completion by a certain date

A program evaluation review technique (PERT) chart is a graphical representation of a project's timeline that displays the individual tasks necessary to complete the project. As a project management tool, the PERT chart is often preferred to the Gantt chart because it identifies task dependencies. However, a PERT chart can be more difficult to interpret.

See Also

• Gantt Chart
• Project Management
• Project Plan