Building a DoD RFP Response for EVM Requirements

The DoD EVM utilization and application is the most mature and discerning of all the US Federal Agencies. 

The Army, Navy, Marines and the Air Force have been requiring the use of EVM longer than any of the Civilian Agencies.  The Intelligence communities within the DoD do not have the same reputation regarding the stringency of their DoD EVM requirements.

The DoD uses DCMA (Defense Contract Management Agency) for ensuring that a supplier's EVM systems are in compliance with the EIA-748-C standard and within the DoD EVM requirements.  DCMA is considered the gold standard for reviewing and validating a supplier’s DoD EVMS.

When building a DoD RFP response or submitting a proposal for the DoD EVM requirements suppliers should recognize that whatever you propose regarding your EVMS may need to be proven during a pre-award review.  Suppliers should also recognize the significance of the organizational changes and costs of a DoD EVMS Implementation before contractually committing to it.

Pinnacle Management sees 3 levels of DoD RFP Responses for contracts. These depend on contract size, risk and the nature of the Program or Project.

These 3 levels of Pre-award DoD RFP Responses are:

• A 'DoD EVM narrative plan' for an IDIQ type RFP – This is essentially a narrative response and a plan outlining how your company will become compliant with DoD EVMS. 

This would be applicable for companies that do not have an established EVMS in place. This DoD RFP Response narrative plan may be based on the full 32 criteria or a subset of the EIA-748 standard based on the expected contract value and stated requirements.

• A full DoD EVM Implementation plan – This includes an evaluation outlining gaps based on all of the 32 EIA-748 criteria and a plan to achieve compliance with the 32 criteria in line with the DoD EVM guidelines. 

These are usually for contracts that do not meet $50 million threshold. This may require all pre-award deliverables be produced using DoD EVM standards. The pre-award deliverables include the following preliminary documents: WBS, OBS, IMP, Schedule and Risk identification.

• A Validated or Certified DoD EVMS is usually required for contracts exceeding the $50 million threshold.   DoD may also require this at a lower level contract value if the project is high risk.

These DoD RFP responses also require the complete set of Pre-award EVM deliverables to be built following EVM standards.  These include a preliminary WBS, Project OBS, Milestone or IMP and Risk Identification.

DoD RFP Responses require a solid plan and schedule that will show the DoD / DCMA that your company is on the right track to establishing processes and getting your DoD EVMS Validated.

The rules above can change based on several factors.  The DoD EVM requirements may vary by contract type, contract value (threshold), contract Officer, Risk and the part of the DoD to which you rare submitting your proposal.

At Pinnacle we have teamed with our clients to handle all of these types of DoD EVMS RFP Responses and Contract types.  We can help you to determine what it will take to achieve the required level of response and satisfy your DoD EVMS requirement.

If you are thinking about bidding for a DoD contract or writing an RFP Response that requires Earned Value Management, talk to a Pinnacle professional  -  Give Us a Call or   to find out how we can help you respond quickly and economically.  We have some predefined material that can simplify your response effort significantly.

You may also be interested in our shared Risk, shared reward pricing for the work, in which we will reduce our costs significantly if you agree to team with us for your EVMS Implementation contingent on you winning the work.