ANSI/EIS 748-a (1998) is the widely adopted Earned Value Management System (EVMS) standard. Overall, it is about 32 pages long, 19 of which actually hold real content that is directly relevant to the standard. The ANSI standard goes by other names, relevant to the 32-Steps described in the document, such as the 32-Step Earned Value Management Process. This is confusing, and on a proposal a few years ago, I had to figure out what the RFP was talking about when it referred to the 32-Step EVM Process. In short they wanted the ANSI standard without referencing it, and requested it without the understanding that the ANSI standard was not structured by the 32-steps. For this reason, I thought it to be a good idea to pass this knowledge along. Hopefully I have hit upon a few key words for those people frantically (and incorrectly) searching for the 32-Step EVM Process.

Organizations who need a “Value Engineering” system often develop one for the wrong (singular) reason as they address OMB Circular 130 mandates to Federal Agencies, and fail to realize their own reasons for tracking Earned Value. Earned Value Management is an effective tool to help the Project Manager understand the the dynamics of a project and where the project is heading if present trends persist. It gives them the visibility into the project give them an early response to perceived problems. Saul Rosenberg discusses how.