Integrated master plan

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This example of an IMP shows a table of events, accomplishments, and criteria--without a listing of the IMP narratives. The intent is to illustrate the hierarchical structure and relationship of events, accomplishments, criteria, and tasks. IMP Accomplishment Table-01.tif
This example of an IMP shows a table of events, accomplishments, and criteria—without a listing of the IMP narratives. The intent is to illustrate the hierarchical structure and relationship of events, accomplishments, criteria, and tasks.

In the United States Department of Defense, the Integrated Master Plan (IMP) and the Integrated Master Schedule (IMS) are important program management tools that provide significant assistance in the planning and scheduling of work efforts in large and complex materiel acquisitions. [1] The IMP is an event-driven plan that documents the significant accomplishments necessary to complete the work and ties each accomplishment to a key program event. [2] The IMP is expanded to a time-based IMS to produce a networked and multi-layered schedule showing all detailed tasks required to accomplish the work effort contained in the IMP. The IMS flows directly from the IMP and supplements it with additional levels of detail——both then form the foundations to implement an Earned Value Management System.

Contents

In civic planning or urban planning, Integrated Master Plan is used at the levels of city [4] development, [5] county, [6] and state or province to refer to a document integrating diverse aspects of a public works project.

Purpose and Objectives

The primary purpose of the IMP—and the supporting detailed schedules of the IMS—is their use by the U.S. Government and Contractor acquisition team as the day-to-day tools for the planning, executing, and tracking program technical, schedule, and cost status, including risk mitigation efforts. [7] The IMP provides a better structure than either the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) or Organizational Breakdown Structure (OBS) for measuring actual integrated master schedule (IMS) progress. [8]

The primary objective of the IMP is a single plan that establishes the program or project fundamentals. It provides a hierarchical, event-based plan that contains: Events; Significant accomplishments; Entry and exit criteria; however it does not include any dates or durations. Using the IMP provides sufficient definition for explain program process and completion tracking, as well as providing effective communication of the program/project content and the "What and How" of the program.

Rationale

The IMP is a collection of milestones (called "events") that form the process architecture of the program. This means the sequence of events must always result in a deliverable product or service. While delivering products or services is relatively straight forward in some instances (i.e., list the tasks to be done, arrange them in the proper sequence, and execute to this “plan”), in other cases, problems often arise: (i) the description of "complete" is often missing for intermediate activities; (ii) program partners, integration activities, and subcontractors all have unknown or possibly unknowable impacts on the program; and (iii) as products or services are delivered the maturity of the program changes (e.g., quality and functionality expectations, as well as other attributes)——this maturity provided by defining "complete" serves as an insurance policy against future problems encountered later in the program.

Often, it's easier to define the IMP by stating what it is not. The IMP is NOT BASED on calendar dates, and therefore it is not schedule oriented; each event is completed when its supporting accomplishments are completed, and this completion is evidenced by the satisfaction of the criteria supporting each of the accomplishments. Furthermore, many of the IMP events are fixed by customer-defined milestones (e.g., Preliminary or Critical Design Review, Production Deliver, etc.) while intermediate events are defined by the Supplier (e.g., integration and test, software build releases, Test Readiness Review, etc.).

The critical IMP attribute is its focus on events, when compared to effort or task focused planning. The event focus asks and answers the question what does done look like? rather than what work has been done. Certainly work must be done to complete a task, but a focus solely on the work hides the more important metric of are we meeting our commitments? While meeting commitments is critical, it's important to first define the criteria used for judging if the commitments are being met. This is where Significant Accomplishments (SA) and their Accomplishment Criteria (AC) become important. It is important to meet commitments, but recognizing when the commitment has been met is even more important.

Attributes and Characteristics

The IMP provides Program Traceability by expanding and complying with the program's Statement of Objectives (SOO), Technical Performance Requirements (TPRs), the Contract Work Breakdown Structure (CWBS), and the Contract Statement of Work (CSOW)—all of which are based on the Customer's WBS to form the basis of the IMS and all cost reporting. The IMP implements a measurable and trackable program structure to accomplish integrated product development, integrate the functional program activities, and incorporates functional, lower-level and subcontractor IMPs. The IMP provides a framework for independent evaluation of Program Maturity by allowing insight into the overall effort with a level-of-detail that is consistent with levied risk and complexity metrics. It uses the methodology of decomposing events into a logical series of accomplishments having measurable criteria to demonstrate the completion and/or quality of accomplishments.

Requirements Flowdown

A Government customer tasks a Supplier to prepare and implement an IMP that linked with the IMS and integrated with the EVMS. The IMP list the contract requirements documents (e.g., Systems Requirements Document and Technical Requirements Document (i.e., the system specification or similar document)) as well as the IMP events corresponding to development and/or production activities required by the contract. The IMP should include significant accomplishments encompassing all steps necessary to satisfy all contract objectives and requirements, manage all significant risks, and facilitate Government insight for each event. Significant accomplishments shall be networked to show their logical relationships and that they flow logically from one to another. The IMP, IMS, and EVMS products will usually include the prime contractor, subcontractor, and major vendor activities and products. [9]

Evaluation of an IMS

When evaluating a proposed IMS, the user should focus on realistic task durations, predecessor/successor relationships, and identification of critical path tasks with viable risk mitigation and contingency plans. An IMS summarized at too high a level may result in obscuring critical execution elements, and contributing to failure of the EVMS to report progress. A high-level IMS may fail to show related risk management approaches being used, which can result in long duration tasks and artificial linkages masking the true critical path. In general, the IMP is a top-down planning tool and the IMS as the bottom-up execution tool. The IMS is a scheduling tool for management control of program progression, not for cost collection purposes. [10]

An IMS would seek general consistency and a standardized approach to project planning, scheduling and analysis. It may use guides such as the PASEG Generally Accepted Schedule Principles (GASP) as guidance to improve execution and enable EVMS. [11]

Relationship to other Documents

The IMP/IMS are related to the product-based Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) as defined in MIL-STD-881, by giving a second type of view on the effort, for different audiences or to provide a combination which gives better overall understanding. [12] Linkage between the IMP/IMS and WBS is done by referencing the WBS numbering whenever the PE (Program Event), SA (Significant Accomplishment), or AC (Accomplishment Criteria) involves a deliverable product.

Reporting Formats

The IMP is often called out as a contract data deliverable on United States Department of Defense materiel acquisitions, as well as other U.S. Government procurements. Formats for these deliverables are covered in Data Item Descriptions (DIDs) that define the data content, format, and data usages. Recently, the DoD cancelled the DID (DI-MISC-81183A) that jointly addressed both the IMP and the IMS. [13] The replacement documents include DI-MGMT-81650 (Integrated Master Schedule), DI-MGMT-81334A (Contract Work Breakdown Structure) and DI-MGMT-81466 (Contract Performance Report). [14] [15] [16] In addition DFARS 252.242–7001 and 252.242–7002 provide guidance for integrating IMP/IMS with Earned Value Management.

Related Research Articles

Earned value management (EVM), earned value project management, or earned value performance management (EVPM) is a project management technique for measuring project performance and progress in an objective manner.

Project management is the process of leading the work of a team to achieve all project goals within the given constraints. This information is usually described in project documentation, created at the beginning of the development process. The primary constraints are scope, time, and budget. The secondary challenge is to optimize the allocation of necessary inputs and apply them to meet pre-defined objectives.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Work breakdown structure</span> A deliverable-orientated breakdown of a project into smaller components.

A work-breakdown structure (WBS) in project management and systems engineering is a deliverable-oriented breakdown of a project into smaller components. A work breakdown structure is a key project management element that organizes the team's work into manageable sections. The Project Management Body of Knowledge defines the work-breakdown structure as a "hierarchical decomposition of the total scope of work to be carried out by the project team to accomplish the project objectives and create the required deliverables."

A project plan, according to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK), is: "...a formal, approved document used to guide both project execution and project control. The primary uses of the project plan are to document planning assumptions and decisions, facilitate communication among project stakeholders, and document approved scope, cost, and schedule baselines. A project plan may be sumarized or detailed."

Project management software (PMS) can help plan, organize, and manage resource tools and develop resource estimates. Depending on the sophistication of the software, it can manage estimation and planning, scheduling, cost control and budget management, resource allocation, collaboration software, communication, decision-making, quality management, time management and documentation or administration systems. Numerous PC and browser-based project management software and contract management software products and services are available.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Program evaluation and review technique</span> Statistical tool used in project management

The program evaluation and review technique (PERT) is a statistical tool used in project management, which was designed to analyze and represent the tasks involved in completing a given project.

In project management under the PRINCE2 methodology, a product breakdown structure (PBS) is a tool for analysing, documenting and communicating the outcomes of a project, and forms part of the product based planning technique.

In project management, a schedule is a listing of a project's milestones, activities, and deliverables. Usually dependencies and resources are defined for each task, then start and finish dates are estimated from the resource allocation, budget, task duration, and scheduled events. A schedule is commonly used in the project planning and project portfolio management parts of project management. Elements on a schedule may be closely related to the work breakdown structure (WBS) terminal elements, the Statement of work, or a Contract Data Requirements List.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Systems development life cycle</span> Systems engineering terms

In systems engineering, information systems and software engineering, the systems development life cycle (SDLC), also referred to as the application development life cycle, is a process for planning, creating, testing, and deploying an information system. The SDLC concept applies to a range of hardware and software configurations, as a system can be composed of hardware only, software only, or a combination of both. There are usually six stages in this cycle: requirement analysis, design, development and testing, implementation, documentation, and evaluation.

A statement of work (SOW) is a document routinely employed in the field of project management. It is the narrative description of a project's work requirement. It defines project-specific activities, deliverables and timelines for a vendor providing services to the client. The SOW typically also includes detailed requirements and pricing, with standard regulatory and governance terms and conditions. It is often an important accompaniment to a master service agreement or request for proposal (RFP).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Task management</span> Process of managing a task through its life cycle

Task management is the process of overseeing a task through its lifecycle. It involves planning, testing, tracking, and reporting. Task management can help individuals achieve goals or enable groups of individuals to collaborate and share knowledge for the accomplishment of collective goals. Tasks are also differentiated by complexity, from low to high.

In the United States, the processes of government procurement enable federal, state and local government bodies in the country to acquire goods, services, and interests in real property. Contracting with the federal government or with state and local public bodies enables interested businesses to become suppliers in these markets.

Terms of reference (TOR) define the purpose and structures of a project, committee, meeting, negotiation, or any similar collection of people who have agreed to work together to accomplish a shared goal.

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A glossary of terms relating to project management and consulting.

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The project management triangle is a model of the constraints of project management. While its origins are unclear, it has been used since at least the 1950s. It contends that:

  1. The quality of work is constrained by the project's budget, deadlines and scope (features).
  2. The project manager can trade between constraints.
  3. Changes in one constraint necessitate changes in others to compensate or quality will suffer.
<span class="mw-page-title-main">LibrePlan</span>

LibrePlan is a free software web application for project management, developed by the Fundación para o Fomento da Calidade Industrial e Desenvolvemento Tecnolóxico de Galicia, dependent of the Ministry of Industry of the Xunta de Galicia. It counted with the collaboration of ACLUNAGA and the financing of the Ministry of Industry, tourism and Commerce and the regional Government of Galicia. The headquarters are located in A Coruña, Spain.

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to project management:

References

  1. ↑ "AFMC Pamphlet 63-5, Integrated Master Plan and Schedule Guide" (PDF). United States Air Force. November 11, 2004. Retrieved August 7, 2012.
  2. ↑ "Integrated Master Plan (IMP) / Integrated Master Schedule (IMS)". Defense Acquisition University . Retrieved August 7, 2012.
  3. ↑ "Scheduling Guide for Program Managers" (PDF). Defense Systems Management College Press, Fort Belvoir, VA. October 2001. Retrieved January 19, 2016.
  4. ↑ "City of Riverside, Wastewater Integrated Master Plan".
  5. ↑ "Integrated Master Plan for Lahore 2021" (PDF).[ permanent dead link ]
  6. ↑ "Draft Preliminary Plan - Integrated Natural Resources Management Plan and Master Plan - Coyote Creek Parkway County Park". 2006. Archived from the original on February 25, 2024.
  7. ↑ "Integrated Master Plan and Integrated Master Schedule Preparation and Use Guide Version 0.9" (PDF). United States Department of Defense. October 31, 2005. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 20, 2018. Retrieved August 7, 2012.
  8. ↑ Bachman, David C. (October 2011). "Better Schedule Performance Assessments Derived From Integrated Master Plan-Referenced Schedule Metrics" (PDF). Defense Acquisition Research Journal. Defense Acquisition University. pp. 406–427. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 5, 2012. Retrieved August 7, 2012.
  9. ↑ "SMC-S-019, Rev. A" (PDF). EverySpec. Space and Missile Systems Center, Air Force Space Command, El Segundo, CA. August 11, 2008. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved August 7, 2012.
  10. ↑ "Systems Engineering Guide: Integrated Master Schedule (IMS)/Integrated Master Plan (IMP) Application". Mitre Corporation. May 8, 2012. Archived from the original on August 19, 2012. Retrieved August 7, 2012.
  11. ↑ "Planning & Scheduling Excellence Guide (PASEG), Version 3.0". Humphreys & Associates. March 9, 2016. Archived from the original on November 18, 2017. Retrieved November 17, 2017.
  12. ↑ "Department of Defense Standard: Work Breakdown Structures (WBS) for Defense Material Items (Superseding MIL-HDBK-881A)" (PDF). United States Department of Defense. October 3, 2011. Retrieved August 7, 2012.[ permanent dead link ]
  13. ↑ "DI-MISC-81183A, Data Item Description: Integrated Master Schedule (IMS)" (PDF). EverySpec. United States Department of Defense. February 9, 1996. Retrieved August 7, 2012.
  14. ↑ "DI-MGMT-81650, Data Item Description: Integrated Master Schedule (IMS)" (PDF). EverySpec. United States Department of Defense. March 30, 2005. Retrieved August 7, 2012.
  15. ↑ "DI-MISC-81334D, Data Item Description: Contract Work Breakdown Structure" (PDF). United States Department of Defense. May 18, 2011. Retrieved August 7, 2012.[ permanent dead link ]
  16. ↑ "DI-MISC-81466A, Data Item Description: Cost Performance Report (CPR)" (PDF). EverySpec. United States Department of Defense. March 30, 2005. Retrieved August 7, 2012.
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