|
The EVM Newsletter™ from Management Technologies |
|
|
Management Technologies Services
>Third Party EVMS Certification |
Don't miss the next EVM Newsletter
You can opt out at any time. Your e-mail address will not be shared with anyone.
(Add www.mgmt-technologies.com to your white list.)
Past Newsletters
Back to top |
Shuttle Endeavour Flys Over "Home Base" |
Here is the video of the Space Shuttle's Final Flight over Los Angeles. Ride along with an FA-18 escort for "Astro 95 Heavy" as they approach Los Angeles from the West (yes the California coastline runs East to West near LA).
See Point Mugu, Santa Monica, the HOLLYWOOD sign, Rose Bowl, my home airport, the Orange County coastline, Long Beach, a low pass over LAX and landing at LAX.
The Video runs 16 minutes.
| FA18 Space Shuttle Endeavour |
Back to top | |
EVPrep Workshop Follows IPMC, Nov 1,2 | |
Registration is still open for the EVPrep workshop for 1-2 November in Bethesda.
Registration closes on Oct 26.
Attend EVM training at the IPMC (Integrated Program Management Conference) and then attend this workshop to find out what subjects need additional study.
If you plan to take the EVP exam in 2013 this workshop can save you $125 in EVP exam fees by taking the workshop and then submitting your application for a 2013 exam date. Also you will have time to study your weaker areas that are revealed in the workshop.
|
Quotable Quote | |
"All the serious mistakes are made on the first day."
anon
|
Forward to a friend
Did you find this newsletter interesting?
Forward it to a friend!
Back to top |
AACE Approved Education Provider |
PMI Registered Education Provider
Constant Contact All Star Award (2nd year)
(Less than 5% of Constant Contact customers are All Stars.)
|
Earned Schedule Conference | |
Next year is the 10th anniversary of "Schedule is Different", the landmark article by Walt Lipke that introduced Earned Schedule.
A conference is being organized to mark the occasion and to address new developments and challenges, and to strengthen the network of ES practitioners and researchers.
Back to top |
AACE EVP Computer Based Testing (CBT) Latest Info | |
I was mis-informed when I reported last month that EVP CBT had already begun at the time the September NEWSLETTER was sent to you.
But now it has started! For sure. As of 1 October.
Originally the CBT rollout was to occur in January 2013.
The latest information I have about the exam is posted on the web for users of EVPrep Study Guide but anyone can access it.
Always check with AACE for the official and latest information about certifications and certification testing.
People who have been approved to sit for the exam should get information from AACE or should contact AACE during this transition period.
Back to Top |
College of Performance Management Elects New Officers | |
Recently completed College of Performance (CPM) elections has put four new faces in their Governing Board, effective 2013. The positions and the 2013 office holders are
President
Gary Troop
Vice President Administration
Lauren Bone
Vice President Communications
Mark Phillips
Vice President Education and Certification
Kim Hunter
Congratulations to these members of the 2013 Governing Board. In the fall of 2013 the remaining CPM board positions will be up for elections. If you are a CPM member consider running for one of the following positions:
Vice President, Conferences and Events
Vice President, Research and Standards
Vice President, Finance
Executive Vice President
The board position of Past President is filled by the immediate past president or a predecessor.
Back to Top |
|
|
|
Here is the October EVM Newsletter.
Here is the latest news on AACE's early rollout of Computer Based Testing for the Earned Value Professional (EVP).
What if you are required to do EVM with just a list of tasks to complete over a year's time. No dependencies, sequence does not count, but EVM is required. The US GAO recently addressed this topic in their GAO Expert Meeting on Cost, Schedule, and EVM best practices. Our EVM Tidbit addresses this topic with a first hand case study from a client facing that very issue.
We review our second EVM Android app, "EVM Anywhere"
The College of Performance Management (CPM) election results are in for the four Governing Board positions elected this year. Next year the balance of the the elected positions will be up for grabs. Join CPM (only $25)and to run for office!
Just for fun there is link to a video of the Space Shuttle Endeavor's final flight over L.A. shot from an FA-18 chase plane. Something to get our minds off EVM just for a while.
Thanks to a significant showing of interest, the EVPrep workshop scheduled for 1-2 November in Bethesda MD is already confirmed. This event follows immediately follows the IPM Conference. Get more information about the workshop.
Here is a plan. Go to the IPM Conference, get 3 half-days of EVM training and then take the EVPrep Workshop to help find out which topics to focus upon during your study time. Early discount rates will apply for the workshop through October 26.
Next month we'll report on the Integrated Program Management Conference.
You can help make this newsletter interesting by contributing news about your activities in EVM, your company, product announcements, or your projects. Each month starts with a blank sheet, we don't make this stuff up! Send news to me at
[email protected]
Ray Stratton, PMP, EVP
Editor |
| EVM Meets Android #2 |
Last month we reviewed the Android app "Smart Rodent: Earned Value".
This month we take a look at "EVM Anywhere".
According to the developer, "This project started as a capstone project, a requirement for graduation from the University of Cincinnati. As such, it was initially designed to communicate with a remote server and provide synchronization and accessibility from the web. Due to this, there are some things in this stand-alone app that do not appear strictly necessary. It is our hope that we will find a home for the web app and the SQL backend so that we may eventually provide this functionality".
It has a fairly complete dictionary of about 25 EVM related terms. Unfortunately it's not alphabetized, but with only 25 or so entries it's not hard to scroll to the one of interest.
To use EVM Anywhere you have to create a user account and password. It asks for username, first and last Name, a password, and a phone number, company name, and email address. I only entered a username, first and last name, and a password and it created an account. Then log in.
Once logged in click on "New Project" and provide a Project Name, Number of Entries (reporting periods), and the reporting Interval (Day, Week, Month, Year). Next you get a table of entries for each period where you enter the "budget" which is their term for PV (Planned Value). After entering a value for all of the periods select SAVE PROJECT. You are presented a BAC (Budget at Complete) that is the sum of the values entered. Select OK, or Cancel if the value is incorrect. (You should know what your BAC is before entering period data so this is a check that your entered values are correct. Or, just put in your values and let the sum be your BAC without further checking.)
A list of projects is shown on the screen. Tap on the project name and you are presented with a screen listing all the periods for the project. With each period you can enter the Rate of Performance as a percent (taken to mean accomplishment for the period), and the actual cost. I entered the percent complete and the actual cost. The app quit. I relaunched the program and the data for period I entered was there. I wanted to edit it but the program prevented me from doing so. Enter your values carefully!
Tap on "Table of Values" and you get CPI (Cost Performance Index), CV (Cost Variance), SPI (Schedule Performance Index), SV (Schedule Variance), ETC (Estimate to Complete), and Estimated Time to Complete. I am not sure how Estimated Time to Complete is calculated. Touch "Graph" and you see a PMB and the current EV, PV, AC, and EAC. Some zoom is possible and you can move about the PMB for a more detailed view. The PMB S curve display is crisp and clear.
I did not check the math.
I think this EVM app has potential but it's a little buggy. Also I did not stress the app by skipping reporting periods, entering negative values, and the like. However, keep in mind this was a student project to complete a course with objectives in server communication and web accessibility. Be kind to the developer. Most of my engineering projects were never completed but if I passed the class I moved on.
If a reader wants to experiment with it more and provide a report we'll put it in The EVM Newsletter.
|
| Tidbit #37, When Schedule Does Not Matter |
Sometimes a project is just list of tasks to complete but the order and completion date for each task is not important. For example, suppose the project is to install equipment at ten sites over a year. There are no dependencies between the sites other than the team doing the work. The team decides which site is next in line considering weather, customer controlled accessibility, equipment on hand, etc. The only schedule milestone is "ten sites completed". When each site is visited and in what order is not important and cannot be determined beforehand due to external factors.
How can we apply EVM to this scenario?
If we make each site or site work a control account we lose some flexibility. Control accounts have timeframes and if the work is not done at the time planned we end up with schedule variances that are not important since the goal is ten sites in one year, not which site in which month. We also create paperwork since work authorization dates will need revisions if they are to keep up with reality.
Another approach is to make each site a planning package, but that is only a partial solution. Planning packages need to have timeframes so that each contributes to the time phased budget that becomes the EVM Performance Measurement Baseline (PMB).
A better approach might be to make each site visit a work package within an overall control account for the year's work. Schedule variances don't have to be computed at the work package level, work packages just plan BCWS (Budgeted Cost of Work Scheduled) and record BCWP (Budgeted Cost of Work Performed).
Each site can have BCWS (PV) appearing in the month(s) when work is thought to occur during our project planning. This will spread the Control Account budget within the 12 months and ten sites as each site appears in the control account plan. When each site is actually visited some or all BCWP will be recorded reflecting the current state of progress at the site. Some sites might be visited months early, others months late. Some site work might be interrupted to go to another site with very short accessibility. It is likely none of the sites will be visited per the plan as shown in the distribution of BCWS.
Regardless, the control account BCWP (EV, earned value) and BCWS are totaled month by month. The resulting values show how progress is being made toward to goal of ten sites in 12 months. If three sites were planned to be done, but three different sites were completed the control account is still on schedule as 30% of the plan toward all sites was completed, and there is no schedule variance.
This is really just an implementation of "percent units complete" using monthly BCWS and BCWP instead of percent complete times control account BAC. It has the advantage of recording progress more accurately since we can record partial site completion as might occur if work is interrupted and another site-work initiated. The use of site specific work packages provides additional visibility into which sites were visiting and not visited. Also, as work packages there is no need record costs site by site, although that could be done.
This exact scenario and EVM approach is being experienced by a client as they complete US FAA site work managed by each FAA region.
Back to top
|
| EVPrep™ and EVM Workshops |
The following workshops are planned for the following locations:
- Reston, VA
- Salt Lake City, UT
- Atlanta, GA
- Bethesda, MD (follows IPMC)
Earned Value Experience (CAM) Workshop (14 PDUs)
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, control 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.
Locations and Dates
View the Earned Value Experience workshop outline and get the registration form.
Interested in an on-site workshop? Send an e-mail with your your address and the number of attendees to receive a quote.
EVPrep Exam Prep Workshop (14 PDUs)
The workshop covers all the topics likely covered in the exam and provides exam-like questions and workshop discussion about each question and the possible answers. This workshop also includes an EVM analysis question to help prepare you for the three page written essay in Part II (was part IV).
Take this workshop and save $150 on the exam. Attendees are given a temporary limited membership in AACE that allows you to take the exam at AACE member rates.
Locations and Dates
This is twelve hours of mock EVP exam and discussions of correct and incorrect answers.
Do you have an EVP FAQ?
View the EVPrep workshop outline and get the registration form.
Interested in an on-site workshop? Send an e-mail with your your address and the number of attendees to receive a quote.
|
| Upcoming EVM and PM Conferences |
IPMC (Integrated Program Management Conference)
(Registration is underway now.)
WHEN: 29-31 Oct 2012
WHERE: Bethesda, MD
MORE INFO: CPM
An EVPrep workshop follows IPMC.
EVM Europe 2012
WHEN: 28-29 November 2012
WHERE: University of Twente Enschede, The Netherlands
MORE INFO: EVM Europe
(Note: Thanksgiving ({US} is 22 Nov)
AACE Total Cost Management Conference
WHEN: November 14-15, 2012
WHERE: Dubai, UAE
MORE INFO: AACE
Construction CPM Conference
(CPM as in Critical Path Method, not affiliated with the College of Perf. Mgmt.)
WHEN: January 27-30, 2013
WHERE: New Orleans, LA
MORE INFO: www.ConstructionCPM.com
EVM WORLD 2013
WHEN: 29-31 MAY 2013
WHERE: NAPLES, FL
MORE INFO: CPM
AACE International's Annual Meeting
WHEN: 30 June - 3 July 2013
WHERE: Marriott Wardman Park, Washington DC
MORE INFO: AACE
Back to top
|
| More on the EVP Computer Based Testing |
The use of CBT will shorten the EVP exam period from all day 7 hours) to a maximum of 5 hours. In addition the results of the exams will be used to improve the exam such as the removal of questions that everyone gets correct or incorrect.
Time management has always been a challenge for EVP candidates. Often parts of the paper exam were left incomplete at the end of one of the four the 105 minute testing periods. But at least the next part was a fresh start with another 105 minutes to go. Now examinees must manage and make best use of a 5 hour period. No fresh starts. Run out of time and you get "incorrect" for all missed questions. Spend too much time on the written memo and you might leave other questions unanswered. Leave the memo for last and then you might run out of time to write a good memo. Our EVPrep two day workshop and EVPrep Study Guide provide ideas for time management when you have to manage 5 hours non-stop, not 105 minutes.
More information on the EVP CBT is available at the AACE website and our EVP FAQ page. A sample of the CBT experience can be viewed in a AACE video.
Back to Top |
|
Do you have news to share? Send your news item and we'll review it for posting in a future EVM Newsletter.
Sincerely,
Ray Stratton, PMP, EVP Management Technologies |
|
|
|
Copyright 2012, Management Technologies
The EVM Newsletter, EVPrep, The Earned Value Management Maturity Model, EVM3, EzEVM, CAMcert, and The Earned Value Experience are trademarks of Management Technologies.
The Earned Value Professional , EVP, and the AEP logo are marks of the Association for the Advancement of Cost Engineering, International. (AACE�).
The PMP, PMBOK, PMI, and R.E.P. , and the Registered Education Provider logo are registered marks of the Project Management Institute, Inc.
EVM World is a registered trademark of the College of Performance Management, Inc. |
|
|
|
|
|