Week 7 Discussion 1

week7 discussion 1

It has been said that Earned Value Management (EVM) came about because the Federal Government often used “Cost-plus” contractors with project organizations. Cost-plus contracting allows the contractor to recover full project development costs plus accumulate profit from these contracts. Why would requiring contractor firms to employ earned value management help the government hold the line against project cost overruns?

Requiring contractor firms to employ Earned Value Management (EVM) provides a systematic framework to measure project performance and progress in real time, thus enabling proactive management of cost overruns. EVM integrates scope, schedule, and cost parameters into a comprehensive performance measurement system. By monitoring the earned value — the budgeted cost of work performed — against actual costs and scheduled progress, the government can identify deviations early and implement corrective measures promptly. This control mechanism discourages contractors from underestimating costs or overstating work completion, which are common issues in cost-plus contracts where the incentive is aligned with detailed project scope rather than budget constraints. Consequently, EVM promotes transparency, accountability, and disciplined project management, thereby helping the government mitigate the risks of escalating project costs and ensure better fiscal stewardship.

Why do so many projects end up terminated as a result of termination through starvation? Discuss the role that ego, power, and politics in this form of termination.

Termination through starvation occurs when a project is deliberately deprived of necessary funding and resources, effectively sidelining or canceling the project without an outright termination decision. Many projects succumb to this because stakeholders or decision-makers seek to avoid direct confrontation or accountability associated with a formal termination process. Ego, power, and politics play significant roles in this phenomenon. Egotistical stakeholders may resist admitting failures and therefore prefer to withhold funds to create obstacles that prevent project continuation, maintaining their influence and control. Power dynamics can also influence resource allocation; those who perceive the project as a threat or obstacle to their interests may strategically withhold support. Politically motivated decisions might sway funding based on short-term gains or visibility rather than project merit, especially when the project becomes contentious or controversial. This covert form of termination allows political figures to distance themselves from unpopular projects while avoiding blame, ultimately impeding project completion and leading to its demise.

Why do “lessons learned” programs often fail to capture meaningful information that could help guide future projects?

Lessons learned programs often fail due to organizational and cultural challenges. One key issue is the failure to foster a culture of openness and continuous improvement; teams may withhold honest feedback due to fear of blame or reprisal, leading to superficial or biased lessons. Additionally, lessons are often documented in silos or disconnected repositories, making them inaccessible or difficult to interpret for future project teams. The timing of lessons learned sessions can also impact their value; if conducted too late, insights may be forgotten or rendered irrelevant by project closure. Furthermore, there tends to be a lack of accountability or incentive to integrate lessons into standard practices, causing valuable insights to be overlooked or ignored. To be effective, lessons learned programs require a committed organizational culture that values transparency, continuous learning, and systematic knowledge sharing, which many organizations struggle to sustain.

Paper For Above instruction

Earned Value Management (EVM) emerged as a strategic project control technique primarily due to the complexities associated with government contracts, particularly those employing the “cost-plus” approach. In a cost-plus contract, the contractor is reimbursed for all allowable costs and a profit margin, which inadvertently reduced financial discipline and increased the risk of project cost overruns. The integration of EVM helps mitigate this risk by offering a detailed quantitative assessment of project performance, measuring the value of work performed against the planned schedule and budget. This systematic process allows the government to detect early signs of cost escalation and deviations from schedule, thereby facilitating timely corrective actions. As a result, EVM discourages complacency and acts as a safeguard against unchecked cost growth, aligning contractor incentives with project efficiency and accountability (Pinto, 2019). Moreover, EVM fosters transparency, driving better oversight and decision-making in large, complex projects where traditional reporting methods often fall short.

Termination through starvation is a covert form of project discontinuation driven not by explicit decisions but by strategic withholding of resources. Common in publicly funded projects, it occurs when stakeholders or decision-makers intentionally reduce or suspend funding, effectively sidelining the project. The phenomenon is often rooted in organizational ego, where stakeholders resist admitting failure and prefer to avoid direct accountability by subtly derailing project progress. Power plays contribute significantly, as individuals or groups within the organization may leverage resource control to influence project outcomes, consciously or subconsciously favoring political or personal interests over project success (Bakken & Sørensen, 2018). Politics further complicate affairs; projects can become entangled in political agendas, with funding decisions driven by electoral considerations or shifting policy priorities. This strategic resource withdrawal allows stakeholders to distance themselves from unpopular initiatives without formally terminating them, thus protecting their reputation and maintaining influence.

Lessons learned programs are designed to improve future project performance; however, they often fall short due to organizational and cultural barriers. One key challenge lies in fostering an environment of psychological safety, where team members feel comfortable sharing honest feedback without fear of blame or retribution. When organizations fail to cultivate such a culture, lessons tend to be superficial, anecdotal, or biased, limiting their value. Furthermore, poorly structured lessons repositories, fragmented across departments, hinder widespread dissemination and practical application. Timing also plays a crucial role; lessons learned sessions conducted too late or only at project completion tend to miss opportunities for real-time improvement. Additionally, a lack of accountability or clear incentives for applying lessons means valuable insights are often ignored or forgotten, perpetuating a cycle of repeated mistakes (Bryde & Robinson, 2018). Overcoming these barriers requires organizational commitment to continuous improvement, transparency, and the integration of lessons into standard project management practices.

References

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