The IMS constitutes a program schedule of the entire required scope of effort, including the effort necessary from all government, contractor, and other key parties for a program’s successful execution from start to finish (the period of performance). In the DoD environment, the IMP normally is a bilateral agreement between the government and a contractor on what defines the "event-driven" program. If used in a civil agency environment, the term "IMP" must be a mutually agreed definition. The term "integrated master plan" is a DoD term and has no standard definition in the civil agency environment. It is linked to both the IMP and the work breakdown structure (WBS) and is an essential companion to the IMP. An IMS is an integrated and networked multilayered schedule of program tasks required to complete the work effort captured in a related IMP. It defines how the project will be organized, structured, and conducted and how the total process will be controlled to provide a product that satisfies stakeholder requirements. An IMP is an event-driven plan that documents the significant accomplishments necessary to complete the work and ties each accomplishment to a key program event. What We Know About the IMS and IMPĪn Integrated Master Plan (IMP) and an Integrated Master Schedule (IMS) are not equivalent. MITRE systems engineers (SEs) should understand the use and implementation of these tools and how they can be used to effectively monitor program execution. MITRE SE Roles and Expectations: The IMS and IMP form a critical part of effectively providing acquisition support. Keywords: earned value management, EVMS, integrated master plan, integrated master schedule, program plan, work breakdown structure, WBS The IMS is an integrated, networked schedule of all the detailed, discrete work packages and planning packages (or lower level tasks of activities) necessary to support the IMP's events, accomplishments, and criteria.
Definition: The IMP comprises a hierarchy of program events, in which each event is supported by specific accomplishments, and each accomplishment is based on satisfying specific criteria to be considered complete.