Project and Program Management
The Project and Program Management domain tests whether you can plan, baseline, control, and close engineering work as a project, and coordinate related projects as a program. Expect earned-value calculations, critical-path scheduling, governance, change control, and resource allocation.
Core rules and concepts
- A project is temporary and creates a unique deliverable; a program groups related projects managed together for benefits not available separately; a portfolio aligns programs to strategy.
- Establish an approved scope, schedule, and cost baseline before execution. Changes pass through integrated change control; rebaseline only with formal approval.
- The WBS is deliverable-oriented. A work package is the lowest level for cost and schedule control; control accounts roll up work packages.
- The critical path is the longest-duration path and has zero total float. Total float equals late start minus early start; free float is delay possible without affecting a successor.
- Earned value: PV is planned value, EV is budgeted value of work performed, AC is actual cost. CV = EV - AC; SV = EV - PV; CPI = EV / AC; SPI = EV / PV.
- Forecast: EAC = BAC / CPI if current cost efficiency persists; EAC = AC + (BAC - EV) if remaining work proceeds at the planned rate. VAC = BAC - EAC.
- Assign one accountable owner per activity in a RACI matrix; use stage gates and benefits-realization reviews for programs.
Worked example
A control account has BAC $800,000. At month 4, PV $300,000, EV $260,000, AC $290,000. CV = 260 - 290 = -$30,000 (over budget). SV = 260 - 300 = -$40,000 (behind schedule). CPI = 0.897; SPI = 0.867. EAC = 800,000 / 0.897 = $892,000; VAC = -$92,000. The project is behind schedule and overspending; investigate whether delays are on the critical path and whether the cost variance is driven by rework or rate changes.
Traps that cost marks
Using AC as EV inflates apparent progress; treating SPI above 1 as automatically good when it can reflect front-loaded scope; confusing contingency with management reserve; accepting percent-complete without objective evidence; ignoring critical-path changes after approved scope changes.