My DCMA: Shawntá Francis, EVM specialist

Photo By Cheryl Jamieson | Shawntá Francis is an Earned Value Management specialist at DCMA Baltimore that’s been recently selected to take an overseas position. She’s been with DCMA for nine years.  

WHITE MARSH, MD, UNITED STATES

05.03.2023

Story by Jason Kaneshiro 

Defense Contract Management Agency

WHITE MARSH, Md. – My DCMA showcases the Defense Contract Management Agency’s experienced and diverse workforce and highlights what being a part of the national defense team means to them. Today, Shawntá Francis shares her story.

My name is Shawntá Francis, and this is My DCMA.

I’m an Earned Value Management specialist at DCMA Baltimore’s White Marsh office. EVM is a project performance management methodology that integrates cost, schedule, technical scope, and risk to assess progress against a baseline, use that information to identify problems, and forecast cost — and, to a certain extent, schedule — at completion. EVM specialists ensure the schedule is running properly against the baseline and confirm funds and other data are properly allocated.

My job duties include responsibility for contract performance management, requirements, and procurement; sufficient knowledge of related fields to obtain and use advisory reports from engineering, production, audit, quality assurance, and other specialists to establish EVM objectives, and independent conclusions and recommendations regarding procedures and systems relating to reporting, estimating, and executing internal procedures.

I joined the DCMA team nine years ago.

I like working at DCMA because I appreciate the work-life balance it has provided me over the years and the room for growth I have here.

I always wanted to work for the federal government, so DCMA was a great choice. I entered as a Keystone and liked it because it gave me a chance to shadow each functional area and get a clear understanding of what each specialist provides to the team. Computer engineering on a software team is where I matriculated to before I transferred to the EVM team. I like numbers, so both career fields worked for me.

I have been selected by DCMA International to serve in the United Kingdom. I am very excited, and I can’t believe I was given this opportunity. I will resume some of my software duties as well as perform EVM tasks. I am excited and ready for the challenge.

I feel that DCMA is important to America's warfighters because we help to keep them safe and provide them with equipment that will ensure they come home safe to their families.

My future career goals include completing another international rotation after successfully completing this one.

Something unique about me is I once sang professionally, but the thought of being like the character “Iron Man” seemed more fun. Thus, I went to college and studied engineering physics.

I love being stationed at White Marsh because of the close proximity to the mall and the local restaurants. I’m also a travel bunny who loves math.

• Date Taken: 05.03.2023
• Date Posted: 05.03.2023 10:31
• Story ID: 443903
• Location: WHITE MARSH, MD, US
• Hometown: WHITE MARSH, MD, US