At the start of a program, TPMs define the planned progress of selected technical parameters. The plan is defined in terms of expected performance at specific points in the program as defined in the WBS and Integrated Master Schedule, the methods of measurement at those points, and the variation limits for corrective action. During the program, TPMs record the actual performance observed of the selected parameters and assist the manager in decision-making (performance or resource tradeoffs) through comparison of actual vs. projected performance. TPM parameters that especially need to be tracked are the cost drivers on the program, those that lie on the critical path, and those that represent high technical risk items.

A well thought out program of TPMs provides an early warning of technical problems and supports assessments, and provides an assessment of the impacts of proposed changes in system performance. To accomplish this, the government and contractor both need to set parameters to be tracked. The government program office will need a set of TPMs that provide visibility into the technical performance of key elements of the work breakdown structure and the highest areas of cost, schedule, or technical risk. The TPMs selected for delivery to the government are expected to be traceable to the needs of the operational user and to the set of key performance parameters, key system attributes, and CTPs.

The contractor will generally track more items than are reported to the government, as the contractor needs information at a more detailed level than does the government program office. TPM reporting to the government is a contractual issue, and those TPMs on which the government receives reports are defined as contract deliverables in the contract data requirements list.