Reply to: what to do

[Chaffinch]

I'd reach for the Prince II handbook and find the bit on Phase Start / End Design. Pretty sure there's lots you can be doing that's relevant, productive and billable

[vetran]

Facilitate,Facilitate,Facilitate

you know it makes sense.

[Freamon]

client co have stated that the design doc is a milestone and therefore build phase cannot begin until this is signed off.

Sounds pretty German.

Don't you need to hold walkthrough sessions of the documentation with the reviewers to ensure the review process is thorough and that everyone is fully bought in to the strategy and direction set out within, mitigating the risk that any assumptions are made by either side that later prove to be incorrect and cause avoidable additions to scope and timescales?

Or do all the reviewers just read the docs in isolation, not fully understand them, send you a few comments back on minor grammar/punctuation issues, then complain 3 months later that their sign-off "doesn't really count anymore" as they didn't really understand the docs in the first place?

[Old Greg]

I find looking busy usually helps.

And logging lessons learned

[EternalOptimist]

How about a proactive strike.
spend the week liasing with infrastructure (or whomever) along the lines of 'If this goes ahead, will you be able to support x,y,z ? and what will you need from me

[chef]

How is you German new?

Better than your english, I hope.

Besser, danke

[conned tractor]

Tell them that since you're not needed onsite you will be writing documentation from your Villa and invoice as usual.

[Bunk]

Better than your english, I hope.

[Clippy]

How is you German new?

Better than your english, I hope.

[alreadypacked]

I'm on a daily rate and although I would love to take the holiday, I've just had 9 months self imposed "holiday" and only intend to work this project before taking a similar length holiday next year so I might aswell try and fit in 5 days of work if possible

How is you German new?

[Normie]

Ok,

So, what creative realistic billable suggestions can the panel come up with to fill this possible 5 day non-billabe void within the timeplan?

If relevant to the project:

Write a Test Plan, UAT, etc
End User Documentation

[chef]

Have you spoken about it with them?

Yes the PM, who is employed by the agency I via, highlighted this to me this morning stating

"We need to come up with some activities that you can perform – any suggestions?"

I assume he was talking about work, otherwise i might have to get out the performing monkey bag of tricks..

[doodab]

ahhh so that's why your invoicing always takes so long

Yes, I like my grub.

[Spacecadet]

I'm on a daily rate and although I would love to take the holiday, I've just had 9 months self imposed "holiday" and only intend to work this project before taking a similar length holiday next year so I might aswell try and fit in 5 days of work if possible

Have you spoken about it with them?

[chef]

Send them a bill composed of several hundreds of small individual items. See if you can slip some fanciful ones in there.

ahhh so that's why your invoicing always takes so long