At the PMI EVM World 2009 conference, Pat Barker of MCR presented an alternative talk when an opening appeared due to a cancellation. First MCR is one of those firms that is a real life “thought leader.” Many what to call themselves “thought leaders.” Very few are.

Pat presented a concept that needs to be repeated. Repeated again and again. Shouted from the roof tops. He’ll forgive me I know for restating his thesis here. His talk was titled “Anchoring EVM Analysis in GAO Guide.” For anyone serious about Program Management and the cost and schedule aspects of program must own a copy of Cost Assessment Guide: Best Practices for Estimating and Managing Program Costs. There are chapters on Earned Value as well.

This may sound pedantic, but if you’re not familiar with the concepts of managing cost and schedule as an inseparable set of variables, you’re probably not an actual project manager. Those who manage project managers – program managers – probably have come to understand this.

Any way here’s Pat’s concepts. There are 5 elements of a programmatic control system:

• Cost
• Risk
• EVMS
• Schedule
• Technical

MCR calls this CREST. This is a trademarked and copyrighted for concept.

Inside the CREST concept there are questions that need to be answered. Like any good method, these questions reveal the maturity of the program controls processes:

1. Is the management system producing reliable information to support decision making?
2. How much progress has been made?
3. Is the schedule reasonable and can I meet my required date?
4. Are cost and schedule trends getting better or worse?
5. Will performance expectations be met?
6. Is Management paying attention ot the performance trends and forecasts?
7. Is the estimate to complete (EAC) reasonable?
8. Can the program effectively identify and handle risks?

These questions are simialr to the Project Breathalyzer questions and the questions I’ve mentioned in the past. They’re the questions program managers and project managers ask. If you’re not asking these question every week or every month at least, then you’re not “managing” the project, the project is managing you.

Here is the original: Herding Cats