There is a concept that detailed planning is part of Earned Value Management. Some have described projects with 100's of thousands of tasks - 200,000 in one example. This of course is a fundamentally wrong approach to developing the Performance Measurement Baseline for an Earned Value Management based project.
Here's why.
- In the MIL-STD-881A and the related Earned Value guidance, the EV measures are taken at Level 3 of the WBS - NOT the detailed tasks. The WBS elements before are still not the tasks, since the WBS contains the Product Breakdown Structure (PBS) and the supporting services needed to produce that product. Words like "design" are never at Level 3 in the WBS.
- These detailed tasks are part of a Work Package. This Work Package is where the EV is collected.These tasks usually fit inside some Work Packages time boundaries. Many Earned Value shops limit the duration of a Work Package to one accounting period, 60 calendar days, 45 work days or something like that. The reason of course is the answer the question "how long are we willing to wait before we find out we're late?"
- The Tasks in the Work Package are used to establish the physical percent complete for the Work Package. Usually the measure is 0% or 100% for each task. Either the task is done or it is not. The 0/100 approach allows you to "roll up" each task in MSFT Project and compute a total percent complete for the Work Package. Or you can do a weighted calculation in MSFT Project or Excel before moving this information to the Cost Accounting system (SAP, Cost View, Safran MPM)
- These Work Packages are sequenced in an order that moves the project forward. The collection of Work Packages in the space and defense business is called the Integrated Master Schedule. This sequence is usually "nose to tail," "finish to start" for the Work Package. The reason here is any downstream work that starts with partially completed predecessor work is called "rework." Try as hard as you can to not have leads and lags between Work Packages. Some US DoD procurements guideline prohibit leads and lags or limit them to 5 days. 5 days is the same as 0 days. Break the Work Packages up to prevent this.
So What Does This Mean in Practice?
First, the rolling waves are the basis of every credible planning process, whether it is Earned Value based or not. The active rolling wave (the one we're working now) is usually 6 to 9 months for the programs we're on. This is around 20% of the total period of performance. The Planning Packages for the future Rolling Waves have less detail than the current rolling.
But these Planning Packages need a credibly estimated budgeted cost and duration, so they may be vague on the details, but they describe the total budget of the program
All of this means:
- Detail plan only the stuff you know enough about. Making detailed plans for work a year from now at the same granularity you are in the currently rolling wave is fantasy.
- Don't waste effort on these Planning Packages until they come closer to starting. have credible estimates for future work, but have this work be simple durations and work effort style planning. Any competent engineer shoudl be able to say with a reasonable percent how much effort it will take to do something. If they honestly don't know, go find someone who does. If there is no one who know, then you're on a science project and need to do some research before anyone will give you budget to proceed.
- Don't waste your time planning the details at the Earned Value. Let the Work Package owner compute the physical percent complete for the Work Package. Don't expose this level of detail to the Earned Value Management processes. For the Planning Packages, use a "peanut butter" spread of the BCWS remaining.
- Always measure progress as physical percent complete at the Work Package level for Earned Value. Anything else for EV is a waste and probably wrong. Physical tangible evidence of progress is required for any credible program management process.
- Stay focused on the Work Package level as the indication of progress. Let the Work Package manager figure out how to get the detailed tasks executed to get to the end of the Work Package.
This by the way is the one-for-one match for agile development. Work Packages = Iteration.
