Are there any hard deadlines?

The goal of the usability study may be to get a baseline usability benchmark before the product goes live. The timing of the product launch will thus be a factor when planning the schedule, especially if any usability issues found should be fixed before going live. Another hard deadline may be an upcoming management presentation, where the results of the study are part of the agenda. The UX researcher should ask this question in order to understand and cater for any constraints on the schedule.