Cost/Schedule Control Systems Criteria: The Management Guide to C/Scsc

This text provides a solid and complete treatment of Earned Value from concept to the CPR Formats 1-5. The concepts are clearly developed and include the most important aspect of the components of the Performance Management Baseline (PMB) and the workings of the Contract Budget Baseline (CBB) log. This is much too often overlooked. Yet, it is quite essential for PMs to distinguish between and know how to coduct re-planning and reprogramming. EVMS does have a process for working changes and providing flexibilty other than the typical punt approaches that loose all performance tracking continuity needed for metrics, particularly in mature process oriented organizations. I would really like to see a new version of this text with references to SOX and ANSI 748 (but retain history of C/SCSC design to show these really hasn't changed much), updated DIDs, a discussion on the known issues of SPI and the Earned Schedule alternative, and a brief survey of practical Risk Management Budgets utilization options. These add-ons would return the text to it's prior seminal standing. Still, as of this posting, I'm using the text as the centerpiece for Earned Value training of my Businses Analysts and the study is going well. They even like the war stories.

This book is about the Cost/Schedule Control System Criteria (C/SCSC) that was established in 1967 by US DoD. The C/SCSC later becomes the Earned Value Management System (EVMS) in 1996. I feel that it is very easy to read and help understanding the earned value method by knowing the origin form and the future direction. Some of topics are not covered in Quentin W. Fleming's Earned Value Project Management book, such as the chapter 12, the Buy Items : Major Subcontracts and the chapter 13, the buy items : Materials and Interdivisional. This book includes a large portion of appendix, a 250 pages section out of the total 563 pages. They may be regarded as outdate materials. They are useful if you want to learned the backgound.

Cost/Schedule Control Systems Criteria is a little known form of project management. The subject matter suffers from being very dry and complex. What this book does is to give clear knowledge whilst managing to keep the reader interested as well. The book covers the history of the techniques involved as well as the day-to-day application of them. This format serves to explain the method and the rationale behind the method. All avenues are explored and the book is generic enough to apply to any and all projects. A well written, well informed guide to one of the most misunderstood and misused management tools.