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Strategic Value Solutions makes many publications throughout the years. This page will be regularly updated and contain all the publications made by SVS.
"Spiral Dynamics" is a theory describing the development and interactions between individuals, cultures, organizations and cultures. Its origins parallel those of value methodology and the founders of both methodologies met regularly and exchanged ideas. One methodology addresses the process of innovation (VM) while the other examines how people and organization respond to the notion of innovation (SD). By exploring how people and their organizations respond to the challenges posed by the value methodology process, Spiral Dynamics offers insight into more successful team building and reducing the barriers to accepting recommendations.
Written by Robert Prager, PE, CVS
China's rapid growth and new emphasis on sustainability can produce either intractable design conflicts or exciting opportunities for creativity. In a recent project outside Tianjin, PRC, value methodology helped achieve the latter. The author is part of a team of wetland/stormwater designers invited to bring this technology to a fast track design of a city with housing, schools, commercial/industrial and entertainment facilities for 50,000 people. The entire complex had a three-year construction period and included stringent water quality standards. Over the course of the VM study, the essential elements of sustainable design were integrated throughout the project and a true team was created. Value methodology, particularly function analysis, was critical to the process. In this application VM was used as a design tool rather than for project review. The project was successfully constructed and the designers are incorporating the methods learned in other projects throughout Chnia.
Written by Munsell McPhillips, Ph.D.
We have all seen and many have enjoyed the fruites of successful Value Programs. We have also watched time and time again as these successful and robust Value Programs graudally spiral downward until they are no longer considered viable or beneficial. This paper addresses how actions can result in unintended consequences that contribute to the downfall of a successful Value Program. The paper will discuss many of the common compromises that are made relative to the scope of the value effort and the consequences that result from these decisions.
Further, the paper will provide value program coordinators and value consultants the knowledge, tools, and techniques to allow them to justify proper scoping of value studies to include such issues as required disciplines, number of team members, level of experience and expertise, and study duration.
Written by John Robinson, PE, CVS-Life
While we all acknowledge that the body of knowledge in water resources management is imperfect, a methodological weakness also underlies the relatively poor performance. This paper demonstrates a methodology based on function analysis that uses a six-phase process to improve the value of our efforts.
Despite the best of intentions, talent and energy, many water resource projects are reactive and therefore symptomatic. Developed in response to impending urban growth, a budget crisis or a disaster, the urgency and intensity of the issue de jour frequently engenders myopia and accommodation of short-term interests even with experienced professionals. Stormwater programs based on near-term cost benefit ratios often address symptoms and lack serious effort to identify and manage root causes of problems. Commonly efforts that could prevent future degradation by improving systemic stream health languish as lower priorities.
We propose a methodology in which the multidisciplinary team essential to all successful plans identifies the essential project functions and develops alternative ways to achieve those functions. The method includes a disciplined selection process to determine the best solutions for achieving the required functions. These function-based solutions are then combined into workable value alternatives. Here thorny policy, economic, social and technical issues are effectively expressed and integrated. This approach easily accommodates the complexity of water resource issues and provides methods to fully integrate the skills of scientists, engineers, economists, resource managers and public officials. The methodology has been proven worldwide for water resource projects and merits much broader application. The authors will illustrate the application of this methodology in both large and small projects.
Written by Robert Prager, PE, CVS and John Robinson, PE, CVS-Life
SVS conducted 13 Value Engineering/Management Workshops to helpt the US Army Corps of Engineers transform its Military Construction Delivery Process for needed execution. "The Value Engineering work culminated in award of a pilot project at 100 percent scope, within budget, during a difficult construction bid climate due to Hurricane Katrina, while using less funds per facility than allowed in previous years," according to the DoD information paper announcing the Louisville District awards.
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