National foreword

This British Standard is the UK implementation of ISO 21508:2026. It supersedes BS ISO 21508:2018, which is withdrawn.

The UK participation in its preparation was entrusted to Technical Committee MS/2, Project, programme and portfolio management.

A list of organizations represented on this committee can be obtained on request to its committee manager.

Contractual and legal considerations

This publication has been prepared in good faith, however no representation, warranty, assurance or undertaking (express or implied) is or will be made, and no responsibility or liability is or will be accepted by BSI in relation to the adequacy, accuracy, completeness or reasonableness of this publication. All and any such responsibility and liability is expressly disclaimed to the full extent permitted by the law.

This publication is provided as is, and is to be used at the recipient’s own risk.

The recipient is advised to consider seeking professional guidance with respect to its use of this publication.

This publication is not intended to constitute a contract. Users are responsible for its correct application.

Compliance with a British Standard cannot confer immunity from legal obligations.

This British Standard was published under the authority of the Standards Policy and Strategy Committee on 28 February 2026.

Foreword

ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out through ISO technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical committee has been established has the right to be represented on that committee. International organizations, governmental and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work. ISO collaborates closely with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of electrotechnical standardization.

The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are described in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular, the different approval criteria needed for the different types of ISO document should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the editorial rules of the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www.iso.org/directives).

ISO draws attention to the possibility that the implementation of this document may involve the use of (a) patent(s). ISO takes no position concerning the evidence, validity or applicability of any claimed patent rights in respect thereof. As of the date of publication of this document, ISO had not received notice of (a) patent(s) which may be required to implement this document. However, implementers are cautioned that this may not represent the latest information, which may be obtained from the patent database available at www.iso.org/patents. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.

Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not constitute an endorsement.

For an explanation of the voluntary nature of standards, the meaning of ISO specific terms and expressions related to conformity assessment, as well as information about ISO’s adherence to the World Trade Organization (WTO) principles in the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), see www.iso.org/iso/foreword.html.

This document was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 258, Project, programme and portfolio management.

This second edition cancels and replaces the first edition (ISO 21508:2018), which has been technically revised.

The main changes are as follows:

risk management has been integrated into the earned value management process steps;
earned value management integration clauses have been added.

Any feedback or questions on this document should be directed to the user’s national standards body. A complete listing of these bodies can be found at www.iso.org/members.html.

Introduction

The purpose of this document is to provide guidance to those individuals involved in earned value management. It describes practices to provide benefits for project, programme or portfolio planning and control.

Earned value management is used within projects, programmes and portfolios.

This document provides guidance on concepts, responsibilities, integration and processes for the implementation of earned value management.

It provides information on performance metrics gathered or contained in an earned value management system.

It complements ISO 21500, ISO 21502, ISO 21503, ISO 21504, ISO 21505, ISO 21511 and ISO 21512.

The target audience of this document includes the following:

executive managers and those individuals involved in sponsoring projects or programmes;
decision-makers responsible for selecting, authorizing and governing projects, programmes and portfolios;
individuals managing projects, programmes or earned value management systems;
individuals involved in the management of performance of project, programme or portfolio management offices or project or programme control staff;
developers of national or organizational standards.

The application of this document can be tailored to meet the needs of any organization or individual project, programme or portfolio, so they can better apply the concepts and practice of earned value management.

1 Scope

This document gives guidance on practices of earned value management in project, programme and portfolio management. It is applicable to any type of organization, including public or private, and any size or sector, as well as any type of project, or programme or portfolio in terms of complexity, size or duration.

This document provides the following:

descriptions of the purpose and benefits of earned value management;
integration and relationship with project, programme and portfolio management;
overview of the processes and process descriptions;
basic needs for an earned value management system;
use of an earned value management system.

This document does not provide guidance on the use of specific processes, methods or tools in the practice of earned value management.

Annex A describes an integrated baseline review. It is contained in an annex since it is used by government organizations and their contractors but is not used by most organizations, most of the time.

2 Normative references

3 Terms, definitions and abbreviated terms

3.1 Terms and definitions

3.2 Abbreviated terms

4 Overview of earned value management

4.1 Context of earned value management

4.2 Earned value management

4.3 Purpose and benefits of earned value management

4.4 Guidance for an earned value management system

4.5 Earned value management planning

4.6 Using earned value measurements and performance metrics

5 Earned value management process steps

5.1 General

5.2 Step 1: Decompose the project or programme scope

5.3 Step 2: Assign responsibility

5.4 Step 3: Schedule the work

5.5 Step 4: Develop time-phased budget

5.6 Step 5: Assign objective measures of performance

5.7 Step 6: Set the performance measurement baseline and management reserve

5.8 Step 7: Authorize and perform the work

5.9 Step 8: Accumulate and report performance data

5.10 Step 9: Analyse performance data

5.11 Step 10: Take management action

5.12 Step 11: Maintain the performance measurement baseline and management reserve

6 Earned value management system review

6.1 General

6.2 Integrated baseline review

6.3 Demonstration review

6.4 Surveillance review

7 Cost and schedule performance measurement analysis using earned value management data

7.1 General

7.2 Performance measurement indicators and predictors

7.3 Cost performance measurements

7.4 Schedule performance measurements

7.5 Additional benefits of performance measurement analysis

8 Schedule analysis using earned value management data

8.1 Earned schedule

8.2 Purpose and benefits of earned schedule

8.3 Earned schedule prerequisites

8.4 Using earned schedule performance measurements

9 Integrating other project, programme or portfolio management processes with earned value management

9.1 Overview

9.2 Integrating across the project, programme and portfolio life cycle

9.3 Integrating risk management

9.4 Integrating earned schedule with the critical path

9.5 Integrating critical chain scheduling

9.6 Integrating agile

9.7 Integrating project, programme or portfolio management office

9.8 Integrating resource management

9.9 Integrating systems and engineering planning

9.10 Integrating technical performance measurement

9.11 Integrating continuous improvement

9.12 Integrating governance

9.13 Integrating benefits management

Bibliography

BS ISO 21508:2026

Project, programme and portfolio management. Earned value management

Current

Published:

28 Feb 2026