The US Dept. of Veteran Affairs has cancelled or cut funding on 15 IT projects out of 45 that failed to meet cost and schedule performance expectations. "We were able to catch these projects, in part, thanks to the IT Dashboard" said Vivek Kundra, the Federal Chief Information Officer.

AACEI's EVP™ exam study guide, 2nd edition, is a great complement to the EVPrep™ Study Guide. The AACEI Guide provides a short tutorial on likely exam topics followed by a few questions on the subject.

According to AACEI there are about 250 EVPs. If you have your EVP you are one of a very few. If not, think about getting your EVP!

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• Integrates planning, budgeting, program management, and control 
• Improves insight into Program Performance
• Reduces management risks
• Promotes management by exception
• Fosters accountability
• Provides objective information
• Allows comparative analysis against completed programs   

What does it mean for EVM to fail? Most would say that anytime the EVM performance data does not reflect reality. It's not about the project's cost and schedule performance, it's about the accuracy with which EVM reports the truth. Perfect accuracy is not possible, but if the CV or CPI shows a close to on-budget condition for the work completed it should be true. There should not be any financial surprises. The same could be said for the schedule performance data and reality.

• Setting thresholds for Green, Yellow, Red. This common practice sets minimum values which encourage PMs and CAMs to make it to the next better level if at all possible
• Comparing programs side-by-side using EVM data (every program is different)
• Comparing PMs and CAMs side-by-side using EVM data
• Expressing frustration when the EVM data is not as they hoped and working to "correct" the current period's data.
• Specifying the "right" answer. (Listen to a 15 sec. mp3 audio clip illustrating this point from an historic quest.)
• Setting CPI and SPI values as goals in individual performance plans
• Permitting LOE measures for scheduled and measurable work 

• CAMs do not know how to select the best work in progress (WIP) measure or Earned Value Technique (EVT) for each work package
• CAM do not have an EVM facilitator available to help in planning control account plans and reporting progress
• CAMs are asked to use EVM commercial software without training
• Over use or mis-use of Level of Effort (LOE)
• Milestones that do not have clearly stated quality and completion criteria, allowing them to be declared done when they are not 

• Requests for EVM reports even as the scope and funding are changing
• Asking for PMB changes without any supporting need (its not their plan to change)
• Working with the PM (contractor) to fix the data to retain or get more funding, or to dodge "issues"
• Inability to define and hold to baselined scope, quality, and funding

You'll experience creating an earned value management baseline, determining earned value from project status, calculating earned value management indices, and estimating final cost and completion date. This workshop is perfect for team leads, cost account managers, financial and schedule control staff, project and program managers, and chief project officers. 
 
Excel EzEVM™ Templates may be retained by attendees to implement earned value management in their organization.
The Earned Value Experience (CAM) workshop will be conducted in:

• Reston VA Feb 9-10
• Burmingham AL Mar 9-10
• Arlington VA Apr 6-7
• Denver CO Apr 20-21
• Costa Mesa CA May 18-19
• Tampa FL June 8-9

• Reston VA Feb 11-12 (Ideal for the March 6 exam!)
• Burmingham AL Mar 11-12
• Arlington VA Apr 8-9
• Denver CO Apr 22-23
• Costa Mesa CA May 20-21
• Tampa FL June 10-12

 have the following skills:

• Deltek Open Plan™, or
• Deltek MPM™, or
• Deltek Cobra™
• Please contact markinfanti@deltek.com or call 714-943-8112