scope:

Abstract:

The Agency has aggressively committed to pursue performance tracking such as Earned Value Management (EVM). However, given the constraints of operating within the restrictions and limitations of a government agency, EVM can be very difficult and in some situations impossible to attain. The Advanced Air Transportation Technologies (AATT) Project made a serious attempt to implement EVM and both ATMSDI contractors reported monthly EVM status to the AATT Project Office. Additionally, the Project Office hired an EVM subject matter expert and attempted to track EVM utilizing in-house civil service labor plans and acturals. This was prior to implementation of an Agency-wide generic full cost accounting system. The AATT effort proved to be labor intensive and would have required creation of over 100 individual job order (account) numbers in the Ames financial system alone in order to accurately capture and track individual task level work plans and actuals. In fact, Ames' financial management organization did not react favorably to the prospect of so many cost accounts for a number of reasons (additional workload being one). Without the necessary level of detail in collecting planned and actual expenses, Earned Value Management effectiveness becomes severely compromised. The AATT Project found that the level of information gained did not justify the workload placed on the task leads and/or PIs or the AATT Systems Management Staff.

The overall lesson learned is that if Earned Value is to be effective, Center and Agency foundations in terms of accounting systems, resources (both financial and human), tools, and cultures need to be supportive and made fully available.