Is Your Program Ready for Its Integrated Baseline Review?

Pinnacle guides and assists our clients with Integrated Baseline Reviews (IBR) as part of our standard Earned Value Management Services.

Are you overwhelmed by the concept of an IBR? Preparing for an Integrated Baseline Review is intimidating to many organizations. The requirements seem complicated and the preparation looks intensive.

The reality is that although there is a lot to know, there are steps you can take to make the IBR process smoother. It is important to understand that the IBR is not an "event". It is an ongoing process which consists of a formal review by your Program Team and a Government Program Manager. It is designed to:

• Assess the Performance Management Baseline (PMB)
• Assess the risks and agree upon a course of action to mitigate these risks
• Review the full EVMS compliance plan
• Review the EVMS Implementation Plan
• Review other management processes

The IBR is usually conducted jointly with the Government Program Manager and the Contractor, specifically the Contractor’s Program Manager and Control Account Managers (CAMs). This is a continuous process that is part of Integrated Project Management (IPM). It is not "pass/fail", and the IBR team works with the contractor on issues until they are resolved.

Establishing a good Performance Management Baseline (PMB) and a successful IBR lay the groundwork for a positive, successful program. The Government will be looking at the PMB so it is critical to develop a solid baseline that focuses on the following elements:

• Scope, schedule and budget baselines based on valid and realistic data
• An integrated Control Account Plan is in place
• The risks inherent in the PMB are identified and management control systems will address them

Specifically, your government client will want to know if the authorized work is planned, if the baseline is realistic and achievable, and if the resources are adequate and available when needed. The Government Program Manager will review program artifacts as part of the IBR. Some of the artifacts that you will need to have available may include:

• Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) and WBS Dictionary
• Statement of Work (SOW) - WBS Matrix
• Organizational Breakdown Structure (OBS)
• Integrated Master Plan (IMP)
• Integrated Master Schedule (IMS)
• Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM)
• Control Account Plans
• Performance Measurement Baseline (PMB)
• Work Authorization Documents
• Earned Value Methods
• Contract Performance Reports (CPRs)
• Program Logs (CBB, MR and UB)
• Variance Thresholds

Pinnacle can assist your program or organization in developing all the EVMS artifacts listed above. We also offer:

• IBR Training for CAMs and other project managers that provides an overview of the typical Integrated Baseline Review process and expectations of the contractor and customer
• Mock Interviews with CAMs that provides constructive feedback to prepare them for the real thing
• CAM Notebook Preparation that provides CAMs with the necessary artifacts required for interviews during the Integrated Baseline Review

Talk to a Pinnacle professional about our IBR preparation services. -  Give Us a Call or