The Assessment of Program Managers\u27 Preceptions of Importance of Stability to Overall Project Outcomes

This research investigates the manager\u27s perceptions of the importance of stability to overall project outcomes. The assessment is based on the importance and usefulness of both the general attributes of management for the activities in a specific program, and the specific measures being employed by the managers. The classical measures of Cost, Schedule, Performance were assessed as well as Earned Value and proposed measures of Stability. In this research, the scope is limited to the management of relatively complex, large-scale projects involving the design, development and delivery of military aircraft and support systems. In order to obtain data for the research, a survey method was employed. The population being sampled for the survey included the managers at various levels in the programs managed by System Program Offices (SPOs) such as C-17, F-16 and F-22. Results indicated that the newer measures of Stability and Earned Value were well-received and had both importance and usefulness to the managers. Perceptions differed between programs depending on their size; and between managers depending on their level of authority. This was pronounced with regard to the newly introduced Stability concept