Node A6 · Acronym decoder
CPI
Cost Performance Index
What it actually means
Earned value divided by actual cost — the dollars of planned work accomplished per dollar spent. CPI below 1.0 means the program is overrunning, and empirically a CPI at the 20% completion point is a strong predictor of the final overrun: programs almost never earn their way back. The same letters also mean Critical Program Information in security contexts.
Where you'll meet it
EVM dashboards and program health reviews.