Assignment
Length: 6 pages.
1. Describe and assess the practice of earned value in your program or project (you may obscure the name of the organization and people to ensure nonattribution).
o What performance reports are submitted? What frequency? What format? What data are part of the performance reports?
o People: Describe the personnel establishment that actively practices earned value management (EVM).
o Process: Describe the business processes that drive the practice of EVM.
o Systems: Describe the systems in place that support the business processes.
o Is the overall system for assessing program performance effective? Does it accomplish corporate aims?
2. If earned value is not practiced in your program, then describe and assess what system or processes are employed to assess, track and monitor, and report on program performance. That is, discuss how effective the program performance metrics that are in use relate to objective measurements of cost, schedule, and technical performance.
o What metrics are employed to assess performance in the absence of EVM?
o What tracking and reporting processes are employed to report performance progress?
Note: If you do not have any personal experience in the organizations of which you have been a member, you may employ a case study from the course reference Project Management Case Studies (4th ed.), Kerzner 2013. The specific case study that can be used for this assignment is, "The Need for Project Management Metrics," (A)1, (B)2, (C)3, (D)4, (E)5, (F)6, (G)7, and (H)8 on pages 411-444.
Guidance
The practice of earned value management does not exist alone in a sterile vacuum. Rather, earned value can only be successful if it operates in harmony with other critical programmatic management processes. The aim of IP 1 is get you thinking about how to assess if an effective earned value management practice is in place with respect to a program/project that you are familiar with.
You can assess the practice of earned value in an organization by examining the dimensions of:
• People: Is there an establishment of trained and assigned personnel? That is, are there people who are appointed and act in the roles of master scheduler, control account manager (CAM), project/program controls? Note that different organizations may have a different title for the position. So, you have to look at the actual work they do with respect to the key earned value processes (i.e., scheduling, managing/supervising/controlling work, reporting progress, reporting actual costs). The practitioners must be trained and empowered.
• Processes: Business processes must define the practice of earned value management (EVM) as being integrated with other key business processes. That is, EVM is practiced along with and is complementary with other key business processes such as risk management, quality management, and resources management. Are the processes for practicing earned value written down? Is there a "system implementation guide", that is, a document that describes how earned value is practiced? Are there written or graphical processes for program/project management? Risk management? Change Control? Management Reporting? Do they support and complement each other?
• Systems: Automated and manual systems must be in place to support business processes and the personnel establishment. At a minimum, the practice of EVM requires the integration of the accounting system, the scheduling system, the earned value system, and the reporting system. Ideally, the systems should be automated; however, automation is not an ANSI/EIA requirement. There is considerable manual integration in many systems. What systems are employed for scheduling? Earned value? Accounting? Reporting? How are they integrated?
I want you to make the assessment of earned value by using a project/program that you have past or current experience with. Does your organization employ a formally certified EVM practice? Or an informal practice? (Non-attribution applies, you should obscure the real name of the organization).
I understand that you may determine that your organization does not practice earned value at all. OK...if that is the case...then how is project/program performance assessed? You can still use the same dimensions of People, Processes, and Systems to assess how performance management is practiced. What metrics are used to assess if projects/programs are on schedule? On budget? If technical deliverables are provided per contract?
If you do not have any personal experience in the organizations of which you have been a member (past or present), you may employ a case study from the course reference Project Management Case Studies (4th ed.), Kerzner 2013. The specific case study that can be used for this assignment is, "The Need for Project Management Metrics," (A)1, (B)2, (C)3, (D)4, (E)5, (F)6, (G)7, and (H)8.
Format your assignment according to the following formatting requirements:
1. The answer should be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides.
2. The response also includes a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student's name, the course title, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.
3. Also include a reference page. The Citations and references should follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length.