Navigating an earned value management validation led by NASA: A contractor's perspective and helpful hints

In 2012, The Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) was approved by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to move forward with Phase B of the Solar Probe Plus (SPP) Mission to design and build the first spacecraft to fly into the Sun's outer atmosphere and study its effects on planetary systems and human activities. While APL had successfully utilized its earned value management system (EVMS) on the Van Allen Probes mission, the SPP contract called for a “certified” EVMS, which required an in-depth government compliance review, validation, and approval. Historically, government agencies and contractors were dependent on the availability of the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) to conduct EVMS compliance reviews, but in June 2013 NASA decided to perform the reviews in lieu of DCMA. This review was formally conducted May 11-15, 2015.