Posted by Anchoring EVM Analysis Approaches in the GAO Guide
EVM/Schedules Track
Downloadable Files:
Abstract:
The growing size and complexity of Defense programs and a higher level of awareness of uncertainty places an ever-increasing emphasis on the integration of risk, earned value, cost, technical performance and schedule in the Acquisition community and creates the need for new communication tools for program managers. The US Department of Defense and related Federal organizations have updated several guidance documents and policies to encourage this integration, the latest evidence being the release of the GAO Cost Estimating and Assessment Guide: Best Practices for Developing and Managing Capital Program Costs This landmark guide places a significant amount of space dedicated to the role played by Earned Value Management (EVM), as well as other key program management disciplines.
Since 2005, MCR has regularly executed a process called Linked Control Account AnalysisTM (LCAA), linking risk, schedule, cost technical and EVM information at the control account level, to derive various indices with the purpose of providing high quality, actionable information to the Program Manager.. This presentation explores where our LCAA efforts, executed from an oversight capacity with respect to large DoD ACAT-1D programs, draws upon the GAO guide for EVM analysis. Participants in this seminar should come out of the presentation with several “takeaways,” chief among them being (1) the value of an interdisciplinary approach to EVM analysis and the (2) potential for the soon-to-be-released final version of the GAO guide to be a powerful asset to the analyst and cost estimator.
Author(s):
Patrick K. Barker
Pat Barker is a Principal in MCR’s Corporate Technical Directorate. The group is responsible for Integrated Program Management support across MCR. As a Principal, Pat leads a variety of small, special-purpose teams and provides consultant efforts and workshops for Industry and Federal Agencies, including DoD programs. Pat’s primary concentration is on interdisciplinary tasks and case study development, particularly those linking EVM, Risk, System Engineering, Cost and Schedule. He currently leads MCR’s efforts to enable small to mid-sized commercial companies establish Earned Value Management Systems and plays a key role in helping a major FAA program implement and maintain a EVMS implementation within the context of an advanced, web-based EVM tool architecture. Prior to joining MCR Pat has over 20 years’ leadership, training and analysis experience in military and civilian positions, to include program office team leadership, modeling and simulation development and policy guidance in various DoD and civilian capacities. Academic experience includes a 4-year tour as an Assistant Professor of History at the USAF Academy and extensive background in training and course development for almost two decades. During his 20-year USAF career, Mr. Barker was also an instructor B-52 electronic warfare officer and a functional manager in technology warning for the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA). He also continues as a trainer for the Positive Coaching Alliance, providing workshops to youth sports coaches across the Washington DC metro region.
Education: Pat holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and a Master of Arts in History, both from Lehigh University. He has begun PhD coursework in Business Leadership.
Professional Memberships: Pat is a member of Project Management Institute (PMI) and the International Council on System Engineering (INCOSE). He is also a member of the National High School Coaches Association, Positive Coaching Alliance and the American Baseball Coaches Association.
Mary Kate Lenz
Mary Kate Lenz has assisted in the analysis of current Department of Defense programs focusing on their Earned Value Management processes using wInsight software and Excel. In the preparation of this analysis she has also assisted with a course that is being developed within her company pertaining to proper Earned Value Management techniques. She is currently assisting the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in the development of Cost Analysis Data Requirement (CADRe) packages and Sensor Data Collection for NASA programs. This involves gathering extensive cost and technical data collection from various satellite missions, interfacing with program managers from NASA and Johns Hopkins University/Advanced Physics Lab (JHU/APL), and organzing the data received into the necessary templates for documentation for NASA.
She also has experience working with the USAF Space Missile Center providing a broad range of work including cost estimating for both ground and space based electronics platforms, financial management support, and preparing professional briefings for high profile clients. Experience includes preparation and presentation of a full Independent Cost Estimate (ICE) using the ACEIT model for the “Family of Advanced Beyond-Line-of-Sight Terminals” (FAB-T) program,r the “Tracking Data Relay Satellite System” (TDRS) program for National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES-R) program for National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) as well ar the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution Project (MAVEN) program for National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). She has also developed an Independent Schedule Estimate (ISE) and an Schedule Risk Analysis (SRA) for Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM) program for National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
Education: Ms. Lenz has an M.B.A from the University of Maryland University College, (Adelphi, Md), May 2008 and a B.A., St. Mary’s College of Maryland, (St. Mary’s City, Md), Economics, May 2004
Memberships: She has received an MCR Employee Excellence Award for “Team of the Quarter” for the period of October 2005 to December 2005. She is also a member of the Society of Cost Estimating and Analysis (SCEA).
Ammar Chaudry
Ammar Chaudhry has a background in financial analysis and program control. His financial analyst experience includes but is not limited to study subjects such as rates of return, depreciation, working capital, investments, and financial and expense comparisons by analysis of profit and loss statements and income statements. His Project Control experience comprises of creating policies and action plans, work with different levels of management to draft and maintain schedule in MS Project. This includes collecting status updates, analyzing cost/schedule variances, obtaining approvals to implement changes to a baselined schedule.
Mr. Chaudhry possesses contract work experience with Transportation Security Administration, United States Coast Guard, and United States National Archives and Department of Transportation. Under all these capacities Mr. Chaudhry has provided his consulting services as part of different finance and program management teams.
Education: Ammar has a dual bachelors degree from University of Maryland in Finance and Information Systems. He is currently pursuing a Masters in Project Management from Johns Hopkins University.