Compliance with Earned Value Management (EVM) requirements is no longer limited to the Department of Defense (DOD). Compliance is now critical to every government agency, contractor, and subcontractor, if they want to conduct business in the public sector.

ANSI Standard 748 is the established Industry Guideline for Earned Value Management Systems. This standard is often cited in procurement documents, statements of work, and government policy guidance when an organization seeks to require robust Earned Value management.

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) requires an ANSI 748-A compliant EVMS to achieve and maintain a “green” level of performance. OMB also intends to include the ANSI 748-A Standard in the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) for all firm-fixed-price and cost-plus contracts.

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What exactly is ANSI 748?
The American National Standards Institute (ANSI)/Electronic Industries Alliance (EIA) 748-A Standard provides a set of best business practices for establishing and applying an integrated management system with coordination of work scope, schedule, and cost objectives and application of earned value methods for program or enterprise planning and control. Both the Department of Defense (DOD) and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) use this as the benchmark standard.

Seven EVM Principles and ANSI 748
1 . Plan all work scope for the project to completion

2 . Break down the project work scope into finite pieces that can be assigned to a responsible person or organization for control of technical schedule and cost objectives.

3 . Integrate project work scope, schedule, and cost objectives into a performance measurement baseline plan against which accomplishments may be measured. Control changes to the baseline.

4 . Use actual costs incurred and recorded in accomplishing the work performed.

5 . Objectively assess accomplishments at the work performance level.

6 . Analyze significant variances from the plan, forecast impacts, and prepare an estimate at completion based on performance to date and work to be performed.

7 . Incorporate Earned Value Management in the project decision-making and review processes.