Earned Value Management – The Truth,

the Whole Truth and Nothing but the Truth

(Part 1 of a 2-Part Paper)

COMMENTARY

By Dr. Paul D. Giammalvo, CCE, CDT, PhD

Jakarta, Indonesia

Given the dynamic resurgence of MAGA, under the leadership of President Trump, now is a great opportunity to set the record straight regarding research that has failed to meet the Model Standards of Academic Information and Technology Literacy. As a result, “false or misleading” information has become the basis for teaching and learning Earned Value Management, specifically that “Earned Time” and “Earned Schedule”, as recognized and rewarded by PMI and the efforts of the U.S. Government to divorce payment from performance. To the contrary, as this paper will validate, the concept of “Earned Schedule” or “Earned Time” originated as a core element of what is commonly known today as Earned Value Management (EVM), and “payment for performance” was the “raison d’être” for the adoption of Earned Value Management 120+ years ago.

And given that President Trump recently signed Executive Order 14094, “Restoring Gold Standard Science,” on May 23, 2025. The order aims to ensure federal scientific research is conducted according to “Gold Standard Science” principles and rebuild public trust in science. It requires agencies to align their research practices with these principles, which include transparency, reproducibility, and unbiased peer review.^[1]Combine this with the U.S. Defense Acquisition University (DAU- Ft. Belvoir, VA), finally admitting that Earned Value Management, as defined under ANSI 748, has not worked. The Federal Acquisition Regulation, specifically Subpart 34.2 – Earned Value Management System, has posted an informal input invitation on Acquisition.gov, open until noon Eastern Time on September 30, 2025. Here’s the link inviting our inputs – https://www.acquisition.gov/far-overhaul/far-part-deviation-guide/far-overhaul-part-34.

Why is all this so important? As we are already using generative AI, which has typically focused on administrative (“back-office”) tasks, such as cost estimating, forecasting, and progress reporting. The focus now is on agentic AI, a more advanced form of artificial intelligence with enhanced reasoning capabilities that can independently plan and execute a series or network of complex tasks. Before we can do this, we MUST purge the system of any and all “fake news” (false or misleading theories, tools, or techniques) or systems that have failed to prove their effectiveness. (e.g., ANSI 748)

Under these circumstances, now is a great time to revisit and re-establish the TRUTH about the origins of Earned Value Management, and to move forward, we need to apply the “lessons learned” from 120+ years of TESTED and PROVEN methods that serve to protect the interests of both BUYER and SELLER. As “We the People” recognize that the U.S. government, like other governments, operates under a FIDUCIARY OBLIGATION^[2] to its citizens, meaning it has a responsibility to act in our best interests and manage public resources and assets with care and integrity.

THE IMPACTS OF SLOPPY, INCOMPLETE, OR POOR RESEARCH

As the philosopher Umberto Eco told us, “Social media gives legions of idiots the right to speak when they once only spoke at a bar after a glass of wine, without harming the community… but now they have the same right to speak as a Nobel Prize winner. It’s the invasion of the idiots.” Goodreads. This undesirable reality of social media is what drove Trump to issue the “Restoring Gold Standard Science,” which puts the burden on professionals and the societies that we’ve chosen to represent us to be more responsible in researching what we publish, consistent with the 5 Attributes of the Scientific Method.^[3]

More…

To read entire article, click here

How to cite this paper: Giammalvo (2025). Earned Value Management- The Truth, the Whole Truth and Nothing but the Truth, Part 1 of 2; PM World Journal, Vol. XIV, Issue VIII, August. Available online at https://pmworldjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/pmwj155-Aug2025-Giammalvo-EVM-The-Truth-the-Whole-Truth-Part-1.pdf

About the Author

Dr. Paul D. Giammalvo

Jakarta, Indonesia

Dr. Paul D. Giammalvo, CDT, CCE (#1240), MScPM, MRICS, is a Senior Technical Advisor (Project Management) to PT Mitratata Citragraha. (PTMC), Jakarta, Indonesia. www.build-project-management-competency.com. He is noted for the development and delivery of graduate level, blended learning curricula designed for the mid-career path, English as Second Language (ESL) professionals to develop competency in the local practitioner and build capacity for the local organizations. For 25+ years, he has been developing and delivering Project Management training and consulting throughout South and Eastern Asia Pacific, the Middle East, West Africa, and Europe.

He is also active in the Global Project Management Community, by playing a “thought leadership” role for the Association for the Advancement of Cost Engineering International, (AACEI) http://www.aacei.org/ since 1991; He has also been active in two IPMA member organizations: The Green Project Management Association (GPM) http://www.greenprojectmanagement.org/ where he served on the Certification Board of Directors for two years and the American Society for the Advancement of Project Management http://www.asapm.org/ for which he served for four years on the BoD as Director of Marketing. He also sat on the Board of Directors of the Global Alliance for Project Performance Standards (GAPPS), www.globalpmstandards.org, Sydney, Australia and is active as a regional leader. Currently, he is a compensated consultant to the International Guild of Project Controls. http://www.planningplanet.com/guild as the primary author of their “Compendium and Reference” as well as the chief architect of their competency-based credentialing program. http://www.planningplanet.com/guild/certification

He has spent 35 of the last 50 years working on large, highly technical international projects, including such prestigious projects as the Alyeska Pipeline and the Distant Early Warning Site (DEW Line), upgrades in Alaska and the Negev Airbase Constructors, Ovda, Israel and the Minas Oil Field in Rumbai, Sumatra. His current client list includes Fortune 500 major telecommunications, oil, gas and mining companies plus the UN Projects Office and many other multi-national companies, NGO organizations and Indonesian Government Agencies.

In addition to 45+ years of hands-on field experience, Dr. Giammalvo holds an undergraduate degree in Construction Management, his Master of Science in Project Management through the George Washington University and was awarded his PhD in Project and Program Management through the Institute Superieur De Gestion Industrielle (ISGI) and Ecole Superieure De Commerce De Lille (ESC-Lille) under the supervision of Professor Christophe Bredillet.  “Dr. PDG” can be contacted at pauldgphd@gmail.com.

[1] White House (May 23, 2025) Fact Sheet for EO #14094, “Restoring Gold Standard in Science”.
[2]  Johnson, Vincent R. (2019) “The Fiduciary Obligations of Public Officials” St Mary’s School of Law
[3] Flom, Peter. (2018, April 16). Five Characteristics of The Scientific Method. sciencing.com. Retrieved from https://www.sciencing.com/five-characteristics-scientific-method-10010518/