1、Public Lessons Learned Entry: 6476 Lesson Info: Lesson Number: 6476 Lesson Date: 2011-11-8 Submitting Organization: JPL Submitted by: David Oberhettinger Subject: Earned Value Management: Define and Maintain Work Authorization Documentation at all Levels Abstract: During a pilot exercise intended to
2、 advance the practice of EVM at NASA, it was discovered that the subject of the pilot (the ICESat-2 project) lacked the necessary formal assignment of authority and responsibility at the work performance level. The flow-down of authority and responsibility to the project should be adequately documen
3、ted, project plans should be maintained, work should be traceable to account numbers, and the documentation should reflect funding changes. Description of Driving Event: Although NASA projects with funding of over $20 million are required to use Earned Value Management (EVM) techniques to measure an
4、d assess project performance (Reference (1), EVM systems and processes are not well established throughout NASA. The NASA EVM Capability Project was established by the NASA Office of Chief Engineer (OCE) to develop and pilot an agency-wide, in-house, EVM capability that will meet NASAs project manag
5、ement requirements and ensure compliance with the federal Office of Management and Budget (OMB) mandates. The NASA Program Management Council (PMC) approved the NASA EVM Capability Project on December 16, 2009. There are three primary objectives of the EVM project: 1. Establish a NASA EVM process, a
6、long with the supporting documentation, that can be used as a model for all NASA projects that must implement EVM. 2. Demonstrate the NASA-wide EVM capability process on two projects- (1) the Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Systems Project and (2) the Ice, Clouds, and Land Elevation Satellite II (ICES
7、at-2) Project. The purpose of these two EVM pilot exercises is to test and modify the process as needed to ensure the most effective implementation of a NASA-wide EVM capability. Sponsored by the Exploration Systems Mission Directorate (ESMD) and managed by NASA Johnson Space Center, the EVA Systems
8、 Project seeks to protect humans while operating outside the pressurized spacecraft environment and while exploring other planetary bodies (Figure 1). Sponsored by the Science Mission Directorate (SMD) and managed by NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, ICESat-2 is the second generation of the orbiting
9、 laser altimeter ICESat scheduled for launch in early 2016. 3. Enhance NASA management insight into project performance by employing an effective EVM capability. Provided by IHSNot for ResaleNo reproduction or networking permitted without license from IHS-,-,-Figure 1. Inspection of the avionics on
10、a prototype, next-generation, spacesuit Implementation of an earned value management system requires, at the work performance level, a formal assignment of authority and responsibility from the highest level (e.g., NASA program office) to the organization performing the work (Reference (2). Else, th
11、e chain between customer expectations and project commitments may lose integrity. During the pilot exercise on the ICESat-2 Project, however, the EVM support team observed that the only documented NASA authorization for the ICESat-2 project was an outdated project Formulation Authorization Document
12、FAD) through Phase B and an outdated System Implementation Plan for the Instrument subsystem. The FAD for the EVA Systems Project was similarly deficient. References: 1. “NASA Program and Project Management Processes and Requirements,” NPR 7120.5D, March 6, 2007, Paragraph 3.1(c). 2. “NDIA PMSC ANS
13、I/EIA-748-B, Standard for Earned Value Management Systems Intent Guide,“ January 2005, Appendix A, Paragraph 2.1(b). 3. Jerald Kerby, NASA Earned Value Management (EVM) Capability Project, EVM Steering Committee Presentation, August 15, 2011. Lesson(s) Learned: The NASA work authorization trail invo
14、lves multiple levels throughout the organization, including the project and major contractors. Therefore, a clear documentation trail for the authorized effort must exist between the sponsor and the performing organization before work can be performed and actual costs charged against a project task.
15、 The ICESat-2 EVM exercise demonstrated that current or adequate documentation on NASA projects subject to EVM documentation requirements may not always be available (Reference (3). Recommendation(s): Consider the following improvements to the NASA project work authorization process to facilitate EV
16、M system implementation: 1. The flow-down of authority and responsibility from the NASA Mission Directorate Associate Administrator to the program office to the project should be formally and clearly defined to ensure that scope, schedule, and funding always remain in alignment. 2. Agency-level docu
17、ments whether FADs, program plans, or project plans should be judiciously maintained and updated to reflect changes. Provided by IHSNot for ResaleNo reproduction or networking permitted without license from IHS-,-,-3. Projects should maintain work authorizations at the control account level and main
18、tain clear traceability to charge numbers in the NASA core financial system. 4. Project budgetary logs should facilitate the trace of budget or funding changes. Evidence of Recurrence Control Effectiveness: The JPL-led pilot study was performed on a set of NASA Center-managed projects. The NASA Cent
19、ers will be documenting and refining their EVM processes to preclude EVM process defects like those revealed by the pilot study. Documents Related to Lesson: N/A Mission Directorate(s): Aeronautics Research Exploration Systems Science Additional Key Phrase(s): Program Management.Business processes A
20、dditional Categories.Program and Project Management Additional Info: Project: Ice, Clouds, and Land Elevation Satellite II (ICESat-2) and EVA Systems Project Approval Info: Approval Date: 2012-03-22 Approval Name: mbell Approval Organization: HQ Provided by IHSNot for ResaleNo reproduction or networking permitted without license from IHS-,-,-
