TECH BRIEF
Microsoft offers DOD a Project 2007 app to streamline EVM
Microsoft announced today a Project 2007 application designed to make it easier for the Defense Department and its contractors to comply with earned value management (EVM) reporting requirements.
The Defense Contract Management Agency is tasked with tracking EVM data for DOD contracts. DCMA requires the use of the United Nations Centre for the Facilitation of the Administration, Commerce and Transport (UN/CEFACT) standard, a global standard for cost and schedule project information.
The application is free on Microsoft’s open-source hosting site. It guides users through the export of Microsoft Project 2007 data as required by DCMA and puts the earned value data into the format required by UN/CEFACT XML protocol, Microsoft said.
“Having project management software that is compliant with the UN/CEFACT standard will allow DCMA to spot cost overruns and potential problems much earlier in the process, saving taxpayer money,” said John Van Dinther of DCMA. “But most importantly, by streamlining this process, warfighters will get the technologies and equipment they need more efficiently.”
EVM requires a disciplined approach to project management, Microsoft said. It needs constant scrutiny of budget and scope, analysis of project metrics, and integration of cost and schedule data. This application, codeveloped with EVM partner QuantumPM, tracks EVM data in a way that complies with DCMA requirements, Microsoft said.
More information: www.microsoft.com/presspass
About the Author
Trudy Walsh is a senior writer for GCN.