As Federal agencies continue to move towards awarding more performance-based contracts, government procurement management teams must be able to properly evaluate metrics related to and indicative of a project’s progress and success.
The Avisar approach to project management supports performance-based contracts by including a Status Evaluation phase (shown below).
Project Phases
- Initiating - Prepare project proposal/bid, contract agreement
- Planning - Define objectives, prepare project plans and sub-plans, define metrics
- Execution - Implement project plans, coordinate teams
- Status Evaluation* - Use predefined metrics to monitor and measure progress as relates to project’s goals.
- Closing - formalize and communicate all necessary knowledge and physical materials necessary to ensure client’s independent and ongoing use of solution. Includes a post implementation meeting with the client to answer and address any new questions or issues which may arise.
* (this phase occurs throughout all other phases and will be used to modify project plans as needed)
The Key to Defining Metrics
At Avisar, we encourage our clients to incorporate these key qualities when developing metrics by which they will measure progress of our work. For clients who request our help in devising appropriate metrics, be assured that we too follow these basic rules.
- Measurable – use of objective, quantifiable standards when possible
- Achievable – use of only a few meaningful metrics (5-8 is standard)
- Relevant – metrics must relate and support the project’s objectives
- Controllable – metrics must be based on those factors under the vendor’s control
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Performance-Based Contracting 