The Keystone Method
From program data to decision-ready intelligence.
Program performance intelligence connects what happened, why it happened, what is likely to happen next and where management attention belongs.
- 01
Define
Identify the decision, program boundary, work breakdown, reporting date and intended audience.
- 02
Reconcile
Align actual cost, earned progress, schedule status and remaining-work assumptions to the same period and baseline.
- 03
Explain
Trace cost and schedule movements to labor, rates, productivity, sequencing and scope. Separate facts from assumptions.
- 04
Forecast
Build the remaining-work estimate, evaluate risks and alternatives, and connect the forecast to the delivery plan.
- 05
Act
Present management implications, an accountable owner and the next review point. Preserve a traceable decision record.
Illustrative Program Review
Performance signals need an explanation.
The synthetic review combines actual cost, earned value and the forecast to complete. A cost efficiency index is a diagnostic, not a substitute for reviewing the remaining scope, schedule and estimate assumptions.
The accompanying review package identifies the source, cutoff date, baseline version and owner of each material assumption. It connects the variance to a decision and a follow-up action.
Inspect the Figures & Assumptions
KEYSTONEREPORTING GROUPIllustrative Example · Synthetic Data- Forecast at Completion
- $13.13M $12.00M budget
- Cost Efficiency · CPI
- 0.90 EV ÷ actual cost
- Schedule Index · SPI
- 0.96 EV ÷ planned value
Cost is outpacing earned progress. Review the remaining labor mix and the assumptions supporting the $7.80M estimate to complete.
Control the Process, Not Just the Output
- Source-to-report reconciliations and visible validation exceptions.
- Documented KPI definitions and consistent baseline treatment.
- Versioned assumptions, review ownership and approval checkpoints.
- Repeatable refresh instructions and reporting SOPs.