2012-MGM20

Posted by

Social Media Applications

Management Track

MGM20_Presentation_SocialMediaApplications_Wear

Abstract:

This paper explores the impact of adopting social media tools in the work environment as a means to improve communication, collaboration, and productivity for cost and earned value analysts. Public and private entities have taken steps to adopt social media platforms to benefit their organization; this paper demonstrates how cost analysts can implement these tools to improve methods and processes.

The overall scope of the paper is to explore how cost and earned value organizations can benefit from adopting social media tools, as well as identify the challenges of social media in the workplace. This effort will explore current social media tools available to the Department of Defense (DoD) and Intelligence Community (IC), and possible ways to implement these tools into the workplace.

The following is a list of specific elements that will be explored:

– Demonstrate which social media platforms are accessible and how the DoD and IC is improving collaboration through social media on its networks
– Discuss changes to aspects of the organizational culture when opening to social media applications
– How to moderate open platforms, share data, and balance organizational independence
– How social media can improve cost estimating and EV methods and processes

Author(s):

Marc Wear
Integrity Applications Incorporated
Marc Wear is an Economist at Integrity Applications Incorporated, serving as the Section Manager for the Program Analysis team within the Program Analysis & Business Process Engineering Sector. He currently supports the National Reconnaissance Office Cost Analysis Improvement Group, focusing on Ground systems and software cost estimation methods. Mr. Wear is a graduate of the College of William and Mary, and received his Master’s degree in Applied Economics from the Johns Hopkins University.

Michelle Ehlinger
Booz Allen Hamilton
Michelle Ehlinger is a Senior Consultant at Booz Allen Hamilton. She supports the NRO CAIG, focusing on flight software and ground system cost estimates, and is the Lead for the Development of External Communication Products and Social Media implementation. Michelle graduated from Virginia Tech with a dual concentration in Mathematics and Statistics, and holds the SCEA PCEA credential, and will be awarded the CCEA credential upon attaining five years of experience.

David Pearson
Welkin Associates, Ltd.
David Pearson is an Earned Value Management Analyst from Welkin Associates, Ltd. Mr. Pearson, who has worked at the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) since 2006, and is deeply involved in many collaborative efforts in support of acquisition efforts there. He was the primary advocate and developer of a creative collaborative environment using social media platforms, such as: wikis, blogs, instant messaging, social bookmarking, and document sharing. While supporting the NRO CAIG, David was the designated “Champion” for the NRO CAIG on social media, and developed and conducted training for CAIG personnel on wikis, blogging, and document sharing. He also launched an internal blog to facilitate discussion within the CAIG, encouraging members to author posts and sort them for future reference. To assist in collaboration within, and outside of, the NRO, the entire NRO EVM knowledge base was moved to Intellipedia – a classified wiki – and Inteldocs – a document sharing service. Mr. Pearson has briefed EVM leadership from ODNI, CIA, NGA, NSA, and NRO on collaborative techniques using social media that could benefit the acquisition community.

Sara Wise
Integrity Applications Incorporated
Sara Wise is a Systems Engineer with Integrity Applications Incorporated and has been working as a cost analyst for over two years. Before starting as a cost analyst, she worked in business development and systems engineering. Her areas of interest include software estimates, specifically software cost estimating relationships, and data analysis. She graduated with a degree in Systems Engineering from the University of Virginia.