Pinnacle Insights

The 29th annual IPM Workshop was held on October 30 - November 1st in Bethesda, MD.  

Often these two terms are used interchangeably, but they mean very different things to those of us who have been implementing project management and project controls systems.  

Update: August 26, 2024.
Please note that the article below refers to the implementation of a DFAR deviation implemented in 2017 that effectively changed the EVMS validation threshold for DOD cost-plus development contracts to $100M, while keeping EVMS reporting threshold at $20M. The 2024 NDAA directs the Dept of Defense to update the DFAR to raise the reporting threshold to $50M, and officially change the validation threshold to $100M. DFARs changes take a long time, and we will post additional information when changes are made.

At the most recent NDIA Integrated Program Management (IPM) Division Meeting, John McGregor, Director of Earned Value Management for OSD Performance Assessment & Root Cause Analysis (PARCA) took the stage to discuss the latest updates related to EVM threshold requirements for DoD contracts. During the presentation, John clarified that DoD Instruction 5000.02 is finalized, signed and in full affect, even though the document looks like it may be in draft form.

For many years, Deltek's Micro-Frame Program Manager (MPM) has been the backbone of many Earned Value Management systems.  It provided a simplistic cost engine for a single program environment that could be integrated with scheduling data to meet the needs of even government programs.  

For many years, Deltek's Micro-Frame Program Manager (MPM) has been the backbone of many Earned Value Management Systems.  It provided a simplistic cost engine for a single program environment that could be integrated with scheduling data to meet the needs of even government programs. 

For many years, Deltek's Micro-Frame Program Manager (MPM) has been the backbone of many Earned Value Management systems.  It has been providing a simplistic cost engine for a single program environment that could be integrated with scheduling data to meet the EVM reporting needs of government programs, but the software will soon be phased out by Deltek.  

Project Management (PM) tool selection can be a daunting task. Many organizations drive their PM tool selection without understanding exactly how these tools will be used, who will use them, and how they will be accepted within an organization. If you select the wrong PM tools they are likely to end up sitting on a shelf and delaying any improvement to your PM capabilities.

What's the foremost risk to implementing Project Management improvements? The same thing that threatens any business change initiative. It requires change!