SAMPLE INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

Please note that this list is not exhaustive and should be tailored for every review.  The following discussion topics are for guidance only.  The interview team should not be limited to these questions. 
  The CAM’s responses may lead to another area.  If the area is not sufficiently covered, be sure to return to that particular area.  The purpose of the discussion is to draw the CAM out and have them explain how they manage their work ensuring that all appropriate areas (authorizations, technical, schedule & budgets) are covered.  An acceptance review will require extensive questions in all areas whilst a review for cause will target specific areas of the system.  The Accounting and Indirect Management Process Areas are not covered, as these will generally be undertaken by DCAA.

Organization Process

Discuss the CAM’s responsibilities:

Would you please tell me about your area of responsibility on the program?

How long have you been in this position?

Is your time totally dedicated to this program, or do you also work on other programs?

Please show me how you fit into the organization and to whom you report?

To whom do you report and what are your responsibilities to this person?

How many people work for you and what do they do?  How do they report to you?  How do you know the performance status of their work?

For how many control accounts are you responsible?

What is the total dollar value of your control accounts?

Scheduling Process

Please explain your scheduling responsibilities?

Please explain how you schedule your work?

Did you develop your schedule?  If so, how did you establish the timeframes or durations for your effort?

Do you directly support any major milestones on the master or intermediate schedules?

How do you receive schedule information?  How do you provide schedule information?

Do you have detailed schedules below the work package?

How do detailed schedules below the work package support the work package schedules?

What process do you use to ensure that your schedules are aligned with the schedules of other CAMs and with the program schedule?

How are you informed by other organizations of changes in their activities that may affect your control accounts schedules?

How do you inform others of any changes in your scheduled activities?

Work/ Budget Authorization Process

What role did you have in formulating the proposal estimate/ budget for this effort?

How did you arrive at your proposal estimates?  Do you have the backup or worksheets from which you derived your estimate(s)?

Was there a negotiation process for your budgets after contract award?  Is your budget adequate?

Discuss any risks to achieving the work within budget.

How are you advised of budget?  Of tasks?  Of schedule?  Of changes?

How are you authorized to begin work?  (Ask to see the work authorization documentation.)

How do you know that the task description in the authorization is correct?

May we see your control account plan?

Are your budgets time phased?  How is this shown on your control account plan?

Do you have any planning packages?  Are these time phased?

When must planning packages be detailed planned?

How do you status your control accounts?  How does the performance status of your accounts get into the system?

What options does your system provide for taking earned value?

Where on your control account plans is it indicated how you are taking earned value?

How do you define a work package?  What is the difference between a work package and a planning package?

For how many work packages are you responsible?

What portion of your work is measurable or discrete effort?  What portion is Level of Effort (LOE)?

Do you have any control accounts which contain a mixture of LOE and discrete effort?  What is the highest percentage of LOE within a control account that also contains discrete effort?

Do you have any LOE control accounts?  Please describe the work associated with these control accounts?

How do you open a control account?  How do you close a control account?

What do your computer runs show when a control account is opened or closed?

How do you know when a work package is opened or closed?

Have you ever opened work packages earlier than the scheduled start date?  If so, how is this accomplished?

Demonstrate how earned value is taken in the same way that budgets are planned.

How do you determine earned value for work‑in‑process?

Do you use interim milestones on any of your work packages to measure performance?

Managerial Analysis Process

What reports do you receive that identifies control and schedule status of your control accounts?

Which reports do you use most frequently?  Why?

Are budgets, earned value, and actual controls reported in terms of labor, material, and other direct controls?

What are the variance thresholds of your control accounts?

Do you have any variance thresholds at the work package level?

How do you know when you have exceeded a threshold?

How do rate changes affect your control accounts?

Who is responsible for rate variance analysis?

How do you know when you must prepare a variance analysis report?

Do you have samples of any variance analysis reports?  (Determine that these show a statement of problem, the variance, its cause and impact, and proposed corrective action.)

Who receives your variance reports?  What action is taken on the reports?

Do you develop corrective action plans for variances?  Who approves these plans?

How do you follow through corrective action plans to ensure they are carried out?

Do you ever have mischarges to your control accounts?  How are these corrected?

Who reviews labor hours on time cards charged to your control accounts?

When/ how do you incorporate your variances into an EAC?

What does Estimate at Completion (EAC) mean to you?  How do you arrive at an EAC?

How often is your EAC revised?

Change Incorporation Process

Have you had any changes to your control accounts?  (Ask to see samples of how these are handled.)

What is the process for making changes to your budgets?  Can you rephase or replan work?  In what circumstances?

Have you had budget transfers between your control accounts and Management Reserve and Undistributed Budget? How? Are they traceable?

Material Management Process

Material-specific questions should be in addition to other process area questions but only asked of relevant managers

How are material budgets planned?

What earned value technique is used for material?   When is earned value taken for material?

How much BCWP is earned when material is received or withdrawn from inventory?

How do you track material prior to delivery?

How do you track material when deliveries are late?

How are EACs calculated for material?

Do you calculate price and usage variances?  Are these included in your EAC?

Subcontract Management Process

Subcontract-specific questions should be in addition to other process area questions but only asked of relevant managers

Are you responsible for any subcontracts?  How many subcontractors are you responsible for?  What is the dollar value of these subcontracts?

How was the budget determined and planned for the subcontracted effort?

How do you monitor performance on these? 

How do you take earned value for subcontracts?

How is subcontracted effort incorporated into your performance measurement system and reports?

Does the subcontracted effort support key milestones?  Is it integrated into the schedule?

Is there a variance analysis process for the subcontractors? 

How often are subcontractors required to update their EAC?