EV Milestone

EV Milestones are how the Weighted Milestone Method works in practice. A Work Package is broken into a set of EV Milestones, each carrying a weight, and as work is performed against them they contribute earned value (BCWP) up to the Work Package level. An EV Milestone usually corresponds to an event, which has zero duration, though it can also be a task with duration. It may be represented as a milestone in the schedule, but that isn't required — many exist only in the EVMS tool. Weight is established one of two ways: by assigning resources and budgets at the milestone level, which sets the relative weights directly, or, where resources and budgets are not assigned, by giving each milestone a numeric weighting value. Those values need not total 100; what matters is their relation to one another. How value is earned then depends on the EV Method. Under Discrete Milestone, each EV Milestone is measured 0/100, earning its full weight only on completion — the most conservative approach. Under Measured Milestone, partial progress may be claimed and value earned on a percent complete basis for each milestone, which is typical where the EV Milestones are tasks with duration and carry resources and budgets.

Why it matters

A Work Package measured as a single unit yields one data point, at the end. Breaking it into EV Milestones gives visibility along the way without giving up objectivity, because the weights are fixed during planning and progress is measured against defined points. It is also where the choice between Discrete and Measured Milestone earning takes effect, since that choice determines whether partial credit is available at each milestone.

See also

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