Earned Value Analysis (EVA) offers a way of tracking project progress and forecasting likely completion costs. It compares actual progress to date against projected progress and allows the calculation of performance indexes that help indicate how the project is progressing, and how much ahead or behind it is. However it relies upon the quality of the baseline plan, and herein lays the problem with its use on Agile projects. On Agile projects we know that initial plans are likely to change, they will evolve and be refined as project velocity and true requirements emerge. So then, how can we employ EVA on Agile projects to track how we are doing?

Fortunately we do not have to; there are Agile metrics that can replace each of the earned value variance and index measures. We can answer the same, "when will it be done?" and "how much will it cost?" questions by applying Agile alternatives to earned value measures and this presentation will show you how.

After an explanation of traditional earned value the Agile alternatives will be introduced along with examples of how to apply them. Backed up with case studies and links to the Agile 2006 conference research paper that this presentation draws from, the Agile replacements to earned value are explored and explained.