Services We Offer

Project Management

  • Expertise in rigorous PP&C methods implementing NASA NPR 7120 series, Project Management Handbook, and Project Management Institute’s Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK).

  • Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)

    Start your project off correctly by developing a concise and complete WBS; we can help you develop standard WBS templates for use across all your programs.

    Organization Breakdown Structure (OBS)

    The second pillar of rigorous project planning is a well defined OBS; it should align with your existing functional organization from which your project team members will be assigned.

    WBS-OBS Resource Allocation Matrix (RAM)

    The intersection of the WBS and OBS, or RAM, is where the Work Packages live! Careful planning at this early stage of project definition sets your project up for success over its life cycle!

    Organization Design Methods (Agent-based, Best Fit, etc.)

    Design of functional and “virtual” project organizations is often an afterthought, limited to “manager at the white board” level o rigor. Vince and his associates pioneered the application of rigorous organization design methods to the NASA organizations, and are experts in selecting the right method for your needs.

    Publications and Citations: (*denotes peer reviewed)

    * Carroll, T.N.; Gormley, T.J.; Bilardo, V.J.; Burton, R.M.; Woodman, K.L., “Designing a New Organization at NASA: Results of a Study in the Application of Organization Design and Simulation Methods,” Organizational Science, Vol. 17, No.2, Mar-2006.

  • Highly expert in developing master schedules as a centerpiece of managing the project, using Microsoft Project, Primavera, and Open Plan.

  • Experience installing EVM systems, processes, and tools in the Program Management Office (PMO) setting.

  • An IBR utilizes the full project team to establish the Performance Management Baseline (PMB), a prerequisite for EVM. Vince is an expert in planning and leading IBRs, having done so for the $400 million ASRG (underline indicates hot link to ASRG page) project and $400 million Universal Stage Adapter (USA) for the Block 2 Space Launch System (SLS) heavy lift launch vehicle for the Artemis moon landing program.

  • Detailed Bottoms Up

    Vince is an expert in constructing templates for building project cost estimates from the bottoms up, by estimating labor, subcontract, materials, and travel costs for each Work Package in the RAM.

    Parametric Top Down

    Bilardo Associates are expert in the use of parametric cost estimating tools such as NASA-Air Force Cost Model (NAFCOM) and others.

    Custom Tool Development

    Vince has led/sponsored the development of standard and customized analytical tools over the course of his NASA career.

    Publications and Citations

    Wilhite, A.W.; Pine, D.; Bilardo, V.J., “Top-Down Manpower Estimating Based on Historical Program Experience,” AIAA 2005-2536, 1st Space Exploration Conference, January 2005.

    Project Delivery Team of the Year Award, NASA Plum Brook Reactor Decommissioning Proposal Team, USACE Lakes and Rivers Division, 1999.

  • Deep experience installing CRM processes and tools, and training multidisciplinary teams in risk management.

Proposal Development

  • The Bilardos maintain cognizance of Announcements of Opportunity across the government agency postings and bring those forward as part of your strategic plan.

  • Vince and his team at Maxar wrote and processed Engineering Change Proposals totaling more than $200 million to enable integration of the PPE with the Habitation and Logistics Outpost (HALO) element to be launched as the Co-Manifest Vehicle (CMV) in NASA’s Artemis moon landing program.

  • Develop compliance verification checklist to ensure 100% compliance with all requirements in the solicitation.

  • Expert at planning and facilitating Pink Team, Red Team, Gold Team, and Black Hat reviews during the proposal development process.

Facilitation & Training

  • Vince, Heidi, and associates have planned and performed government procurements totaling over half a billion dollars; depend on us to organize and facilitate your key procurement actions.

  • Vince is an expert trainer, having developed and taught agency-wide training curricula for the US Army Corps of Engineers, Parker Hannifin Corporation, and NASA.

  • Rely on Bilardo Associates to organize and facilitate Project Management Professional™ “bootcamp” certification training for your staff.

Services to Municipal Governments

  • Vince authored grant applications which resulted in $22 million to fund the bi-state Kansas City Riverfront Heritage Trail, a well-used bicycle-pedestrian trail amenity along the downtown Kansas City, Missouri riverfront.

  • Heidi and Vince have over 30 years of experience researching and writing winning proposals. Vince and his team wrote and processed Engineering Change Proposals totaling more than $200 million to enable integration of the PPE with the Habitation and Logistics Outpost (HALO) element to be launched as the Co-Manifest Vehicle (CMV).

  • Heidi Bilardo is an expert museum docent and is certified in the International Baccalaureate Program teaching techniques.

    Services Heidi offers to clients:

    • Advising individuals and businesses on collecting high quality artwork.

    • Facilitating stakeholders through the process to procure site-specific art.

    • Speaking to community and learning in retirement groups about art history and site-specific art around the world.

    • Writing grant proposals for not-for-profit art organizations.

    • Leading indoor and outdoor art tours for individuals and companies.

Advanced Methods

Bilardo Associates specializes in advanced methods for rigorous project planning, organization design, and risk management, such as:

  • Design Structure Matrix (DSM)

    Vince’s teams have done pioneering work in formal decision analysis, intended to supplement a manager’s intuitive judgement. We used DSM to design the Integrated Product Team (IPT) structure for NASA’s human spaceflight exploration Constellation Program.

    Scenario Based Planning

    This technique is a powerful strategic planning tool to help inform senior management decision making, especially when combined with Monte Carlo analysis.

    Item description

  • Vince’s team used this ABS technique to optimize the staff skill mix for design/build of the Upper Stage Simulator that flew on NASA’s Ares I-X rocket development test flight.

  • Vince’s associates applied DES to optimize the manufacturing tooling and workflow to build the Ares I-X rocket upper stage at NASA Glenn Research Center.

  • Monte Carlo simulations are used to predict the probability, or confidence level, that a project will be completed on schedule. The results are plotted on an “S-curve”, or probability distribution curve predicting the date vs % likelihood.

  • This analysis technique predicts the likelihood of meeting the integrated cost, schedule, and risk baselines established for a project, as typically required for NASA’s billion dollar Flagship programs in accordance with Appendix J of NASA’s Cost Estimating Handbook.

    • Wilhite, A.W.; Pine, D.; Bilardo, V.J., “Top-Down Manpower Estimating Based on Historical Program Experience,” AIAA 2005-2536, 1st Space Exploration Conference, January 2005.

    • Bilardo, V.J., Curran, F.M, Hunt, J.L., Lovell, N.T., Maggio, G., Wilhite, A.W. and McKinney, L.E., “The Benefits of Hypersonic Airbreathing Launch Systems for Access to Space,” AIAA-2003-5265, Joint Propulsion Conference, Huntsville, AL, July 2003.

    • Bilardo, V.J., Robinson, J.S., Komar, D.R., Taylor, W.J., Lovell, N.T. and Maggio, G., “NGLT Systems Analysis Tiger Team Study Results: Implications for Space Launch Architectures and Technologies,” AIAA-2003-5263, Joint Propulsion Conference, Huntsville, AL, July 2003.