Applying earned value metrics to flight testing

The decrease in the defense budget is forcing aviation program managers to actively seek methods of reducing cost and improving the efficiency of the acquisition cycle. Flight testing, a major portion of the non-recurring costs of Research, Development, Test and Evaluation (RDT&E), is an apt candidate for the application of metrics to demonstrate improved efficiency. By appropriately choosing metrics, the program manager, who is the ultimate customer of flight testing, will be equipped with tools that yield an understanding of how flight testing is being conducted, and what progress or value is being achieved. These tools will permit the program manager to successfully and economically manage the risk associated with aviation acquisition. By applying earned value management techniques to flight testing, the program manager can determine what areas of the acquisition program are performing to cost and schedule without requiring additional management methods. When applying the earned value approach to evaluating flight rest programs, the challenge is determining the value associated with each data point. A method of attaching value to data that is collected during flight testing is presented in this paper that utilizes the earned value management (EVM) system. The framework used is consistent with the critical technical performance parameters that are to used evaluate system (and contractual) performance. Methods of taking credit for value earned are proposed, as well as the potential benefits that can be obtained from using the EVM technique. An example is put forth that incorporates EVM applied to a helicopter hover performance evaluation. The authors assess benefits and pitfalls of using EVM that preserve baseline cost and schedule efficiencies while accounting for unplanned testing and the corresponding increased allocation of resources. The costs associated with applying the EVM approach are discussed, as are methods of tracking Value earned. It is shown by way of example that EVM techniques can be successfully applied to flight testing. Finally, recommendations for future work are put forth that focus on applying this methodology to future programs, as well as validating this model against historical data