Paul Brown
Data Impacts on System Readiness and Cost
Operations and support costs are becoming increasingly in focus as system readiness is addressed. This paper will discuss the impact data has on forecasting readiness and the corresponding effects on cost. Identifying “correct” data and sources, such as CSDRs and OEM data reporting systems, plays an important role in modeling both cost and readiness. Different approaches to improve readiness and their impacts on cost and data needs will be discussed.
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Bio
Paul Brown is a senior analyst with Systecon North America. In his current role, Paul provides life cycle logistics and sustainment support within the DoD, analyzing the trade-offs between system costs and readiness. His prior experience in the defense industry has included a wide-range of cost estimating and analysis and workforce analysis supporting various members of the Intelligence Community, as well as the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and select civilian agencies.

Carol Dekkers
The Future of IT & Software Estimating 
Wouldn't it be fun to have a crystal ball to predict the future of IT and software estimating?  In this presentation, Carol Dekkers takes us on a roller coaster ride of prognostications based on where we've been, what's going well today and what trends are on the horizon.  Let's have some fun connecting the dots between the world today and where we might end up in the future with ICEAA and IT and software estimating. 
Download The Future of IT & Software Estimating 

CCEA© Finishing School: Software & IT Estimating Review 
Refresh and reboot your understanding of the elements of software and IT estimating: Source Lines Of Code, Equivalent Source Lines Of Code, and Function Points. We’ll also review the primary software development methodologies – waterfall, Agile, evolutionary, and spiral – and how to model them from a cost estimating perspective. (presentation not available for download)

Bio
Carol Dekkers, PMP, CFPS (Fellow), P.Eng, CSM, AEC, is the founder and CEO of Quality Plus Technologies, Inc. She and her team work with companies who want to succeed with software measurement and functional size measurement. Recently, Carol also became a charter member of the Heart of Agile consulting team. She is a co-author of several textbooks (The IT Measurement Compendium: Estimating and Benchmarking Success with Functional Size Measurement; Program management toolkit for software and systems development; Practical Software Project Estimation; and others,) and is a frequent speaker worldwide on estimating, measurement, ISO standards, project management, communication, and quality. Ms. Dekkers is a Past-president and former Director of Communications and Marketing for the International Function Point Users Group (IFPUG). She is also a U.S. expert on national body delegation to ISO/IEC standards.

David Dewitt
Pitfalls of Historical Data Use in Software Estimation
Parsing historical data projects is a practiced activity for many software cost estimators.  However, there are several hidden flaws with data point selection. This paper draws from work performed by Nasim Talib, author of The Black Swan, and includes: Error of Casual Analysis, Narrative Fallacy, Fallacy of Silent Evidence, Ludic Fallacy.  Each of these fallacies can lead to invalid data selection and consequently invalidate any software estimate drawn from conclusions using this bad data.
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Bio
Mr. DeWitt is the Director of Commercial and International Programs for Galorath Incorporated.  He has over thirty-years experience as an embedded developer, Project Manager, Engineering Manager, and Operations Manager.   He arrived at Galorath in 2007 as a SEER user of nearly eight years.  David’s experience includes Space Based systems, Tactical Communications, Avionics project management, and large Financial Portfolio management.  He has extensive experience harvesting data from the SRDR and ISBSG software project Databases.

Dan Donoghue P.Eng., MBA
Panel Discussion: The Road to a Stronger Infrastructure
Infrastructure is at its best when we don’t notice it and therefore easy to forget to nurture, but when it fails or is failing, what had been taken for granted is now everyone’s problem. Whether public or private, every aspect of infrastructure comes with its own set of unique challenges and idiosyncrasies.  Our panelists will delve into the risk they encounter in the face of infrastructure; how those risks are incorporated in cost estimates; the tools, methodologies, and processes employed to generate the estimates; and how those estimates are used to support decision-making. 

Bio
Dan is a Professional Engineer with 20 years of experience in the delivery of large infrastructure projects.  As Vice President, Capital Project Budgets and Cost Estimating at Infrastructure Ontario, Dan oversees capital project cost estimation, budgeting and financial forecasting functions across the enterprise.  Prior to joining IO, Dan acted as Lenders’ Technical Advisor on a number of significant P3 projects across North America, undertaking due diligence reviews of project costs, schedule, and risks.

Dan French
From Point A to Point Estimate:  How Requirements Become Function Points
IFPUG function point analysis has been successfully used to size software by organizations for 30+ years.  However, there remains confusion as to how the process works.  This presentation demystifies the Function Point Analysis process and educates those interested in how function points are counted and/or are considering the use of  FP in their organizations.  The presenters will discuss functional/non-functional requirements, good/poor requirements and how an FP count is developed based on the functional requirements.
Download From Point A to Point Estimate:  How Requirements Become Function Points

Bio
Dan has twenty years of experience in a variety of IT roles including analyst, developer, tester, project management, software estimation. He has developed CMMi and ISO compliant process improvement and software estimation processes. Dan holds a B.S. in Economics from Virginia Tech and holds certification as a CFPS, PMP and CSM. He also serves as Chairman of the IFPUG FSSC. He’s authored numerous white papers/presentations on software metrics, Agile, and estimation.

Kimberly Gaddie
Project Schedule and Earned Value Risk Visualization
Utilizing Material Resource Planning (MRP) data in conjunction with an indented Bill of Material (BOM), a Monte Carlo simulation model is used to calculate and model project schedule risk, critical path / sensitive items, and projected earned value metrics (EAC/ETC).
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Bio
Kimberly is currently a Material Control Analyst at Northrop Grumman working to support numerous programs in the Launch Vehicles Division. She holds an MBA in addition to a BSE in Aerospace Engineering (Astronautics), and works now in supply chain and business operations building analytical models for data processing, program management, and material resource planning. Lately, Kimberly has been working with a small team to develop a stand-alone application for real-time program completion risk analysis.

Vrenti Ghergari, CPA, CMA, CCEA
Continuing Improvements to Cost and Cost Risk Aspects of Bid Valuation for Major Capital Projects at DND
Over the past several years DND has been developing enhanced approaches for proposal evaluation within their major capital projects. The new methodologies incorporate life-cycle cost forecasts and information about uncertainty and financial risk directly into procedures for evaluating proposals received from industry.  This presentation will outline one such approach which allows a significant degree of variability in how industry responds to an RFP but also places greater onus on them to substantiate their cost and price estimates.  Key elements of this new approach include:  a standardized Cost Breakdown Structure (CBS), pre-defined worst-case cost estimates, a risk framework with an explicit characterisation of financial risks and cost uncertainties, an assessment of the Bidder’s cost estimation maturity, and financial desirability scoring functions. (presentation not available for download)

Bio
Vrenti is the director of Cost Analytics, an organization responsible for development of cost estimates and performing economic analysis for the Department of National Defence. Vrenti has a Bachelor of Commerce in Management Economics from the University of Guelph, a CPA, CMA designation, and is a Certified Cost Estimator/Analyst. He is also a member of the Board of ICEAA Canada.

Melanie Gilbert
Blockchain: Not Another Buzzword for Government
Blockchain technology is disrupting many industries with the potential to also benefit government in many ways from improving operational agility, to building more trust and ensuring better transparency. Attend this session to learn what blockchain technology is and how it is being used to disrupt traditional business and operating models including a discussion on some common blockchain use cases in the public sector. Explore how to determine whether blockchain is right for your organization.
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Bio
With over 20 years of IT industry experience, Melanie has developed a passion in helping her Federal Government clients transform their organizations by creating citizen centric systems of engagement. Over the past four years, she has assisted Canadian Federal Government departments in better understanding what makes a good Blockchain use case and whether it is the right technology to help them on their transformation journey. Melanie has built a reputation for her dedication and commitment to her clients and is engaged in multiple Blockchain projects.

Marc Greenberg
Survey of Five Methods Presented in ICEAA’s Risk Track (2013 – 2019)
A practitioner discusses highlights of methods he presented at ICEAA from 2013 to present: (1) A Step-Wise Approach to Elicit Triangular Distributions, (2) Expert Elicitation of a Maximum Duration Using Risk Scenarios, (3) The 3-Point Method Redux: Estimating Cost Uncertainty Given Only a Baseline Cost, (4) A ‘Common Risk Factor’ Method to Estimate Correlations between Distributions, and (5) Calculating a Project’s Reserve Dollars from its S-Curve.  The survey includes URLs to each full ICEAA presentation.
Download Survey of Five Methods Presented in ICEAA’s Risk Track (2013 – 2019)

CCEA© Finishing School: Risk & Uncertainty Review
​​​​​​​We will review the basic types and uses of risk determination and analysis with a focus on practical execution of the general risk analysis process which involves technical, schedule and cost risk potential, applied to a point cost estimate, by identifying the risk areas in the point estimate. Discuss how to define the uncertainty around the point estimate, identify and properly apply correlation between uncertainty distributions, run the Monte Carlo simulation, assess the reasonableness of results, and determine a risk dollar distribution throughout the program. (presentation not available for download)

CCEA© Finishing School: Students' Choice
All participants in the CCEA© Finishing School track are expected to have studied CEBoK© in preparation for the exams for some time before joining us. These open-forum sessions will allow attendees to ask specific questions of our instructors, get clarification on challenging topics, and work through practice questions. (presentation not available for download)

Bio
Marc works for NASA’s Strategic Investment Division as a science mission portfolio analyst. He also performs assessments, develops estimating models, advises projects on estimating methods, and provides decision-support to NASA leadership. Prior to FY13, Marc worked in cost analysis for DHS, NCCA, DAU and NAVSEA. He has a BS in Materials Engineering and an MS in Engineering Management. He is professionally certified as a Cost Estimator/Analyst and Level III certified in Business – Cost Estimating.

Anatoliy Gruzd, Phd
Political Engagement and Misinformation Campaigns on Social Media
In the aftermath of the 2016 US Presidential election and the UK Brexit referendum, social media platforms have emerged as an important vector for disinformation operations and misinformation campaigns. Enabled by bots, trolls, and algorithm-driven filter bubbles, the weaponization of social media is undermining and weakening public trust in government institutions across the globe and is threatening the future of democracy. This presentation will discuss common definitions, challenges, and opportunities for detecting and studying the spread of misinformation across social media sites. (presentation not available for download)

Bio
Anatoliy Gruzd, Phd is a Canada Research Chair and Associate Professor at the Ted Rogers School of Management at Ryerson University, and Director of Research at the Social Media Lab in Toronto, Canada. He is also a founding co-editor of a multidisciplinary journal on Big Data and Society. His work explores inner workings of online communities, studying how people and organizations adapt to social media in various domains, and examining tensions between privacy and self-disclosure on social media networks.

Bob Hunt
How to Estimate, Manage, and Track Performance for Software
Software is a crucial and growing part of Federal systems. The government needs to be able to manage and sustain major software projects.  The presentation identifies issues ranging from Agile software development to poor initial estimates to the Federal Government’s inability to utilize modern developmental tools, such as the “Software Factory.”
Download How to Estimate, Manage, and Track Performance for Software

CCEA© Finishing School: Contract Types and Pricing
A review of the various types of contracts provided in CEBoK Module 14, featuring a holistic view of contracting and contract pricing from a cost estimator's viewpoint, specifically how cost risk is shared between parties to the contract and the profit/fee potentials commensurate with that risk. We will also review establishing a basis of estimate (BOE), acquisition planning, contract pricing, and cost/price analysis with illustrative examples.

Bio
Mr. Hunt has over 40 years of cost estimating and economic analysis experience. He was Deputy Director Cost Analysis Directorate of the U.S. Army/The Pentagon. He has served in senior management positions including Vice President and Operations Manager at SAIC, Vice President and Board of Directors of CALIBRE Systems, President CALIBRE Services, Vice President for Services at Galorath Incorporated, and as President of Galorath Federal. He is currently Executive Vice President of ICEAA.

Damian Joy

Bio
Damian Joy is a Partner in the EY Infrastructure Advisory practice.  He has 30-years of commercial, financial and technical experience of major capital project planning, development, financing and delivery.  Damian was formerly CEO of a development, investment and asset management company with a portfolio of transportation and social infrastructure PPP projects across North America.  Damian instructs the Infrastructure Investment course for the Masters in Real Estate and Infrastructure at York University Schulich School of Business, and is a council member of the Canadian Branch of the International Project Finance Association.

Azfar Ali Khan
Panel Discussion: The Road to a Stronger Infrastructure
Infrastructure is at its best when we don’t notice it and therefore easy to forget to nurture, but when it fails or is failing, what had been taken for granted is now everyone’s problem. Whether public or private, every aspect of infrastructure comes with its own set of unique challenges and idiosyncrasies.  Our panelists will delve into the risk they encounter in the face of infrastructure; how those risks are incorporated in cost estimates; the tools, methodologies, and processes employed to generate the estimates; and how those estimates are used to support decision-making. 

Bio
Azfar is an experienced financial professional passionate about optimizing performance around the core mandate and value proposition of public sector organizations. For the last 17 years, Azfar has been a senior public sector executive, teacher and consultant.  His public sector experience has centred on financial oversight and due diligence, benchmarking, business transformation, marketing and sales operations (with a crown corporation) and corporate planning.  He has specialized experience in expenditure management best practices and in instilling these practices to enhance the performance culture of public sector organizations.  Specific accomplishments include identifying hundreds of millions of dollars of savings to the fiscal framework of one public sector client as a direct result of due diligence and benchmarking performed. Prior to joining the public sector, Azfar worked in the private sector in external auditing, internal auditing and corporate finance.  This experience was a combination of Canadian and international experience gained in the Middle East working for a Swiss corporate finance boutique.

Jennifer V. Leotta
Evolving Best Practices at the US GAO
In March 2009, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) published, GAO Cost Estimating and Assessment Guide, Best Practices for Developing and Managing Capital Program Costs. The guide was developed to establish a consistent methodology based on best practices and that can be used across the federal government for developing, managing, and evaluating capital program cost estimates. Extensive work has taken place in the past ten years to improve the original and develop a series of best practice guides for the ever-changing needs of federal cost estimation. (presentation not available for download)

CCEA© Finishing School: Cost Estimating Basics
This session will provide an overview of the basic concepts introduced in CEBoK Modules 1-6:  Cost Estimating Basics, Costing Techniques, Parametric Estimating, Cost Analysis Techniques, Data Collection and Normalization, Inflation and Index Numbers, Analytical Methods, Basic Data Analysis Principles. Students are expected to have reviewed these modules, be familiar with the content, and be prepared with specific questions about cost estimating’s most fundamental topics. (presentation not available for download)

Bio
Jennie Leotta is an Assistant Director for the Government Accountability Office (GAO). She is responsible for performing cost, schedule, and Earned Value Management analyses to support audits on a wide range of government programs. Before joining the GAO, Jennie worked for the Department of Homeland Security and the Navy, developing and analyzing cost estimates. Jennie holds a B.S. in Quantitative Finance from James Madison University and an M.A. in Economics from George Mason University.

Sara McNeal
Due Diligence in Sole Source Contract Environment
We are in the age of where big industries are merging and are even utilizing collaboration to ensure they are not just participating in source selection for acquisition contracts, but ultimately winning. So, what do you do to ensure that the government can get to cost realism for negotiations especially in the situations where there is a follow-on contract that must be sole source? Are there better contract strategies for these follow-on contracts?
Download Due Diligence in Sole Source Contract Environment Presentation
Download Due Diligence in Sole Source Contract Environment Paper

Bio
Ms. McNeal is currently an associate with Booz Allen Hamilton as Senior Cost Analyst at NASA Ames Research Center. While Active Duty, she was an Aviation Electrician on F/A-18’s and Mission Leader on Personal Security Detachment team for senior leadership escort & recovery missions while deployed in support of Operation Enduring and Iraqi Freedom. As a Civilian, she spent the past 9 years performing quantitative, qualitative, and business analyses for U.S. Air Force and Army. 

Michael Mills
Panel Discussion: The Road to a Stronger Infrastructure
Infrastructure is at its best when we don’t notice it and therefore easy to forget to nurture, but when it fails or is failing, what had been taken for granted is now everyone’s problem. Whether public or private, every aspect of infrastructure comes with its own set of unique challenges and idiosyncrasies.  Our panelists will delve into the risk they encounter in the face of infrastructure; how those risks are incorporated in cost estimates; the tools, methodologies, and processes employed to generate the estimates; and how those estimates are used to support decision-making. 

Bio
Michael Mills, Associate Assistant Deputy Minister is responsible for providing senior leadership to Real Property Services operations, including project management, facilities management, real estate services, strategic sourcing, and infrastructure asset management. Michael supports key government objectives, in particular, greening government operations, modernizing the public service, improving accessibility and advancing Indigenous reconciliation. Previously, Michael worked for Public-Private Partnerships Canada (previously P3 Canada), a federal Crown corporation, as Vice-President of Investments. Prior to P3 Canada, Michael held positions with Crown-Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada; Department of Finance Canada; and Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada. Michael holds a BA in political science and economics from the University of Regina and an MA  in economics from Queen’s University.

Arlene Minkiewicz
Agile Estimation - What are We Really Looking For?
This paper discusses the agile software development process and presents a methodology for creating estimates that inform decisions makers of what to expect from their agile teams.  The methodology assumes that team size and release cycle are known quantities along with an ‘estimate’ of the amount of functionality anticipated.  This information, along with other program and project parameters, is used to determine the number of iterations and releases necessary to achieve the goal. This methodology will be presented, and a potential implementation of this methodology will be demonstrated.
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Bio
Arlene F. Minkiewicz is the Chief Scientist at PRICE Systems, LLC with over 35 years of experience at PRICE building cost models.  She leads the cost research activity for TruePlanning, the suite of cost estimating products that PRICE provides.  She is a software measurement expert dedicated to finding creative solutions focused on helping make software development professionals successful.  She is widely published and speaks frequently on software related topics.

Chris Nelson
Project Schedule and Earned Value Risk Visualization
Utilizing Material Resource Planning (MRP) data in conjunction with an indented Bill of Material (BOM), a Monte Carlo simulation model is used to calculate and model project schedule risk, critical path / sensitive items, and projected earned value metrics (EAC/ETC).
Download Project Schedule and Earned Value Risk Visualization

Bio
Chris is currently a Material Control Analyst at Northrop Grumman working on the OmegA program. He received his Bachelors in Economics from the University of Arizona and has previously worked as a Financial Analyst doing Earned Value Management on the GMD program. Lately, Chris has been working in a small team to develop the database side of a Material Resource Planning (MRP) application utilizing SQL Server. 

Sanathanan Rajagopal
Cost of Software Obsolescence Resolution
Software plays an important role in defence. Almost every project in defence has software elements with various degrees of complexity and dependencies. This has brought its own challenges to the availability-based contracts. The challenges to both the contractors and the suppliers is that they have to have a good understanding of the whole life cost of the product and have confidence in the whole life cost model at the time of negotiation and contract signing. This paper will look into the ways to estimate the cost of Software Obsolescence resolutions of real-time defence software. (presentation not available for download)

Bio
Sanath is an Estimating Manager for Cyber, Informations and Training in QinetiQ. Sanath is a Fellow of QinetiQ and Fellow of Defence Equipment and Support. Sanath is an ISPA certified Parametric Estimator who has worked is various high profile Defence Projects and specialises in Software, Systems and Software Obsolescence Estimating. Sanath is UK Director for ICEAA and Deputy Chair for SCAF, UK.

Claude Rochette, FCPA, FCMA
Life-Cycle Costing in the Implementation of Canada’s Defence Policy
The defence policy launched in 2017 brought with it significant additional funding for major capital projects. This was coupled with reforms including the adoption of life-cycle costing of current and future major equipment requirements, use of third-party reviews, and completion of a life-cycle cost estimate in budgeting and planning for all new major capital projects. Understand the lessons learned from the perspective of the person who was Chief Financial Officer when the defence policy was costed, and who now oversees these functions more broadly as Associate Deputy Minister of National Defence. (presentation not available for download)

Bio
Mr. Rochette spent 27 years in progressively more complex finance roles in the Royal Canadian Air Force, retiring at the rank of BGen, in the role of Comptroller of the Canadian Armed Forces and Deputy CFO of National Defence. After serving as DG Finance and CFO at the Communications Security Establishment Canada, and as Vice-President, Comptrollership Branch and COF at the Canada Border Services Agency, he returned to National Defence. There, as Associate Deputy Minister (Finance) and Chief Financial Officer he oversaw the costing of Canada’s 20 year defence policy, Strong, Secure, Engaged. He is currently Associate Deputy Minister of National Defence.

David Rose
Changing Lenses:  A Common Data Source Driving Diverse Requirements
Government agencies involved in developing and sustaining complex technical systems are often challenged by the requirement to maintain existing capabilities (tactical) while simultaneously being required to insert new capabilities (strategic).  This paper and presentation describe how coordination between strategic and tactical initiatives is facilitated through a shared resource loaded and custom coded Primavera P6 schedule. The consolidated data is presented on Tableau data visualization software via strategic and tactical dashboards satisfying the stakeholder’s diverse requirements.
Download Changing Lenses:  A Common Data Source Driving Diverse Requirements

Bio
David Rose has over 24 years of experience in project portfolio management and scheduling within the software, semiconductor, and aviation industries.  He is a scheduling tool SME specializing in Primavera P6.  He is the scheduling lead supporting the FAA’s 4.5 billion dollar Terminal Automation Modernization and Replacement program since 2010. He earned a BA in Aviation Systems from the Ohio State University in 1992.  He has also been a certified PMP^® since 2005.  

Jason Salares
Communicate More Effectively with Data Visualization
Increasing information overload and modern technology has led to an epidemic of short attention spans – so getting your message across quickly and clearly is more important than ever.  Cost estimates, based on data analysis and statistical methodologies, is a perfect of example of complex information that often needs to be distilled into simplified results for stakeholders.  This session with show how data visualization concepts and techniques can help cost estimators impart their findings more effectively. (presentation not available for download)

Bio
Jason Salares eats, sleeps, and breathes data. With nearly 15 years of experience in business analytics/business intelligence, Jason spends his days advising customers and prospects on strategies to get more from their data.  (He also spends a significant portion of his free time creating visual analyses—data vizzes—for fun.)

Clark Savolaine

From the Suez Canal to Subway Cars: Infrastructure Overruns in Perspective
Each century of human civilization has multiplied the scale, scope and complexity of infrastructure megaprojects. Ironically the public’s expectations for precision in budgeting and scheduling increased as well. Join Clark Savolaine of KPMG’s Global Infrastructure Advisory practice for a discussion about global trends, executive-level decision making and why the sector’s professional reputation is at stake. (presentation not available for download)

Bio
Clark is a senior member of KPMG’s Global Infrastructure Advisory practice where he specializes in strategic planning for large capital investments and transformational policy initiatives. For more than 15 years he has worked with government and corporate decision-makers alike across Canada, the United States and Caribbean. Clark is passionate about enhancing economic competitiveness and making our infrastructure more resilient by strengthening the connections between the public and private sectors.

Kellie Scarbrough
Canada, Cost-Benefit Analysis, and the Data Revolution
As the amount of data collected by governments and organizations increases, analysts must step beyond spreadsheet software and learn new skills to remain at the top of their field. This presentation argues the importance of expanding the cost analyst's skill set into the broader realm of data analytics and data science and explores the opportunity costs of the as-is state of Canadian cost analysis.
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CCEA© Finishing School: Students' Choice
All participants in the CCEA© Finishing School track are expected to have studied CEBoK© in preparation for the exams for some time before joining us. These open-forum sessions will allow attendees to ask specific questions of our instructors, get clarification on challenging topics, and work through practice questions.

Bio
Kellie Scarbrough is a senior consultant with over 11 years experience in the field of operations research and cost estimation. She has a BS in Applied Mathematics, a BS in Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology, and an MS in Data Analytics from CWU. She has worked on high-profile DoD CBAs, developed program controls and processes to improve data collection and analysis at GSA, and is currently the lead cost estimator on a large FAA program.

Dale Shermon
Canadian Coast Guard Fleet Optimization Study
The Canadian Coastguard (CCG) is currently undertaking the largest re-capitalization of its vessel fleet in a generation as part of the Canadian National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS). This re-capitalization is underpinned by a Fleet Renewal Program which was largely a ‘one-for-one’ ship replacement strategy. To ensure that the CCG remained fit for purpose into the latter half of the century, it was imperative that due consideration is applied to the development of a new Fleet Renewal Program in 2017 (FRP2017).  This paper describes this analysis and process.
Download Canadian Coast Guard Fleet Optimization Study Presentation
Download Canadian Coast Guard Fleet Optimization Study Paper

Bio
Dale Shermon is a QinetiQ Fellow and Managing Consultant for Cost Engineering in QinetiQ Advisory Service (AS). Dale was co-author of the “Cost Engineering Health Check: How good are those numbers?”, A Gower book published in 2017 (ISBN: 978-1-4724-8407-9) and the author of the Gower publication “Systems Cost Engineering” (ISBN: 978-0-566-08861-2) which was published in July 2009. He was the first European to be awarded the ISPA Frank Freiman award in 2009 for “lifetime contributions to parametric estimating”. Dale was the first European to become an ISPA Certified Parametric Practitioner.

Jonathan Shriqui
Is This Schedule Credible?
A schedule is the life and breathe of any project. As such it should be constructed with rigor and discipline. But how does one differentiate a credible schedule from a poorly constructed one without being a SME? The US Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) has created a scheduling test to objectively determine a schedule’s integrity. In this presentation we will review the key concepts, pros & cons and limitation of this scheduling test. Please join me and come find out if your project schedules are transparent or is there more to them than meets the eye!
Download Is This Schedule Credible?

Bio
Jonathan Shriqui has over a decade of program management experience acquired from General Electric, Lockheed Martin and BMT Canada on large scale procurement programs. From 2016 to 2019, he has provided EVM, project controls and financial management insights to the Department of National Defense and Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat for acquisition projects under the National Shipbuilding Strategy such as the Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ship (AOPS) and the Canadian Surface Combatant (CSC), the largest and most complex procurement program in Canadian history.

Jack Snyder
Art of Excel & Creative Problem Solving
Live interactive workshop to explore some techniques for managing excel workbooks with data funnels,  cross checks for confidence, and real templates for structuring calculations and data.  Decompose problems into individual building blocks, exploit patterns, and leverage tools within excel to make life easier and reduce careless errors.  The goal is to share and discuss methods and techniques to spark ideas you can customize and use in your real world situations and simplify the sprawling spreadsheet.
Download Art of Excel & Creative Problem Solving
Download Art of Excel & Creative Problem Solving Excel File

The Point Estimate is Not The Point
The purpose of cost estimating and analysis is to inform planning decisions and secure sufficient / timely funding to facilitate program execution. Or is it? The authors will explore how tangible and intangible roles of cost estimators can better inform design, acquisition strategy, and planning decisions early. Traceable, repeatable, credible and flexible analytical models help to paint the quantitative picture, enabling decision makers to accurately plan a successful program.
Download The Point Estimate is Not the Point

Bio
Jack is an analyst within the USAF Research Laboratory (AFRL) supporting pre-acquisition R&D programs.  He has led estimates for hypersonics, munitions, and fuel reduction studies.  Before joining AFRL in 2016 he worked for the USAF Life Cycle Management Center as a MQ-9 Reaper program cost analyst.  He began civil service in 2011 and received an MBA while supporting the C-130 and F-22 program offices. Jack also has a BS in mechanical engineering.

Marina Sominsky
Reporting Tool P6 Visualizer
The reporting tool called P6 Visualizer℠ has been released by Oracle® over half a decade ago, however, does not seem to be used widely despite its’ decidedly customizable functionality. This paper provides a comprehensive overview on how to create user-designed layouts and reports using P6 Visualizer for different scenarios of an enhanced examination of project’s status information. It also shows examples of automating P6 Visualizer reports with output to a printer or file. (presentation not available for download)

Bio
Marina Sominsky has over 15 years of project controls and information technology experience in the government, airspace, defense, construction, semiconductor and transportation industries.  Ms. Sominsky is a member of AACE International – a non-profit association for cost engineers – and is currently serving as the Chair of the Education Board. Marina holds certifications for Project Management Professional (PMP) and Planning & Scheduling Professional (PSP). She has BS degree in Chemical Engineering and holds EIT registration

Charles-Antoine St-Jean, FCPA, FCA
Reliable Cost Data in Canadian Public Sector… The Journey is Not Over!
The speaker will share his views on the importance of solid cost data for accountability purposes, both within government and with Canadians. As Chair of the Public Sector Accounting Board which sets financial reporting standards for all levels of public sector in Canada, and as the inaugural Chair of the Ontario Government Internal Audit Committee, he will emphasize on the need to keep building on progress achieved in the last 10 years. To help our elected officials make optimum use of taxpayers’ money, full lifecycle cost must be estimated rationally up front, and clearly explained to ministers and elected officials. To help Canadians keep their elected officials accountable, cost professionals must ensure that cost information is grounded in solid analysis. Their analysis must also be translated in understandable language that can also “survive” the unfiltered social media frenzy. Mastering both the data complexity and the need for simplicity in communicating the information is essential for cost professionals’ community if it is to be a player in the public sector accountability dynamic. (presentation not available for download)

Bio
Charles-Antoine St-Jean is the Chair of the Public Sector Accounting Board of Canada (PSAB) and Chair of the Ontario Internal Audit Committee. Earlier on, he was the EY national managing partner for public sector practice and a former Comptroller General of Canada. In this later role, he developed and implemented the financial management internal audit policies which created the roles of Chief Financial Officers, Chief Audit Executives and independent departmental audit committees, a first in Canada. Of relevance to the International Cost Estimating & Analysis Association is the focus he put on developing better costing capacity and related policy instruments in the federal government. He served on numerous not-for profit organizations, including hospitals, university and foundation, in various board capacities, from chair to committee chair, to member. At various times, he was also a lecturer with universities of Ottawa and Laval. Charles-Antoine received the FCA designation from both the Ontario and Quebec CPA Institute/Order, and the CIPFA designation from the UK Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy.

Daphne Taras, PhD
People Count: Examining the True Costs of a Productive Workforce
Traditional financial management values labour costs as transactional.  Though companies have glorious mission statements about the value of people, accounting systems treat labour as a cost, that is, salaries plus benefits.  There is no room for estimating the effects of excellent selection, motivated employees, skill development, and loyalty, among other factors.  This session will examine the unintended consequences of the traditional cost valuation model. (presentation not available for download)

Bio
Dr. Daphne Taras is currently the dean of the Ted Rogers School of Management.  She previously served as dean of the Edwards School of Business at the University of Saskatchewan from 2010 to 2016. Professor Taras has been active at the intersection of labour relations, public policy and law, with a particular interest in bringing multiple disciplines together on important labour market and workplace issues. She was expert advisor to the federal commission on employment standards, a member of the Saskatchewan Minister of Labour’s advisory council and chaired the Educational Relations Board of Saskatchewan. Professor Taras received her undergraduate degree from York University, and earned a master’s from Duke University, both in political science. She also holds an MBA in new ventures and entrepreneurship, a PhD in labour relations from the University of Calgary, and has an LL.M in Labour and Employment Law from Osgoode Hall Law School.

Davinder Valeri
How to Bridge the Global Infrastructure Gap
Infrastructure is critical for economic and social development across the world. Transport infrastructure allows people to travel to work and transport goods to different markets. The power and utility systems provide us with the energy and services that we need to survive. We all rely on infrastructure systems to ensure that our basic human needs are met. Yet there is a gap in investments and funding. (presentation not available for download)

Bio
Davinder is a CPA, CA, with extensive business operations leadership experience from a variety of organizations, including OPG, AECL and as Director of Global Infrastructure Advisory with KPMG LLP. With a deep understanding of energy, infrastructure and financing, she has been responsible for all facets of decision making to achieve organization objectives.   At CPA Canada, Davinder leads a team that conducts technical research to develop guidance and thought leadership on emerging and current issues related to strategy, risk, technology, finance, climate change and sustainability.

Chad Young, MASc, PhD, PEng
Continuing Improvements to Cost and Cost Risk Aspects of Bid Valuation for Major Capital Projects at DND
Over the past several years DND has been developing enhanced approaches for proposal evaluation within their major capital projects. The new methodologies incorporate life-cycle cost forecasts and information about uncertainty and financial risk directly into procedures for evaluating proposals received from industry. This presentation will outline one such approach which allows a significant degree of variability in how industry responds to an RFP but also places greater onus on them to substantiate their cost and price estimates. Key elements of this new approach include: a standardized Cost Breakdown Structure (CBS), pre-defined worst-case cost estimates, a risk framework with an explicit characterisation of financial risks and cost uncertainties, an assessment of the Bidder’s cost estimation maturity, and financial desirability scoring functions. (presentation not available for download)

Bio
Dr Young obtained his PhD from the University of Waterloo in Mechanical Engineering where he studied experimental methods and fluid mechanics. He joined the Centre for Operational Research and Analysis within Canada's Defence Research and Development Organisation in 2004. Since then has supported several significant analytical and performance management initiatives for the Canadian Armed Forces and Canada's department of National Defence. He is currently the Director of Operational Research and Analysis for a team of scientists supporting Defence's Materiel Organisation.