Do You Need to Comply with All 32 SAE EIA 748 Guidelines?

The answer to this question depends on what kind of government contract you are applying for/working on, or if you are working on a government program at all.

Earned Value Management System Requirements for Government Programs

If the government program you are pursuing is valued at $20M or more, you very likely need to use an Earned Value Management System (EVMS) to manage the project and ensure that supplies and services are delivered on time, within cost, and meet performance requirements—once that value exceeds $100M, your EVMS will need to be validated (DoDI 5000.02). The Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) is one mediator of these types of programs. Most, but not all, EVMS's comply with all 32 guidelines in the SAE EIA 748C EVMS Standard (formerly known as the ANSI/EIA 748 EVMS Guidelines), as long as they are applicable to your specific contract work effort. For example, if you are working on a software development project, the guidelines for material management may not apply.

Sometimes, only a handful of the EVM guidelines are required. If this is the case, they will be indicated in the government agency's RFP, and your organization's compliance (or intent to comply) with these guidelines must be demonstrated in your proposal.

10 Core EVMS Guidelines

Within the SAE EIA 748C, there are 10 core guidelines for establishing and running a successful EVMS. Paraphrased, they are:

  • Define the WBS
  • Identify the organization performing and managing the work
  • Ensure that your tools and systems are integrated
  • Schedule all project work using approved scheduling techniques
  • Identify the products and project milestones in your schedule and use these to drive your schedule development/monitoring
  • Establish your budget based on schedule dates
  • Record all costs associated with the work
  • Collect costs and schedule status information on a monthly basis or more often
  • Based on your current status, make appropriate revisions to your plan (estimate at completion)
  • Incorporate changes to your plan in a disciplined manner

EVM Is Good Program Management For Non-Government Work, As Well

If you are not bidding on government work and you simply want to implement EVM into your daily operations because it's smart business, first, let us say, good for you! EVM provides a level of visibility and forecasting ability into your program that's unmatched. The best part? Beyond implementation of the 10 core guidelines, you can pick and choose the remaining guidelines that best suit your needs and your current corporate climate.

TriVariant's EVMS consulting experience crosses multiple industries and we have assisted in the implementation of EVM systems in both contractually required (US Government driven) and commercial environments. If you need a little help getting started, TriVariant's consultants will be glad to assist. E-mail us at info@trivariant.com, or complete our Request for Information form.