Overview

Analyze Project Performance: Earned Value is a beginner-level course for project managers and team leads who need to answer two critical questions with confidence: “Are we on budget?” and “Are we on schedule?” This course goes beyond basic cost tracking to introduce Earned Value Management (EVM)—the recognized industry standard for assessing a project’s true performance. You will learn how to use real project data to calculate the three core metrics: Planned Value (PV), Earned Value (EV), and Actual Cost (AC). From these, you will compute the key performance indices—Cost Performance Index (CPI) and Schedule Performance Index (SPI)—to gain an objective, early-warning view of cost and schedule health. Through hands-on practice and guided exercises, you will interpret these results and turn numbers into insight. The course culminates in a professional Project Health Diagnostic Report, where you apply your analysis to produce a clear, data-driven recommendation for project control. By the end of the course, you will be able to evaluate project progress objectively, communicate performance with clarity, and make informed decisions that keep your projects on track.

Syllabus

Calculating the Core of Earned Value

In this foundational module, learners explore the power of Earned Value Management (EVM) as a practical tool for objective project oversight. They will see why tracking costs alone does not reveal the true project health and how EVM provides a complete picture by integrating scope, schedule, and cost data. Through step-by-step instruction and guided practice, learners will calculate the three core Earned Value Management (EVM) metrics that form the basis of performance measurement. These three metrics are Planned Value (PV), which is the authorized budget for work scheduled; Earned Value (EV), which is the authorized budget for work actually completed; and Actual Cost (AC), which is the total cost incurred for the work performed. By the end of this module, learners will be able to calculate and compare these metrics using a real project dataset—building the foundation for analyzing cost and schedule performance in later modules.

From Data to Decisions with CPI & SPI

In this module, learners move from calculating core metrics to analyzing project efficiency using two key performance indices: the Cost Performance Index (CPI) and the Schedule Performance Index (SPI). These indicators reveal how efficiently a project is using its budget and time compared with the original plan. Through guided examples and hands-on practice, learners will calculate CPI and SPI from real project data, interpret what the results mean, and use these insights to describe overall project health. By the end of the module, learners will be able to turn data into clear, evidence-based assessments that support project control and stakeholder communication.

From Analysis to Action: Making Data-Driven Recommendations

An analysis only adds value when it drives meaningful action. In this final module, you will move from interpreting data to applying it. You will learn how to use your performance diagnosis—based on CPI and SPI—to develop a clear, specific, and evidence-based recommendation that can inform project decisions and corrective actions. You will practice converting quantitative findings into strategic decisions, aligning with the PMI PMBOK Guide’s Monitor and Control Project Work and Perform Integrated Change Control processes. By the end of this module, you will have the confidence to communicate performance insights and recommend data-driven adjustments to improve project outcomes.