Reporting & Communication
Reporting & Forecasting
EVM's discipline only delivers value if the resulting reports actually drive decisions. The right reporting cadence, the right level of detail for each audience, and the right delivery medium are what convert EVM data into management action.
Daily Management
Project Team
Full EVM detail at control account level — variance commentary, action register, daily dashboards.
- Format: working spreadsheet + dashboard
- Cadence: weekly + monthly month-end
- Detail: every control account, every variance
- Use: assign owners, drive corrective action
Steering Committee
Executive Sponsor
Project-level 1–2 page summary — BAC, current EAC, SPI/CPI, top 5 issues, decisions required.
- Format: 1–2 page report + RAG status
- Cadence: monthly steering committee
- Detail: project KPIs, top issues, asks
- Use: re-baseline / re-scope decisions
Board · Lender · Treasury
Portfolio Board
Portfolio-level visual dashboard — aggregated $M EAC, RAG roll-up, top portfolio risks. Heavy on charts, light on tables.
- Format: 1-page visual dashboard
- Cadence: quarterly board / lender
- Detail: portfolio roll-up, $M aggregates
- Use: capital allocation, lender confidence
Reporting cadence
Monthly is the default reporting cadence on most Australian infrastructure — aligned with progress claim cycles, finance month-end, and board cycles. Major projects with daily volatility (commissioning, ramp-up) benefit from weekly summary reports between monthly reports. Quarterly is appropriate at the portfolio level for executive review.
Three audiences, three reports
Project team: full EVM detail at control account level, variance commentary, action register. Used for daily project management.
Executive sponsor / steering committee: project-level summary (BAC, current EAC, SPI, CPI, top 5 issues, decisions required). 1–2 page format.
Portfolio board / lender: portfolio-level dashboard (RAG status, aggregated $M EAC, top portfolio risks). Heavy use of visualisations rather than tables.
Forecast methods
Standard EAC formulae use current performance to project final cost. The most common: EAC = BAC / CPI assumes current cost performance continues. EAC = AC + (BAC − EV) / (CPI × SPI) assumes current cost AND schedule performance continues. Cenex applies the appropriate formula for the project context and reports forecast confidence range alongside the point estimate.
From reporting to action
The single biggest failure mode in EVM implementation is producing the reports without acting on them. A formal monthly review meeting where each variance is discussed, owners are assigned, and timelines agreed is essential. Cenex builds these governance routines as part of every PPM/EVM stand-up, so the discipline is sustained beyond the consultant's involvement.