IT Modernization Case Study for OPM

EVM 1100 Fundamentals of Earned Value Management

Client Information

The Defense Acquisition University (DAU) is the Department of Defense’s central training institution for acquisition professionals. DAU equips the Defense Acquisition Workforce with the skills and knowledge needed to deliver effective, affordable warfighting capabilities, strengthening national security through agile, mission-ready acquisition support.

Challenge(s)

DAU identified a need to revitalize EVM fundamentals training for early-career acquisition professionals. Despite EVM’s critical role in monitoring cost, schedule, and performance, learners often found the subject complex, dry, and disconnected from real-world relevance. The challenge was to transform foundational content into an engaging, memorable, and motivational learning experience that encouraged learner buy-in and long-term retention.

Solution(s)

CTEC developed a proof of concept for EVM 1100 using Unreal Engine to prototype and previsualize a live-action, interactive eLearning course. This concept explored a narrative-driven, gamified learning experience that combined high-fidelity storytelling with a fantasy metaphor. The storyline followed Mark, a new EVM analyst in the Sky Fortress Missile Program, who is unexpectedly transported to the mythic world of Eveum—a parallel realm threatened by “the Cynic,” a symbolic representation of EVM skepticism and failure. Through interactive quests, scenario-based challenges, and simulated environments, learners—guided by a wizard mentor—would explore Eveum’s Citadel and engage with core EVM concepts such as Schedule Variance, SPI, CPI, and Estimate at Completion (EAC). The previsualization leveraged rich visuals, metaphor, and humor to demonstrate how immersive storytelling and cinematic production could enhance learner engagement and deliver job-ready EVM skills in an interactive training environment.