Practical Earned Value Analysis

Earned Value Analysis was first developed and used in the construction industry. These days, and with the push by the Project Management Institute (PMI), it has started to be widely used in all types of projects. Essentially, there are 3 financial measures and 2 project measures used to extract other indicators. There is the planned value, the earned value and the actual cost. From these, indicators can be derived to measure status, project schedules and budgets, workout “gears” that tell the project management what work rates are required to finish on time or on budget. 


The book starts by using the traditional terminology (BCWS, BCWP and ACWP) then switches to the recently revised PMI terminology: PV, EV and AC. It presents each of the 25 indicators using examples prepared with Microsoft Excel. Workouts follow most indicators. The approach is very practical with no text wasted on theory. The eBook is computational and is supported by various Excel workbooks which can be freely downloaded. The workbooks provide the reader with workouts, their solutions and a few templates to use when analyzing Earned Value.


The book is aimed at those who have tried absorbing EVA and found it theoretical or complex to use. Mostly, project members who are involved in monitoring, cost control and schedule management. For those aiming at PMI certification, this book follows the requirements of the PMBOK and can be used in parallel to other texts when preparing for PMP or CPMA tests.


About the Author


Akram Najjar is an engineer currently working as a Business Technology Consultant. He completed a B. Sc. in physics and mathematics at the American University of Beirut, Lebanon (1966). He took another B. Sc. in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from the University of Hertfordshire in England (1969).


Akram spent the first part of his career managing software development companies in Lebanon and the Arabian Gulf. By 1995, he concentrated on contractual work: IT Consulting, Business Process Reengineering, Project Management, Process Mapping, Data Analysis, Frameworks for Software Development and Technical Writing. He worked with various international organizations such as the World Bank, UNDP and the EU. In parallel with his consulting work, Akram focused on management training developing and conducting workshops for the above subjects. This and other books on his site are based on the experience acquired in these workshops.


The three types of books Akram writes (fiction, technical and puzzles) can be traced back to one incident when he was 12. His teacher introduced him to “Scientific American”. His name was David W. Miller. Mr. Miller’s whereabouts are not known today. But he is to be thanked and thanked again. The articles were above Akram’s head but his love for astronomy made the magazine fascinating. That eventually led him to study Physics and Mathematics. Coincidentally, the Greek Myths that were used to name the constellations got him interested in Literature, a love that led him to write fiction at a later date.


Akram also got hooked on the Mathematical Games column by Martin Gardner which was the reason Akram was set firmly in Puzzledom. Later on, it was second nature to him to work in software as a career. Software is an abstract practice that is full of puzzles whether you are designing, programming or debugging.


His eBooks are presented on two website. The www.marginalbooks.com site covers technical and literary books. All puzzles and games are presented on www.thehiddenpaw.com.