SOC105A Final Paper Theories

SOCIOLOGY 105A FINAL PAPER PROMPT – WINTER 2018
Length: No fewer than 6 pages or 2100 words (whichever is
more); no more than 8 pages or 2800 words (whichever is less).
The paper should be double spaced with 11-pt or 12-pt font and
1-inch margins. Font should be Times or Palatino only. Do not
include a title page.
Submission: On Canvas as an inline submission under the final
paper assignment prompt. Please submit your final draft under
the same assignment, as an additional attachment after you have
edited and revised it in accordance with your TA’s feedback.
Due Date: The first draft is due by midnight on Wednesday,
March 7. It is worth 100 points. The final draft is due no later
than 7 p.m. on Wednesday, March 21. It is worth 150 points.
You will get your first draft feedback by Friday, March 16.
Other requirements: Paper must be carefully edited using
grammar/spell-check, and also proofread by a human brain other
than your own. Your submission should be written in a formal
tone, without making use of conversational or colloquial
English. This paper satisfies part of the disciplinary
communication (DC) requirement, so it must be written with
serious care. It needs a clear introduction with thesis statement,
logically developed body paragraphs, and a conclusion. No
citations or direct quotes are necessary, although you are
welcome to include a quote from the original theory if it was
one of the ones that we read. If you do use any direct quotes,
please include a “Works Cited” list at the end of your paper.
This page is not part of your page or word count.
TOPIC DESCRIPTION

At the beginning of the quarter, I introduced the idea of a
metaphorical “dinner party with social theorists.” In this paper,
you will demonstrate your ability to apply concepts from
classical social theory to the contemporary social world by
putting several different theories into conversation with one
another. Your goal is to show how classical theory helps to
explain and/or fails to explain the origin/operation of your
social problem or feature of the social world (as you understand
it). Here’s how to proceed:
1. Choose either (A) a social problem that you feel passionate
about or (B) a feature of the social world that you find
fascinating. Examples of social problems could include things
like racial tracking in education or the conservative attack on
labor unions; examples of features of the social world could
include behavior like internet trolling or trends in romantic
relationships among college-age people. The possibilities are
quite endless. The easiest topic to work with will be specific
and narrow, and also something that you are personally invested
in (we will take Weber’s advice about value-relevance here ).
2. Analyze your topic through the lens of three different
theorists that we have covered this quarter. Most of you will
find it easiest to use Marx/Weber/Durkheim, but you are
welcome to use others we have covered as well if you feel
inclined to do so.
HOW TO ORGANIZE YOUR THOUGHTS BEFORE WRITING
1. Once you’ve chosen your area of focus, write down some
general ideas for yourself about how you understand it. For
example, if you’ve picked the school-to-prison pipeline, you
can sketch out a general statement of what you already know
about it, where you learned what you know, and what questions
you still have.

2. Pick which three theorists you are going to use.
3. From each theorist, choose three concepts, terms, or theories.
Since we talked about more theories than we read about, you
can select from your lecture notes and slides and/or from course
readings. Example: if Marx is one of the theorists you picked,
decide ahead of time which three ideas from Marx you’re going
to work with (e.g., alienation, species-being, and class conflict).
4. Make a separate piece of notepaper for each theorist. Write a
few phrases or sentences near each theory explaining how it is
relevant to your topic. This should take a while and require
some serious thoughtfulness. (Bonus prize: these sketches will
become an outline for your body paragraphs when you write the
paper.)
You should now have three separate lists, with a grand total of 9
terms and their associated definitions and connections to your
social problem or feature of the social world.
WRITING THE ACTUAL PAPER
By the time you get to this stage, you will already have done the
bulk of the thinking work. The writing process is just about
putting it together. If you have a creative organizational style
that you would like to experiment with, please feel free to use
it. If you are looking for more guidance in terms of
organization, the paper can follow this approximate outline:
1. Introduction (1/2 - 2/3 page): Lead with a catchy introductory
sentence. Then, write a sentence or two to draw the reader in
and make them care about the paper they are about to read. Why
does the topic you have selected matter? Why do you find it
worth thinking about? What is at stake for you in exploring it?
Next, write a thesis sentence that tells the reader what they can
expect to learn from your paper. Your thesis sentence could

look something like this: “In this paper, I will examine how
theories from (Theorist A), (Theorist B), and (Theorist C) are
relevant to a contemporary analysis of (Your Topic).” Conclude
your introductory paragraph with a smooth transition to the first
body paragraph.
2. Application of your three theorists (1½ - 2 pages for EACH;
total length 4½ - 6 pages): Start each “theorist” section with a
topic sentence introducing the theorist and making a general
statement about why they matter to the study of your topic (this
is basically short section intro). For the remainder of the
section, weave a discussion of your three key terms with an
analysis of your topic. The primary goal is to show how they
help you to better understand it (i.e., how they’re still relevant),
and where they fail to fully explain it (i.e., in what ways the
theory might need to be extended in order to fully account for
the social problem or social feature that you are discussing).
The easiest way to organize each theorist’s section is probably
going to be to write a separate paragraph for each theoretical
concept, then do a small compare/contrast within each
paragraph.
3. Conclusion (1/2 page – 1 page): Briefly sum up what you
have said in your paper and discuss the implications of your
analysis. What direction do you recommend social theorists go
from this point forward if they want to understand your topic
comprehensively?
IMPORTANT COMPONENTS AND OTHER NOTES
1. Make sure that you briefly explain/define each theory the
first time you discuss it in depth in your paper. Assume the
person reading it is not a sociologist.

2. Please BOLDAND CAPITALIZE each theoretical concept in
your paper as you mention it for the first time. This makes it
easier for your TA to verify that you have included the
minimum number of theories. By the end of the paper, you
should have a total of 9 bolded words in your paper (please
don’t continue bolding after the first mention of each concept).
3. Aside from grammar basics, do pay close attention to
ensuring that your paragraphs are the length of paragraphs.
Three sentences is not a paragraph; a full page is too long for
most paragraphs. Each paragraph should function as a
standalone argument. You should begin with a topic sentence
that tells the reader what the paragraph is about. Discuss that
topic comprehensively, and do not discuss anything that does
not fall under the purview of that topic.
4. Use plain English, and use words whose meaning you are
confident you know. Write with the same approach that you
used for your précis. Avoid using overly complicated language.
Instead, opt for clearly stated sentences that are dense with
content. Avoid extra words and phrases that you think might
make your writing sound more sophisticated. This is a relatively
short paper, which means your writing needs to be tight and
efficient in order to accomplish the goal of communicating your
ideas while not exceeding the page limits.
5. This is Sociology! Feel free to use the “I” in your writing.
This is supposed to be a topic you care about, and YOU and
your passion should be present in it.
6. Please be sure that you make at least a brief statements for
each theory about how it DOES explain and also how it does
NOT explain your topic. No theory is a perfect fit; I want to see
that you can see both sides.
7. While you do need to cover three ideas from each of three

theorists, it’s also fine if you spend a bit more space in one
section than you do on another (i.e., if you think one of the
theorists advances an argument that suits your topic with
particular elegance).
8. You are welcome to come to my office hours and your TA’s
office hours for guidance in choosing topics or theories.
However, please do not ask your TA or me to read your first
draft before you submit it. We would love to be able to do so,
but it is a time consuming process that we cannot conceivably
offer to everyone, so we need to offer it to no one in order to
make sure that some people are not disproportionately
advantaged. I strongly encourage working together and
exchanging drafts for feedback on early versions of your paper.
9. Paper scores for the first draft will be based on your
following the instructions and doing your best to articulate
coherent theoretical arguments. Paper scores on the second draft
will be based on the degree to which you incorporate the
feedback and make the recommended changes that your TA has
requested in their feedback on the first draft.
Before doing assignment read it.txt
Assignment -1 - Read Microsoft project assignment Word Doc
and do the assignment
Assignment-2- Discussion -Read the Topic and Complete the
Discussion ,Also Give 2 discussions which I have mentioned in
chat (While chatting with you)
Discussion/disciussion.docx
Read the case study "The Estimating Problem" on page 734 and
then answer the questions on page 735.

DISCUSSIONS
Discussions will consist of 2 parts: Your initial posting on the
subject, and responses to two or more students postings.
Post your primary response by each Wednesday midnight.
Respond to at least two (2) other postings by Sunday Midnight.
The primary post should be at least 300 words in length. Your
second postings can either answer another student's question
to your own post or be a comment to his or her original post.
Secondary posts must be at least 150 words in length.
•All initial postings must have at least one citation or reference
and it must be in APA format. Failure to have a reference or
not having it in APA format will deduct 5 points.
•Word counts must be met. Each 10 words short will deduct 1
point from your total discussion score.
•If any part of your postings is copied and pasted you will
receive no credit for the assignment, and no resubmission is
possible.
MS Project Assignment/Don Funk Music Video 7-5.mpp
MS Project Assignment/Don Funk Music Video 8-5.mpp
MS Project Assignment/MS Project Assignment.docx
Reading Assignment
Read chapters 14 and 15 of your textbook.
Microsoft Project Tutorial
Work through the tasks described in Lessons 7 and 8 of your
workbook.
Microsoft Project Assignment 4
Complete Project 7-5: Don Funk Filter for Don Funk Music
Video (pg.159 of your workbook). Save your Don Funk Filter
project file as YourLastNameYourFirstNameProject7-5 and
submit it when done.

Complete Project 8-5: Don Funk Music Video (pg.181 of your
workbook). Save your Don Funk Critical Path project file as
YourLastNameYourFirstNameProject8-5 and submit it when
done.
MICROSOFT PROJECT ASSIGNMENTS
Each module the student will use Microsoft (MS) Project
software to complete an assignment.
The use of MS Project is fundamental to helping students both
understand the intricacies of
project planning and management, as well as give them practice
in using a common project management software
. The student will be responsible for downloading and installing
the software package from now the link available on the course
home page.
MS Project Assignment/MS project
Tutorial/Project2013_Lesson07.pptx
Project Information:
Sorting, Grouping, and Filtering
Lesson 7
© 2014, John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Microsoft Official Academic Course, Microsoft Project 2013
1
Microsoft Project 2013
1
Objectives

2
Software Orientation
In Microsoft Project, you can use the Sort dialog box to sort
task or resource information in the current view by a specified
field or fields (see figure below).
3
The Sort dialog box enables you to select up to three fields for
three levels of sorts within sorts, to choose whether the view
should be sorted in ascending or descending order, and to
indicate whether items should be permanently renumbered
according to the sort.
4
Sorting Data
It is easiest to review and utilize data in Microsoft Project when

you have it organized to fit your needs.
The simplest way to reorganize task and resource data in Project
is by sorting.
5
Step by Step: Sort Data in a Resource View
GET READY. OPEN Don Funk Music Video 7M. SAVE the file
as Don Funk Music Video 7.
1. Click the View tab, and then click Resource Sheet. The
Resource Sheet view appears. The default table in the Resource
Sheet view is the Entry table. However, you want to look at the
cost per resource, which is not displayed in the Entry table.
2. On the ribbon, click the Tables button in the Data group
and then select Summary. The Summary table appears in the
Resource Sheet view.
6
3. Auto fit the columns so
the data can be easily
read. Your screen should
look similar to the figure
at right.
7

4. On the ribbon, click the Sort button in the Data group and
then click Sort By. The Sort dialog box appears (as shown in the
figure on slide 3).
5. In the Sort by section, select Cost from the dropdown
menu. Next to that, click Descending. Make sure that the
Permanently renumber resources check box at the bottom of the
Sort dialog box is NOT checked.
8
Take Note: Notice that in the Sort box, you can utilize up to
three nested levels of sort criteria. Also, you can sort by any
field, not just the fields that are visible in the active view.
Troubleshooting: The Permanently renumber resources check
box (or when in a task view, Permanently renumber tasks) is a
Project-level setting. If you check this box, Project will
permanently renumber resources or tasks in ANY Microsoft
Project file in which you sort. Since you may not want to
permanently renumber tasks or resources every time you sort, it
is a good idea to have this option turned off.
8
6. Click the Sort button.
The Summary table is

sorted from the highest
to lowest value in the
Cost column. This sort
enables you to look at
resource costs across
the entire project. Your
screen should look similar
to the figure at right.
9
Take Note: When you sort data in your project, the sort applies
to the active view, no matter which table is currently displayed
in the view. For example, if you sort the Task Usage view by
finish date while the Entry table is visible, and then switch to
the Cost table, you will see that the tasks are still sorted by
finish date in the Cost column.
9
7. On the ribbon, click Sort, and then click Sort by. The Sort
dialog box appears.
8. In the Sort by section,
select Group from the
dropdown menu. Next to
that, click Ascending.
9. In the Then by section,
select Cost from the drop-
down menu. Then click
the radio button next to

Descending. Make sure
the Permanently renumber resources box is not checked. Your
screen should look similar to the figure above.
10
10. Click the Sort button.
The Resource Sheet view
is sorted to display
resources sorted first |
by Group (Equipment,
Talent, etc.) and then by
Cost within each group.
Your screen should look
similar to the figure at
right.
11
When you sort data in this way, it is easy to identify the most
and least expensive resources in each group on your project.
You can sort your data in any way that is beneficial to the
analysis of your project. The sort order you most recently
specified will remain in effect until you re-sort the view. Now

you will restore the data to its original order.
12
12
11. On the Quick Access Toolbar, click the Undo button one
time. The Undo button reverses the last sort you performed,
restoring the data to the original sort order (by Cost only).
12. Now click the Undo button again. The data is restored to
the original order in the Summary table of the Resource Sheet
view (as displayed previously on slide 7). The Multiple Level
Undo enables you to undo actions or sets of actions while you
are working on your project schedule.
13. SAVE the project schedule.
PAUSE. LEAVE the project schedule open to use in the next
exercise.
13
Another Way: You can also “unsort” your data by clicking the
Sort button on the View ribbon, and then clicking By ID.
13

You have just performed several sorts on your project data to
allow you to more closely examine certain aspects of your
project.
A sort is a way of ordering task or resource information in a
view by the criteria you specify. You can sort tasks or resources
using predefined criteria, or you can create your own sort order
with up to three levels (a group within a group within a group).
If you need to sort data in a view with more than three criteria,
start by sorting your least important factors first and then sort
by your three most important factors.
14
Except for one instance, sorting does not change the actual data
of your project schedule, but rather just reorders your data.
Sorting allows you to arrange data in an order that answers a
question you may have, or in a way that makes more sense or is
more user-friendly to your project team.
Note that there is no visual indicator that a task or resource
view has been sorted other than the order in which the rows of
data appear.
Furthermore, unlike grouping and filtering, which you will learn
about later in this lesson, you cannot save custom sort settings
that you have specified.
The one instance in which the actual data of your project is
changed by sorting is the option that Project offers to renumber
resource or task IDs after sorting.
15

Once resources or tasks are renumbered by sorting, you can’t
restore their original numeric order.
Sometimes, you might want to permanently renumber tasks or
resources. For instance, at the beginning of a project, you might
enter resource names as they are needed on the project.
When you are finished entering resources, you might want to
sort them alphabetically and permanently renumber them.
The Multiple Level Undo function you used in this exercise is a
very valuable new tool in Microsoft Project. As you saw, this
feature allows you to easily undo sets of actions you have
performed in Microsoft Project.
16
You can undo changes that you purposely made (as in this
exercise), or reverse “mistakes” that you make while working
on your project schedule.
However, the functionality of Multiple Level Undo doesn’t stop
there. It enables you to make, undo, and redo changes to views,
data, and options–giving you the ability to experiment with
different scenarios without causing permanent undesired effects.
You can test several approaches to resolving a problem or
optimizing a project schedule in order to fully understand the
implications of each choice. (You can also use the Visual
Change Highlighting as you are making changes to see the

effects of your actions.)
A word of caution regarding the Multiple Level Undo feature–it
will not undo all actions. For example, if you save a file, the
undo feature cache is cleared and you cannot undo the save.
17
Grouping Data
Another way to organize, view, and analyze the data in your
project schedule is through grouping.
Grouping enables you to organize the task and resource criteria
in your schedule according to various criteria that you select.
Similar to sorting, grouping only changes the way data is
displayed–it does not change the data itself.
18
Step by Step: Group Data in a Resource View
USE the project schedule you created in the previous exercise.
1. On the View ribbon, click the down-arrow in the Group By
box, (currently is has No Group) and then click Resource
Group. Microsoft Project reorganizes the data into resource
groups and presents it in an expanded outline form. It also adds
summary costs by group. Your screen should look similar to the
figure on the next slide. The summary data rows are set off with
a colored background (yellow in this case).

19
Because the data in the summary rows is derived from
subordinate data, this cannot be changed directly. To have more
control over how your data is presented, you can create custom
groups.
20
2. On the View ribbon, click the down-arrow in the Group By
box, (currently it has Resource Group) and then click More
Groups. The More Groups dialog box appears, displaying all of
the predefined groups for tasks and resources available to you.
You will create a new group that is similar to the Resource
Group.
3. Select Resource Group (if it is not already selected), and
then click the Copy button. The Group Definition dialog box
appears.
4. In the Names box, key Resource Groups by Cost.
5. In the Field Name column, click the first empty cell below
Group.
21

6. Type or select Cost.
7. In the Order column
for the Cost field,
click Ascending to
select it and then
select Descending
from the dropdown
menu. The resources
will be sorted within
their groups by
descending cost. The
Group Definition dialog box should look similar to the figure
above.
22
8. In the Group Definition dialog box, click the Define Group
Intervals button. The Define Group Intervals dialog box
appears.
9. In the Group on box, select Interval from the dropdown
menu.
10. Type 500 in the Group interval box, and then click the OK
button.
11. Click the Save button in the Group Definition dialog box
to close it. Resource Groups by Cost appears as a new group in
the More Groups dialog box.
12. Click the Apply button in the More Groups dialog box.

Microsoft Project applies the new group to the Resource Sheet
view.
13. Right-click the Resource Name column heading then select
Field Settings. The Field Settings dialog box appears. You want
to widen the Resource Name column.
23
14. Click the Best Fit button
in the Field Settings
dialog box.
The Resource
Name column is widened.
If needed, scroll to the
top of the view. Your
screen should look similar
to the figure at right. The
resources are grouped by
Resource Group (the
yellow shaded cells) and
within each group by cost
values at $500 increments (the blue shaded cells).
24

Another Way: You can also auto fit any column by placing the
cursor on the right side dividing line and double-clicking.
24
15. After you have reviewed the groupings you created, click
the down-arrow in the Group By box, (currently it has Resource
Groups by Cost) in the Data group, and then click [No Group].
Microsoft Project removes the groupings, restoring the original
data. Displaying or removing a group has no effect on the data
in the project.
exercise.
25
In this exercise, you have just reorganized your project data
using grouping.
A group is a way to reorder task or resource information in a
table and to display summary values for each group according to
various criteria you can choose.
Grouping goes a step beyond sorting in that grouping your
project data will add summary values, called “roll-ups,” at
customized intervals.
Grouping the data in a project schedule enables you to view
your information from a variety of perspectives. It also allows
for a more detailed level of data analysis and presentation.

26
In your role as project manager, your project schedule helps you
track the work and costs associated with your project.
By using grouping, you also have the ability to look at more
details–to understand not just what is happening on your
project, but also why.
As with sorting, grouping does not change the fundamental
structure of your project schedule but rather just reorganizes
and summarizes it. Also like sorting, grouping applies to all
tables you can display in the view.
You can use any of the predefined groups, customize these
predefined groups, or create your own.
27
Filtering Data
The feature called filtering allows you to look only at specific
task or resource data that meet specific criteria.
Filtering hides task or resource data that does not meet the
criteria you specify and displays only the data in which you are
interested.
You can use a predefined filter, AutoFilters, or create a custom
filter.
In this exercise, you will create a filter that allows you to focus
on tasks related to the video shoot.

28
Step by Step: Create and Apply a Filter in a View
1. On the View ribbon, click the Gantt Chart button in the
Task Views group. The Gantt Chart view appears.
29
2. The AutoFilter is on by
default in the task and
resource views. You can
see small, chevron-style
arrows on the right side
of each column heading.
You can use these arrows
to select the AutoFilter
option you want to use.
Adjust the width of the
Gantt Chart so that the
Task Name, Duration, and
Start columns are visible.
Your screen should look
like the figure at right.
30

Take Note: To turn the AutoFilter off or on, click the down-
arrow in the (No Filter) box in the Data Group, then select
Display AutoFilter.
30
3. Click the AutoFilter arrow in the Task Name column
heading and point to Filters, then click Custom. . . . The Custom
AutoFilter dialog box appears. You want to see just the tasks
that contain the letter-string of shoot%I%, so you need to set up
the Custom AutoFilter this way.
4. In the Name section, select contains from the dropdown
list in the first box if it is not already visible. In the adjacent
box, type shoot. The Custom AutoFilter dialog box should look
similar to the figure below.
31
5. Click the OK button to apply the filter and close the
Custom AutoFilter dialog box. Microsoft Project filters the task
list to show only the tasks that contain the word shoot, as well
as their summary tasks. Your screen should look similar to the
figure below. Note on the right side of the Task Name column
there is a small “funnel” that appears. This is a visual indicator

that an AutoFilter has been applied to this column in this view.
32
6. On the ribbon, click the down-arrow in the Filter box in
the Data group, (currently has No Filter) and then select Clear
Filter. The AutoFilter is cleared and all the tasks in the project
schedule are displayed.
exercise.
33
Another Way: You can also use the F3 key to clear all filters.
33
In this exercise, you created and applied a filter to the project
schedule to enable you to look at only the tasks dealing with
scene shoots.
A filter is a tool that enables you to see or highlight in a table
only the task or resource information that meets criteria you
choose.
Filtering doesn’t change the data in your project schedule–it

only changes the data’s appearance.
There are two ways to apply filters to a view: predefined filters
or an AutoFilter.
34
Predefined or custom filters allow you to see or highlight only
the task or resource information that meets the criteria of the
filter. For example, the Milestones filter displays only tasks that
are milestones.
Some predefined filters, such as the Date Range filter, require
you to enter criteria (a date) to set up the filter.
35
Take Note: If a task or a resource sheet view has a filter applied
to it, the name of the filter will be displayed in the Filter box on
the View ribbon.
35
AutoFilters are used for more informal or impromptu filtering.
An AutoFilter is a quick way to view only the task or resource
information that meets the criteria you choose.
When the AutoFilter feature is turned on, small down arrows are
visible adjacent to the column heading name.

Clicking the arrow activates a list of criteria that can be used to
filter the data. The criteria are appropriate for the type of data
in the column.
36
You can also apply multiple column filters. For example, you
want to display all tasks that are more than one week in
duration, and starts between 2/1/16 and 3/30/16.
You would apply an AutoFilter of “1 week or longer” to the
duration column and then apply an AutoFilter of “Between”
2/1/16 and 3/30/16 to the start column.
37
Creating a Custom Filter
In the previous exercise, you used AutoFilter to apply a filter to
the data of interest.
Now, you will create a custom filter that can be used without
entering the filtering criteria each time.
38

Step by Step: Create a Custom Filter
1. On the View ribbon, click the down-arrow in the Filter box
in the Data group, (currently has No Filter), then select More
Filters. The More Filters dialog box appears. This dialog box
shows you all of the predefined filters for tasks or resources
that are available to you.
2. Click the New button. The Filter Definition dialog box
appears.
3. In the Name box, type Unfinished Shoots.
39
Another Way: You can also click the down-arrow in the (No
Filter) box in the Data group and then select New Filter.
39
4. In the first row of the Field Name column, type or select
Name.
5. In the first row of the Test column, type or select contains.
6. In the first row of the Value(s) column, type shoot. You
have now finished entering the first criterion for the filter. Next
you will enter the second criterion.
7. In the second row of the And/Or column, select And.
8. In the second row of the Field Name column, type or select
Actual Finish.
9. In the second row of the Actual finish column, type or
select equals.

40
10. In the second row of the Value(s) column, type NA. “NA”
is how Microsoft Project marks fields that do not yet have a
value. In other words, any shooting task that does not yet have a
value must be uncompleted. Your screen should look similar to
the figure below.
41
11. Click the Save button to close the Filter Definition dialog
box.
12. Locate and select the Unfinished Shoots filter in the list, if
necessary. Click the Apply button. Microsoft Project applies the
new filter to your project schedule in the Gantt Chart view.
Your screen should look similar to the figure below.
42
Take note of the gaps in the task IDs. This is one visual way
you can tell that a filter has been applied. The tasks are filtered

to show uncompleted tasks (and since you haven’t started
tracking actual work yet, all the shooting tasks are currently
uncompleted). Also note that the related summary tasks have
not been displayed. This is because we did not tell the filter to
display them.
42
13. On the View ribbon, click the down-arrow in the Filter box
in the Data group, (currently has Unfinished Shoots%I%) and
then select [No Filter]. Microsoft Project removes the filter.
14. SAVE the project schedule. CLOSE the project schedule.
PAUSE. If you are continuing to the next lesson, keep Project
open. If you are not continuing to additional lessons, CLOSE
Project.
In this exercise, you learned how to create and apply a custom
filter.
43
A custom filter works in the same way as a predefined filter,
except that you have selected the filtering criterion rather than
Microsoft Project.
Remember that after filtering, you might see gaps in the task or
resource ID numbers.
The data has not been deleted–it is only hidden until you
remove the filter.
Also, as with sorting and grouping, the filtering applies to all
the tables you can display in the active view.
Some views that do not support tables, such as the Calendar

view, do support filtering but not AutoFilters.
44
Skill Summary
45
MS Project Assignment/MS project
Tutorial/Project2013_Lesson08.pptx
Project Schedule Formatting Fundamentals
Lesson 8
1
Microsoft Project 2013
1

Objectives
2
In Microsoft Project, you can use the Bar Styles dialog box (see
the figure below) to customize the appearance of items on the
Gantt Chart.
3
This dialog box enables you to change the appearance of items
such as task bars, milestones, summary bars, and text that
appear on the Gantt Chart.
You can change characteristics such as bar types, patterns,
colors, splits, and shapes.
4
You will now use one of the features of the ribbon interface in

Project 2013, the Format ribbon.
With this ribbon you have faster access to formatting options in
views.
You may have seen in the various views of previous lessons a
tab at the very top of the screen, above the ribbon.
This is the Format ribbon. This tab provides formatting options
available in the view you are in at the time.
The figure below shows the Format ribbon for the Gantt Chart
view.
5
Gantt Chart Formatting
The Gantt Chart view consists of two parts: a table on the left
and a bar chart on the right.
The default formatting of the Gantt Chart view is useful for
onscreen project schedule viewing and printing. However, you
are able to change the formatting of almost any element on the
Gantt Chart to suit your needs.
In this exercise, you will learn to format Gantt Chart task bars.
You can format whole categories of Gantt Chart task bars via
the Bar Styles dialog box, or you can format individual Gantt
Chart task bars directly.
In this exercise, you will modify several items on the Gantt
Chart using the Bar Styles dialog box.
6

Step by Step: Modify the Gantt Chart Using the Bar Styles
Dialog Box
GET READY. OPEN the Don Funk Music Video 8M project
schedule. SAVE the file as Don Funk Music Video 8.
1. Click the Format tab, then in the Bar Styles group click the
down-arrow under the Format button. Select Bar Styles from the
dropdown list. The Bar Styles dialog box appears.
2. In the Name column, select Milestone. You want to change
the shape of the milestones on the Gantt Chart.
7
Dialog Box
3. In the bottom half of the dialog box under the Start label,
locate the Shape box. Select the star shape from the dropdown
list in the Shape box. Note that the star shape now appears in
the Appearance column for Milestone. Your screen should look
similar to the figure below.
8
Dialog Box
4. In the Name column at the top of the dialog box, select
Task.

5. In the bottom half of the dialog box, click the Text tab.
You want to make a change to display the resource groups
assigned rather than full names next to the task bars.
6. In the Text tab, in the Right box, select Resource Names,
click the down-arrow, and then select Resource Group. Your
screen should look similar to the figure below.
Dialog Box
7. Click OK to close the Bar Styles dialog box. Microsoft
Project applies the formatting changes you made to the Gantt
Chart.
8. Select the name cell of Task 27, Pre-Production complete.
Press Crtl+Shift+F5. This is the keyboard shortcut for Scroll to
Task. Microsoft Project scrolls the Gantt Chart bar view to task
27, where you can see the reformatted milestones and resource
groups. Your screen should look similar to the figure below.
Dialog Box
exercise.
The Gantt Chart became the standard for visualizing project
schedules in the early twentieth century when American
engineer and management consultant Henry L. Gantt developed
a bar chart with two main principles; 1) to measure activities by
the amount of time needed to complete them; and 2) to represent

the amount of the activity that should have been done in a given
time.
In Microsoft Project, the Gantt Chart view is the default view.
A view is a window through which you can see various elements
of your project schedule.
The two main view categories are named single view, which you
have been using mostly throughout the lessons, and one you will
see later in this lesson called a combination view.
Views are made up of one or more view elements.
11
Take Note: With the Bar Styles dialog box, the formatting
changes you make to a type of item (a milestone, for example)
apply to all such items in the Gantt Chart.
11
Dialog Box
The five different view formats and their common use are listed
in the table below.
12
Modifying the Gantt Chart Using Gantt Chart Styles

In this exercise, you will create a custom Gantt Chart, format it
using predefined Gantt Chart Styles, and save the custom view.
13
Step by Step: Modify the Gantt Chart Using Gantt Chart Styles
1. Click the Format tab, under Gantt Chart Tools, if
necessary.
2. In the Show/Hide group, click the Project Summary Task
box.
3. Press the F5 key. In the ID box, type 0 and click OK.
Microsoft Project displays the project summary task (task ID 0)
at the top of the Gantt Chart view. Now you will make a few
adjustments to your screen so that all of the summary task
information is visible.
4. Drag the vertical divider bar between the table and chart to
the right until at least the Duration and Start columns are
visible, if necessary.
14
Another Way: You can also double-click the divider bar to snap
the divider to the nearest column edge.
14

5. Double-click the right edge of the Task Name column, in
the column heading, to expand the column so that you can see
the entire value. Readjust the vertical divider bar, as necessary.
Your screen should look similar to the figure below. Before you
make further formatting changes, you will make a copy of the
Gantt Chart view so that you will not affect the original Gantt
Chart view.
Another Way: Right-clicking anywhere in a column heading
will activate the sub-menu for column. Selecting Field Settings
will display the Field Settings dialog box. In the dialog box,
click the Best Fit button to automatically adjust the column
width.
15
6. Click the View tab. In the Task Views group, click the
down-arrow under the Gantt Chart button then select Save
View. The Save View dialog box appears with View 1 as the
default name as in the figure below.
16
7. In the Name Field, type My Custom Gantt Chart, and then

click OK. The Save View dialog box closes. Note that the name
of the new view is listed on the left edge of your screen. Your
17
8. Click the Format tab. In the Gantt Chart Styles group,
click the More button located at the lower right of the bar
graphics, as shown in th figure below.
18
9. The predefined Gantt Chart Style options appear as in the
figure below. These are divided into two style categories, one
for scheduling and one for presentations. Select the second style
in the scheduling category.
19

10. On the Format ribbon, in the Bar Styles group, click the
check box for Critical Tasks.
11. Press the F5 key. In the ID box key 55 and press Enter.
Notice that most tasks from 52-78 are formatted to display in
red. Your screen should look similar to the figure below.
Take Note: Notice that the Resource Groups are still displayed
to the right of the Gantt bars, but the Milestones have been
changed back the default diamond shape.
20
exercise.
In this exercise, you made formatting changes to your project
schedule using predefined Gantt Chart Styles.
This is similar to making changes using the Bar Styles
command; however, the predefined Gantt Chart Styles has fewer
choices than the Bar Styles command.
As you are reviewing the formatting changes in the My Custom
Gantt Chart view, remember that none of the data in the project
schedule has changed–just the way it is formatted.
These formatting changes affect only the My Custom Gantt
Chart view; all other views in Microsoft Project are unaffected.
21

Modifying Text Appearance In a View
Microsoft Project enables you to change the way text appears
within a view.
You can modify the appearance of an entire category of tasks,
such as summary tasks or milestones, or you can change the
appearance of an individual cell.
This feature allows you to call attention to specific items or to
offset a specific type of task with color and font size or type.
22
Step by Step: Modify the Appearance of Text in a View
1. Click the Task tab, click the down-arrow under the Gantt
Chart button and select More Views. The More Views dialog
box appears.
2. In the More Views box, select Task Sheet, and then click
Apply. The Detail Gantt view appears.
3. Press the F5 key. In the ID box, type 0 and then press
Enter. This brings you to the top of the Gantt Chart.
23
Another Way: You can also right-click the view name bar at the
left edge of the screen and select More Views from the
dropdown menu.

23
4. Click the Format tab under Text Sheet Tools. Then in the
Format group click Text Styles. The Text Styles dialog box
appears.
5. In the Items to Change: box, click the sub-menu arrow and
select Summary Tasks from the list
6. In the Font: box, leave the default font type as it is. In the
Font Style: box, select Bold Italic.
7. In the Size: box, select 12 as the font size.
24
8. In the Color: box, select White.
9. In the Background
Color: box select dark
blue (ScreenTip will
show as Blue, Darker
50%). Your Text Styles
dialog box will look
similar to the figure
at right.
25

10. Click OK. Microsoft
Project changes the
formatting of all
summary tasks to
the attributes you
specified. Your
screen should look
at right.
11. SAVE the project
schedule.
PAUSE. LEAVE the
project schedule
open to use in the
next exercise.
26
Take Note: Notice that the Project summary task was not
reformatted. This is because the Project Summary task is a
separate category and must be reformatted by itself.
26
Modifying the Appearance of a Single Piece of Text
In this exercise, you will modify a single piece of text in the
Task Sheet view using the cost table.

27
Step by Step: Modify the Appearance of a Single Piece of Text
1. On the ribbon, click the View tab. In the Data group click
the Tables button and then select Cost.
2. Auto fit all the columns to see all the data. Select the Total
Cost cell for task 38, Scene 2.
3. Select the Task tab and then, in the Font group, click the
expand button at the lower-right corner of that group. The Font
dialog box appears.
28
Troubleshooting: The tables in Microsoft Project may look like
Microsoft Excel but there are distinct differences. For example,
you can auto-fit all columns in Excel at the same time, but you
cannot in do this in Microsoft Project.
28
4. Change the font
color to Automatic
and the background
color to yellow. Your
screen should look

at right.
5. Click OK. Notice
that only that cell
has change font
color and back-
ground color.
29
exercise.
Modified text will remain modified every time it is called up in
that view, regardless of the table you are using.
For example, if you were to switch to the summary table after
you formatted this text, it appears with the new formatting.
30
Creating Custom Fields
As you develop more information about your project tasks, you
may want to enter this information into the schedule, but find
there is no associated, default field available.
With Microsoft Project you have the ability to create custom,
user-defined fields to meet your needs.
Custom fields are the starting point for you to create customized
tables, views and reports.

31
Step by Step: Create a Custom Text Field
1. Click the Format tab. Then click on Custom Fields. The
Custom Fields dialog box appears as shown in Figure 8-15.
2. Click once on the Text1 field and then click the Rename
button.
3. In the Rename Field dialog box, type Cast and then press
OK.
4. Click once on the Text2 field and then click the Rename
button.
5. In the Rename Field dialog box, type Location and then
press OK.
6. Click OK to close the Custom Fields dialog box.
7. SAVE and close the project schedule.
32
PAUSE. LEAVE Microsoft Project open to use in the next
exercise.
A custom field is a user-definable field. Text fields are
available for you to enter any type of text-based information. In
this case study, you used them to create a custom field for

shooting location and one which you can enter the cast members
to be used.
In Microsoft Project’s task database there are 130 user-
definable fields available for you to use, broken down into nine
categories.
Some fields lend themselves to be used in calculations while
others are for simply storing text-based information.
33
The table at right
displays all nine
categories, their
primary purpose
and use, the type
of entry, number
of fields available
in each, and in
which database
these fields can
be used.
34
Custom fields can make the difference between a mediocre

Microsoft Project schedule file and a great Microsoft Project
schedule file.
When planning your project, ensure there is justification to set
up custom fields.
In other words, collecting and recording data simply because
the option is available does not mean it is necessarily a good
idea. The data you collect and record should add value.
35
Creating and Editing Tables
Within Microsoft Project are a number of different tables that
can be used in various views.
These tables contain most of the commonly used data fields.
However, you can create new tables that contain exactly the
data you want, such as custom fields, or you can modify any
predefined table to meet your needs.
36
Step by Step: Create a Custom Table
OPEN the Don Funk Music Video 8MA project schedule. SAVE
the file as Don Funk Music Video 8A.
1. Click the View tab. Then click Tables and then click More
Tables. The More Tables dialog box appears and displays all of
the predefined tables available to you, depending on the type of
view currently displayed (task or resource).
2. Confirm that the Task button is selected as the Tables

option. Select Entry, and then click the Copy button. The Table
Definition dialog box appears.
3. In the Name box, key Music Video Schedule Table. Check
the check box to the right of the Name box labeled Show in
menu. Now you will customize the table.
37
4. In the Field Name column, select the following field names
and then click Delete Row after selecting each field name.
5. In the Field Name column, click the down-arrow in the
next empty cell below Start, and then type or select Cast
(Text1) from the dropdown list.
6. In the Align Data column in the same row, select Left. In
the Width column, type or select 50.
7. In the Field Name column in the next empty row below
Cast, select Location(Text 2) from the dropdown list.
8. In the Align Data column in the same row, select Left. In
38
9. In the Field Name column, select Start, and then click the
Cut Row button.

10. In the Field Name column, select Name, and then click the
Paste Row button.
11. In the Align Data column in the Start row, select Left. In
12. In the Align Data column in the Name row, select Left. In
39
13. In the Date Format box, select Wed 1/28/09 12:33 pm.
Your screen should look similar to the figure below.
14. Click OK to close the Table Definition dialog box. The
new table is highlighted in the More Tables dialog box.
40
41
15. Click Apply. Microsoft
Project applies the new
table to the Task Sheet
view. Your screen should

look similar to the figure
at right.
16. SAVE the project
schedule.
PAUSE. LEAVE the
project schedule open
to use in the next exercise.
In this exercise, you created a custom table to display the
information typically found on a video shooting schedule.
You modified an existing table to include additional data that
was important to your project schedule.
As you create future project schedules, keep in mind that you
have three options when setting up tables: you can create a new
table, redefine an existing table, or copy an existing table and
modify it as needed.
Also note that as you modify any table, you are changing the
definition of that table.
42
Creating Custom Views
Almost all of the work you perform in Microsoft Project is done
in a view, which allows you to see your project schedule in a
useful way.
Microsoft Project includes numerous predefined views. You can
use these views, edit an existing view, or create your own view.
In this exercise, you will create a custom view using the custom

filter and custom table you created in earlier lessons.
43
Step by Step: Create a Custom View
1. On the View ribbon, click the down-arrow under the Gantt
Chart button in the Task Views group, then click More Views.
The More Views dialog box appears, displaying all of the
predefined views available to you.
2. Click the New button. The Define New View dialog box
appears. Most views use only a single pane, but a view can
consist of two separate panes.
3. Make sure Single View is selected, and then click OK. The
View Definition dialog box appears.
44
4. In the Name box, key Music Video Schedule View.
5. In the Screen box, select Task Sheet from the dropdown
list.
6. In the Table box, select Music Video Schedule Table from
the dropdown list. The specific groups in the dropdown list
depend on the type of view you selected in step 5 (task or
resource).
7. In the Group box, select No Group from the dropdown list.
The specific groups in the dropdown list again depend on the

type of view you selected in step 5.
45
8. In the Filter box, select
Unfinished Shoots
from the dropdown
list. The specific groups
in the dropdown list
depend on the type
of view you selected
in step 5. The View
Definition dialog box
shows all the elements
that can make up a
view. Your screen should look similar to the figure above.
46
9. Select the Show in Menu check box, and then click OK to
close the View Defini- tion dialog box. The new view appears
and should be selected in the More Views dialog box.
10. Click Apply. Microsoft Project applies the new view. Your

47
Take Note: When you select the Show in Menu check box,
Microsoft Project adds the new view to the View bar. This
custom view will be saved with this Microsoft Project data file.
You have the option to save all custom items in the Global.MPT
(the global template) file, so they are available each time you
use Project.
47
11. SAVE the project schedule. CLOSE the project schedule.
PAUSE. If you are continuing to the next lesson, keep Project
open. If not continuing to additional lessons, CLOSE Project.
In this exercise, you created a custom view that enabled you to
look specifically at information that was of interest to you.
Recall that a view is a window through which you can see the
various elements of a project schedule in a way that is helpful
to the viewing audience.
As you’ve seen, a view might contain elements such as tables,
groups, or filters. You can combine these with other elements to
create almost limitless custom views to suit any purpose.
48
Skill Summary

49
MS Project Assignment/Reading Assignment/Chapter14.ppt
Chapter 14
Pricing and Estimating
Pricing and EstimatingMany managers regard this as an art !
Information available to one bidder is generally available
to others.This is an essential part of the planning process.Forms
the basis for establishing standards for budgets, man-hours,
material costs, contingencies, etc.Specific pricing strategies
must be developed for each situation.
Two Types Of Acquisition Policies
Type I acquisition:
One-of-a-kind contract with little or no follow-on potential

Objective:
- Win the contract
- Execute it profitably
Type II Acquisition:One of many contractsAn entry point to
larger follow-up project contracts
Objective:
- Win the contract
- Perform with excellence
Cost/Hour Estimates
Estimating
Method
Generic
Type
WBS
Relationship
Accuracy
Time to
Prepare
Parametric
Analogy
Engineering

(Grass Roots)
ROM*
Budget
Definitive
Top Down
Top Down
Bottom Up
-25% to +75%
-10% to +25%
-5% to +10%
Days
Weeks
Months
* Rough Order of Magnitude
TYPES OF ESTIMATESOrder of magnitude estimates
- Made without any detailed engineering data
- May use past experience
- Accuracy +- 35% within the scope of the
projectApproximate (rule of thumb) estimates
- Made without any detailed engineering data
- May use previous similar projects --
- Accuracy +- 15%Definitive (or detailed) estimates
- Prepared from well-defined engineering data, vendor
quotes, unit prices, etc. Accuracy +- 5%Estimating manual
- Developed over time
- Use to price out “effort”. Accuracy +-10%

Additional Estimating MethodsDirect Estimate
- Estimate/experienced person
- Requires judgementEstimate by analogy
- Compare with similar activities
- Requires judgementFactored method
- Based on historical data
- Requires equipment lists, sizes
- Starts with equipment quotesGross proration method
- Based on historical data
- Near duplicate information
Detailed estimate
- Uses the WBS
- Takes the WBS down several levelsQuotation method
- Compare three quotations
- Select the best quotationHandbook manualsLearning
curves
Construction Cost Estimates
Cost FoundationsActual costs to date and estimates to
completionProposal dataMarketing intelligenceManagement
goalsPast performance and trends
Manpower

Time
Capacity Planning
Anticipated Growth
Current Staff
Proposals
Manpower Requirements
Planning
Horizon
Establishing The Project Budget
PRICING OUT A PROJECT Provide a complete definition of
the work to be done.Develop/construct a Logic Network
Diagram. Construct the WBS and estimate the activities
(time/cost).Review these (time/cost) with the respective
functional managers.Decide on a course of action .Establish
acceptable costs for each WBS-activity.Review the base costs
with your sponsor.Develop the pricing cost report. Document
this in the project file.
Pricing MethodWork is priced out at the department average,
and all work performed is charged to the project at the
department average salary, regardless of who accomplished the
work.
Pricing Method (Continued)Work is priced out at the

department average, but all work performed is billed back to the
project at the actual salary of those employees who perform the
work.
Pricing Method Continued)The work is priced out at the salary
of those employees who will perform the work, and the cost is
billed back the same way.
Multinational Project Financing
The Rolling Wave Concept
1
2
4
3
5
6
8
7
9
10
12
11
MONTHS AFTER GO-AHEAD
WBS LEVEL 5
WBS LEVEL 2
WBS LEVEL 2
LEVEL 2
WBS LEVEL 5
WBS LEVEL 5

Estimating PitfallsMisinterpretation of the statement of
workOmissions or improperly defined scopePoorly defined or
overly optimistic scheduleInaccurate work breakdown
structureApplying improper skill levels to tasksFailure to
account for risksFailure to understand or account for cost
escalation and inflation
Estimating Pitfalls (Continued)Failure to use the correct
estimating techniqueFailure to use forward pricing rates for
overhead, general and administrative, and indirect costs
Life Cycle Costing
SYSTEM R&D
PRODUCTION
SYSTEM ACQUISITION
OPERATION AND SUPPORT
LIFE CYCLE COST
LIFE CYCLE COST
YEARS
Capital BudgetingPayback PeriodDiscounted Cash Flow
(DCF)Net Present Value (NPV)Internal Rate of Return (IRR)
Capital Budgeting Must Consider Taxes And Depreciation

MS Project Assignment/Reading Assignment/Chapter15.ppt
Chapter 15
Cost Control
Do Project Managers Control Costs, Monitor Costs Or Both?
Cost ManagementCost estimatingCost accountingProject cash
flowCompany cash flowDirect labor costingOverhead rate
costingOthers, such as incentives, penalties, and profit-sharing
Cost And Control System
PLANNING
WORK

AUTHORIZATION
AND RELEASE
DATA
COLLECTION
AND REPORTING
COST
ACCOUNTING
CUSTOMER AND
MANAGEMENT
REPORTING
PHASE I
PHASE II
PHASE III
PHASE IV
PHASE V
OPERATING CYCLE
CYCLE
PLANNING
Cost Control RequirementsMeasure resources consumedMeasure
status and accomplishmentsCompare measurements to
projections and standardsProvide the basis for diagnosis and re-
planning

Cost Control RequirementsThorough planning of the work to be
performed to complete the projectGood estimating of time,
labor, and costsClear communication of the scope of required
tasksA disciplined budget and authorizations of
expendituresTimely accounting of physical progress and cost
expendituresPeriodic re-estimation of time and cost to complete
remaining work
Cost Control Requirements (Continued)Frequent, periodic
comparison of actual progress and expenditures to schedules
and budgets, both at the time of comparison and at project
completion
WHEN TO IMPLEMENT A COST
MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
CONCLUSION
A cost management system should be implemented right at the
beginning of the life cycle of the project.
Possible cost
reductions
Cost of change

PROJECT
COSTS
PROJECT LIFE CYCLE PHASES
Partitioning The Budget
The Work Authorization Form
Work Authorization Form
Description
Cost Work Work
Centers Hours Cost Starts Ends
- Test Material 2400 150 R4500
1 Aug 15 Sept
- Processing 2610 160 R7500
- Final inspection 2621 140 R3500
- Packaging 2623 46 R 750
- Delivery 2624 R 350
Project office authorization signature:________________

WBS: 31.03.02 Work order no: D1385
Date of original release: 03 Feb 01
Date of revision: 18 March 01
Revision number: C
PLANNING AND BUDGETING
Work packages
WBS Element
M
G
R
Org
Org
Org
Work Package
WP______ORG_______
Description of task_____

____________________
Sched: Start____Stop__
Budget:______________
COST ACCOUNT CHANGE NOTICE (CACN)
CACN No. _____________ Revision to Cost Account No.
____________ Date ___________
DESCRIPTION OF CHANGE:
_____________________________________________________
_______________________________
_____________________________________________________
_______________________________
_____________________________________________________
_______________________________
_____________________________________________________
_______________________________
REASON FOR CHANGE:
_____________________________________________________
_______________________________
_____________________________________________________
_______________________________
_____________________________________________________
_______________________________
_____________________________________________________

_____________________________
Requested Budget Authorized
Budget
Labor Hours _________________
_________________ Period of performance
Materials _________________
_________________ From _____________
ODCS _________________
_________________ To _____________
BUDGET SOURCE:
Funded Contract Change
Management Reserve
Undistributed Budget
Other _________________
INITIATED BY: ____________________________
APPROVALS: Program Mgr. ________
Prog. Control ________
Sources Of Additional FundingFunded contract change
Management reserve
Undistributed budget
Other (e.g. profits)

Cost data collation and reporting flow chart
Actuals
Labor
ACWP
Inventory
Accounts
BCWP
Computer
BCWS
Monthly Total
Program Effort
Weekly Labor
Reports
MCCS Comparison
reports To All Execs
Variance Report
Cost DataLaborMaterialOther direct chargesOverhead

Types of BudgetsDistributed budgetManagement
budgetUndistributed budgetContract changes
Variance Analyses
VARIABLES FOR VARIANCE ANALYSISBUDGETED COST
FOR WORKED SCHEDULED (BCWS) IS THE BUDGETED
AMOUNT OF COST FOR WORD SCHEDULED TO BE
ACCOMPLISHED PLUS THE AMOUNT OF LEVEL OF
EFFORT OR APPORTIONED EFFORT SCHEDULED TO BE
ACCOMPLISHED IN A GIVEN TIME PERIOD.
BUDGETED COST FOR WORK PERFORMED (BCWP) IS
THE BUDGETED AMOUNT OF COST FOR COMPLETED
WORD, PLUS BUDGETED FOR LEVEL OF EFFORT OR
APPORTIONED EFFORT ACTIVITY COMPLETED WITHIN
A GIVEN TIME PERIOD. THIS IS SOMETIMES REFERRED
TO AS AN “EARNED VALUE.”
ACTUAL COST FOR WORK PERFORMED (ACWP) IS THE
AMOUNT REPORTED AS ACTUALLY EXPENDED IN
COMPLETING THE WORK ACCOMPLISHED WITHIN A
GIVEN TIME PERIOD.
COST VARIANCE = BCWP – ACWP
SCHEDULE/PERFORMANCE VARIANCE = BCWP - BCWS

VariancesThe cost variance compares deviations only from the
budget and does not provide a measure of comparison between
work scheduled and work accomplished.The scheduling variance
provides a comparison between planned and actual performance
but does not include costs.
Measurements Measurable efforts: discrete increments of work
with a definable schedule for accomplishment, whose
completion produces tangible results.Level of effort: work that
does not lend itself to subdivision into discrete scheduled
increments of work, such as project support and project control.
COST VARIANCE
CALCULATION
A NEGATIVE VARIANCE INDICATES A COST
OVERRUN
CV = BCWP - ACWP

SCHEDULE VARIANCE
CALCULATION
SV = BCWP - BCWS
A NEGATIVE VARIANCE INDICATES
A BEHIND SCHEDULE CONDITION
VARIANCE PERCENTS
SCHEDULE VARIANCE % =
(SVP)
COST VARIANCE % =
(CVP)
SV
BCWS
X 100
CV
BCWP
X 100

Project Variance Analysis
R&D
QUALIFICATION
DEVELOPMENT
PHASE I
PHASE II
PHASE III
VARIANCE LOWER BOUNDARY
ACTUAL COST VARIANCE
PROJECTED COST
VARIANCE UPPER BOUNDARY
TIME
$
Trend Analyses
Management Reserve
CONTRACTED COST
RELEASED BUDGET
ACTUAL COST

TIME
MANAGEMENT
RESERVE
$
Information RequirementsBudgeted cost for work scheduled
(BCWS)Budgeted cost for work performed (BCWP)Actual cost
for work performed (ACWP)Estimated cost at
completionBudgeted cost at completionCost and schedule
variances/explanationsTraceability
Variance Analysis QuestionsWhat is the problem causing the
variance?What is the impact on time, cost, and
performance?What is the impact on other efforts, if any?What
corrective action is planned or under way?What are the
expected results of the corrective action?
VARIANCE REPORTING
Variance reporting is accomplished at each reporting interval.
However, the variance threshold reports are exception reports
and occur only when the variances exceed the upper and lower

boundaries of the project variances envelope.
REPORTING INTERVALSDepends on the type of organization
and characteristics of the projects.Project-driven organization -
weekly.Non-project-driven organization - monthly
Cost Account Variance Analysis Report
Cost account no/cam
WBS/Description
Cost performance data
Variance
Reporting level
As of
At completion
Budget
EAC
Var.
BCWS BCWP ACWP SCHED COST
Month to date ($)
Contract to
date ($k)
Problem cause and impact
Corrective action (including expected recovery date)

Cost account Date Cost center Date WBS element Date
Date
Mgr. Mgr. Mgr.
The 50/50 rule
HALF OF THE BUDGET FOR EACH ELEMENT IS
RECORDED AT THE TIME THAT THE WORK IS
SCHEDULED TO BEGIN AND THE OTHER HALF AT THE
TIME THE WORK IS SCHEDULED TO BE COMPLETED.
FOR A PROJECT WITH A LARGE NUMBER OF ELEMENTS
THE AMOUNT OF DISTORTION FROM SUCH A
PROCEDURE IS MINIMAL.
J F M A M J J A S O N
D

ANALYSIS
Budgeted cost for work
Scheduled (BCWS)
Performed (BCWP)
Budget - 6
8
14
12
10
12
8
12
10
8
Work packages
Cost account budget = 100
(thousands)
BCWS = 38
BCWP = 49
SCHED. VARIANCE = +11
50-50 rule used for work in process

Using The 50-50 Rule
4,000
10,000
12,000
4,000
6,000
6,000
10,000
TIME
TIME LINE
COMPLETED
NOT COMPLETED
LEGEND
BCWS = 34,000
BCWP = 33,000
BAC = 52,000

Earned Value Status Reporting
SV
CV
BCWS
BCWP
ACWP
TIME LINE
CUMMULATIVE COST, $
TIME
Estimated Cost At Completion
ESTIMATE AT COMPLETION (EAC)
EAC =
ACWP
BCWP
X
Budget at completion
The estimate at completion is the best estimate of the total cost
at the completion of the project.

The EAC is a periodic evaluation of the status of the project -
usually on a monthly basis or until a significant change has
been identified.
(BAC)
PROGRESS REPORTING
Progress reporting needs to answer four fundamental
questions:
1. Where are we today (time and cost)?
2. Where will we end up (time and cost)?
3. What are the present and future risks?
4. Are there any special problems that need to be
addressed and what can management do to help?
Monthly Project Report
1. VARIANCE ANALYSIS (Cost in Thousands)
1 June 1997
Budgeted Budgeted Cost
Milestone Cost Work Work
Actual Variance, %
Subtask Status Scheduled Performed
Cost Schedule Cost
1 Completed 100 100

100 0 0
2 Completed 50 50
55 0 -10
3 Completed 50 50
40 0 20
4 Not Started 70 0
0 -100 --
5 Completed 90 90
140 0 -55.5
6 Not started 40 0
0 -100 --
7 Started 50 50
25 0 50
8 Not started 0 0
0 -- --
Total 450 340
360 -24.4 -5.9
2. ESTIMATE AT COMPLETION (EAC)
EAC = (360/340) X 579,000 = $613,059
Overrun = 613,059 - 579,000 = $34,059
3. COST SUMMARY
Costs are running approximately 5.9% over budget due to
higher salaried labor.
4. SCHEDULE SUMMARY
The 24.4% behind schedule condition is due to subtasks 4
and 6 which have not yet begun due to lack of raw materials and

the 50/50 method for booking costs. Overtime will get us back
on schedule but at an additional cost of 2.5% of direct labor
costs.
5. MILESTONE REPORT
Milestone/ Scheduled Projected Actual
Subtask Completion Completion Completion
1 4/1/97 4/1/97
2 5/1/97 5/1/97
3 5/1/97 4/23/97
4 7/1/97 7/1/97
5 6/1/97 6/1/97
6 8/1/97 8/1/97
7 9/1/97 9/1/97
8 10/1/97 10/1/97
6. ACTIVITY REPORT
Current Potential Corrective
Problem Impact Action
(a) Lack of raw Cost overruns and Overtime is
scheduled.
materials. behind schedule We will try
to use lower
condition. salaried
staff. Raw

materials are expected
to be on
dock next week.
(b) Customer un- May need add- Customer
will provide
happy with test itional planning. us with
revised statement
results. of work
on 6/15/97.
Status Reporting Is More Than Just A Computer Printout.
Intranet Status Reporting
Reporting Favorable Status

Reporting Unfavorable Status
DATA ACCUMULATION
WBS
Organization
BCWS
BCWP
ACWP
Budget
SCHED
VAR
COST
VAR

Cutting The Budget
Financial Close-Out
Cost ProblemsPoor estimating techniques and/or standards,
resulting in unrealistic budgetsOut-of-sequence starting and
completion of activities and eventsInadequate work breakdown
structureNo management policy on reporting and control
practicesPoor work definition at the lower levels of the
organization
Cost Problems (Continued)Management reducing budgets or
bids to be competitive or to eliminate “fat”Inadequate formal
planning that results in unnoticed, or often uncontrolled,
increases in scope of effortPoor comparison of actual and
planned costsComparison of actual and planned costs at the
wrong level of managementUnforeseen technical problems

Cost Problems (Continued)Schedule delays that require
overtime or idle time costingMaterial escalation factors that are
unrealistic
Problem Areas in Cost Control Organization:
- Inadequate Work Breakdown Structure
- Poor work definition at working levels
- Lack of formal system proceduresPlanning and
budgeting:
- Inadequate forward planning
- Over-allocation of budget
- Poor integration of budget, schedule, work
authorizationAccounting:
- Inability to account for cost of material on applied
basisAnalysis:
- Determination of status not based on work package
completion
- Comparison of actual vs. planned costs at improper
levelRevisions:
- Failure to maintain valid measurement baseline
Cost Problems Per PhaseProposal Phase
Failure to understand customer requirements

Unrealistic appraisal of in-house capabilities
Underestimating time requirements
Cost Problems Per PhasePlanning phase
Omissions
Inaccuracy of the work breakdown structure
Misinterpretation of information
Use of wrong estimating techniques
Failure to identify and concentrate on major cost elements
Failure to assess and provide for risks
Cost Problems Per PhaseNegotiation phase
Forcing a speedy compromise
Procurement ceiling costs
Negotiation team that must “win this one”
Cost Problems Per PhaseContractual phase
Contractual discrepancies
SOW different from RFP requirements
Proposal team different from project team

Cost Problems Per PhaseDesign phase
Accepting customer requests without management approval
Problems in customer communications channels and data items
Problems in design review meetings
Cost Problems Per PhaseProduction phase
Excessive material costs
Specifications that are not acceptable
Manufacturing and engineering disagreement

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