The Project Chatter Podcast

In this episode, Dale and Val get into the geek speak, talking about an additional method to your Earned Value Management methodology. What you may not know is there is a time relative method called Earned Schedule. Val and Dale were fortunate to speak with the creator Walter Lipke and get his take on why this is a useful approach coupled with EVM and other methods to improve time adherence on projects.  In this week’s pod, we welcomed Walt Lipke, creator of the Earned Schedule technique used by projects throughout the USA, UK and Australia. Walt has 35 years of experience in the avionics industry. As well as being the creator of Earned Schedule, he has published over ninety articles. In 2017 the Australian Project Governance and Control Symposium honoured Walt by establishing the annual Walt Lipke Project Governance and Control Excellence Award. For more information on how to use Earned Schedule, visit https://www.earnedschedule.com/ During the pod, we discussed the following topics: Earned Schedule (ES) is effectively an extension to Earned Value Management. The most important development in ES is its ability to more accurately determine the completion date for projects that are behind schedule (or will deliver later than planned.) ES uses Earned Value (EV) performance data to generate the time-based information and uses very similar calculations to predict future performance. Earned Schedule can be used to “drill down” to identify where deficiencies or constraints may exist and where future rework may be needed if current performance does not change. EVM has three different curves: Planned Value, Earned Value and Actual Cost. Once the Earned Value information has been established, you can use Earned Schedule to calculate when this should have been achieved. Earned Value needs to be in place in order to generate Earned Schedule data It is possible to derive calculated project end dates using ES. Different confidence levels can be used to support this. ES is still a new concept, it was created in 2002. This can lead to difficulties in embedding this in the project lifecycle as there is resistance to new concepts. Companies such as Project Flight Deck, Scrum Start, Encore Analytics and Project Tracker all have accessible toolsets to help calculate ES. The challenge of this is making it relevant to Project Managers. Many PM’s are familiar with showing progress against milestones and using ES can be seen as complex. Having visual aids to show progress can help in this regard. It is important to have the right level of data in order to use EVM/ES. Where there are major uncertainties in the project lifecycle such as software, it is useful to use EVM/ES in smaller parts of the project to get the right level of information. The most important criteria to the success or failure of EVM is integrity. It is possible to manipulate the data in all directions, therefore it is the role of the PMO to ensure data is transparent and audit-proof. There is a risk of hidden re-work if the schedule data is manipulated to avoid scrutiny. If you would like to read more about Earned Schedule, you can purchase Walt’s book from the following website: click here  This podcast is brought to you by:  JustDo.com InEight.com PlanAcademy.com - save $75 on any course with this link - https://www.planacademy.com/chatter/

In this episode, Dale and Val lift the hood on the UK mega program Crossrail with Richard Palczynski and talk about what systems work on mega programs with our good friend Nat Moyes. Crossrail is a railway construction project underway mainly in central London. Its aim is to provide a high-frequency suburban passenger service crossing London from west to east, to be branded the Elizabeth line, by connecting two major railway lines terminating in London, the Great Western Main Line and the Great Eastern Main Line. The project was approved in 2007, and construction began in 2009 on the central section and connections to existing lines that will become part of the route. About our guests..  Richard joined Arcadis in February 2019. Throughout his career, he has collected both hands-on programme management experience after working on major programmes such as the Jubilee Line Extension, HS1, West Coast Mainline and Crossrail, where he was Programme Controls Director. In his latest role, he is supporting Network Rail’s Transpennine Route Upgrade Programme – a £multi-billion enhancements scheme stretching from Manchester to York. Richard has also collected 6 years in the corporate world helping to run, grow and evolve companies such as Parsons Brinckerhoff, Balfour Beatty and Mace. He is a Fellow with the Institution of Civil Engineers and the APM and is a Supervising Civil Engineer, passionate about skiing and triathlon. and... Nat Moyes has 12 years at the same software company which is starting to become a rarity, but that is Natalie’s Tenure at Deltek supporting their PPM products and clients. She's seen a lot of industry change, and she's had the privilege to support a number of established clients as well as grow some new ones. She's been involved in the APM SIG, steering committees, user groups and general advisory boards, all focused on people, process, toolset. Don't forget to buy some Project Chatter merch in our Charity Shop, where all profits are donated to our charity partners. This podcast sponsored by: JustDo.com InEight.com PlanAcademy.com get $75 off any course by heading to https://www.planacademy.com/chatter

In this episode, Val and Dale get super geeky about change, psychology and people. Change is all around us and one of the key challenges when delivering a project. We're joined today by Paul Major. Paul has over 20 years of experience in leading and...

In this episode, Dale and Val talk with Warren Beardall about his top project frustrations and continuous self-improvement. Have you thought about resetting your career? Do you share the same frustrations as Warren? Listen to this and more as Warren...

In this episode, Dale and Val talk with Kenny Harris about his experience joining and working in the engineering and project space on some spectacular and cutting-edge NASA projects. Kenny's Bio:Recently acknowledged by Forbes Magazine amongst the...

In this episode, Dale & Val talk to Jonathan Norman about "How to take advantage of Project Management Communities of Practice". What is a Community of Practice? Why should you join or form a Community of Practice? What makes a Community of Practice successful? Find this out and more as we explore what is possible in this episode...

In this episode, Dale & Val talk to Steve Moore about "Ideas to improve your Scheduling Innovation".  Why do we need to innovate?  What innovative scheduling tools are there? How do I turn my ideas into reality? Find this out and more as we explore...

In this episode, Dale & Val talk to Dimi Farmakis about "Why CPM fails and what comes next". What is the Critical Path Method? Why does it fail? What alternatives are there to CPM? Find this out and more as we explore what is possible in this episode...

In this episode, Dale & Val talk to Dr Alexia Nalewaik about "What Critical Thinking means for your project". Do we understand what Critical Thinking is? How will Critical Thinking improve the way we deliver projects? Find this out and more as we explore what is possible in this episode...

In this episode, Dale & Val talk to Martin Paver about "Why we need a Project Data Analytics Task Force". Are we ready for a Project Controls revolution? How will Project Data Analytics transform the way we deliver projects? Find this out and more as we explore what is possible in this episode...