Don, few things:

Remove:

= CURSORSETPROP('Buffering',5, 'biditems' )  && Enable row buffering.
= CURSORSETPROP('Buffering',5, 'projects' )  && Enable row buffering.
= CURSORSETPROP('Buffering',5, 'projectphases' )  && Enable row buffering.
= CURSORSETPROP('Buffering',5, 'lineitemspecs' )  && Enable row buffering.

From your Init Event of the form or remove only this for biditems, there is no need of it. You use CA and It is buffered.

Second: Add KeyField in UpdateNameList:

this.oCa.updatenamelist =     "lineitemest biditems.lineitemest," + ;
                              "lineitemqty biditems.lineitemqty,"  + ;
                              "biditemid   biditems.biditemid"

Third: Change this code in InterActiveChange Event of the cboProject:

this.Value = this.Value
thisform.cboPhase.RowSourceType = 3

**** from this:
thisform.cboPhase.RowSource = ;
'select phasename,projectphaseid from projectphases where projectid = val(this.Value) into cursor crsPhases' 

*** to this:
thisform.cboPhase.RowSource = ;
        'select phasename,projectphaseid from projectphases where projectid = '+this.Value+' into cursor crsPhases' 
thisform.cboPhase.Requery()
thisform.cboPhase.DisplayValue = ' '
dodefault()