Management Insights5 min read
Start with the function, not the solution
Why describing what something must do, before deciding what it should be, leads to better alternatives and better value.
Read article: Start with the function, not the solution
PVology Research & Insights
Practical insight for better management decisions
Editorial articles on management, value and decision making. We publish evidence-aware thinking and never invent statistics or case studies.
Standards & Frameworks6 min read
Outputs, outcomes and benefits: why the difference matters
Delivering an output on time and on budget is not the same as creating value. A short guide to keeping outcomes in view.
Read article: Outputs, outcomes and benefits: why the difference mattersManagement Insights4 min read
Fewer, better metrics: designing dashboards that support decisions
A dashboard should help someone decide what to do next. A simple test for every metric you display.
Read article: Fewer, better metrics: designing dashboards that support decisionsStandards and sources we follow
Current standards, guidance and research for the fields PVology supports, summarised in our own words with the official source. Each entry shows when we last verified it.
Ai management
U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) · 2023-01-26 · verified 2026-10-06
Artificial Intelligence Risk Management Framework (AI RMF 1.0), NIST AI 100-1
PVology AI and Ask PVology (platform service)Governance & Assurance · Risk
A voluntary framework for managing risks to people, organisations and society from AI. Version 1.0 is still the current release; NIST has signalled a revision is in progress and continues to add profiles and an online playbook.
What it means in practice: Use the four functions to organise AI risk activities in PVology and record which suggested actions you have adopted for each AI use.
View the official source: Artificial Intelligence Risk Management Framework (AI RMF 1.0), NIST AI 100-1 ↗U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) · 2024-07-26 · verified 2026-10-06
Artificial Intelligence Risk Management Framework: Generative Artificial Intelligence Profile (NIST AI 600-1)
PVology AI and Ask PVology (platform service)Governance & Assurance · RiskGovernance & Assurance · Compliance
A cross-sector profile of the AI RMF for generative AI. It names risks that generative systems create or make worse and lists suggested actions mapped to the Govern, Map, Measure and Manage functions.
What it means in practice: Before rolling out a generative AI assistant, check its controls against the profile's risk areas and record residual risks and owners in PVology.
View the official source: Artificial Intelligence Risk Management Framework: Generative Artificial Intelligence Profile (NIST AI 600-1) ↗ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 42 · 2023-12 · verified 2026-10-06
ISO/IEC 42001:2023 Information technology — Artificial intelligence — Management system
PVology AI and Ask PVology (platform service)Governance & Assurance · ComplianceGovernance & Assurance · RiskGovernance & Assurance · ControlsGovernance & Assurance · Assurance
The first certifiable management system standard for AI. It sets requirements for policies, objectives, risk and impact assessment, and controls covering the responsible development, provision or use of AI systems.
What it means in practice: If you build or deploy AI, keep your AI policy, inventory, risk and impact assessments as controlled records in PVology so you are ready for an ISO/IEC 42001 audit.
View the official source: ISO/IEC 42001:2023 Information technology — Artificial intelligence — Management system ↗ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 42 · 2025-05 · verified 2026-10-06
ISO/IEC 42005:2025 Information technology — Artificial intelligence — AI system impact assessment
PVology AI and Ask PVology (platform service)Governance & Assurance · RiskAssess (platform service)
Guidance on assessing how an AI system may affect individuals and society across its life cycle. It explains when and how to perform impact assessments, what to document and how to connect them to AI risk management and an AI management system.
What it means in practice: Add an AI impact assessment step to project gates in PVology for any initiative that introduces or changes an AI system.
View the official source: ISO/IEC 42005:2025 Information technology — Artificial intelligence — AI system impact assessment ↗OWASP Foundation — GenAI Security Project · 2025-12-09 · verified 2026-10-06
OWASP Top 10 for Agentic Applications for 2026
PVology AI and Ask PVology (platform service)Governance & Assurance · RiskGovernance & Assurance · Compliance
A peer-reviewed list of the most critical security risks in autonomous and agentic AI systems that plan, call tools, keep memory and coordinate with other agents. It complements the LLM list by focusing on what goes wrong when AI is allowed to act.
What it means in practice: Before allowing an AI agent to take actions in business systems, define its permitted tools, approval points and logging, and review it against these categories.
View the official source: OWASP Top 10 for Agentic Applications for 2026 ↗OWASP Foundation — GenAI Security Project · 2024-11-18 · verified 2026-10-06
OWASP Top 10 for LLM Applications 2025
PVology AI and Ask PVology (platform service)Governance & Assurance · Risk
A community-built ranking of the most critical security risks in applications that use large language models. The 2025 list is the edition the official project page presents as current; it reflects the move to retrieval-augmented and tool-using applications.
What it means in practice: Use the ten categories as the minimum threat-model checklist for any AI feature, and require suppliers to state how they mitigate each one.
View the official source: OWASP Top 10 for LLM Applications 2025 ↗
Assessment
ISACA (CMMI Institute) · 2023-04-06 · verified 2026-10-06
CMMI Model V3.0
Assess (platform service)StrategyPulse · PerformanceOpsCatalyst
The current Capability Maturity Model Integration, used to appraise and improve organisational capability. Version 3.0 shifts emphasis from process compliance to outcome-based performance improvement and extends coverage to data, people and virtual work.
What it means in practice: Use maturity levels as a structured target in PVology assessments, but anchor improvement plans to measurable business outcomes as the model now expects.
View the official source: CMMI Model V3.0 ↗International Organization for Standardization (ISO), ISO/TC 176 · 2018-04 · verified 2026-10-06
ISO 9004:2018 Quality management — Quality of an organization — Guidance to achieve sustained success
Assess (platform service)StrategyPulse · PerformanceOpsCatalyst
Guidance on achieving sustained organisational success that goes beyond ISO 9001 compliance. It includes a self-assessment tool that rates maturity across the organisation's identity, leadership, processes, resources, analysis and improvement.
What it means in practice: Run the ISO 9004 self-assessment as a periodic organisational health check in PVology and convert the lowest-scoring elements into improvement actions.
View the official source: ISO 9004:2018 Quality management — Quality of an organization — Guidance to achieve sustained success ↗
Capital projects
International Federation of Consulting Engineers (FIDIC) · 2022-11 · verified 2026-10-06
FIDIC Conditions of Contract for Construction, 2nd Edition (2017 Red Book, reprinted 2022 with amendments)
ProjectOrbitGovernance & Assurance · ComplianceGovernance & Assurance · Risk
The most widely used international contract form for employer-designed construction works. The 2022 reprint consolidates earlier errata and clarifies the 2017 text, and is the definitive issue of the second edition, alongside matching reprints of the Yellow and Silver Books.
What it means in practice: Track contractual notices, claim deadlines and programme submissions as dated obligations in PVology so time bars are never missed.
View the official source: FIDIC Conditions of Contract for Construction, 2nd Edition (2017 Red Book, reprinted 2022 with amendments) ↗UK Cabinet Office · 2022-09 · verified 2026-10-06
The Construction Playbook (Version 1.1)
ProjectOrbitValueLensGovernance & Assurance · Risk
UK government policy on how public works projects and programmes are assessed, procured and delivered. Version 1.1 keeps the fourteen key policies of the 2020 original and adds detailed guidance notes, including recommendations from the independent review of construction frameworks.
What it means in practice: On capital programmes, record whole-life cost, outcome specifications and risk allocation decisions in PVology so procurement choices can be justified on value, not price alone.
View the official source: The Construction Playbook (Version 1.1) ↗
Compliance
International Organization for Standardization (ISO), ISO/TC 309 · 2021-04-13 · verified 2026-10-06
ISO 37301:2021 Compliance management systems — Requirements with guidance for use (incl. Amd 1:2024)
Governance & Assurance · ComplianceGovernance & Assurance · RiskGovernance & Assurance · ControlsGovernance & Assurance · AssuranceGovernance & Assurance · FindingsGovernance & Assurance · RemediationOpsCatalyst
A certifiable management system standard for establishing, running and improving a compliance management system. Amendment 1 (February 2024) added the climate action changes common to all ISO management system standards.
What it means in practice: Structure your compliance obligations register, risk assessment and monitoring in PVology to the ISO 37301 clauses so certification evidence is collected as work happens.
View the official source: ISO 37301:2021 Compliance management systems — Requirements with guidance for use (incl. Amd 1:2024) ↗European Parliament and Council of the European Union · 2024-07-12 · verified 2026-10-06
Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 (Artificial Intelligence Act), as amended by Regulation (EU) 2026/1744 (Digital Omnibus on AI)
Governance & Assurance · CompliancePVology AI and Ask PVology (platform service)Governance & Assurance · Risk
The EU's risk-based law for AI systems placed on or used in the EU market. The Digital Omnibus amendment, in force since 27 July 2026, postponed the high-risk obligations and added new prohibitions, while earlier prohibitions and general-purpose AI obligations continue to apply.
What it means in practice: Keep an inventory of AI uses in PVology with a risk class for each, and plan high-risk conformity work against the new dates rather than pausing preparation.
View the official source: Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 (Artificial Intelligence Act), as amended by Regulation (EU) 2026/1744 (Digital Omnibus on AI) ↗U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) · 2024-02-26 · verified 2026-10-06
The NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) 2.0 (NIST CSWP 29)
Governance & Assurance · ComplianceGovernance & Assurance · RiskAssess (platform service)Governance & Assurance · ControlsGovernance & Assurance · Assessments
A voluntary, sector-neutral taxonomy of cybersecurity outcomes for organisations of any size. Version 2.0 adds Govern as a sixth function, making cybersecurity an enterprise risk and leadership responsibility, and widens attention to supply chains.
What it means in practice: Use CSF 2.0 current and target profiles as a ready-made assessment in PVology and feed the gaps into the risk register and improvement projects.
View the official source: The NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) 2.0 (NIST CSWP 29) ↗
Governance
The Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) · 2024-01-09 · verified 2026-10-06
Global Internal Audit Standards (2024)
Governance & Assurance · ComplianceGovernance & Assurance · RiskAssess (platform service)Governance & Assurance · AssuranceGovernance & Assurance · EvidenceGovernance & Assurance · FindingsGovernance & Assurance · RemediationOpsCatalyst
The IIA's standards for the professional practice of internal auditing, effective from 9 January 2025. They are organised into five domains with fifteen principles and set out the governance conditions an internal audit function needs to be effective.
What it means in practice: Keep audit findings, management actions and closure evidence in PVology so internal audit can verify remediation and report to the board.
View the official source: Global Internal Audit Standards (2024) ↗UK Government Project Delivery Function (Cabinet Office) · 2025-09-29 · verified 2026-10-06
Government Functional Standard GovS 002: Project Delivery (Version 2.1)
ProjectOrbitStrategyPulse · StrategyGovernance & Assurance · ComplianceGovernance & Assurance · AssuranceStrategyPulse · Initiatives
The UK government's mandatory standard for directing and managing portfolios, programmes and projects. Version 2.1 strengthens governance roles, adds expectations for transition and disposal of solutions, and moves role descriptions into The Teal Book.
What it means in practice: Public-sector customers should mirror the mandatory governance roles in PVology and keep evidence of their decisions; others can use it as a practical governance template.
View the official source: Government Functional Standard GovS 002: Project Delivery (Version 2.1) ↗International Organization for Standardization (ISO), ISO/TC 309 · 2021-09 · verified 2026-10-06
ISO 37000:2021 Governance of organizations — Guidance
StrategyPulse · StrategyGovernance & Assurance · ComplianceGovernance & Assurance · RiskStrategyPulse · StrategiesStrategyPulse · Reviews
The first international benchmark for good governance of any organisation. It gives governing bodies principles and key practices for directing and overseeing the organisation so it fulfils its purpose ethically, effectively and responsibly.
What it means in practice: Use ISO 37000 to define what your board or steering committee should see in PVology: purpose-linked objectives, key risks, compliance status and performance.
View the official source: ISO 37000:2021 Governance of organizations — Guidance ↗
Performance
Harvard Business Review · 1996 · verified 2026-10-06
Using the Balanced Scorecard as a Strategic Management System
StrategyPulse · PerformanceStrategyPulse · StrategyStrategyPulse · ThemesStrategyPulse · ReviewsStrategyPulse · Strategies
The foundational article that moved the balanced scorecard from a measurement tool to a management system. It explains how organisations translate strategy into objectives and measures across four perspectives and use them to communicate, plan, allocate resources and learn. Republished by HBR in 2007 as a classic.
What it means in practice: Link every KPI in PVology to a strategic objective and perspective, and use review meetings to question the strategy when measures move unexpectedly.
View the official source: Using the Balanced Scorecard as a Strategic Management System ↗
Portfolio management
International Organization for Standardization (ISO), ISO/TC 258 · 2022-02 · verified 2026-10-06
ISO 21504:2022 Project, programme and portfolio management — Guidance on portfolio management
StrategyPulse · StrategyProjectOrbitStrategyPulse · Initiatives
International guidance on the principles of managing portfolios of projects and programmes. It addresses how organisations select, prioritise, balance and review their change initiatives, and excludes financial portfolio management.
What it means in practice: Define documented selection criteria and a review cycle for your portfolio before loading initiatives into PVology, so prioritisation decisions are traceable.
View the official source: ISO 21504:2022 Project, programme and portfolio management — Guidance on portfolio management ↗Project Management Institute (PMI) · 2017 · verified 2026-10-06
The Standard for Portfolio Management – Fourth Edition
StrategyPulse · StrategyProjectOrbitValueLensStrategyPulse · Initiatives
PMI's current published portfolio standard describes principles and practices for selecting, prioritising and balancing projects and programs so that investment follows strategy. A Fifth Edition is in development: its public draft comment period ran in May 2026 and it has not yet been released.
What it means in practice: Score and prioritise initiatives in PVology against explicit strategic objectives and capacity limits, and revisit the portfolio on a fixed cadence rather than only at annual budgeting.
View the official source: The Standard for Portfolio Management – Fourth Edition ↗
Program management
International Organization for Standardization (ISO), ISO/TC 258 · 2022-02 · verified 2026-10-06
ISO 21503:2022 Project, programme and portfolio management — Guidance on programme management
ProjectOrbitStrategyPulse · StrategyStrategyPulse · Outcomes
International guidance on programme management for any type and size of organisation. It describes terms, prerequisites, practices, roles and responsibilities that form good programme management, without prescribing processes or tools.
What it means in practice: Use ISO 21503 to define programme roles (sponsor, programme manager, benefit owners) consistently across business units before configuring programme views in PVology.
View the official source: ISO 21503:2022 Project, programme and portfolio management — Guidance on programme management ↗Scaled Agile, Inc. · 2023-03 · verified 2026-10-06
SAFe 6.0 (Scaled Agile Framework)
ProjectOrbitStrategyPulse · StrategyStrategyPulse · Performance
SAFe 6.0 is still the current published version of the Scaled Agile Framework. It describes how many agile teams coordinate through Agile Release Trains and how portfolios connect strategy to funded value streams.
What it means in practice: If you run SAFe, map value streams and Agile Release Trains to PVology programs and use flow and outcome measures in performance dashboards instead of only schedule variance.
View the official source: SAFe 6.0 (Scaled Agile Framework) ↗Project Management Institute (PMI) · 2024-03 · verified 2026-10-06
The Standard for Program Management – Fifth Edition
ProjectOrbitStrategyPulse · StrategyValueLensStrategyPulse · OutcomesStrategyPulse · Initiatives
An ANSI-approved, principle-led standard for managing programs as coordinated groups of related work that deliver benefits no single project could. It reorganises earlier content into performance domains and adds collaboration as a new domain.
What it means in practice: Group related PVology projects under a program only when they share benefits, and track those benefits explicitly rather than summing project outputs.
View the official source: The Standard for Program Management – Fifth Edition ↗
Project controls
SAE International · 2026-02 · verified 2026-10-06
EIA-748-E Earned Value Management Systems
ProjectOrbitStrategyPulse · Performance
The industry standard that defines what a compliant earned value management system must do. Revision E streamlines the guidelines and reorganises them to follow the project life cycle more closely while keeping the integration of scope, schedule and cost at its core.
What it means in practice: If you report earned value to government or prime contractors, review your control account structure and baseline change process against Revision E and update your EVMS system description.
View the official source: EIA-748-E Earned Value Management Systems ↗U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) · 2020-03-12 · verified 2026-10-06
GAO Cost Estimating and Assessment Guide: Best Practices for Developing and Managing Program Costs (GAO-20-195G)
ProjectOrbitValueLensGovernance & Assurance · Risk
GAO's reference for building reliable cost estimates and managing program cost with earned value. It sets out a step-by-step estimating process and the characteristics auditors look for in a credible estimate.
What it means in practice: Record the basis of estimate, assumptions and a risk-adjusted range for major projects in PVology so cost baselines can withstand audit or board challenge.
View the official source: GAO Cost Estimating and Assessment Guide: Best Practices for Developing and Managing Program Costs (GAO-20-195G) ↗
Project management
Project Management Institute (PMI) · 2025-11 · verified 2026-10-06
A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide) – Eighth Edition
ProjectOrbitValueLensGovernance & Assurance · Risk
The eighth edition brings structure back to the PMBOK Guide after the purely principle-based seventh edition. It pairs a smaller set of principles and performance domains with a catalogue of non-prescriptive processes grouped into focus areas, and gives more attention to value delivery, sustainability and the use of AI in project work.
What it means in practice: Map your project templates, stage gates and reporting to the seven performance domains so that PVology project records, risk registers and value reviews use the same vocabulary your project professionals are now trained in.
View the official source: A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide) – Eighth Edition ↗International Organization for Standardization (ISO), ISO/TC 258 · 2020-12 · verified 2026-10-06
ISO 21502:2020 Project, programme and portfolio management — Guidance on project management
ProjectOrbit
The international reference for good practice in managing a single project. It describes the organisational context, governance, roles and integrated practices that apply whatever the delivery approach, from predictive to agile or hybrid.
What it means in practice: Use ISO 21502 as the neutral benchmark when an organisation works with several methods or with partners trained in different bodies of knowledge; it gives a common baseline for project assessments in PVology.
View the official source: ISO 21502:2020 Project, programme and portfolio management — Guidance on project management ↗Project Management Institute (PMI) · 2026-05-12 · verified 2026-10-06
Pulse of the Profession 2026: Driving Success in Complex Projects — From Navigating Tasks to Navigating Systems
ProjectOrbitGovernance & Assurance · RiskStrategyPulse · Performance
The sixteenth edition of PMI's annual global survey focuses on project complexity. It reports that complexity is now the normal operating condition for most project professionals and examines where complexity originates and which behaviours separate high performers.
What it means in practice: Flag complexity explicitly on each project (interdependencies, stakeholder diversity, novelty) and give complex projects more frequent risk and stakeholder reviews rather than heavier documentation.
View the official source: Pulse of the Profession 2026: Driving Success in Complex Projects — From Navigating Tasks to Navigating Systems ↗Ken Schwaber and Jeff Sutherland (scrumguides.org) · 2020-11 · verified 2026-10-06
The Scrum Guide (November 2020)
ProjectOrbit
The definitive, short description of Scrum written by its creators. The 2020 version remains the current official guide; it simplified the language, introduced a single Scrum Team with clear accountabilities and added the Product Goal as a commitment for the Product Backlog.
What it means in practice: When recording agile delivery in PVology, track progress against the Product Goal and Sprint Goals rather than only task completion, and keep a clear Definition of Done as the quality gate.
View the official source: The Scrum Guide (November 2020) ↗
Risk
Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO) · 2017-06 · verified 2026-10-06
Enterprise Risk Management — Integrating with Strategy and Performance (2017)
Governance & Assurance · RiskStrategyPulse · StrategyStrategyPulse · PerformanceStrategyPulse · StrategiesStrategyPulse · AssumptionsStrategyPulse · Reviews
COSO's enterprise risk management framework positions risk as part of strategy setting and performance management rather than a separate control activity. It is organised into five components supported by twenty principles.
What it means in practice: State a risk appetite for each strategic objective in PVology and show risk alongside performance results so leaders see both in one view.
View the official source: Enterprise Risk Management — Integrating with Strategy and Performance (2017) ↗International Organization for Standardization (ISO), ISO/TC 262 · 2018-02 · verified 2026-10-06
ISO 31000:2018 Risk management — Guidelines
Governance & Assurance · RiskStrategyPulse · StrategyGovernance & Assurance · ComplianceStrategyPulse · Assumptions
The international guidelines for managing risk in any organisation, built on principles, a framework and a process. The 2018 edition remains current; a third edition is under development at ISO (committee draft stage in 2026) and will replace it when published.
What it means in practice: Tie every risk in PVology to an objective it affects and review the register on a fixed cycle; watch for the new edition and revisit your risk criteria when it is published.
View the official source: ISO 31000:2018 Risk management — Guidelines ↗Project Management Institute (PMI) · 2024-09 · verified 2026-10-06
Risk Management in Portfolios, Programs, and Projects: A Practice Guide (First Edition)
Governance & Assurance · RiskProjectOrbit
PMI's current risk publication, replacing its 2019 risk standard with a practice guide. It explains risk principles, the risk management life cycle and how to apply them at portfolio, program and project level within enterprise risk management, using a worked case study.
What it means in practice: Escalate project risks that exceed thresholds to program and portfolio registers in PVology so aggregate exposure is visible to the right decision maker.
View the official source: Risk Management in Portfolios, Programs, and Projects: A Practice Guide (First Edition) ↗
Scheduling
U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) · 2015-12-22 · verified 2026-10-06
GAO Schedule Assessment Guide: Best Practices for Project Schedules (GAO-16-89G)
ProjectOrbitAssess (platform service)
GAO's companion to its cost guide, setting out ten best practices for building and maintaining a reliable integrated master schedule. It remains GAO's current scheduling reference and is widely used outside government as a schedule-quality checklist.
What it means in practice: Use the ten practices as an assessment checklist for key project schedules before baselining, and repeat the check at major reviews.
View the official source: GAO Schedule Assessment Guide: Best Practices for Project Schedules (GAO-16-89G) ↗Society of Construction Law (SCL), UK · 2017-02 · verified 2026-10-06
Society of Construction Law Delay and Disruption Protocol – 2nd Edition
ProjectOrbitGovernance & Assurance · RiskGovernance & Assurance · Compliance
Practical guidance on managing time-related entitlements on construction contracts, including extensions of time, concurrent delay, float and disruption. It has no legal force unless adopted in a contract but is widely used as a benchmark by practitioners and tribunals.
What it means in practice: Keep an agreed baseline and regular schedule updates with recorded delay events in PVology so extension-of-time requests can be assessed promptly and with evidence.
View the official source: Society of Construction Law Delay and Disruption Protocol – 2nd Edition ↗
Strategy
HM Treasury, United Kingdom · 2026-02-05 · verified 2026-10-06
The Green Book (2026): Central Government Guidance on Appraisal
StrategyPulse · StrategyValueLensProjectOrbitStrategyPulse · InitiativesStrategyPulse · OutcomesStrategyPulse · Scenarios
The UK government's guidance on appraising options before funding decisions. The 2026 edition, following the 2025 review, is much shorter, focuses on appraisal rather than evaluation and reframes value for money as a broader judgement rather than a single ratio.
What it means in practice: When building business cases in PVology, show strategic fit, options and non-monetised benefits alongside the financial case instead of relying on a single ratio.
View the official source: The Green Book (2026): Central Government Guidance on Appraisal ↗
Value
ASTM International, Committee E06 · 2026-02 · verified 2026-10-06
ASTM E1699-26 Standard Practice for Performing Value Engineering (VE)/Value Analysis (VA) of Projects, Products and Processes
ValueLensProjectOrbit
ASTM's practice for running value engineering or value analysis with a multidisciplinary team. It converts stakeholder needs into functions, links functions to cost and resources, and applies the analysis at different points in a project's life.
What it means in practice: Schedule value reviews at more than one gate in PVology and compare alternatives against functions and performance, not just against the baseline design.
View the official source: ASTM E1699-26 Standard Practice for Performing Value Engineering (VE)/Value Analysis (VA) of Projects, Products and Processes ↗ASTM International, Committee E06 · 2023 · verified 2026-10-06
ASTM E917-17(2023) Standard Practice for Measuring Life-Cycle Costs of Buildings and Building Systems
ValueLensProjectOrbit
ASTM practice for calculating and comparing the life-cycle cost of building designs or systems that meet the same functional requirements.
What it means in practice: Only compare life-cycle costs of alternatives that deliver the same functions; otherwise record the performance difference alongside the cost.
View the official source: ASTM E917-17(2023) Standard Practice for Measuring Life-Cycle Costs of Buildings and Building Systems ↗European Committee for Standardization (CEN), CEN/TC 279 · 2020 · verified 2026-10-06
EN 12973:2020 Value Management
ValueLensStrategyPulse · Strategy
The European standard for value management as a management style, not only a study technique. It guides leaders on deploying value management across an organisation, applying its methods and making value-based decisions.
What it means in practice: Use the standard to frame value as a recurring management discipline, with value reviews built into PVology governance gates rather than one-off workshops.
View the official source: EN 12973:2020 Value Management ↗European Committee for Standardization (CEN), CEN/TC 279 · 2014 · verified 2026-10-06
EN 1325:2014 Value Management — Vocabulary — Terms and definitions
ValueLens
The European vocabulary for value management, value analysis and function analysis, giving a single set of terms for practitioners and organisations.
What it means in practice: Check PVology glossary terms against this vocabulary when serving European organisations.
View the official source: EN 1325:2014 Value Management — Vocabulary — Terms and definitions ↗European Committee for Standardization (CEN), CEN/TC 279 · 2012 · verified 2026-10-06
EN 16271:2012 Value management — Functional expression of the need and functional performance specification
ValueLensProjectOrbit
Sets requirements for expressing a need in terms of functions and constraints, and for turning that expression into a functional performance specification used in purchasing or procurement.
What it means in practice: Write requirements for procurement in PVology as functions with performance levels, which leaves room for suppliers to propose better-value solutions.
View the official source: EN 16271:2012 Value management — Functional expression of the need and functional performance specification ↗European Committee for Standardization (CEN), CEN/TC 279 · 2024-06 · verified 2026-10-06
EN 17952:2024 Value Management — Function Analysis — Basic characteristics, requirements and guidance for implementation
ValueLensProjectOrbit
European standard setting out requirements and guidance for function analysis and its deliverables. It distinguishes analysis of the need (functional need analysis) from analysis of a technical solution (technical function analysis).
What it means in practice: When working with European clients, label function work in PVology as need-focused or solution-focused so outputs map to the standard's two areas.
View the official source: EN 17952:2024 Value Management — Function Analysis — Basic characteristics, requirements and guidance for implementation ↗US Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) · 2025-02 · verified 2026-10-06
FHWA Value Engineering Program (23 CFR Part 627)
ValueLensProjectOrbit
The US federal-aid highway VE program. Regulation requires state transportation agencies to run VE programs and to analyse qualifying large highway and bridge projects; FHWA publishes policy, guidance, training and annual results.
What it means in practice: Transport and infrastructure owners can model their VE program in PVology with thresholds, required study timing and implementation tracking.
View the official source: FHWA Value Engineering Program (23 CFR Part 627) ↗SAVE International and the Lawrence D. Miles Value Foundation · 2016 · verified 2026-10-06
Function Analysis Guide: A Supplement to the SAVE Body of Knowledge
ValueLens
A companion to SAVE's body of knowledge dedicated to function analysis. It explains how to identify, word and classify functions, how to relate function to cost, and how to build and check FAST diagrams.
What it means in practice: Use the PVology function worksheet and FAST builder with the same vocabulary, so studies can be reviewed by practitioners trained on SAVE material.
View the official source: Function Analysis Guide: A Supplement to the SAVE Body of Knowledge ↗International Organization for Standardization (ISO), ISO/TC 59/SC 14 · 2017-07 · verified 2026-10-06
ISO 15686-5:2017 Buildings and constructed assets — Service life planning — Part 5: Life-cycle costing
ValueLensProjectOrbit
The international standard for life-cycle cost analysis of buildings and constructed assets. It covers costs, and optionally income and externalities, from acquisition through operation to disposal over an agreed period, at portfolio, project or component level.
What it means in practice: Record the analysis period, discount rate and cost scope for every value alternative so life-cycle comparisons in PVology are consistent and auditable.
View the official source: ISO 15686-5:2017 Buildings and constructed assets — Service life planning — Part 5: Life-cycle costing ↗National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) · 2025-08 · verified 2026-10-06
NIST Handbook 135, Life Cycle Costing Manual for the Federal Energy Management Program (2025 Edition)
ValueLensProjectOrbit
A free US government manual explaining life-cycle cost methods and criteria for evaluating energy, water and renewable investments in federal facilities. It is a practical reference for discounting, study periods and supplementary measures.
What it means in practice: Use it as a free, well-documented method reference when setting up life-cycle cost templates for value alternatives.
View the official source: NIST Handbook 135, Life Cycle Costing Manual for the Federal Energy Management Program (2025 Edition) ↗US Office of Management and Budget (OMB) · 2013-12-26 · verified 2026-10-06
OMB Circular No. A-131 (Revised), Value Engineering (December 2013)
ValueLensProjectOrbit
US federal policy requiring agencies to maintain value engineering policies and to consider VE in programs, projects and contracts, with an accountable official and annual reporting.
What it means in practice: Public-sector customers can use PVology study records and realised-value tracking as evidence for VE policy and reporting duties.
View the official source: OMB Circular No. A-131 (Revised), Value Engineering (December 2013) ↗SAVE International · 2020-07-01 · verified 2026-10-06
VM Guide: A Guide to the Value Methodology Body of Knowledge (2020)
ValueLens
SAVE International's body of knowledge for value methodology, the basis for its standards of practice and certification. It covers the VM Job Plan, function analysis and supporting techniques, facilitation and how to set up and run a value programme.
What it means in practice: Run value studies in PVology through the Job Plan phases and record functions, ideas and decisions so savings and performance improvements are traceable.
View the official source: VM Guide: A Guide to the Value Methodology Body of Knowledge (2020) ↗