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GPCCaR M09 Managing Project Progress - Too Much Reliance Upon Earned Value?

Posted Tue, 2016-06-07 06:16 by Rafael Davila

GPCCAR - 09.0 - MANAGING PROJECT PROGRESS as well as the GUILD are too much into force feeding Earned Value. 

FF01 photo FF01_zpsylsz6yjy.jpg

The GUILD assumes a wrong approach by force feeding Earned Value everywhere, an approach not everyone accept or uses, an approach many of us believe of limited value. Because the GUILD is everywhere so in favor of EVM a complete re-write would be required to fix its bias. 

  • http://wbia.pollub.pl/files/83/attachment/1914_3_2.pdf
  • Many organizations worldwide adopted Earned Value as a standard management tool (e.g. US Department of Defence [13], an Australian standard [14]). It is described in practically all management handbooks and incorporated into management software. However, if to be implemented, the method should be used according to its purpose: it is not a tool for forecasting; instead, it facilitates progress monitoring, determination of project status (on time? to budget?), identification of potentially negative occurrences and a rough estimate of their combined effect on the project’s outcome. If the project is to be managed consciously, these occurrences should be then investigated into by means of more accurate methods.
  • CCT01 photo CCT01_zpsapkug9kr.jpg
  • Because of its insistence in force feeding Earned Value the name shall be changed to The Guild of Project Controls for Earned Value Advocates.  In my "barrio" we call it tunnel vision. 

TVyy photo tunnel_zpsnrrmee6t.jpg

  • Many of us find Project Risk Analysis a better tool for most construction jobs as they typically have many parallel paths.
  • https://biblio.ugent.be/publication/3153433/file/6787303.pdf
  • TE01 photo TE01_zpsx8b74o8t.jpg
  • The tracking efficiency is high for a bottom-up tracking approach using SRA information when the project contains many parallel activities.
  • Failing to mention more reliable methods for project control under this title is unacceptable.
  • http://www.spiderproject.com/images/img/pdf/Project%20Control%20Methodology.pdf

[This post moved here by GPC Admin so this point can be given specific attention and actioned]

The Guild in its insistence

by Rafael Davila - 18 Jun 2016 - 21:58
The Guild in its insistence to force feed EVM do not even mentions that in the USA EVM is discouraged on Firm-Fixed-Price Contracts. I suspect because some of the GUILD members have a vested interest in selling at all cost EVM services and training, perhaps EVM training within the GUILD cerification program. 

GPC Admin  (Jason),What is

by Rafael Davila - 10 Jun 2016 - 00:00

GPC Admin  (Jason),

What is wrong with my approach under this specific thread? 

He who asserts must prove. In order to establish an assertion, he must support it with enough evidence and logic to convince an intelligent but previously uninformed person that it is more reasonable to believe the assertion than to disbelieve it. Facts must be accurate. 

Sorry if you do not like the confrontational nature of any debate but I see absolute lack of supporting evidence and logic on the GUILD assertions I am contesting as mistaken or wrong..

Best Regards,

Rafael

Refer

by GPC Admin - 9 Jun 2016 - 17:49

Refer http://www.planningplanet.com/forums/guild-project-controls-gpc/591070/g...

GPC Admin,I cannot see why

by Rafael Davila - 9 Jun 2016 - 23:28

GPC Admin,

I cannot see why the authors do not take the challenge and respond to my claims the source of the GUILD postulates I am challenging is poor, nonexistent and wrong. 

  • If the GUILD makes some postulates and there is sustaining evidence why not present it?
  • If the GUILD makes some postulates and are questioned with some reasoning behind why not the courtesy to answer with some good reasoning?
  • What is being said at the GUILD can be adopted by some contract authors that do not understand how wrong some statements are and therefore dangerous. 

I tried long ago to get some real answers on my initial postings and all I got were poor answers or none. I find in such abominable error some of what is being said at the GUILD that I find it dangerous and therefore my strong response. 

Because you have split original thread into many, following your approach I have no other option than to ask what is wrong with my approach under this specific thread? 

I do not kow of a better term than "force feeding" when at almost every other pharagraph I see reference to EVM an approach that is far from perfect and that ironically many consider of not much value. 

Best Regards,

Rafael

Hello Rafael,Refer

by GPC Admin - 9 Jun 2016 - 12:51

Hello Rafael,

Refer here http://www.planningplanet.com/forums/guild-project-controls-gpc/591070/gpccar-m09-3-capturing-progress-updating-schedule-data-coll#comment-85525

GPC Admin (Jason)

It looks like the authors of

by Rafael Davila - 9 Jun 2016 - 11:45

It looks like the authors of the GUILD have no interest on debating when questioned or challenged.

http://www.spiderproject.com/

by Rafael Davila - 7 Jun 2016 - 22:21
  • http://www.spiderproject.com/images/img/pdf/Project%20Control%20Methodol...
  • EVA shall be applied carefully for the following reasons: 
    • EVA is widely used but shall be applied very carefully and together with other methods because it may provide wrong motivation of project teams and does not consider activity network dependencies.
    • It does not distinguish between the works done on critical activities and activities with sufficient floats. A project could be late but EVA will not notice this problem if Earned Value exceeds Planned Value. 
    • It motivates project managers to do expensive tasks first delaying cheaper activities that could have higher priorities, 
    • It suggests to forecast future performance basing on past experience that may be wrong if resources that planned to be used in the future are not the same as in the past, 
    • It does not allow for risks and uncertainties
    • In the projects with expensive materials and equipment it is reasonable to apply EVA to the cost of work only. 
    • So EVA is usually applied to cost components and cost centers, man-hours, and other parameters that may be used for measuring work scheduled and work done.  
  • Trends shall be used for timely management decisions because they show problems ASAP. 
  • Success Probability Trend Analysis [SPTA] is the best performance analysis method integrating scope, cost, schedule and risk information.