2019 Professional Development & Training Workshop

ICEAA’s annual Professional Development & Training Workshop brings together professionals from government, industry and academic cost communities for an intensive 3 1/2-day program dedicated to developing the understanding and appreciation of using data-driven estimating and analysis techniques.

Best Paper Winners  Speaker Bios   Paper Presentation Summaries   Training Session Descriptions

Sponsoring & Exhibiting  Keynote Presentations

The ICEAA Professional Development & Training Workshop meets all requirements for sponsored training activity attendance as outlined in the USGPO Code of Federal Regulations.

Thanks to all of our sponsors & exhibitors!

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2019 Best Papers

ICEAA’s Best Paper process begins when authors are selected to present at the ICEAA Professional Development & Training Workshop, who may choose to submit a narrative-format paper along with the presentation they plan to give during the event. Those narrative papers submitted by the Best Paper Judging deadline are broken into theme-based categories and the best paper of each category is chosen by a panel of judges who name the best paper per category. Those winners are then rated by all of the judges from the various categories and the highest scoring paper among the winners is named Best Paper Overall.

Agile, Computing, Software Category Winner -and- Best Paper Overall:
Army Software Sustainment Cost Estimating Results
Cheryl Jones
James Doswell
Brad Clark
Robert Charette
Paul Janusz

The Army has conducted a study over the past six years to improve the estimation accuracy of software sustainment systems cost. Based on an extensive data call of 192 Army systems, data analysis revealed several types of cost estimating relationships based on release type, release rhythm, and three categories of data. Analysis of a sustainment cost risk model was also conducted. This presentation will show the study results including what worked and did not work.

SW04 – PPT – JonesCheryl – Army Software Sustainment
SW04 – Paper – JonesCheryl – Army Software Sustainment

Analysis & Modeling, Machine Learning Category Winner:
Don’t Just Use Your Data… Exploit It!
Adam James
Jeff Cherwonik
Brandon Bryant

The Data Age is here. Data are being collected at an exponential rate and cost analysts are struggling to exploit it. Limited structured contextual information and clunky formatting are significant barriers to efficient use. This paper demonstrates the importance of establishing a modern data strategy that considers how analysts identify, access and use data in the context of an example exploitation of a large CSDR data set for the Army’s Stryker Family of Vehicles.

AM01 – PPT – JamesA – Don’t Just Use Your Data… Exploit It!
AM01 – Paper – JamesA – Don’t Just Use Your Data… Exploit It!

Processes & Best Practices, Communication & Visualization Category Winner:
Engineering the Acquisition Process: Better Value Through Mechanism Design
Christian Smart
Britt Staley

As both the regulator and the only buyer in a market that measures over $500 billion a year in acquisitions, the Defense Department has tremendous leverage but does not make full use of it. Limited competition in the prime contractor market results in higher prices and lower quantities purchased. There have been some recent strides made to achieve better value, but much more can be done if the government will pursue strategic approaches. In this paper, we consider the use of mechanism design to achieve better value.

BP07 – PPT – Smart – Engineering the Acquisition Process
BP07 – Paper – Smart – Engineering the Acquisition Process

Planning & Strategy, Space & Missiles, Scheduling & Programming Category Winner:
EVM Visualization: The Radar Tool
Tyler Staffin
Brian Flynn

This research presents an innovation in EVM data analytics and visualization that gives acquisition managers the potential to better understand system level risk and to laser-focus their attention on critical elements of cost. The tool transforms a massive set of disaggregated data into a manageable form, and extracts “critical” elements by filtering on a set of user-defined, rules-based criteria. The tool holistically displays absolute growth, percent growth, and percent complete in one radar graph.

SP05 – PPT – Staffin – EVM Visualization: The Radar Tool
SP05 – Paper – Staffin – EVM Visualization: The Radar Tool

Methods, Data Collection & Management Category Winner:
A New Approach When Cost/Capability Trades Matter Most
Jeffery Cherwonik
Adam James
Richard Bazzy

Consideration of life cycle costs (LCC) early in the acquisition process, specifically prior to Milestone A, is paramount to credible requirements generation and improves the probability of program success. This paper describes a parametric universal wheeled ground vehicle LCC model based on CSDR data and designed for integration into a modeling and simulation environment that produces alternative vehicle designs. The LCC model uses outputs from a requirements-driven preliminary design model to generate informed cost vs. capability/requirements trades.

MM02 – PPT – Cherwonik – A New Approach
MM02 – Paper – Cherwonik – A New Approach

Tuesday Morning Keynote:

Peter Bendix, Everyone’s Playing Moneyball

More than 15 years after Michael Lewis’s iconic “Moneyball” was published, baseball has been forever changed by the influx of new technology, statistics and ideas. However, the fundamental challenge remains: In a zero-sum sport with no salary cap and huge discrepancies in market-size and revenue, how can a small-market, low-revenue club compete with the Yankees and Red Sox?

Peter is entering his 11th season with the Tampa Bay Rays and his 4th season as the Director of Baseball Development. Peter’s role allows him to actively participate in all areas within baseball operations; however, he focuses primarily on the Major League team, R&D, player development, and pro scouting. He acts as a liaison between R&D and other departments, provides input on roster and personnel decisions, explains and implements new research, technology and ideas, and helps manage the day to day operations of the department.

Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, Peter attended Tufts University (go Jumbos!) and began an internship with the Rays soon after graduating. In the little spare time he has, Peter enjoys cooking, finding new restaurants, traveling, and watching nearly any sport. He forgave LeBron for leaving, and remains excited for the Browns’ first trip to the Super Bowl. He resides in St Petersburg, Florida with his girlfriend, Lauren.

Wednesday Morning Keynote:

Erica Monteith

Erica has worked in data-driven marketing for various Fortune 100 companies, startups and non-profits for over 10 years. She is currently the VP of Strategy at a Denver startup helping them build a sustainable business through creative storytelling and data driven marketing. She is also the founder of the startup “Who’s on Tap” that is breaking into the gig economy helping bars and bartenders connect to fill a much needed urgent employment needs. She is a former Peace Corps Volunteer and built a successful small business with a local women’s group. She is also a proud graduate of the University of North Carolina’s Kenan-Flagler business school with an MBA in Corporate Strategy/Innovation and Entrepreneurship. She also has degrees in International Business and Marketing. She loves inspiring, motivating and mentoring teams to use innovative strategies to grow businesses. Finally, she believes in working hard and playing hard, and loves to hang out with her husband and dog, drink wine, run, hike and ski when she can find the time!

Thursday Morning Keynote:

Greg Destefano

Greg Destefano will discuss recent advancements in cost allocation methodologies USAA has made based on investments in advanced data and analytics.

Greg currently leads a contact center strategy and analytics team focused on developing innovative tools, strategies, and insights to improve the service provided to USAA Members via Phone, Chat, and Social channels. The team delivers results through comprehensive analytical studies which involve the syntheses of operational data, speech & text analytics, and the execution of well-designed experiments (test & learn). Prior to his current role, he worked in Finance as the leader of Enterprise Underwriting and Pricing’s advanced analytics team, which included the development of Member Lifetime Value (MLTV) models, executing Member level financial analysis, and building econometric models leveraged in Bank & Enterprise stress testing. Greg started his tenure at USAA in P&C’s Underwriting Analytics team.

Greg began his professional career serving as an Officer in the United States Air Force. As an Analytical Scientist, his experiences range from advanced weapons testing, recruiting market research, and Command level staff work. Immediately prior to joining USAA, he worked in the construction industry as an operations/marketing analyst specializing in advanced analytical techniques to report market conditions and optimize operations. Greg earned a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from Florida Atlantic University and a master’s degree in Operations Research from the Air Force Institute of Technology.