Earned value reporting for the department of energy

This descriptive study defined Earned Value management and examined the use of Earned Value reports at Department of Energy (DOE) field offices and the perceived advantages and disadvantages of these reports. The DOE's Grand Junction, Colorado, field office was used in this study because the Earned Value process at that field office has been certified by DOE. All of the DOE employees and contractors' project management teams at the DOE Grand Junction field office were invited to participate in the study, and a random sample of those that responded were interviewed as follow-up. Similarities and differences between the DOE and its contractors' perceived value of Earned Value reports are compared, analyzed, and discussed. The hypothesis of this study was that a difference exists in the perceived value of Earned Value reports between the DOE employees and the contractors, but both groups view Earned Value as a valuable tool to manage projects. This study found that those creating and using the reports for district and national offices find them useful for communicating to these organizations but have difficulty using them to manage day-to-day activities. The study uncovered the stumbling blocks that exist in project management techniques used at the Department of Energy and suggests alternate means to manage the project within the requirements of the national guidelines. Beyond the value to the DOE, this study gives specific recommendations that are beneficent to any contract where Earned Value techniques are implemented, including private organizations and international agencies.