---
id: 2026-04-21T11:55:50
title: 2026-02-17 16:36:35
tags: []
daily: "[[2026-02-17]]"
---
# 2026-02-17 16:36:35

[[earned-value-management]]
is frequently stated to be capable of
"measuring project performance and progress
_in an objective manner_",[^1]
an analysis that is either optimistic
or totally misleading, depending on the context.

[^1]: [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earned_value_management) (emphasis added)

EVM can be argued to be an objective measure of _progress_,
but measuring _performance_,
variance of actual cost/hours versus estimated,
(obviously) requires estimates,
which are subject to bias and error.
If you argue that subject matter expert estimates _are_ objective
under a Bayesian interpretation,
then sure, but then EVM is not unique.

EVM WBS's, as a form of [[estimate-decomposition]],
suffer from its weakness of compounding inaccuracy.
