GovCon Glossary: Management Terms

The value of the work actually completed, measured in terms of the budget originally planned for it. Also called earned value. BCWP is compared to actual cost to calculate cost variance, and to the budgeted cost of work scheduled (BCWS) to calculate schedule variance. For example, if a task budgeted at $100,000 is half done, its BCWP is $50,000 no matter how much has actually been spent.

The budgeted value of the work that was planned to be finished by a given date. Also called planned value. BCWS is the baseline for schedule performance in earned value management. When the budgeted cost of work performed (BCWP) is lower than BCWS, the program is behind schedule, and the schedule performance index (BCWP divided by BCWS) shows by how much.

A process improvement framework, maintained by the CMMI Institute (part of ISACA), that rates an organization's process maturity on a five-level scale from ad hoc to optimized. Federal buyers, especially in DoD software and systems development, often require or favor bidders holding a specific CMMI maturity level as evidence they can reliably deliver on schedule, cost, and quality.

A documented plan describing how an agency or contractor will sustain essential functions, personnel, and systems during a disruption such as a natural disaster, cyberattack, or facility loss. Federal COOP requirements stem from federal continuity directives, and contracts supporting critical missions often require contractors to maintain and periodically test their own COOP.

A project management method that integrates a contract's scope, schedule, and cost baselines to objectively measure work performance and forecast final cost and schedule outcomes. DoD and other agencies typically require EVM compliant with ANSI/EIA-748 on large or major systems contracts, using metrics like cost and schedule variance to flag problems early.

Integrated software that unifies core business functions, such as finance, accounting, HR, procurement, and supply chain, into a single system of record. Government contractors rely on ERP platforms to track incurred costs, timekeeping, and contract-level financials in a manner that satisfies DCAA accounting system requirements for cost-reimbursable and other flexibly priced contracts.

A detailed, networked schedule of all the tasks needed to deliver a program, linked by dependencies and tied to the events and criteria in the Integrated Master Plan. The IMS is what makes the IMP executable, since it shows how long each piece of work takes and what drives the critical path. On larger DoD programs it's often a required deliverable and a key input to earned value management, and a proposal-phase IMS is frequently evaluated as evidence that the approach is realistic.

A performance or technical attribute of a system considered critical enough that failing to meet it can trigger a re-evaluation, restructuring, or cancellation of the acquisition program. KPPs are defined in DoD requirements documents, such as a Capability Development Document, and typically carry both a threshold (minimum acceptable) and objective (desired) value.

The time-phased budget plan that a contractor's actual performance is measured against in earned value management. The PMB combines the program's scope, schedule, and budget into one baseline, and the government reviews it during the Integrated Baseline Review. Changes to it are tightly controlled, because once the baseline moves, cost and schedule variances lose their meaning.

A type of statement of work that defines contract requirements in terms of required outcomes, performance standards, and measurable results rather than dictating specific methods. Used in performance-based acquisitions, a PWS is typically paired with a Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan the government uses to monitor and score contractor performance against those standards.

A management tool that documents identified security weaknesses in an information system, along with the remediation tasks, resources, responsible parties, and milestone dates needed to close them. Required under FISMA and the Risk Management Framework, POA&Ms are tracked throughout a system's Authorization to Operate to show a weakness is being actively resolved.

The Project Management Institute's guide codifying standard terminology, process groups, and knowledge areas, including scope, schedule, cost, risk, and quality, for managing projects. It underlies the PMP certification and gives GovCon program and project managers a common vocabulary, though specific contracts and agencies may layer their own management requirements on top of it.

A contractor-authored document describing the internal inspection, self-monitoring, and corrective-action procedures used to ensure deliverables and services meet contract quality requirements before the government ever inspects them. Commonly required on service and construction contracts, a QCP works alongside, not in place of, the government's own Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan.

NIST's structured, lifecycle process, comprising Prepare, Categorize, Select, Implement, Assess, Authorize, and Monitor steps, for managing cybersecurity risk in federal information systems, defined primarily in NIST SP 800-37. Contractors operating or connecting to federal systems are generally required to implement RMF-aligned security controls and support the assessment process leading to an Authorization to Operate (ATO).